We're getting down to the really good episodes! As always, this post CONTAINS SPOILERS for all mentioned Doctor Who episodes, and possibly others.
30. The End of the World
Series 1, episode 2. (2005)
9th Doctor, Rose Tyler
Writer: Russell T Davies
Director: Euros Lyn
Photo ©BBC
The first instance of time travel on New Who. The Doctor takes Rose to the year 5 billion to see the sun expand and destroy the Earth. This episode holds a special place in my heart. When my husband was watching Doctor Who for the first time, I had just finished reading Death from the Skies! by Phil Plait, which talked about this exact event. I thought it was cool that the series went there and from then on I was hooked. We meet recurring characters Lady Cassandra and The Face of Boe, as well as some other really cool characters. Overall a really great episode. It is worth noting that The End of the World was director Euros Lyn's first work on the show.
29. The Time of Angels / Flesh and Stone
Series 5, episodes 4-5. (2010)
11th Doctor, Amy Pond, River Song
Writer: Steven Moffat
Director: Adam Smith
Photo ©BBC
The second appearance ever of both the Weeping Angels and River Song. I love the Angels. They’re a properly scary enemy and I enjoyed learning more about them after their first and only appearance (at this point) in Blink. I also love River Song and was so happy to learn a bit more about her as well, even if it only leads to more questions at this point in her story. On top of the threat of the Angels, there is also the crack in time that seems to be following Amy and the Doctor which they have to worry about. A great two-episode story arc with a lot of elements of bigger overarching story themes as well.
28. Twice Upon a Time
Christmas special. (2017)
12th Doctor, 1st Doctor, Bill Potts, Archibald Hamish Lethbridge-Stewart
Lead writer: Steven Moffat
Other writers: Kit Pedler, Gerry Davis, Chris Chibnall
Director: Rachel Talalay
Photo ©BBC
The First Doctor meets the Twelfth Doctor as they are both in the process of regenerating and both refusing to do so. I loved the interactions of the two Doctors. It was also really lovely to see Bill Potts again, even if only a glass avatar of her, after her heartbreaking end in The Doctor Falls. This is the first episode on the list to make me cry. I loved seeing the Christmas Truce. It was one of the most moving things I’ve seen on the show and learning that the soldier they saved is a Lethbridge-Stewart made it even better.
27. Face the Raven / Heaven Sent / Hell Bent
Series 9, episodes 10-12. (2015)
12th Doctor, Clara Oswald
Writer (Face the Raven): Sarah Dollard
Director (Face the Raven): Justin Molotnikov
Writer (Heaven Sent/ Hell Bent): Steven Moffat
Director (Heaven Sent/ Hell Bent): Rachel Talalay
Photo ©BBC
This three-episode story arc is the end of my least favorite era on New Who. I dislike the effect Clara and the Doctor have on one another. They seemingly bring out the worst in one another, which I realize is why Missy put them together in the first place, but I disliked it overall for the show. However, these episodes are a nice close to that time period. Face the Raven is mostly a stand-alone story that leads into the final two parts of the story. I really disliked series 8 and the introduction of Danny Pink just for him to be killed off. This part of the story shows how reckless Clara has become since Danny’s death eventually leading to her own. Then, in Heaven Sent/ Hell Bent, the Doctor discovers who is responsible for her death and breaks nearly all of his own rules to try to bring Clara back. The end of Heaven Sent is just mind-blowing and Peter Capaldi did an amazing job of carrying that entire episode alone. The conclusion of the story in Hell Bent was very bittersweet, allowing Clara to carry on in a way, but not with the Doctor.
26. Oxygen
Series 10, episode 5. (2017)
12th Doctor, Bill Potts, Nardole
Writer: Jamie Mathieson
Director: Charles Palmer
Photo ©BBC
"Capitalism in space," as the Doctor aptly calls it. The Doctor, Bill, and Nardole respond to a distress call on a space mining station where they find there is no oxygen. After extending the TARDIS oxygen field so they can look around, they soon learn that oxygen is available for personal use only and must be purchased. The ship tells them, “No unauthorized oxygen is allowed to protect market value,” and vents the oxygen. They find dead people in space suits walking around the station. Nardole and Bill want to leave, but the Doctor knows that four people are still alive on the station and is determined to save them, telling Bill one of my favorite quotes, "The universe shows its true face when it asks for help. We show ours by how we respond." Eventually, we find that the space suits were programmed to deactivate their “organic components" (humans) by the mining company because the station became unprofitable. Really love the commentary on racism and capitalism this season.
25. Closing Time
Series 6, episode 12. (2011)
11th Doctor, Craig Owens, Alfie Owens
Writer: Gareth Roberts
Director: Steve Hughes
Photo ©BBC
The Doctor is visiting old friends before going to his own death at Lake Silencio, as seen in The Impossible Astronaut. He visits Craig Owens (The Lodger) and finds that Craig is now married to Sophie and they have a baby. While visiting, the Doctor starts noticing strange things and stays to investigate while also helping Craig care for Alphie ("Stormageddon, Dark Lord of All," as he prefers to be called) while Sophie is away. I love this episode. Overall, it is a fun, less serious episode while, at the same time, being a good Cybermen story.
24. Spyfall
Series 12, episodes 1-2. (2020)
13th Doctor, Yasmin Khan, Graham O’Brien, Ryan Sinclair, Ada Lovelace, Noor Inayat Khan
Writer: Chris Chibnall
Director: Jamie Magnus Stone (part one), Lee Haven Jones (part two)
Photo ©BBC
Intelligence officials are disappearing around the world and MI6 recruits the Doctor and fam to help investigate. I loved the reveal of The Master at the end of part one. I had no idea that was him and I loved it. I liked the aspect of the Doctor getting separated from her fam and them having to work independently from one another. It also allows the Doctor to recruit some amazing help: Ada Lovelace and Noor Inayat Khan. While plane crashes are in no way funny, the scene of Ryan saving the plane is hilarious, as are Ryan and Graham with the spy gadgets. The aspect of the story taking place over multiple centuries makes it very intriguing. I adored the fact that the Master was working with the Nazis. They are both truly evil. There’s a great quote from the Doctor while they are in the midst of WWII in France, “these are the dark times. But they don't sustain. Darkness never sustains even though sometimes it feels like it might.” This story also addresses big tech and privacy in a masterful way.
23. Utopia / The Sound of Drums / Last of the Time Lords
Series 3, episodes 11-13. (2007)
10th Doctor, Martha Jones, Jack Harkness
Writer: Russell T Davies
Director (Utopia): Graeme Harper
Director (The Sound of Drums, Last of the Time Lords): Colin Teague
Photo ©BBC
This is another three-part story in which the first episode is seemingly a stand-alone story until the very end. I enjoy stories presented like that. Once again, I didn’t see the Master reveal coming and thought it was marvelously done. Captain Jack returns, which is lovely. The thing I loved most about this story, though, was Martha Jones. She is the one who saved the world this time and it was brilliant. I also loved that she left the TARDIS on her terms.
22. World Enough and Time / The Doctor Falls
Series 10, episodes 11-12. (2017)
12th Doctor, Bill Potts, Nardole
Writer: Steven Moffat
Director: Rachel Talalay
Photo ©BBC
This story is so heartbreaking but also so good. I liked so many things about it. Starting off, I loved the concept of a ship orbiting a black hole and experiencing time differently on opposite ends of the ship, based on how close to the black hole it is. The genesis of the Mondasian Cybermen. Aside from the Angels, the Cybermen are my favorite alien antagonists simply because of how terrifying the idea of being turned into a Cyberman is, and this episode exemplified that excellently. I love Bill Potts. She is my second-favorite companion (my favorite being Donna) and what happens to her is absolutely devastating. It’s also a really damn good narrative and I love that she is able to resist the Cyber programming. Two Masters! The interaction of Michelle Gomez’s Missy and John Simm’s Master is so good and is what makes this one of my favorite stories featuring the Master. We see the end of Nardole’s time with the Doctor, as he is left to defend a small village of humans. The Twelfth Doctor gives some amazing speeches and Peter Capaldi is exceptional at portraying them. He gives a great one in The Doctor Falls that I am including below. I did love that Bill (sort of) got saved by her crush from her first episode. I did soften what happened to her a little bit and was just sweet.
21. Nikola Tesla’s Night of Terror
Series 12, episode 4. (2020)
13th Doctor, Yasmin Khan, Graham O’Brien, Ryan Sinclair
Writer: Nina Métivier
Director: Nida Manzoor
Photo ©BBC
As I’ve said before, I love a good story in a historical setting. This episode takes place in New York in 1903. In the episode, the Doctor points out that at this time more people getting rich, but there are also more poor people than ever before. The Doctor meeting Nikola Tesla is extraordinary! I love the exploration of Tesla’s genius and inventions. I also think it’s great that Thomas Edison is portrayed realistically. The Doctor and Tesla have a wonderful conversation about changing the world, how frustratingly long it takes, and how opposed people are to change.
Next up: the first half of my top 20!
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