Ranking the New Doctor Who Episodes

Well, I resisted the fandom for years and years and years, despite my father being a classic Doctor Who fan, and my brother and several close friends being fans of the new Doctor Who. But I finally took it in my head to watch one day, and now I’m so obsessed that ranking every episode of the new series (because can you imagine how long it would take to do the classics??) seems like a brilliant way to spend an afternoon. And now I impose my opinions upon you. Enjoy all 131 episodes (until Season 10 starts this Saturday) ranked, from least to greatest, taking into account story, monster, acting, and my professional opinion. Obviously there will be spoilers of some sort, somewhere.

131. Love and Monsters, Season 2
Yeah, no, this virtually had nothing redeeming about it. The Abzorbaloff was the most revolting thing I’ve ever seen, the Jackie/Elton storyline was sickening, and the Doctor was barely in it. Bottom of the list, yo!

130. Flatline, Season 8
Season 8 was pretty much bad all the way through, and no, that’s NOT just because I was grieving for Matt Smith. But the monsters in this episode were creepy to a point where I will probably never intentionally watch it again.

129. The Unquiet Dead, Season 1
Maybe my religion has something to do with it, but I try to avoid things that have seances, and I was extremely displeased with the Doctor wanting to put souls of another species into our dead bodies.

128. Last Christmas, Season 8
Sometimes the Christmas special seems to be the end of a season, and sometimes it seems to be at the beginning. This feels like an “at the end” one though, because it was wrapping up the horrors of Season 8. I bought it for a while, but when it became a dream within about 15 other dreams, I stopped believing in it.

127. Sleep No More, Season 9
Sigh. And Season 9 was so good other than this one. Actually, I thought it was interesting overall, but then it got weirder than it needed to…and more confusing than it needed to…and basically I was glad when it was over.

126. Death in Heaven, Season 8
Yeah, you’ll see a lot of Season 8 in these lower episodes. I really hated Season 8. My brother tells me I overthink this show too much, and what I thought about this episode was that somewhere, from the grave of Amy and Rory, two cybermen were rising, and my heart was crushed anew.

125. Dark Water, Season 8
The only good thing about this episode, other than Danny Pink dying because I HATED that man, was the Doctor’s line “Do you think I care for you so little that betraying me would make a difference?” Best. Saying. Ever.

124. The Rebel Flesh, Season 6
Well, the whole thing about the flesh was rather disgusting, but I did love how protective Rory was of Jennifer. But he did NOT love her, whatever anyone else says.

123. The Almost People, Season 6
Aww, two Doctors bouncing off each other are always adorable. The flesh is still disgusting, and poor Amy, oh, poor poor Amy!

122. Kill the Moon, Season 8
NO. This episode had an interesting concept of the moon being an egg, but it was also pretty ridiculous. And they decided to let the creature live and risk everyone on earth. And the Doctor abandoned Clara, and in response to that she gave him the most frustrating telling-off, and announced she was leaving him. The episode just made me mad at everyone involved.

121. Into the Dalek, Season 8
Mostly I was still getting used to Peter Capaldi here, and he was still basically a really harsh, unfeeling old man. I don’t like a Doctor that can’t be emotional until his second and third seasons.

120. Listen, Season 8
Right, because we needed more Danny Pink. No, actually, this episode was all right, and my heart went out to that little Time Lord who was a lonely angel even when he was surrounded by others like him.

119. Deep Breath, Season 8
Oh my gosh, see, I’d seen a lot of clips of all four of the new Doctors before I started watching the show in full, and I knew I’d like Peter Capaldi. So how come when he finally showed up he was harsh and unemotional, and didn’t remember Clara or Madame de Pompadour? The only thing I liked (well, loved) about this episode was Eleven’s phone call at the end. Back when the Doctor was thinking about Clara’s feelings, and that she might need to hear his voice again.

118. Hide, Season 7
The Doctor said empathics are the most sympathetic people in the world, which flattered me to hear from him, being an empathic myself. I loved his bouncing off Clara in this episode, too, since he and I both were still getting over Manhattan.

117. The Girl Who Waited, Season 6
Ohh, this episode was so depressing. And, also, frankly, a little unnecessary, except maybe to again prove Rory’s devotion to any version of Amy that breathes. And, I was wrong, his “I don’t care that you got old. I care that we didn’t grow old together,” is the best saying ever.

116. The Lazarus Experiment, Season 3
Sheesh, talk about looking good for your age. He doesn’t, by the way, he looks like a creepy insect monster with a human face that hits on younger girls and then eats them. And when you thought he was dead, psych! Also, in addition to really disliking Martha, I thought her mother was pretty annoying as well.

115. The Pandorica Opens, Season 5
Yay for Rory coming back, yaaaaaay. And oh my gosh, I love the Doctor’s moment of realization on this. “Rory, I’m not trying to be rude, but you died.” “Yeah, I know. I was there.” And the famous Pandorica speech that everyone loves, me included, oh! Why was this episode not higher? Right, because something had to go here, and it wasn’t going to be anything after this.

114. A Christmas Carol, Season 5
Well, I did think it was a little akward for Abigail to stay the same age while a little boy grew up in front of her, and then inevitably fall in love with him when he hit puberty, only to not see him again until he was about 60 years older. But otherwise it’s a very beautiful story, with a very beautiful song at the end.

113. World War Three, Season 1
Can we all just agree that the Slitheen are messed up? And that they’re painful to watch, and to listen to? I wanted to like Harriet Jones, truly, but this and Aliens in London are the only ones where I can.

112. Boom Town, Season 1
Guess what? More Slitheen! Seriously though, how convenient was it that that one survived, and that no one recognized her from last time? I’ll admit that I was deathly afraid of the Doctor letting her go, after watching that dinner they had together.

111. The Long Game, Season 1
Oh, you’ll also see a lot of Season 1 in these lower episodes, because 1 and 8 I thought were the weakest. The Long Game had some good bits in the Doctor’s sass, and the calmess of the villain, but I don’t like things being put in people’s heads.

110. Aliens in London, Season 1
I suppose “Raxacoricofallapatorious,” is fun to say, if you are going to have Slitheen. I squirmed at seeing Rose try to explain to her mother where she’d been for a whole year, because really, what do you say? Especially if you plan to go off again, and with the same guy!

109. The Waters of Mars, Season 4
Well, I did not care for those zombie things. But I liked Adelaide, I liked the Doctor finally deciding to mess with history and realizing this is why he needs someone to travel with him, and I liked that Mia survived. Why? Because I liked her as Soo Lin Yao in Sherlock, and hated that she had to die. I could see them all being picked off in this episode, but I really wanted her to live this time.

108. Cold War, Season 7
Haha, the Doctor though, landing the TARDIS in the midst of a sinking Russian submarine during the Cold War, stepping out, and crying “Vive Las Vegas!” I also liked how when Clara came back from speaking alone with the creature, he told her she’d done well, because that was important for her to hear.

107. Night Terrors, Season 6
I liked this one, actually, creepy though it was. Because I love the Eleventh Doctor, and the Tenth too, really, interacting with children. They’re just always so understanding, and like they’re more in their comfort zone with them than with anyone else.

106. The Hungry Earth, Season 5
Okay, so maybe I would have been a little more interested in watching this episode again if I wasn’t bored by all things underground. Gotta say though, I fall in love with Rory the more I watch him. I think he speaks my language.

105. Cold Blood, Season 5
Nooooo not Rory!! So much for falling in love. All he wanted was to marry his girl and live a quiet simple life where they could raise a family. But nooo, he had to go off with an alien and get sucked into a crack and out of existence.

104. Daleks of Manhattan, Season 3
I love being an actress and all, but I don’t think I would have loved it during the Great Depression. The actresses were so empty-headed back then! And yes, that is what I took away from this episode.

103. Evolution of the Daleks, Season 3
Hey look, it’s Spiderman running away from pig-men! Oh, and also the Doctor letting himself be electrocuted on top of the Empire State Building…and the Daleks turning a human into one of them, sorta…and a pig and a showgirl trying to have a relationship.

102. A Town Called Mercy, Season 7
One of the most exciting things about Doctor Who, I think, is seeing him and his companions travel to different times and cultures on earth, and adapting to them. The Doctor just stepped into that cowboy role so easily, gun and all!

101. The Vampires of Venice, Season 5
“Stop talking, brain thinking, hush.” Well, the villains were more annoying than normal in this episode, I thought. And poor Rory had the hardest time, what with hearing the Doctor had kissed his fiance the night before his wedding, then being whisked off to Venice, then being attacked by vampires while watching how much Amy and the Doctor clicked. Poor guy.

100. The Wedding of River Song, Season 6
Okay, I think we’ve ruled out all the ones I don’t like now! Seriously, anything before this is just embarassing. Can you imagine saying you weren’t even in the top 100? This episode is so low because I loved it, and the season, up until the very end when we see that River kissed and married a robot, and so all the emotion that robot had done up to that point was, well, robotic. I was disappointed, and thought that was lazy writing to save the Doctor that way. So I’m in denial of the fact now, and love this episode otherwise.

99. The Woman Who Lived, Season 9
Ashildir really was nothing but trouble for the Doctor ever since he met her, though that’s not how he would put it. Still, it was interesting to see how she dealt with immortality. And I loved at the beginning how oblivious the Doctor was that he was disrupting a robbery!

98. The Shakespeare Code, Season 3
I thought Martha was awfully selfish and unfeeling to be jealous of Rose, so every oblivious snub the Doctor made towards her here was applauded by me. And where else can you see Shakespeare casting a Harry Potter spell??

97. In the Forest of the Night, Season 8
Again, children. In Doctor Who. Hardly ever is it a mistake, unless you bring whole classes along. But I was thinking of the special one, Maebh. Whom the Doctor is protective of, and who understands more than anyone thinks she does.

96. Victory of the Daleks, Season 5
I love World War II movies, so I was happy to see a Doctor Who episode set there! And Daleks never worry me, because they’ll always be defeated without taking too many lives, and I just can’t take them seriously.

95. Gridlock, Season 3
I may hate Martha, but I love seeing the Doctor react so emotionally to this person he hardly knows yet being ripped away from him. It is quite depressing to see the lives people lived in those cars, though.

94. The Unicorn and the Wasp, Season 4
That detox scene was one of the greatest moments in a simpler episode! I thought the whole mystery set up was all a little overexaggerted, but I think they did that on purpose, and it made it funnier.

93. The Idiot’s Lantern, Season 2
Creepy, creepy creepy to see people with no faces, but I loved it anyway. The wire was annoying, but I loved the Doctor and Rose blending into the 50s, I loved how upset he got when she was taken, and I loved, well, everything!

92. Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS, Season 7
Heh heh, “center” is spelled all Britishy. I think this episode might have been a bust if it hadn’t had some really good bonding moments between the Doctor and Clara. He threatened everyone else’s life if they didn’t help him find her, too!

91. Time Heist, Season 8
This one was super interesting, and creepy, too. I mean, it’s Doctor Who, it’s supposed to be creepy, but sometimes it is and sometimes it isn’t. I would just like to point out though, that I knew the Doctor was the Architect the whole time. Yeah.

90. The Zygon Invasion, Season 9
AKA the first one in this two parter. I’ve decided that Kate, to me, overestimates herself, and Osgood underestimates herself. For that reason I’m quite fond of the latter and don’t really care for the former.

89. The Zygon Inversion, Season 9
The second one. I love that the Doctor’s motivational speech came back, and I love Clara for being smart enough to work through a Zygon. And Osgood with all her Doctor cosplaying!

88. The Satan Pit, Season 2
The Doctor was the only one happier than I when he bumped into his TARDIS way down there. And then he saved Rose, and then it turned out he had also saved Ida! That was a great ending.

87. The Impossible Planet, Season 2
I pretty much always like the Ood, even when they’re evil. There’s just something so adorable and piteable about them. What actually creeps me out though, is when those markings just appear on Toby. Shudder.

86. Rose, Season 1
Ah, the one that started it all. Pity it couldn’t be higher, but you know, there are better Doctors, companions, and stories ahead. Not that I didn’t love all three in this one. It was a pretty good re-introduction to something that had been off the air for 16 years.

85. The Sontaran Strategm, Season 3
Sontarans are so dumb! But Wilf is adorable, and Donna asking for a salute is amusing, and Martha and Donna getting along is very refreshing. But WHAAT is that body growing in the goop, that’s disgusting!

84. The Poison Sky, Season 3
Ah, it’s a Martha clone. And the Doctor can tell right away and works on finding the real one, which is brilliant. And he completely trusts Donna to save the day, and he makes a callback to The Empty Child, and Luke saves him and then both his companions hang on his arms!

83. 42, Season 3
Feels pretty much like The Impossible Planet episodes, except that there’s a sense of urgency the entire time because of the countdown, which it always good. And the Doctor gets so scared in this episode, but is as brave as ever!

82. The Doctor, the Widow, and the Wardrobe, Season 6
The Doctor and children, once again. So loved that, and was pretty much laughing the whole time in the beginning when he had his helmet on backwards, but was carrying on anyway. And oh, that moment at the end when he went to the Ponds’ for Christmas dinner, and found a place already set for him, though he’d been gone two years!

81. The Caretaker, Season 8
I started to warm up to Twelve in this episode, but just a little bit. Because he was acting like he didn’t notice or care whether Clara was with him or not, but clearly he wasn’t easy about letting her out of his sight, either.

80. Tooth and Claw, Season 2
The first time watching this, I didn’t know David Tennant was using his real Scottish accent, and I was very impressed by it. Later, when I did find out, I was just impressed at his English accent!

79. The Empty Child, Season 1
Ugh, Captain Jack. I hate Captain Jack. I almost want to be introduced to him, just so he can feel the unfamiliar shock of someone not falling for him. On a different note, even this Doctor is sympathetic to children!

78. The Doctor Dances, Season 1
I was pleased with the Doctor for being so eager to have everybody live. Unfortunately for me though, that included Jack. However, I thought the Doctor and Rose dancing and the end was a very beautiful moment.

77. The End of the World, Season 1
Introduced here are some important characters who come back later, and we also learn a bit more about the Doctor’s past. Poor Doctor. I never really consider Eccleston as the Doctor, but that doesn’t mean my heart didn’t still go out to his portrayal.

76. Fear Her, Season 2
I love it when the Doctor mentions his previous parenthood. Especially when it’s offhand and never followed up on. I also love how gentle and understanding he was to both Chloe and the creature inside her.

75. Last of the Time Lords, Season 3
I don’t deny that Martha did a very good job at saving the Doctor, the world, and her family in this episode. But that doesn’t mean I still don’t cringe a little at a whole episode mostly focused on her. I also don’t like that little goblin thing the Doctor turns into. But I do like how easily the Doctor took Martha’s departure, and didn’t apologize for not loving her. I know, I know, I’m being really harsh on her, but you’ll all remember she’s just a character. I say that of course, but my heart broke for the Doctor as I watched him mourn for a man who had done terrible things to him and his friends, just because he had lost the only other Time Lord in the world.

74. Mummy on the Orient Express, Season 8
Fascinating, this one. A creature only those marked for death can see?? And the clever Doctor figured out how it worked, and put himself in the firing line just so he could see it! This is also the crucial episode where Clara decided she could never give the Doctor up.

73. Utopia, Season 3
“Hermits united. We meet up every ten years and swap stories about caves. It’s good fun, for a hermit.” Best line in this episode. Although I also love when the Doctor says hello and waves at Martha twice with his re-grown hand.

72. The Time of Angels, Season 5
OH my gosh, that angel coming out of the screen towards Amy though!! That was so startling the first time I saw it! And I loved that whole beginning scene with River sending the Doctor a message years into the future, and yet he still showed up on time.

71. Face the Raven, Season 9
I must confess that I knew beforehand that Clara was to die in this episode. So instead of the good sense of urgency I should have felt when she took the countdown upon herself, I just felt sick. Gosh darn it Ashildir, who said you could play with death like that?!

70. The God Complex, Season 6
This one was very interesting to watch. It was really a brilliant idea to have your hotel room hold your greatest fear. And that end scene with the Doctor giving his beloved Ponds a nice house and car and reluctantly but insistently leaving gets me every time. Every time.

69. The Sound of Drums, Season 6
This master is so fascinating to watch! I love his wife too, because I feel so sorry for her. And the Doctor is called that because he wants to make people better, aww! Also, pretty sure there’s a perception filter built into me somewhere.

68. The Lodger, Season 5
This episode is pretty much comedy from beginning to end. It does have James Corden, after all. But the comedy is actually coming pretty much all from the Doctor’s attempts to fit in a normal household…and we know that could never happen.

67. Closing Time, Season 6
Or “The Lodger 2.” Still comedic, but this time there are Cyberman and a baby involved, as well as the Doctor carrying around this weight of knowing he’s to die the next day. So I actually think the sequel is better than the original in this case. Just a bit.

66. The Beast Below, Season 5
I just love the super interesting ones that you could never have predicted. This is one such episode. I love how the Doctor never interferes unless there are children crying, I love his and Amy’s “gotcha” hug at the end, and I love “It’s a tongue! A great big tongue!”

65. Flesh and Stone, Season 5
The Doctor doesn’t know either River or Amy too well yet, but he knows them well enough to see they’re worth feeding himself to a crack in the universe to save them. And I love that moment where the (future!) Doctor tells Amy to trust him.

64. Planet of the Dead, Season 4
Didn’t care much for Christina, for some reason, but I did love the Doctor’s banter with her. And how he turned his brainy specs into sunglasses with a sonic screwdriver, just to look as cool as her!

63. Rise of the Cybermen, Season 2
Cybermen are still something I shudder at, because no matter how many times I see them, I still know they used to be real people, with real emotions. But I did love in this episode how the Doctor couldn’t bear to keep Rose away from her father.

62. Before the Flood, Season 9
This one was very creepy, but Twelve had gotten to a point where he could ease the tension just by speaking. He still struggled socially however, as is seen by his need to have sympathy cards, and yet still botching the gesture.

61. School Reunion, Season 2
I know I’m going to get backlash from Whovians by saying I really despise Sarah Jane. Is there anyone I do like? they ask. Yes! I LOVE Amy and Rory and Donna and Rose and Clara and Astrid and Wilf and the Doctor and River and Craig and many others. I also like how the Doctor teaches physics.

60. The Girl Who Died, Season 9
The infamous Ashildir comes into play, and has to go and throw her town into certain ruin because she’s a proud Viking. And yet I love this episode because the Doctor voluntarily hugs Clara, remembers Donna and Pompeii and being Ten, and has the cutest names for the Vikings.

59. Under the Lake, Season 9
I knew it was the Doctor in the box, guys. Not the whole time, but long before it was revealed. I loved how he knew exactly when to get his act together as well, because Clara was going to be the next to die. And the Bootstrap Paradox theme here was really cool!

58. The Age of Steel, Season 2
Creepy, pitiable cybermen. And yet I keep going to that scene where the Doctor opens up the Cyberman and speaks to her for a minute, learning that she was to be married. He accidentely broke her inhibiter, and so he just put his screwdriver into her crontoller thing and said quietly, “you just sleep now, Sunny. Go to sleep.” He NEVER kills; I don’t even think he’d approve of euthanasia, but he knew at that moment she was already dead, and the only thing he could do was stop her pain. That is NOT the same thing as euthanasia, by the way.

57. Dalek, Season 1
Never thought I’d tear up over a Dalek. But this one just seemed so sad and lonely. It was only killing because it had nothing else in life, but it even got tired of that, and just wanted to feel the sun on its face. Wow. Cuttin’ deep, man.

56. Planet of the Ood, Season 4
As if Donna hadn’t proved already that she could be sympathetic to others. I already loved the Ood, but they just became so much more adorable to me when I learned their history and real nature.

55. The Crimson Horror, Season 7
Yeah, I don’t like Vastra either. But I do think Jenny is pretty great, and the Doctor seems to as well, kissing her and what not. He and Clara have definitely become inseperable by this episode, too. And even though Ada is blind and deformed and locked him in a cage, he still does everything he can to protect and comfort her!

54. Robot of Sherwood, Season 8
To this one I say YES. I loved Robin Hood in this, and how he and the Doctor were constantly trying to impress Clara, who was fangirling over the Merry Men until she had to step up and be the mature one.

53. The Curse of the Black Spot, Season 6
Okay, so I just really love pirates, and this one was as Piratey as Piratey can be. I loved it all, the music, Amy’s outfit, the siren, the storm on the ship. Oh, and Rory trusting Amy to save his life of course!!

52. Asylum of the Daleks, Season 7
Hello Clara! And hello–Pond divorce papers? I was quite upset about that, until I saw the Doctor was on the case. And being the clever man he is, he did manage to get them to admit that they still loved each other. Whew.

51. The Rings of Akhaten, Season 7
I mean, have you seen how gorgeous this episode is? Or at least heard the gorgeous song in it? Or felt all the gorgeous feels when the Doctor stood up to the god, and then Clara swooped in when he was worn out and finished the job?

50. Amy’s Choice, Season 5
Not quite sure what is so special to me about this episode, but I keep going back to it. Maybe I just love seeing how much both boys care about Amy, and yet the Doctor doesn’t want her romantically, and will die with her in the hopes of her seeing her beloved Rory again.

49. The Return of Doctor Mysterio, Season…well, I’m gonna say 9 to avoid awkwardness.
This had a pretty cute story, if you can get past the aliens opening their heads. And I found myself liking Nardole much more than I expected. But honestly, the Grant and Lucy story was really adorable, despite basically being the story of Lois and Clark.

48. The Snowmen, Season 7
Have you noticed how many episodes start with “the” ? I didn’t love this episode at first because I was still hurting for Amy and Rory, but then I saw the Doctor was too, and he saw a glimmer of hope in Clara. Like maybe she was the key to him not hurting anymore. When he put his bow tie back on and showed her the TARDIS, that’s when he and I both knew we were going to be fine.

47. Bad Wolf, Season 1
Honesty time: I started with this episode when I was going through the series, and then went back and filled in the blanks. And I was immediately taken in by the disorientation the three characters felt of being inexplicably and suddenly on deathly game shows.

46. Heaven Sent, Season 9
My, this episode was discouraging. And not really riveting until the end when you found out what it was all about. But my goodness, that ending was incredible! Although–isn’t the oringial Doctor dead now? Isn’t that a clone of him walking around now?

45. Forest of the Dead, Season 4
I actually wanted this to be lower, because the Vashta Nerada and Miss Evangelista’s distorted face creep the HECK out of me. But I have to admit that it is a very clever episode, and I have watched River’s death more times than any other character.

44. Midnight, Season 4
Everyone else is terrified by this episode, but I can’t get enough of it. Maybe I just like psychological problems. And I was fasinated by Sky repeating everyone’s lines, and then doing it in synch, and then leaving the poor Doctor struck with the same affliction.

43. Dinosaurs on a Spaceship, Season 7
I want a Brian in my life. Because he obeys orders without question, and all he wants with the TARDIS is to sit and overlook the earth and eat a sandwhich. Why does that make me cry? Also, the Doctor has a Christmas list. Enough said.

42. The Bells of Saint John, Season 7
This episode was creepy, but also great for the Doctor’s emotional health. Because now that he’d found Clara again, he was tripping over himself to protect her.

41. Hell Bent, Season 9
Clara is dead, right? Because if so, the Doctor should have just left her where she was and he could have kept the memory of her. I didn’t understand certain parts of this episode, but I thought it was very cleverly written all the same. WHAT a finale.

40. Silence in the Library, Season 4
Again, the Vashta Nerada make me fear for my life, but I love any interaction with River and the Doctor. And it’s still a pretty spectacular story idea.

39. Parting of the Ways, Season 1
David Tennant’s first appearance! I went back and watched that scene again the first time I watched “the End of Time,” because I just needed to see him with all three shining seasons ahead of him. Can you imagine those who were watching and didn’t know how fabulous he was going to become?

38. The Next Doctor, Season 4
Cybermen. Tons of ’em. But this episode was different, because the Doctor had to take a backseat, almost, and let the deluded Doctor do his thing, while still working behind the scenes. It was a very funny episode though. And when Jackson said help me, the Doctor said “Two words I never refuse,” which was great. And then Jackson told everyone to thank the Doctor for saving the day, and then the Doctor admitted that his companions broke his heart. So the Cybermen couldn’t ruin the beauty of this episode.

37. Smith and Jones, Season 3
This episode seems to be very simple, and yet the Doctor’s brave, brilliant plan is so clever to watch unfold! I also love watching him take off his tie in front of Martha, and then walk away, because I was so confused the first time.

36. The Fires of Pompeii, Season 4
Amy and the Twelfth Doctor, whaaat? This episode was way important. And not just because it prophecised Rose’s reappearance and the beetle on Donna’s back.

35. The Witch’s Familiar, Season 9
I loved Missy in this and the Magician’s Apprentice, though I’d hated her in Season 8. Of course I didn’t trust her for a moment, even when she appeared to be helping Clara. And leave it to the Doctor to think his greatest enemy actually could be redeemed.

34. The Magician’s Apprentice, Season 9
I still was getting used to Twelve, I still hadn’t recovered from Season 8, and I was still expecting not to enjoy Missy and Clara. But when the Doctor appeared in Ancient Times with an electric guitar, and voluntarily hugged Clara with no prompt, and appeared to be glad to see Missy as well, I was so, so happy and relieved.

33. Nightmare in Silver, Season 7
I know, it’s a Cyberman episode, but what an episode! All I really remember is Matt Smith’s phenomenal acting while playing the Doctor and the Cybermaster in one body, fighting for control of one mind, but it was enough to make me applaud this episode forever.

32. Army of Ghosts, Season 2
I appreciated the Doctor reaching his hand in the TARDIS and purposely pulling out a Jackie to be his companion way more than I should have. I do weep for Torchwood, though. It’s only ever going to be a UNIT wannabee. Did you know it’s an anagram for “Doctor Who,” though? How cool is that??

31. Voyage of the Damned, Season 4
Record breaking number of Christmas specials, this season. I loved the idea of this story, and I loved how the Doctor befriended and looked out for the people who were abused and made fun of. I would have been fine with Astrid as a companion, too.

30. The Big Bang, Season 5
Hey, we’re down to the top 30! That’s not actually special, but I’m making it special, because the rest of these are episodes I could watch all day, and often do. This one, for instance, is a lovely blend of time travelling confusion, the Doctor dying several times, Amy and Rory finally getting married, the Drunk Giraffe dance, and a fez.

29. New Earth, Season 2
One of my favorite things ever to see acted is character’s in someone else’s body. And this episode delivered, and delivered strong. David Tennant as Cassandra was my favorite thing ever for a while, and Billie Piper was pretty talented at it as well.

28. Partners in Crime, Season 4
Seeing the Doctor and Donna just miss each other so often in the beginning made their big reunion that much funnier. And though the Adipose are disgusting, they’re also cute?

27. Human Nature, Season 3
The actor in me loved watching David Tennant playing the Doctor not being the Doctor. And watching him fall in love. Though sometimes the formality of it all made me want to scream. Points to Thomas Sangster being in this two-parter, as well! That’s ma Ferb!

26. Turn Left, Season 4
The Doctor was barely in this, and yet his absence screamed at us as we see what would have happened had he died the night Donna saved him. That was super cool to watch, and it was also lovely at the end to see him recognize that Donna needed to hug him right then, with no reason why.

25. The Doctor’s Wife, Season 6
Who’d have thought I’d be crying over a time machine? But I did, because she was definitely as alive as anything, and it was beautiful to see she loved the Doctor just as much as he loved her!

24. The Stolen Earth, Season 4
Oh yeah, plot twist after plot twist in this one. And the Doctor’s face when he’s finally reunited with his Rose! Of course then he gets killed by a Dalek, but still…

23. A Good Man Goes to War, Season 6
As if Rory being utterly epic wasn’t enough, we get the Doctor being all delighted around the baby and Amy, and we learn that River is indeed Melody Pond, Amy and Rory’s daughter. Still can’t get over that.

22. Blink, Season 3
After my initial fright of the Weeping Angels, they became my favorite monster. And this episode, with the events happening in the wrong order, and the video message that responded to Sally, and all those clips of the Doctor that we understand somewhat, but baffles the main character here!

21. Doomsday, Season 2
Ugh, why do my feels have to be so…feely? I know Rose isn’t the most loved companion, and my brother bashes her all the time, but I loved her so because he loved her so, and seperating those two was completely uncalled for.

20. Father’s Day, Season 1
There are parents in everything, but I cry when a parent has a really special bond with their child, such as being willing to jump in front of a car for them, because I love my parents more than anything.

19. The Runaway Bride, Season 3
I thanked Donna for being there to distract the Doctor from his Rose heartbreak. Donna was so different from Rose, and didn’t even want to be with the Doctor, but still needed him to save her. Thank you, Donna, thank you.

18. The Family of Blood, Season 3
Things stop being stiff in this second part of “Human Nature,” and when John Smith is told who he really is, he has a panic attack, as any of us would, and seeing him cope with that is heartwrenching. Which makes the Doctor coming back that much more beautiful.

17. Let’s Kill Hitler, Season 6
Gracious, so many good things in this. The Ponds discovering they named their daugher after their daughter, River meeting the Doctor, Rory telling Hitler to shut up…

16. The Name of the Doctor, Season 7
THE DOCTOR CAN ALWAYS SEE RIVER!!!! That may be my favorite moment between the two. And I LOVED seeing Clara’s visions of all the Doctors. They were both so brave!

15. Journey’s End, Season 4
I think Amy and Rory may be my favorite companions now, but for a while it was Donna. So seeing the Doctor be forced to wipe her memory, drop her off back home, and walk away from her unrecognizing face was as painful to me as to him. Well, close anyway.

14. The Eleventh Hour, Season 5
Not gonna lie, the first time I watched this all I saw were the Converse, because I’d just lost David Tennant and I was trying to holdon to him. But I’ve since re-watched it and seen it for the masterpiece it is as Matt Smith’s first.

13. Vincent and the Doctor, Season 5
Cried so hard during this one, because Vincent was so lonely and depressed! Seeing that he was remembered well helped, but he still killed himself. It was very moving.

12. The Power of Three, Season 7
Seeing as how the Ponds were going to be cruely taken from us in the next episode, I’m glad we had this one, where they could live a normal, safe life for a long while, with the Doctor.

11. The Doctor’s Daughter, Season 4
I love Jenny, and wish she had come back, but I suppose it’s too late now. Maybe she regenerated into Jenny the maid though, and is keeping it secret. Because the way her relationship with the Doctor evolved through this episode was very touching.

10. The Girl in the Fireplace, Season 2
Top 10! Despite what I’ve heard others say, I don’t think the Doctor loved Reinette. I think he greatly respected and admired her, and recognized her as someone who understood him, which is why it hurt him so much to lose her.

9. The Impossible Astronaut, Season 6
Somehow, watching the Doctor have to wholly trust his companions makes him more endearing, to me anyway. And I’m seriously going to use “or hello, as people used to say.”

8. Day of the Moon, Season 6
I had to go back and watch that opening over again before I could watch the rest of the episode, because, his TARDIS was behind him the whole time!

7. The Husbands of River Song, Season 9
This was probably the last episode River will ever appear in, and it was a really great one to go out on. Nearly everything from the Silence in the Library episodes was referenced, and we know she at least got 24 normal years with her real husband before death.

6. The Time of the Doctor, Season 7
Ohh, Matt Smith’s last episode hurt me much more than I was expecting. But again, at least he got a good, long, relatively normal retirement, and at least Clara (and a vision of Amy) was there with him at the end.

5. The Christmas Invasion, Season 2
Must have been disappointing for David Tennant to spend almost his entire first episode unconscious, but I think that made his entrance near the end that much more epic!

4. The Angels Take Manhattan, Season 7
Yowza! Odd how a little episode that hurt me so much made it so high up on this list. That little picnic scene at the beginning is so lovely, and makes the rest of the episode even more painful. But at least the Ponds lived together, and happily ever after.

3. The Day of the Doctor, Season 7
This was the first full episode I watched, which was sort of a mistake, because it would have been nice to just stumble upon it in order. Because it was brilliant, and I basically just need Ten and Eleven to be together all the time. So many references to the past, too!

2. The End of Time Part 1, Season 4
So you can probably guess what number one is. Technically I consider these to be one episode, though. We knew Wilf was amazing up to this point, but these episodes really pounded that into us in case it wasn’t clear.

And, of course…

1. The End of Time Part 2, Season 4
David Tennant’s last appearance (until Day of the Doctor), and Matt Smith’s first. Yay. But I think this episode wrenched the most tears out of me. I was fine when Wilf said he didn’t want the Doctor to die. I was fine when Donna almost remembered. I was fine when the Doctor went around visiting all his friends like he knew he would never see them again. But I lost it when he threw his brown coat over that branchy thing for the last time. I was really mad at Eleven the first time I watched that regeneration, but now I see it, again, as three more beautiful shining seasons ahead of him.

And that’s all of them, would you believe! Thanks (and congrats) for making it all the way!