Clara (pictured in a scene from Time of the Doctor) has every right to look confused. All the evidence suggests that Trenzalore is where the current (let’s call him eleventh) version of the Doctor dies. There are no more, the limit has been reached (Just how many Doctors are there?). So who then is the Capaldi Doctor and how can he exist? Clara appears not to even know of him.

The following is some Christmas Day speculation ahead of the turkey and tonight’s episode. No doubt something different will actually occur but….

(Oh, Merry Christmas by the way!)

How to break the regeneration limit

First we know it can be broken – the Master proves that (as does the reappearance of Rassilon) and he was even offered a new cycle of regenerations in The Five Doctors.

Who then can do it? In my view either the Time Lords or the Sisterhood of Khan. My money is on the latter as they have already been visualised for Night of the Doctor.

It could be the Time Lords who could be found in Time of the Doctor, brought back and give the Doctor a new cycle of lives really wiping the slate clean. I see this could be attractive but it feels like an arc that could run for several series squeezed into one day.

I think the Sisterhood will intervene, give the Doctor one last life and the Capaldi Doctor will then go find Gallifrey.

Anyway enjoy the rest of Christmas Day and I’ll share my views of Time of the Doctor later in the week.

PostScript – astute readers will notice that this post was timed for Christmas morning but didn’t appear. I thought I’d let it out anyhow and blame WordPress for not working properly. I hope you had a good Christmas anyway!