The 10 best Doctor Who episodes, ranked

Doctor who has remained a popular franchise for decades, with much of its longevity thanks to the 2005 reboot. Fans continue to follow the series as it airs on television and anyone with a HBO subscription Max you can revisit any episode of the reboot era whenever you want. Therefore, there are many opinions on the best installments of the franchise and many factors when fans decide their favorites. Doctors, aides, and villains play a big part in deciding, so it’s hard to find a definitive guide to the best episodes.

I think it largely depends on the person who Doctor who The episodes are definitely the best, although I think there are a few that for one reason or another will often be targeted because they are so good. With that in mind, here are the best picks for the modern era of the show and the episodes that many fans will enjoy watching over and over, whenever there is a break between new episodes.

10. “Fugitive from the Judoon” Season 12, Episode 5

Some may say it’s too early to consider one of Jodie Whittaker’s top ten careers, but how can anyone Doctor who don’t fans like “Fugitive of the Judoon”? Joe Martin surprise character revelation It was a shock that I would never see coming, and it came at a time when it was doubted that the franchise could do anything to surprise me further.

With this revelation, while Doctor who change. It’s a moment that set the tone for the rest of season 12, also kicking off storylines that will radically alter the world of showbiz as viewers know it. Time Doctor Who: Flow hasn’t necessarily followed some of these ideas, there is certainly hope that future work will revisit Martin’s Doctor and the new rules relating to the character.

9. Special “Doctor’s Day” for the 50th anniversary

In “The Day Of The Doctor”, also known as the 50th Anniversary Special, the Doctor incarnations of David Tennant and Matt Smith teamed up with John Hurt’s recently introduced Doctor of War and confronted the Zygons in a letter from death. the whole history of the franchise.

stars of Doctor whodistant and recent past have resumed their roles, or as old Doctor actor Tom Baker, he played entirely other roles. All this, plus a collaborative effort between doctors of all eras through the use of archival footage, makes this episode truly iconic and one that every fan should review at least once in their lifetime. My only complaint would be that the series could have incorporated the anniversary better into the main story, but I can do it considering how big the celebration is in the series.

8. “Vincent and the Doctor” Season 5, Episode 10

Doctor who has its fair share of emotional episodes, although I’d say the vast majority of them bring tears to viewers’ eyes as they create stories for their fictional characters. “Vincent And The Doctor” does something different, as The Doctor and Amy Pond went to visit a tortured and underrated artist of his time, Vincent Van Gogh. The episode featured a stunning guest appearance by actor Bill Nighy and a finale that was both emotional and devastating to the audience.

I am of the personal opinion that if you don’t have tears in your eyes at the end, there is nothing to make you cry. This is a particularly good episode to tackle this problem, even if it looks like it Doctor who very clearly the future changes, sometimes the future becomes just the future we know at the end of the adventure.

7. “The Stolen Earth” / “Journey’s End” Season 4, Episodes 12-13

This bipart was the original mega crossover of Doctor whoand notable characters from the series’ past, the Captain Jack spin-off TorchYes Sarah Jane adventures. They are all the great heroes of the franchise (including Doctor Donna) who come face to face with the Daleks in an adventure that finally solves the tragedy of Rose and the Doctor.

It also had a truly heartbreaking ending for Donna Noble, which I personally haven’t gotten through to date yet. If there is one legitimate complaint to be made with this series, it is that it essentially prevented the companion from appearing in future adventures, even though the character next return for the 60th anniversary it could change that.

6. “Dalek” Season 1, Episode 6

The Daleks are the Doctor’s most feared enemy, but this was relatively new information for anyone just starting out. Doctor who on reboot. “Dalek” did a great job of selling that point by turning the jovial doctor into a ruthless monster. The even attempted to kill the Dalek at one point it was pretty extreme for his character.

It’s effective because it showed audiences just how historically evil the Dalek species is, even if the ending puts that into question. Looking back, this episode showed that while the Doctor likes to prioritize his message of peace, he doesn’t shy away from taking out a villain if that means he can protect the lives of many others by doing so.

5. “Listen” Season 8, Episode 4

Doctor who he doesn’t do many horror episodes, but when he does he tends to do well. Peter Capaldi’s doctor is left alone in Clara’s nightly date with Danny, and in the meantime he convinces himself that there is a creature with the perfect ability to hide. Despite all the suspense and tension of the episode, the ending is really clever and surprising considering where you can expect a Doctor who plot to go through, which perhaps explains why it is so universally celebrated.

“Listen” actually became the first Doctor who adventure that will be nominated for the Bram Stoker Award, which is awarded to works written with a higher standard of horror. Previous winners include Stephen King and Clive Barker, so I think that says enough about the horror factor of this episode and its overall quality compared to the rest of the franchise.

4. “The Last Hour” Season 5, Episode 1

Matt Smith’s The Doctor premiere was memorable, as he meets a girl and uncovers a mystery, but due to a timing issue, he doesn’t revisit it until over a decade later. This girl is Karen Gillan’s Amy Pond, who could be considered one of her best companions (with Gillan ready to play as a partner again at some point ) of the modern Doctor who was.

It’s honestly one of the best first episodes of any Doctor and immediately showed audiences what Smith’s Doctor would bring to the table. Mainly the general eccentricity and seemingly carefree attitude and the ability to go with the flow in an unexpected situation. Smith’s doctor could often deal with a situation he wasn’t better prepared for than in past incarnations, which is good because it seemed to happen quite often.

3. “The Impossible Planet” / “The Satan Pit” Season 2, Episodes 8 and 9

You can count modern times on one hand Doctor who gave fans a story related to religion and on one finger the number of times Satan (or more specifically a creature that could be Satan) appeared. While even the Doctor is never sure he is in some kind of hell, both parts of “The Impossible Planet” and “The Pit of Satan” are still a strange twist in everything. Doctor who done before and after.

Perhaps it is this legacy that has made it a classic, or its use Criminally underrated good species . The Oods play a somewhat aggressive role in this story, and it was effective enough to wish they weren’t used more often for evil purposes. I guess the fact that they were mostly docile is a nice subversion of expectations given their looks, but it’s hard to see them as anything other than a threat after this episode.

2. “Silence in the Library” / “Forest of the Dead” Season 4, Episodes 8 and 9

This may sound controversial to some, but I think “Silence In The Library” and “Forest Of The Dead” represent the beginning of one of the best story arcs. Doctor who It had: The Doctor’s Story and River Song. All credit goes to Steven Moffat for the idea of ​​presenting a love story that begins at the end for one character and ends for the other at the beginning.

This story has only gotten better over time and is definitely worth revisiting after Peter Capaldi’s run. As much as I’d like to see River Song (actress Alex Kingston I’d love to go back too. ), I can’t help but think that adding more episodes beyond her latest appearance as a character would ruin the story arc.

1. “Blink” Season 3, Episode 10

Some options on this top 10 list might be controversial, but I’m pretty sure this isn’t. “Blink” was a fantastic episode told in a unique way, and it was the introduction to one of them Doctor whothis is strangest but terrifying villains: Weeping Angels was another example of the show using horror to tremendous effect and in doing so creates the best installment in the franchise.

What’s great about this fan favorite is that it’s another subversion of the classic. Doctor who episode structure. The Doctor’s appearance is mostly in the form of a DVD that he recorded to use it specifically for this event, and while it sounds odd and a bit silly, his jokes and comments about the events he “was only predicting at the time are so perfect.

Doctor who always available for streaming more on HBO Max (opens in a new tab). Fans can watch these episodes, as well as their favorites, as often as they want.