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'Doctor Who': 10 Best Episodes of the Modern Era

In No Particular Order

By Mr. TibbzPublished 5 years ago • 9 min read
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Doctor Who is a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine. And when I say guilty, I really mean it. It's hardly a TV show that someone who loves cinema should pay much attention to. And it's filled to the brim with dud episodes that a binge watcher could happily skip over. But for every mediocre/bad episode, there is one that is really too good to be a Doctor Who episode. These are the episodes that make the whole show worth watching. And why wouldn't there be? With the writing talents of Steven Moffat and Russell T Davies there are bound to be some good episodes in there. The show is fun. And that's all you should want out of the things you enjoy, they should put a smile on your face and help you kill 45 minutes of your day.

So here are 10 episodes of Doctor Who that even a pretentious muppet like me can still enjoy.

10. "Blink"

This episode is great. And what makes it so great is that the Doctor and his companion are unable to do anything about the impending peril. Having been zapped back in time without his tardis, the Doctor has to leave clues for our hero, Sally Sparrow, in the present, so he can get his tardis back. This was an episode of the modern era where the Doctor takes a backseat and allows a story within his world unfold, with little input from him.

In this episode we see the "Weeping Angels," a species that have evolved with a defence mechanism which turns them to stone if they are ever seen by a living being. So all those stone statues you see in the street, keep an eye on em'. You never know. They are pretty damn terrifying. And the story is well thought out with great payoffs. This one is a rewarding watch. It feels more like an episode of Black Mirror or Twilight Zone. It's very well written and has plenty of tension throughout.

9. "The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances"

Are you my mummy? This two part story from the Christopher Eccleston Doctor is excellently spooky. This might still be the scariest episode of the new era. It's spine tingling. This little gas mask kid haunted my dreams when I watched this episode for the first time (don't judge, I was about 12). But this episode was a real statement of intent by the creators. This wasn't just for kids. This was a show that adults could watch too.

Also being the episode that introduced fan favourite and total beef cake, Captain Jack Harkness, there is plenty to enjoy in this episode. This one has laughs, scares and a cameo from British legend Richard Wilson. This is easily one to show people to convince them Doctor Who is worth watching. This might be my favourite episode.

8. "Dalek"

Another one from the ninth season. This episode was our first look at the Dalek race in the new era of Doctor Who. What makes this episode so good? We see the Doctor's blind hatred for the Daleks, and he makes decisions based on fear or anger rather than intelligence. We really get a sense of how dangerous he knows they can be, even one that is in captivity, chained and alone.

This is a great look at the psyche of the Doctor. It's made clear here that he is not your typical shining hero. He makes bad decisions. We get to see more of this as the seasons progress, but this is where it began with one of the best lines of dialogue any Dalek has delivered to the Doctor, "You would have made a good Dalek." And this line alone has shaped stories around the Doctor for the years to come. And come on, there's a suicidal Dalek! This is proper writing.

7. "Love & Monsters"

This is an excellent episode. Centring around a group of people looking for the Doctor as a hobby, narrated with a sense that things will eventually go very wrong. This was the first episode where the Doctor takes a back seat to other characters and really makes very little impact until the end of the episode.

This one is really fun. Got a lot of well timed jokes in there, with a great comic, yet dark, performance from Peter Kaye. I know! An unlikely source of a good performance. But he's really good in this episode. Everyone gives a believable performance and the vast majority of the characters are relatable. And you do feel devastated when they start to disappear one by one. You MUST watch this one. This is a great example of a proper Whovian delight.

6. "Heaven Sent"

This episode is nothing short of amazing. This one blew me away. Another episode which feels like its been plucked right out of the world of Twilight Zone. Nice and pretentious, just how I like it. This one is so intelligent. So clever. And incredibly performed by Peter Capaldi.

Sure there are a couple of plot holes. But there usually is in anything. But this episode is brilliant. It's great set up for the end of the season. This episode really tickles my love for weird and wonderful cinema. Almost like an episode written and directed by David Lynch. I'm sure if he watched this episode he'd be jealous. Being stalked through a castle by a hooded figure is one thing, but to span over billions of years? Terrifying. I recommend this episode to friends that think Doctor Who is just commercial trash. It's excellent. Watch it. Might be the best episode ever made. EVER.

5. "Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead"

I think we all love this episode. This was the one that brought in another fan favourite, River Song. But it's not River that makes this episode so good. The idea behind it keeps you gripped from start to finish. There is so much confusion for the audience throughout this story, but by the end, you understand everything, and you love it all the more for it.

Having to stay out of the dark, the Doctor and co. have to trudge through a deserted, planet size library. This one has some good scares too. With re-animated skeletons in space suits ambling towards the screen. And death. So much death. Let's face it, any episode with plenty of death, shoots right to the top of anyone's top 10. Spoilers sweetie, not everyone stays dead.

4. "Human Nature/The Family of Blood"

This one answers the age old question, what would happen if the Doctor forgot he was the Doctor? Okay, no one has ever wondered that. But tough. That's this episode in a nutshell. This one is really good. As a means for the Doctor and Martha to escape murderous aliens, the Doctor wipes his memory so he can hide amongst humans in 1913 England. David Tennant will have you weeping by the end, begging to be able to remain as John Smith.

Now this next point shouldn't make a difference, but it really does. The racism. Too often do we see minorities go back in time with the Doctor, only for people to not notice. Martha makes mention of this when they visit Shakespeare, but it's just a fleeting remark. In this episode, Martha is treated appropriately poorly, treated like "the help." And we get to see "politically correct" racism of the time. This really helps to make the setting feel all the more real. Sure, it's never nice seeing someone being racist, but that's how people were back then. Historical accuracy in a Doctor Who episode?!?!!?!? Mind. Blown.

3. "The Day of the Doctor"

Sorry Matt Smith fans, but this is all you're getting. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who, this episode dropped. And what a treat it was. Bringing back Mr. Tennant and tying off a couple of plot holes caused in his tenure as the Doctor. This one has loads to love. Especially an appearance from a new face of the Doctor that we haven't seen. A Doctor who is in pain because he knows he must end the Time War. And who better to play this Doctor, than John "f*****g" Hurt. The man himself.

This episode is great. Truly. With a teaser for Peter Capaldi's Doctor at the end, and the reveal of how Eccleston's Doctor came to be. This one was for the fans. This one was for us. So much care was put into this episode and it really pays off. We even have a cameo from Tom Baker to enjoy at the end. This is a much watch for all you Whovians out there.

2. "The Magician's Apprentice/The Witch's Familiar"

This is a controversial pick for me. I'm not sure anyone really likes this episode except me. But I do. I really do. There is something so poetic about the Doctor allowing the child version of Davros to live. It's that old debate of, if you could go back in time and kill Hitler as a baby, would you? And the Doctor chooses, at first, to let him die. I think we all would. But then there is the argument, can you morally kill someone before they become corrupt and evil? This is the creator of the Daleks after all, the Doctor's greatest foe. And the answer is, no.

This episode showcases the return of Missy/The Master, and gives Clara a rare moment to shine. Capaldi is great in the episode, albeit, too gullible to Davros' plan. I really enjoyed it. And we get to see Skaro! The Dalek planet!! All Doctor Who fans are desperate for more Skaro!

1. "Army of Ghosts/Doomsday"

This is the series finale that marked the end of Rose and the Doctor's time together. I was torn between this one and the end of season nine, but I've got to give the edge to this. This story has everything. Ghosts. Dimension hopping. Cybermen. Daleks. Emotion. And the "death" of well loved characters. This has all you want out of a season finale.

We get to see the Doctor broken. He really doesn't want to let Rose go, but he has to. She doesn't want to leave him but she has no choice. Fans of the show love this episode and for good reason. With an absolutely heart wrenching ending where their last goodbye is cut short, this was a satisfying way for us to say goodbye to Rose. There really isn't an excuse for any of the season finales to fall short of this two part finale, but they do, this is the best ending to any season of the modern era.

Okay, that's your lot. I'm sure you all disagree. Some of you are shouting at your monitors, "What about Matt Smith you idiot!?!?!?!" Keep your wig on. Whether you like Smith or not, his tenure as the Doctor doesn't provide as satisfying plots as the other Doctors. Let's hope Whittaker's run as the Doctor has some good writing to enjoy. Based on the most recent episode aired at the time of writing, it's not looking good. But she could be a great Doctor. I'm looking forward to what else she can provide. And if she flops, we can just jump in the tardis and go back to David Tennant. 🤣

scifi tv
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About the Creator

Mr. Tibbz

I'm a filmmaker and film enthusiast. May start to put up some dream projects. Depends. I hope you enjoy listening to me spout nonsense. Follow my youtube channel here:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXalLYgI0bKhMWIfhop4Jog

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