OK, I'm not going to do Doctor Who justice here, so... sorry?
With ONE exception, I'm not including stories with missing episodes.
Feel free to skip to the spoilers at the bottom!
"10 CLASSIC & 10 NEW..."
This is barely a watch order, it is really the answer to the question:
" What are your favourite 20 Doctor Who stories, but your list must contain EVERY DOCTOR, 10 CLASSIC WHO stories, and 10 NEW WHO stories? "
I was inspired by Liz on Verity Podcast, who said she could judge people based on their favourite 10 Doctor Who stories.
As New Who keeps going, this is getting harder and harder to maintain!
"FAVOURITES..."
This isn't really intended to be a coherent (hahaha... you're watching Doctor Who, right?) watch order. These are simply my favourite episodes. I tried to include one from almost every season. Some perhaps due to nostalgia, others because they are truly wonderful TV.
There's a per-story breakdown below in the spoiler section.
"CONTINUITY & MORE..."
This last list just fills in the gaps so the show will be FAR less confusing to new viewers. Mostly it just adds in all the complete existing stories that cover the introductions and exits of Doctors and companions. So maybe it adds some rough edges to the watch order, but that's the tradeoff for continuity.
1st: An Unearthly Child
The Daleks
2nd: The War Games
3rd: The Time Warrior
4th: Genesis of the Daleks
The Robots of Death
Creature from the Pit
5th: Earthshock
6th: Vengeance on Varos
7th: Curse of Fenric
|
9th: The Empty Child / The Doctor Dances
10th/14th: The Impossible Planet / The Satan Pit
Blink
Midnight
11th: Asylum of the Daleks
The Day of the Doctor
12th: Mummy on the Orient Express
Heaven Sent
13th: Demons of the Punjab
15th: Boom
|
FAVOURITES...
1st Doctor:
1: An Unearthly Child
2: The Daleks
3: The Edge of Destruction
...
...
7: The Sensorites
10: The Dalek Invasion of Earth
...
23: The Ark
29: The Tenth Planet
2nd Doctor:
37: The Tomb of the Cybermen
40: The Enemy of the World
50: The War Games
3rd Doctor:
51: Spearhead from Space
...
53: The Ambassadors of Death
54: Inferno
...
...
65: The Three Doctors
...
...
...
...
70: The Time Warrior
...
4th Doctor:
...
76: The Ark in Space
77: The Sontaran Experiment
78: Genesis of the Daleks
79: Revenge of the Cybermen
80: Terror of the Zygons
82: Pyramids of Mars
...
...
...
87: The Hand of Fear
88: The Deadly Assassin
89: The Face of Evil
90: The Robots of Death
...
...
97: The Invasion of Time
98: The Ribos Operation
...
100: The Stones of Blood
...
...
...
...
105: City of Death
106: The Creature from the Pit
107: Nightmare of Eden
...
...
112: State of Decay
113: Warriors' Gate
...
...
5th Doctor:
...
...
119: The Visitation
...
121: Earthshock
...
...
125: Mawdryn Undead
126: Terminus
127: Enlightenment
129: The Five Doctors
...
...
...
135: The Caves of Androzani
6th Doctor:
...
138: Vengeance on Varos
...
...
...
...
...
...
7th Doctor:
...
...
...
...
...
153: Ghost Light
154: Curse of Fenric
155: Survival
8th Doctor:
156: Doctor Who (TV Movie)
9th Doctor:
...
158: The End of the World
161: Dalek
164: The Empty Child
The Doctor Dances
...
...
10th Doctor:
...
170: School Reunion
171: The Girl in the Fireplace
174: The Impossible Planet
The Satan Pit
...
...
...
184: 42
...
...
...
...
186: Blink
...
...
...
...
...
195: Silence in the Library
Forest of the Dead
196: Midnight
...
...
...
200: Planet of the Dead
...
11th Doctor:
203: The Eleventh Hour
...
...
...
210: Vincent and the Doctor
...
...
217: The Rebel Flesh
The Almost People
...
...
...
222: The God Complex
...
...
226: Asylum of the Daleks
...
231: The Snowmen
...
234: Cold War
...
240: The Day of the Doctor
...
12th Doctor:
...
246: Time Heist
249: Mummy on the Orient Express
...
...
...
...
...
...
258: The Zygon Invasion
The Zygon Inversion
...
261: Heaven Sent
...
263: The Husbands of River Song
264: The Return of Doctor Mysterio
265: The Pilot
267: Thin Ice
270: Extremis
...
...
275: World Enough and Time
The Doctor Falls
276: Twice Upon a Time
13th Doctor:
...
279: Rosa
281: The Tsuranga Conundrum
282: Demons of the Punjab
...
287: Resolution
...
...
290: Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror
291: Fugitive of the Judoon
292: Praxeus
293: Can You Hear Me?
294: The Haunting of Villa Diodati
295: Ascension of the Cybermen
The Timeless Children
296: Revolution of the Daleks
...
...
...
...
...
...
298: Eve of the Daleks
...
300: The Power of the Doctor
14th Doctor:
...
302: Wild Blue Yonder
...
15th Doctor:
...
306: The Devil's Chord
307: Boom
308: 73 Yards
...
...
...
312: Joy to the World
Story Count: 94 |
CONTINUITY & MORE...
1st Doctor:
1: An Unearthly Child
2: The Daleks
3: The Edge of Destruction
5: The Keys of Marinus
6: The Aztecs
7: The Sensorites
10: The Dalek Invasion of Earth
15: The Space Museum
23: The Ark
29: The Tenth Planet
2nd Doctor:
37: The Tomb of the Cybermen
40: The Enemy of the World
50: The War Games
3rd Doctor:
51: Spearhead from Space
52: Doctor Who and the Silurians
53: The Ambassadors of Death
54: Inferno
55: Terror of the Autons
62: The Sea Devils
65: The Three Doctors
66: Carnival of Monsters
67: Frontier in Space
68: Planet of the Daleks
69: The Green Death
70: The Time Warrior
74: Planet of the Spiders
4th Doctor:
75: Robot
76: The Ark in Space
77: The Sontaran Experiment
78: Genesis of the Daleks
79: Revenge of the Cybermen
80: Terror of the Zygons
82: Pyramids of Mars
84: The Brain of Morbius
85: The Seeds of Doom
86: The Masque of Mandragora
87: The Hand of Fear
88: The Deadly Assassin
89: The Face of Evil
90: The Robots of Death
91: The Talons of Weng-Chiang
92: Horror of Fang Rock
97: The Invasion of Time
98: The Ribos Operation
99: The Pirate Planet
100: The Stones of Blood
101: The Androids of Tara
102: The Power of Kroll
103: The Armageddon Factor
104: Destiny of the Daleks
105: City of Death
106: The Creature from the Pit
107: Nightmare of Eden
109 The Leisure Hive
111: Full Circle
112: State of Decay
113: Warriors' Gate
114: The Keeper of Traken
115: Logopolis
5th Doctor:
116: Castrovalva
118: Kinda
119: The Visitation
120: Black Orchid
121: Earthshock
122: Time-Flight
123: Arc of Infinity
125: Mawdryn Undead
126: Terminus
127: Enlightenment
129: The Five Doctors
132: Frontios
133: Resurrection of the Daleks
134: Planet of Fire
135: The Caves of Androzani
6th Doctor:
136: The Twin Dilemma
138: Vengeance on Varos
140: The Two Doctors
142: Revelation of the Daleks
143: The Mysterious Planet
Mindwarp
Terror of the Vervoids
The Ultimate Foe
7th Doctor:
144: Time and the Rani
146: Delta and the Bannermen
148: Remembrance of the Daleks
149: The Happiness Patrol
152: Battlefield
153: Ghost Light
154: Curse of Fenric
155: Survival
8th Doctor:
156: Doctor Who (TV Movie)
9th Doctor:
157: Rose
158: The End of the World
161: Dalek
164: The Empty Child
The Doctor Dances
166: Bad Wolf
The Parting of the Ways
10th Doctor:
167: The Christmas Invasion
170: School Reunion
171: The Girl in the Fireplace
174: The Impossible Planet
The Satan Pit
177: Army of Ghosts
Doomsday
178: The Runaway Bride
179: Smith and Jones
181: Gridlock
184: 42
185: Human Nature
The Family of Blood
186: Blink
187: Utopia
The Sound of Drums
Last of the Time Lords
188: Voyage of the Damned
189: Partners in Crime
195: Silence in the Library
Forest of the Dead
196: Midnight
198: The Stolen Earth
Journey's End
199: The Next Doctor
200: Planet of the Dead
202: The End of Time
11th Doctor:
203: The Eleventh Hour
204: The Beast Below
206: The Time of Angels
Flesh and Stone
210: Vincent and the Doctor
213: A Christmas Carol
216: The Doctor's Wife
217: The Rebel Flesh
The Almost People
218: A Good Man Goes to War
219: Let's Kill Hitler
221: The Girl Who Waited
222: The God Complex
224: The Wedding of River Song
225: The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe
226: Asylum of the Daleks
230: The Angels Take Manhattan
231: The Snowmen
232: The Bells of Saint John
234: Cold War
239: The Name of the Doctor
240: The Day of the Doctor
241: The Time of the Doctor
12th Doctor:
242: Deep Breath
246: Time Heist
249: Mummy on the Orient Express
250: Flatline
252: Dark Water
Death in Heaven
253: Last Christmas
254: The Magician's Apprentice
The Witch's Familiar
258: The Zygon Invasion
The Zygon Inversion
260: Face the Raven
261: Heaven Sent
262: Hell Bent
263: The Husbands of River Song
264: The Return of Doctor Mysterio
265: The Pilot
267: Thin Ice
270: Extremis
271: The Pyramid at the End of the World
272: The Lie of the Land
275: World Enough and Time
The Doctor Falls
276: Twice Upon a Time
13th Doctor:
277: The Woman Who Fell to Earth
279: Rosa
281: The Tsuranga Conundrum
282: Demons of the Punjab
285: It Takes You Away
287: Resolution
288: Spyfall, Part 1
Spyfall, Part 2
290: Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror
291: Fugitive of the Judoon
292: Praxeus
293: Can You Hear Me?
294: The Haunting of Villa Diodati
295: Ascension of the Cybermen
The Timeless Children
296: Revolution of the Daleks
297: The Halloween Apocalypse
War of the Sontarans
Once, Upon Time
Village of the Angels
Survivors of the Flux
The Vanquishers
298: Eve of the Daleks
299: Legend of the Sea Devils
300: The Power of the Doctor
14th Doctor:
301: The Star Beast
302: Wild Blue Yonder
303: The Giggle
15th Doctor:
304: The Church on Ruby Road
306: The Devil's Chord
307: Boom
308: 73 Yards
310: Rogue
311: The Legend of Ruby Sunday
Empire of Death
312: Joy to the World
Story Count: 176 |
Here is a per story breakdown of my FAVOURITES Watch Order.
- The 1st Doctor -
"An Unearthly Child" is simply an amazing bit of TV. One thing is clear during the 1st and 2nd Doctors' productions: their writing & filming schedule was INTENSE. Now, "An Unearthly Child" does not feel rushed at all. The writing is careful, the actors have not only rehearsed it, but they've even filmed the episode once before (the first version is good too, but subtly different). Technically this episode is part of a caveman story, but you can take-or-leave those later episodes.
"The Daleks" is amazingly important, mostly for introducing the Dalek who are the Bug Eyed Monsters (TM) that saved Doctor Who. This story also has a super cranky and petty Doctor. He gets better... really.
It takes guts to break format in the third story, but "The Edge of Destruction" is a wild ride unlike almost any Doctor Who story. I love a good bottle episode, and this one is WILD.
Perceived fan wisdom is that the "The Sensorites" is not good, but this feels like such a quintessential 1st Doctor story to me. Lots of twists and turns and tons of fun.
"The Dalek Invasion of Earth" is the Dalek second story that got a North American movie adaptation. While Susan is given little agency, she gets the first great Doctor speech.
"The Ark" is one of my favourite 1st Doctor stories. While it is very unclear just what this story is trying to say about slavery, I love the story structure, and it it is nice to get a Dodo and Steven story in.
Not only does the "The Tenth Planet" introduce the Borg (Err... Cybermen), but it also did the most amazing recasting in TV history, introducing The Doctor's ability to regenerate into different actors. It is so sad that the last episode doesn't fully exist.
- The 2nd Doctor -
"The Tomb of the Cybermen" is a well built episode, but you have to cope with a pile of sexist and racists tropes... you have been warned.
"The Enemy of the World" has recently been made complete and it is a tour de force for Patrick Troughton playing multiple roles. So many fans cried out with joy when it was found.
"The War Games" is simply one of the best Doctor Who stories ever made. While it is long, it never feels padded and it never drags. It is always a joy to watch. Zoe and Jamie are also great, even if this is the start of the mind-wiping companions trend. Lots of great Timelord world building is introduced in this must-watch episode.
- The 3rd Doctor -
"Spearhead from Space" was a game changer for Doctor Who. So much is new: The Doctor, the colour, the companion and Earth setting. This also introduces Liz Shaw, who is definitely one of the best companions.
Lots of 3rd Doctor stories love to question "Who are the bad guys anyway?" (spoilers, humanity tends to be pretty bad). Well, "The Ambassadors of Death" is the best example of this; with its Bond chase scenes, and wonderfully played out mystery.
"Inferno" has always been one of my favourite stories. The monsters are ridiculous and were clearly crowbarred into the plot, but what a plot it is. It is full on "Mirror Mirror" greatness. We even get to see a universe where the Doctor doesn't win. A wonderful bit of writing and acting.
Sarah Jane Smith!!! "The Time Warrior" introduces her and the wonderfully brutal Sontarans in this unexpected middle ages romp.
- The 4th Doctor -
OK, there are a lot of 4th Doctor stories on this list. It isn't entirely my fault, he was The Doctor for a long time. For me it all started here, as "The Ark in Space" is the first Doctor Who story I remember seeing in the early '80s. This story also kicks off a memorable set of Tardis-light episodes. This is MY Doctor Who.
If you liked Sontarans, they're back, and even meaner. "The Sontaran Experiment" is a great short story (almost a bottle episode, given the "sets"). It shows that short Doctor Who can be done, and done well.
"Genesis of the Daleks" is the only episode of Doctor Who I've seen in the theatre (thank you Radio Free Skaro for the winning ticket). It is famously well regarded and deserves all the praise it get. Davros has never again been this good.
"Revenge of the Cybermen" proves that I'm really a sucker for "come back to the same location multiple times" trope. Doctor Who should do this more. It's a fun little Cyberman story, and hey, they already built the sets!
The Zygon episodes are always great, and their introductory story "Terror of the Zygons" doesn't disappoint. Never have Classic Who monster costumes been this good, and boy are there ship controls gruesome.
You know what Doctor Who plots are almost never about: time travel. I'll never forget watching "Pyramids of Mars" which not only plays around with "what it means to travel in time", but also uses time travel beautifully in the story's climax. This has always felt like one of the tightest Doctor Who stories written.
If you like Elisabeth Sladen, "The Hand of Fear" is lets you to see her acting the baddie for a change. While this story has one of the most perfunctory baddie defeat ever, t is a great ride getting there. There are lots of quarry scenes too.
"The Deadly Assassin" is an amazing bit of Timelord world building, that adds a stunning amount of depth and detail (except where the women are???). It's a rare companionless episode, but still wonderful.
Did you ever wonder what happens after The Doctor vanishes at the end of stories? Well, "The Face of Evil" is a sequel to a story that was never written and boy did the Doctor leave a mess. The plotting of this episode is stunning and the introduction of Leela should not be missed.
Did the world need an Agatha Christie murder mystery on an alien world with creeper killer robots? Yes it did! "The Robots of Death" does it magically.
It's back to Gallifrey in "The Invasion of Time" (OK, I admit that I'm a sucker for Gallifrey episodes). This episode changed everyone's head-canon regarding just how much bigger the inside the Tardis is. The baddies are all kinda perfunctory, but The Doctor playing both sides is glorious and Borusa doubly so.
"The Ribos Operation" kicked off one of the most famous season long stories: "The Key to Time". This story also introduces the wonderful 1st Romana, starting a shockingly rare period where the Doctor's companion is a peer instead of a mere human. It's possible that some of the side characters steal the show.
Can "The Stones of Blood" turns Stonehenge rocks into a zombie thriller? Oh yeah, that is exactly what it does. The cast is great, the pacing amazing, the stones... are a little silly.
While many consider "City of Death" the best Classic Who story, I can't go that far, but it is exceptionally memorable. Between wild dynamics between Tom Baker and Lalla Ward, the Paris setting, and some story editing by Douglas Adams, this is an amazing thing to watch. It is Doctor Who at its most playful.
I do not understand why "The Creature from the Pit" is not more well regarded. The world is consistent, the characters are fun to watch, the baddie is interesting, the effects are ridiculous... it is ALL good. If only for the twist ending, which Star Trek borrowed, this episode should be loved by more.
Sometimes Doctor Who sci-fi space stories are just sets that happen to be in space, but not in "Nightmare of Eden" where the plot is complicated and the sci-fi elements are way out there. Is this Doctor Who's "say not to drugs episode"? Maybe, but it is great fun to watch with story play out.
Did anyone guess that the Timelords used to fight massive space vampire aliens? Well "State of Decay" does some beautiful world building to say they did. It is over the top, and wonderful. Never have I found an old creaky spaceship so cool.
In terms of strange episodes "Warriors' Gate" is pretty darn strange. Strange white voids, bouncing around in time, people walking through still images and not even pretending it "looks right"... SO STRANGE. It is a great story, and a fine farewell to the 2nd Romana.
- The 5th Doctor -
I feel I need to give "The Visitation" more credit. The end of the Classic Who sonic screwdriver, and a fun quasi-historical.
"Earthshock" is shocking. Well, the ending was shocking. People are still shocked. Lots of Dinosaurs die too.
Honestly, I'm just including "Mawdryn Undead" because it is a great Brigadier story. The bouncing around in time is fun, the mistaken identity is ridiculous, the climax is poor world building; but it is a great Brigadier story.
I enjoy "Terminus". Teagan and Nyssa are either frustrating or unexplainably stripping and the plot kinda evaporates; but it does hold a three-parter story together, which is a rare sense of continuity in Doctor Who.
Space Gods pretending to by Space Pirates in a space boat race... Sure! "Enlightenment" is awesome, and we finally finish the Turlough / Black Guardian plot so he can stop being a bizarre traitorous companion.
The ultimate multiple Doctors episode: "The Five Doctors". This is still amazing to watch. It is only a pity that Roger Delgado couldn't be there too. Someday New Who will out do this episode, but they haven't yet.
I don't quite understand those who say "The Caves of Androzani" is the best Classic Who story. It is a good story and it is "neat" that all the dudes die; but "The Phantom of the Opera" motif is over the top and the treatment of Peri is kinda gross, but still worth watching.
- The 6th Doctor -
The 6th Doctor's period was so conflicted. The show was looking more and more childlike, but The Doctor also accidentally pushes people into acid baths. This episode has an amazing dystopia, with amazing side characters. Nothing beats watching these two characters watch _Doctor Who_. Such a surprisingly good story.
- The 7th Doctor -
I'm starting to think I like weird Doctor Who. In "Ghost Light" we get a 7th Doctor being as sneaky and manipulative as ever. Other Doctors take away their companions agency, but the 7th Doctor seriouslly messes with Ace. Still, this is a really interesting show to dissect.
"Curse of Fenric" seriously gives us a plot where the 7th Doctor needs to psychologically damage Ace to win. Maybe the writers just don't like Ace? Still, it does make for an interesting vampire story, and the characters really sell it. It might be the best 7th Doctor story.
All things must come to an end, and Classic Who came to a close with "Survival". I think the makeup works better than expected and the story is strong. I wonder what Classic Who could have been had it continued.
- The 8th Doctor -
Does this count as "Middle Who"? Here we see the start of the romantic Doctor. If you can ignore the half-human line, what Eyes of Harmony are, and just how AMAZINGLY over the top The Master is, you'll like this movie.
- The 9th Doctor -
New Who! While the first episode of Doctor Who felt too rough around the edges, "The End of the World" made me believe that New Who would be great. The plot isn't special; but the characters, both leads and secondary, are perfectly handled. The use of "Tainted Love" and "Toxic" are both brilliant. The effects blew me away. After Classic Who spent all that time saving the Earth, here they blow it up. This is great Who... different, but great.
"Dalek" is a great example of the show bring back an old baddie, and making sure we appreciated how dangerous they are. This won't be the last time that I really love a Dalek character arc in New Who.
One concern I had with New Who was that the stories were too short. Well, luckily RTD gave us "The Empty Child / The Doctor Dances". This is a wonderful story, with wonderful characters, and a plot that has enough time to develop well. A true classic.
- The 10th Doctor -
I'll admit that "School Reunion" is not perfect. Having Rose and Sarah snipe at each other over the Doctor is sad, but seeing Sarah and K-9 on the screen is SO darn wonderful that I forgive it a lot.
Here's a story that tops many people's lists: "The Girl in the Fireplace". It is Doctor Who high romance, via a wild sci-fi premise. It is definitely worth watching as it is both moving and visually stunning. Maybe not the best Who, but definitely quite high on the list.
While I had been enjoying New Who, "The Impossible Planet / The Satan Pit" brought back everything I loved from Classic Who, and did it superbly. The villain personality and physicality are both horrifying. yes, the base is under siege. This was a gift to Classic Who fans, and it was appreciated. This pair of episodes might be my favourite Doctor Who ever.
There are New Who stories that aren't given as much love as they deserve. Sure, the baddie in "42" is ridiculous, but it is also a wonderful modern Doctor Who take on the classic show's environmentalism, and wronged alien stories. The time pressure works, the puzzles work, the cell phones work... this all works. Easily my favourite Martha story.
Don't "Blink"... actually, it is fine. "Blink" is easily the most famous Doctor light episode ever made, and it is a very carefully crafted work of art. That being said, the baddies and the plot only barely make sense. This is a wonderful breaking format episode.
It is funny, if you ask many fans what their favourite Doctor Who episodes are, you'll usually get back moderately consistent answers; but ask them what their favourite Christmas Special is, all hell breaks loose. "Voyage of the Damned" is a fun little disaster movie Doctor Who story. I enjoyed it, and the many bit parts. Not deep stuff, but fun.
As for format breaking bottle episodes, it is hard to beat "Midnight". While Donna gets entirely sidelined, it gives lots of side characters time to shine. This story answers the real question: "How does The Doctor always win?" It is his ability to inspire other people with his words. But what happens if his words are taken away? This episode. It is a glorious episode, if sometimes hard to watch.
While many fans consider "The Waters of Mars" the best of the season of specials, aspects of its plot rubbed me the wrong day. The episode I liked was "Planet of the Dead". It has some interesting potential companion characters, even if the Unit scientist is overshadowed by Osgood later. Something about The Doctor and a thief companion sounds like fun.
- The 11th Doctor -
There are so many aspects of the 11th Doctor's run that make me uncomfortable; but the brand new show runnner, increased production value, and the performance of Mat Smith really makes it a fine starting off point for people new to Who. Like many regeneration episodes, and many regenerations: it is a bit wonky, has too much to do, and the plot is kinda perfunctory, but it is still great.
Sometimes the Doctor Who historicals with recognizable characters don't work, but "Vincent and the Doctor" is masterful. It is possibly one of the saddest Doctor Who stories ever, but it is poinent and tells its story very well. While Amy can't really save Vincent, I think the episode's existence does make the world a better place.
I usually like the two-parter stories in New Who, and that continues with "The Rebel Flesh / The Almost People". This story dives deep into identiy and ends up being both touching and hopeful. A pity aspects of this plot are then used to make a mess of season's story arc.
Here is a Doctor Who story about Doctor Who, and the meta-narrative story "The God Complex" does it really, really, well. This story questions both The Doctor's life choices, as well as the treatment of his companions. I'm really a sucker for this stuff.
While I found the Amy Pond mystery distressing and non-sensical (not an uncommon reaction of mine to Moffat's season long story arcs), this soft-launch of Clara is a work of genius. This is not quite my favourite Clara, but She is clever and amazingly capable. Rarely do I enjoy the "hacking the bad guy's computer" trope, but the twist in this episode sells it shockingly well.
"The Snowmen" with its new version of Clara, is a great little story. This Clara is clever and brave and I love how Jenna Coleman moves between Clara's different roles in this story, like Clara herself seems to be move across her different roles in time. At this point I was really looking forward to where Clara's story would go.
I'm shocked... "Cold War" is a Mark Gatiss episode that I like (I think it is the only one). Having a base under siege Doctor Who story on a submarine is pretty great. This is also a wonderful use of the Ice Warriors.
"The Day of the Doctor" is a bit of glorious ret-coning. Maybe it would have been better with the 9th Doctor, but sometimes the best art happens when things don't go as planned. The War Doctor does a fine job, gets an interesting story, and plays off of the 10th and 11th Doctors well. It is also great to see Rose again. If nothing else, Moffat should be praised for his masterfull saving of Gallifrey. A pity about Clara. Her mystery explained, she just becomes a cocky companion who takes risks. My favourite version of Clara is the one in my head, where she recombines the memories of all the Clara shards to become as awesome as she seemed in her first three stories...
- The 12th Doctor -
"Time Heist" is a heist episode. It is right in the name. And really, this is a fun heist story that feels too by the books, up until the Doctor pulls the rug out from under us, which is exactly what we should have expected.
In terms of my favourite episodes of all time "Mummy on the Orient Express" is really high on the list. Digging into the challenges of being The Doctor makes this little story really strong hitting. The Doctor might be cool, but being The Doctor sucks. I wish the writers let Clara learn this lesson.
I still love Zygon stories and "The Zygon Invasion / The Zygon Inversion" is also great. The story finds a clever way to roll-back Osgood's death, while not making her death meaningless. This story has one of the best speechifying Doctor scenes ever, and the plot is tricky yet beautiful.
There's format breaking episodes, and then there is "Heaven Sent". This is truly an episode to be experienced. If any episode of Doctor could be cosidered a piece of art, it is this one. A pity the following episode was such a let down.
While I had issues with some of the earlier River Song stories, I must include "The Husbands of River Song". My favourite River story, and perhaps the most fun. Many old fans had issues with the romantic tension of New Who, but this episode pulls it off perfectly.
Can Doctor Who do Superheros? "The Return of Doctor Mysterio" clearly proves that it can. This carefully paced, carefully structured superhero story is really great, even with its ridiculous secret identity drama.
The season premier "The Pilot" introducing Bill is very very well made, even if Moffat refuses to have a baddie that makes any sense. The characters, the writing, the filming, it is all top notch. This episode and this season, treads too close to the "bury your gays" trope, unfortunately.
Giving us all the realities that RTD ignored when dropping Martha into Shakespearian England, "Thin Ice" is a powerful episode. Like many Doctor Who stories, rich white dudes are the real monsters, and this show frames it well.
I kinda wish that Moffat didn't make "Extremis" into part of a flawed trilogy, because this episode is wonderful. Maybe a little too Dan Brown, but I still love it.
Shockingly "World Enough and Time / The Doctor Falls" is the first New Who season finale I have on the list. If you think this is because New Who season long arcs are really weak, you would be right. It has some glaring flaws (look no further than the thoughtlessly written scenes where a woman of colour is locked up in a barn and not treated like a human), but if one can look past that, it's clever, the Cybermen are at their most horrific, and The Master story line is truly shocking.
- The 13th Doctor -
Everyone should watch "Rosa". It isn't my favourite of the season, but it is a powerful and well made story. It was risky for the BBC to do a Rosa Parks episode, but I don't get to judge if it worked as a Rosa Parks historical.
"The Tsuranga Conundrum" is a good Doctor Who story. The deaths are poignant, the climax humane, and the characters live their best lives. Sure, the humour is a little heavy handed, and the baddie kinda looks like Stitch, but it is otherwise great.
Now, "Demons of the Punjab" is my favourite episode of the season, and one of my favourite episodes of Doctor Who ever. It's a little rushed, but it is held together by an amazing story, with heart breaking moments, and characters that are entirely believable. When people talk about Doctor Who historicals, this is what they're SUPPOSED to be like.
So this is "Resolution" of the Daleks? Perhaps the show tried too hard to be a mystery, and the construction montage was not long enough, but the amazing quality of the production really made this episode a great watch.
In "Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror" we get to see Tesla and his nemesis Thomas Edison. Like the episode about van Gogh, The Doctor and her companions tread lightly on history, not really saving anyone, but allowing us viewers to learn. I loved the spider chase.
Oh my, the retconning in "Fugitive of the Judoon". After his first season treading lightly on Doctor Who canon, Chibnall has clearly changed gears. On initial watch, the full implications of this episode is entirely unknown, but oh my. This story also gives us the wonderful and unexplained Ruth Doctor.
"Praxeus" has a few plot holes here and there, but is a powerful and well made story. Yaz is quite great in it.
Sometimes when watching a show I can see the gears of the plot moving, but it is truly wonderful when the gears themselves are a pleasure to watch. The opening to "Can You Hear Me?" opens up complex story about mental health and identity, and it holds it all together right to the perfunctory victory over the baddies.
"The Haunting of Villa Diodati" takes on the gothic romantic night when Frankenstein was created (there's a Cyberman to fill that role too). We met Ada Lovelace earlier this season, but during this episode she would have been a baby. Of course, her iffy father Byron is too busy hitting on The Doctor. The plot is as warped as it's setting, and it leads right into the next episode.
More than any other Doctor Who story "Ascension of the Cybermen / The Timeless Children" is going to be discussed forever. The scale of the ret-conning world building is astounding. Does it entirely work, maybe not, but in comparison to the excuses around the 12th Doctor's regeneration, this is masterful. Honestly, I need to watch more Doctor Who to fully digest this story!
To Re-Watch Next: Kinda Evil of the Daleks The Time Meddler The Enemy of the World The Mind Robber Remembrance of the Daleks