The Time of the Doctor
"The Time of the Doctor" received positive reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes gave the episode an approval rating of 88%, based on 16 critics, and an average score of 8.16/10. The website's critical consensus reads, ""Doctor Who: The Time of the Doctor" is a wistful swan song for Matt Smith, who gives such a graceful bow that he secures his place as one of the most essential Time Lords." Dan Martin of "The Guardian" praised the episode as "awfully good". He wrote that Steven Moffat had "performed the fourth remix of the show's mythology in a row, tying up strands that date back to the beginning of Matt Smith's run." He added, "Perfectly, the rebooting of his regeneration cycle was done simply... Who could have guessed the Doctor's renewed regeneration cycle would be dealt with as simply as his best friend just asking nicely?" Mark Snow of "IGN" gave the episode a score of 8.4, "GREAT", writing that "'The Time of the Doctor' was an exemplary exercise in celebrating the departure of a loved one. If you managed to stay dry-eyed during the Doctor's goodbye to Clara (itself a not-entirely-transparent goodbye from Smith to the role he embodied), then you should probably double check your heart's still working," also lauding Karen Gillan's "rather crowd-pleasing, tear-inducing cameo". While criticising its "rapid, almost breathless pace", he concluded, "It was a melancholic yet ultimately merry end to one of the show's best Doctors to date."