Doctor Who

Credits listing first (1963) and reboot (2005).

Created by: Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber, Donald Wilson

Written by: Anthony Coburn, Russel T Davies, and many others

Directed by: Waris Hussein, Keith Boak, and many others

Produced by: Verity Lambert, Phil Collinson, and many others

Starring: 1963's William Hartnell (The First Doctor), Carole Ann Ford (Susan Foreman), Barbara Wright (Jaqueline Hill), and Ian Chesterton (William Russel),

 through 2005's Christopher Eccleson (9th Doctor), Billie Piper (Rose Tyler), Noel Clarke (Mickey Smith), Camille Coduri (Jackie Smith), and John Barrowman (Captain Jack Harkness)

Note: This posting covers seasons 1-10 of the 2005 reboot.

Doctor Who wasn't a hard one for me to begin or to enjoy immediately. It's exactly my style of story: epic adventure, anything can happen. When I started it back around 2012, the reboot had already become popular, was a few seasons in, and I believe Matt Smith was the then-current 11th Doctor. But-- I fell in love fast, and plowed through it! 

As I began the first couple seasons, one of my favorite things was to begin each episode blind and feel thrown into whatever time, era, or planet the episode centered on. It was an incredibly fun sensation of wonder that truly complemented the experiences of the companion; never being sure where the TARDIS would land or what adventure lay ahead. That alone kept me going for the short period until character and plot drove me forward! 

Even though most episodes were self-contained, there were fantastic cliff-hangers, character developments, and season-arcs that drew me in even more. In the first season, I was particularly excited when the Doctor brought Rose back home to the time she left -- only to realize the Doctor had accidentally miscalculated by a year. The concept was fascinating to me: how would Rose and 9 explain to Rose's mom and boyfriend where they'd been for a year? It was a concept I didn't expect the series to tackle and I loved the way they did it. My other favorite episodes in season one were "Father's Day" (written by Paul Cornell) for its fantastic development of Rose's family and the Doctor's attitude toward messing with time and "The Empty Child" (written by Steven Moffat) for its ingenious plot and solution -- plus its introduction of the fantastic Captain Jack! 

Rose (Billie Piper) and Jack (John Barrowman) in "The Empty Child"

Season 2 brought my all-time favorite Gallifreyan, David Tennant's 10th Doctor. He was compassionate, understanding, displayed child-like optimism, and awesome bravery in the face of destruction (though that last one is common to all Doctors). My favorite this season was "The Girl in the Fire Place," (written by Steven Moffat) guest-starring Sophia Myles as the passionate and heartbreaking Madame de Pompadour. I won't forget one of 10's classic, witty exchanges with Mickey, in reference to various time portals appearing on an alien spaceship: 

Mickey: What's a horse doing on a spaceship? 

10: What's pre-revolutionary France doing on a spaceship? Mickey, get a little perspective!

The season finale was the first to punch my heart (though later finales would do worse). The episode, "Doomsday" written by Russel T Davies, held the heart-wrenching, beautifully iconic moment of Rose and 10's separation. Watching that with the haunting melody (of the same name by Murray Gold) as Rose and 10 hold each other through a wall, through dimensions... just take my heart, Doctor Who. You've already shred it to bits. "Doomsday" also included the hilarious dialogue between Dalek and Cybermen: 

Cyberman: You would destroy the Cybermen with four Daleks? 

Dalek: We would destroy the Cybermen with one Dalek! You are superior in only one respect. 

Cyberman: What is that? 

Dalek: You are better at dying.

A moment that never fails to draw "OH SNAP!" reactions from viewers and has spawned countless memes and gifs! 

Pompadour (Sophia Myles) and 10 (David Tennant) in "The Girl in the Fireplace"

While season three didn't hold any standout developments for me, 10's new companion Martha Jones (Freema Agyman) was still fun to watch and I greatly enjoyed the adventures she shared with 10. This season also contained one of the entire series' best (in my opinion, of course) stand-alone episodes, "Blink," written by Steven Moffat and guest-starring Carey Mulligan and Finlay Robertson as Sally and Larry Nightingale. This episode brilliantly introduced the iconic, villainous Weeping Angels in a plot that ingeniously centered on the aliens' time-based abilities. Many fans (including myself) are still a little upset that Sally Nightingale never returned as a companion! The episode also introduced 10's now-famous line, "People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint, it's more like a big ball of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey stuff." Another of my favorite lines: "It's a timy-wimey detector! It goes bing when there's stuff!" 

Season four is one of my favorites of the series for multiple reasons: it stars one of my preferred companions, Catherine Tate's Donna Noble, it brought back all the previous major characters, and its finale brought to a head several previous plot points in a very satisfying conclusion. The season's premiere episode, "Partners in Crime" by Russel T Davies, was one of my favorites in the season. It introduced another sonic device (which was very exciting to me), had the most adorable aliens, and the dynamic between Donna and 10 was beyond hilarious. My ultimate favorite moment was their re-introduction; the two characters notice each other from opposite sides of a window and Donna mimes her excitement and surprise in the most hilarious series of gestures and expressions. 

"It's me!" Donna (Catherine Tate) gestures to 10 when they meet through a window in "Partners in Crime"

Many other episodes stood out to me this season as well: 

• In "The Fires of Pompeii" (James Moran) (which also introduces actors Peter Capaldi and Karen Gillan who take starring roles later on), Donna's fierce empathy and courage sway the Doctor to save "just one family" instead of leaving the entire population to die. 
• In "Planet of the Ood" (Keith Temple), Donna's heart for an enslaved alien race again sways the Doctor to action and brings me to tears. 
• "The Doctor's Daughter" (Stephen Greenhorn) (which guest-stars Georgia Moffat as Jenny, who later marries Tennant), Jenny's courageous character is fascinating to watch and Donna's tear-jerking friendship with a silent alien is heartwarming. 
• The two-parter "Silence in the Library" and "Forest of the Dead" (Steven Moffat) is probably the standout story of the season with an ingenious mystery plot. It also introduces my favorite character, River Song, played to heartbreaking and hilarious perfection by Alex Kingston. 

River Song (Alex Kingston) and 10 (David Tennant) in "Silence in the Library"

• "Midnight" (Russel T Davies) is a stand-alone where the Doctor has to solve a deadly mystery of a possible alien impostor. Lesley Sharp brings brilliance to her complex, mysterious role as Sky Silvestry as the passengers debate whether to cast her out of the ship. 

Finally, the series finale "Journey's End" (Russel T Davies) scarred me permanently as a tragic end for both Donna and 10. My heart would not recover. 

Although season 4 didn't have a particularly great overarching plot that could grow 10 or Donna as characters, their dynamic -- especially Donna's wit and heart -- made each of these episodes shine for different reasons. I was truly impressed by Catherine Tate's performance, more than that of almost any other companion. Plus, I found the writing and complexities of each episode compelling in its own right, most especially "Doctor's Daughter" and "Midnight," whose plots are entirely self-contained but also out-of-the-box, captivating, and ingenious. 

Then, with the exit of my favorite doctor, came the entrance of my favorite companion in season 5: Karen Gillan's Amy Pond. (Yes, I'm aware that I have several different favorites!) Season 5 overall didn't have a lot of standouts for me, but it served to help me fall in love with Amy Pond and appreciate her dynamic with 11, which was important for season 6's heavy and complex plot. But season 5 did have its moments: "The Time of the Angels" (Steven Moffat) was a gripping two-parter which brought back the amazing River Song, fleshing out the dynamics of these three characters against the terrifying Weeping Angels. "Vincent and the Doctor" (Richard Curtis) guest-stars Tony Curran as Van Gogh and includes the fan-favorite scene where the Doctor brings Van Gogh to a modern museum where the Doctor prompts the curator (Bill Nighy) (unaware of their identities) to elaborate on Van Gogh's legacy. It's the Doctor's effort to help Van Gogh's depression, and the scene is stunning. I know of no Who-fan unmoved by this. 

A moved Van Gogh (Richard Curtis) listening as the curator describes his artistic legacy to 11 (Matt Smith) in "Vincent and the Doctor"

Season 6 remains to be my favorite of the series. It elevates itself above season 4 by simple fact of a connected plot and character growth, which 4 sadly lacked. In season 6, Amy's fiance (Arthur Darvill's Rory Pond) joins the crew as a series regular, and River Song also has a frequently recurring role. The season also features one of my favorite alien species as its primary antagonists, The Silence, creepy humanoid creatures with a fascinating trait: when you look away from them, you instantly forget you had seen them. Through season 6, we learn that The Silence are part of a religious order with the obscure goal of keeping the Doctor's future death a fixed point in time. As the Doctor, Amy, Rory, and River combat the Silence over the season, we learn more about all of them, including River Song's origin tied to the leader of the Silence, Madame Kovarian (Frances Barber). It's probably the most complex and complete season plot of the entire reboot so far, and that's the reason I love it so much. 

A promotional poster for season 6 displaying the TARDIS crew and The Silence aliens at the sides

My favorite, standout episodes this season are simply the several which pushed the plot forward. However, two particular shine as my favorite: "The Doctor's Wife" (Neil Gaiman) was a standalone that featured guest-star Suranne Jones playing a human incarnation of the TARDIS. Her performance is brilliant and completely believable as the TARDIS, and the dynamic between her and the Doctor is beyond hilarious. The other is "Let's Kill Hitler" (Steven Moffat), the episode that revealed the origins of River Song. It takes us through ridiculous twists and turns only fitting for an eccentric, adventurous young River, and is overall vastly entertaining. 

I will openly admit that the remainder of the series has not met the high standards set by seasons 4 and 6, in my opinion. The dynamics between the characters in those seasons, and the complex plots and growth the characters went through, were such incredibly high quality and such great writing. Yet Doctor Who as a show still maintains fantastic concepts that keep me interested in matter what. 

Season 7 was very strange inasmuch as it divided itself between two companions. It also introduced the second companion three times, which I still don't quite understand. "Asylum of the Daleks" (Steven Moffat) stands out as this second companion's first introduction: Clara Oswald, played by Jenna-Louise Coleman. The episode centered on a captivating asylum for Daleks, and Clara is first introduced as a human who has been tragically altered into becoming a Dalek. I loved "The Power of Three" (Chris Chibnall, who later becomes a head-writer) for the brilliant concept of an "invasion" of mysterious alien cubes all over the earth which... don't appear to do anything! Finally, the tragic "Angels Take Manhattan" (Steven Moffat) is probably my personal choice of saddest episode, as Amy and Rory Pond exit the show as victims of Weeping Angels. To me, their exit is rivaled only by Donna's tragedy at the end of season 4. The last episode this season that excited me was "Journey to the Center of the TARDIS," written by Stephen Thompson, which offered a fascinating exploration into the depths of the TARDIS which I thoroughly enjoyed. 

Clara (Jenna Louise-Coleman) in "Asylum of the Daleks"

The newer seasons since then haven't felt quite as amazing to me, so I won't dwell on them. The premiere of season 8 brought in Peter Capaldi's 12th Doctor, who was fun in his own way, but a tad grumpy / emotionless for my taste. Clara and 12 worked well together for that reason; she helped very well to bring a great emotion and empathy for him to consider, and I loved the several moments throughout seasons 8 and 9 when her deep empathy caused him to truly stop and do something different. I also loved Michelle Gomez's female incarnation of the Master: her wit, sass, and charisma made evil truly fun to watch! 

Clara's final moments at the end of season 9 were much more spectacular to me. "Face the Raven" (Sarah Dollard) started a very interesting plot device that transitioned seasons. It began by bringing back Maisie William's Ashildr (or Lady Me), a fascinating character who 12 accidentally made immortal by saving her life with alien technology. In this episode, she's centuries (millenia?) old and the head of an alien underground, and she curses Clara with a supernatural death threat. But the stakes are different than she expected, and when Clara's death is imminent, 12 takes drastic steps to save her. The next episode, "Heaven Sent" (Steven Moffat), effectively pauses that plot as 12 finds himself trapped in a "pocket dimension" that he must solve in order to escape. This leads him to Gallifrey in "Hell Bent" (also Moffat) where he faces down his own people and secures the appropriate technology to give Clara a second chance, together with Ashildr. Though the devices in these three episodes are a tad complicated, they're still understandable and I found the solution very satisfying.

In between here is "The Husbands of River Song" (Moffat), which I have to make a special mention of because it provides a beautiful, peaceful, and very satisfying end to River Song's amazing character arc, and she's able to spend a well-deserved life with 12. 

Season 10 starts with 12 on his own and meeting Pearl Mackie's Bill, who becomes his next companion along with Nardole (Matt Lucas). The three of them make a pretty fun trio -- especially Nardole, who ends up being far more than meets the eye. I was particularly fond of Bill and Nardole's interactions. Additionally, Gomez's Master shows up again and undergoes a drastic character transformation similar to those seen in season 6! She makes a decisive, incredible choice in the season finale that changes the course of the plot and brings her character's arc to a very satisfying head.