The Last Day (TV story)

 was a mini-episode released on 20 November 2013 as part of the run-up to the 50th anniversary special. It gave viewers a look into the Last Great Time War from the perspective of a Gallifreyan soldier, and showed the beginning volleys of the Fall of Arcadia, one of the final battles that happened right before the Doctor ended the Time War. The Big Finish audio story One Life is set concurrently to it.

Synopsis
A Gallifreyan soldier undergoes initiation in the use of a headcam, as well as the defence of Arcadia. During his training, the impossible happens and Daleks invade.

Plot
A soldier opens his eyes to see a man standing over him. The man, also a soldier, wears an outfit with the Seal of Rassilon. The first soldier has been fitted with a headcam. As the other man explains its use in recording his thoughts, the newly-awakened soldier experiences frightening images. His instructor tells him not to worry about these hallucinations, and to disregard rumours that they are premonitions. He then takes him to the rooftop for his post. There, another soldier tells him that they are protected by impenetrable sky trenches. This makes Arcadia the safest place on Gallifrey. If even one Dalek did get through however, it could destroy the entire city. As the soldier is instructed on monitoring for possible intrusions, he is told to zoom in on a small object some distance away. He finds that it is a Dalek. This is not an illusion. Suddenly, many more Daleks appear behind it. As they fire, his headcam goes blank. The last sound heard in the background is a chilling death cry of anguish.

Cast

 * Time Lord soldier 1 - Chris Finch
 * Older Time Lord soldier - Barry Aird
 * Time Lord soldier 2 - Alan Gill


 * Note: No cast members were credited on-screen.

Crew

 * Writer - Steven Moffat
 * Director - Jamie Stone
 * Producer - Denise Paul

Technology

 * Arcadia is protected by sky trenches, and is therefore considered the safest place on Gallifrey.
 * Soldiers positioned in Arcadia have headcams installed into their brains, both to show to their families following death and to record the soldier's final moments for official record. The recording is censored, with violence and language deemed unsuitable for the soldiers' children cut out. Anything particularly graphic gets tinted red.
 * A side effect of the headcam are hallucinations, that could be interpreted as premonitions. The installation can also temporarily impair speech.

Story notes

 * The soldier's red armour and round helmet design resemble the Chancellery Guard's uniforms from TV: The Deadly Assassin and TV: The Invasion of Time.
 * The events of this mini-episode are referenced by Cardinal Ollistra in the Eighth Doctor 2017 audio story One Life, putting an end to the previous assumption that this story was set in the War Doctor era.

Production errors
to be added

Continuity

 * The Tenth Doctor later referred to having been at the Fall of Arcadia during the Time War. (TV: Doomsday)
 * The Fall of Arcadia and the Doctor's involvement in it is shown in TV: The Day of the Doctor.
 * The same Gallifreyan soldier who put the rookie through the ropes is later seen reporting to the War Council that Arcadia has fallen, and is approached by the War Doctor for his gun. (TV: The Day of the Doctor)
 * Said soldier above also has a Northern (Mancunian) accent, backing up the Ninth Doctor's assertion that "lots of planets have a North" when he defended his own accent as a native one of Gallifrey. Curiously, the War Doctor was in contact with this soldier on the day he regenerated, but no evidence is given if that influenced his successor's accent. (TV: Rose)
 * Unlike Arcadia's sky trenches, the sky trenches guarding the capital of Gallifrey hold up when they are attacked by the converging forces of the Dalek fleet. The Tenth Doctor also mentions the sky trench around the planet is holding. (TV: The Day of the Doctor)

Home video releases

 * The Last Day was also included on both the DVD and Blu-ray releases of The Day of the Doctor, including in the 50th Anniversary Collector's Edition set.

The Last Day