The Best and Worst of each Season of Doctor Who-In My Opinion
My thoughts on what was the best and worst of each series, including the specials.
Series 1 Best: The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances-A two-parter, this had great storytelling. All the side-characters were well thought out, and was a delightfully frightening episode, though there was no true villain. Just a bunch of people in poor circumstances. These episodes made the 9th Doctor (Christopher Eccleston)Queen Elizabeth’s favorite, and for good reason. If his run had been longer, he might have been my Doctor, instead of the 11th (Matt Smith).
Series 1 Worst: Boomtown- The episode was just meh-worthy. Though having Mickey back was a plus, the episode seemed to toodle around in a disjoointed manner. Not to mention we had the return of the farting aliens.
Series 2 Best: School Reunion- A brilliant episode bringing Old Who and New Who together. Granted, there were continuity hiccups, but everyone did their job brilliantly, and having Elizabeth Sladen return as Sarah Jane Smith was a treat. (Sad we couldn’t get Nicholas Courtney’s Brigadier on Doctor Who before he passed on.)
Series 2 Worst: Love & Monsters- The worst episode and story of New Who, and a contender for Worst Story. It being a Doctor and Companion-lite episode is not the problem. The problem is the poor characterization of the main cast for the episode, the horribly disjointed nature of it, and the TMI right at the end.
Series 3 Best: Blink- A Doctor and Companion-Lite Episode, it this was everything that Love & Monsters was. A good cast central cast, and a very timey-wimey story line, with cause-and-effect bouncing around. My pet theory is that Sally Sparrow was the one who gave Clara the phone number for the “Best Helpline in the Universe.”
Series 3 Worst: The Runaway Bride- Though the characters introduced who become better over time, most of the characters here left me uncomfortable. The nastiness towards Donna and the nastiness she showed took alot from the episode. Not to mention the Racnoss was completely over top.
Series 4 Best: Midnight- A companion-lite Episode, I loved it for showing how paranoia can break down most people into committing evil if given the right impetus. A showing of the darker side of human nature, along with seeing the Doctor heartbroken about this. Many will say Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead was better. From from seeing much of the River Song arc, that story has been spoiled for me. The River/11 love story is weirdly forced, and fairly disjointed. If you want a love story involving the Doctor, look at either Rose and 9/10, or Clara and 11.
Series 4 Worst: Voyage of the Damned- A confused episode, it went from being about how Elitism is nasty to the Poseidon Adventure, with suicide on the menu! Don’t do that in a Christmas Special.
Series 4 Specials Best: The Waters of Mars- A good story about what happens if the Doctor has no companions. A dark story about bending the rules, and how they snap back. It shows how Time Lords go dark.
Series 4 Specials Worst: The Next Doctor- Giant Cyberman Mecha. In what way is that not silly? The episode was good until then, and then, I started going “What the Hell?”
Series 7a Best: Dinosaurs on a Spaceship-It delivered exactly what was on the package. The extended cast created some amusement, and Rory’s Dad was a real treat.
Series 7a Worst:The Doctor, the Witch, and the Wardrobe- Not bad, just the weakest. There is a difference. Issue here being the under-utilization of some of the actors.
Series 7b Best: Name of the Doctor-Damn, made me choose here. Hide was also brilliant, as well as Journey to the Center of the TARDIS. In all of these episodes, we se the development of the Clara and 11 dynamic, namely that Clara is very much an equal. In addition, the Paternoster Gang returning is a huge treat. Everyone did very well in “The Name of the Doctor,” and Richard Grant was compelling as the Great Intelligence.
Series 7b Worst: Nightmare in Silver- Again not a bad episode, as both Matt Smith and Jenna Louise Coleman really had time to shine with their characters. The issue is one of focus. Neil Gaiman focused so heavily on making the Cybermen scary again (He did succeed. Namely by bringing the Cyberman much closer to the Borg.) that he missed pieces of the plot. Also, while not a bad thing per say, the Doctor making a comment about the bum of his companion right in the last 30 seconds is a tick jarring.