Turn Left is a great episode but is not a top fave of mine overall. You do realise how strong the second half of season 4 is though with how many bangers you get in a row.

I'm gonna have to go for the only episode I've watched so hope Stolen Earth wins.

Edited Thursday at 18:265 days by Henessy Lake

Turn left a great episode, really sells the what if concept, what if the doctor wasn't there to stop all the world ending events, what if we just made small changes in the decisions we made would they really have devastating consequences, Catherine Tate really sold the hell out of her performance here, was also nice to Billie piper back proper here after the minor tidbits we had earlier in the series, honorable mention to Bernard Cribbins here to really added light relief to what is essentially a Dark episode benefit the surface,

honestly though when you look at the run of series 4 episodes and how great his final series was It makes you wonder how RTD has managed to make so many very questionable decisions in his second era

Of those 2 id probably go with TSE/JE probably more for nostalgia purposes but WEAT/TDF is also a worthy winnerbeither way

5 minutes ago, 777666jason said:

honestly though when you look at the run of series 4 episodes and how great his final series was It makes you wonder how RTD has managed to make so many very questionable decisions in his second era

It does make me wonder how much influence Disney had - the 60th specials were made before the Disney deal and feel much more intrinsically RTD than what follows. Pressure from them may have forced his hand in at least some regards?

02 World Enough and Time / The Doctor Falls

Series 10 Episode 11-12

Doctor: 12th

Companion: Bill Potts, Nardole

Also featuring: Missy, Saxon Master

First aired: 24th June and 1st July 2017

Writer: Steven Moffat

It's not often that Doctor Who takes a dark route, being a family show, but I'd argue this story features some of the darkest scenes the show's featured. An exercise for Missy to test her redeemed character quickly goes sideways when a distress call on an enormous colony ship reversing away from a black hole leaves Bill in grave danger. With the two ends of the ship running on entirely different times, every second is crucial for the Doctor to rescue Bill from the bottom of the ship before the human colony's desperate attempt to survive impacts on her.

Quite honestly, while I do love both episodes here, it's World Enough and Time that really does the heavy lifting for me. It's dark and bleak in a way the show doesn't tend to be. Bill being shot is already a shocking enough moment, but for her to effectively live out a chunk of her life down the bottom of the ship, waiting for the Doctor, with a cybernetic unit keeping her alive, only for her to be upgraded into one of the earliest Cybermen, is one of the cruellest fates a companion's faced, certainly in the modern show. It paves the way for some amazing scenes - I love seeing Bill investigating the patients, and realising their cries of "pain" simply have the volume turned down. Horrifying! I enjoy the camaraderie between Bill and Razor, who I didn't even realise was John Simm on first watch until just before the big reveal, despite his appearance being confirmed in advance! (a major marketing mistake, imagine the surprise if we had no idea he was returning!)

Pearl Mackie isn't the only star of the episode, though. Simm and Michelle Gomez have incredible chemistry in our first ever multi-Master story, and it's an excellent way of showcasing just how much Missy has changed over the course of the series. It's the most development the Master's ever received as a character, and I'd love to see that picked up on again one day. Nardole becoming a vital protector of the human colony in The Doctor Falls feels like a natural progression for such a loyal companion, and it felt like a fitting end for him. I loved Bill's ultimate ending, with a little more hope sprinkled in than what we'd seen in World Enough and Time, and it's testament to how likeable and relatable a character Bill had been. I wish we could've kept her for longer!

Also worth mentioning how phenomenal a presence the Cybermen were in this story. I've said before that their usage is more hit-and-miss than any other Who villain, and their fear factor is directly proportional to how much the script remembers their origins in humanity. Well, this is effectively the "genesis of the Cybermen", so it's a running thread throughout. Bill being at the centre of their creation only solidifies how terrifying a concept they are, and the Mondasian Cybermen are way scarier than I thought they'd be at the time (having not seen The Tenth Planet) - that voice is the stuff of nightmares! So much going on in this two-parter but Moffat really sticks the landing for his final series finale, leaving Twice Upon a Time as something of an epilogue with this being his real final act as showrunner.

01 The Stolen Earth / Journey’s End

Series 4 Episode 12-13

Doctor: 10th

Companion: Donna Noble, Martha Jones, Rose Tyler, Captain Jack Harkness, Sarah Jane Smith, Mickey Smith, Jackie Tyler

Also featuring: Sylvia Noble, Wilfred Mott, Francine Jones, Luke Smith, Mr. Smith, Gwen Cooper, Ianto Jones, Harriet Jones, K-9

First aired: 28th June and 5th July 2008

Writer: Russell T Davies

Over two years of being a fan of Doctor Who felt like it was leading to this moment in 2008 - the most epic finale we'd seen so far. With the Earth disappearing, the Doctor and Donna embark on a quest across space to find the planet, while the Doctor's allies on the planet band together to get in touch. Together, they must team up to fight not only the Daleks, but their creator Davros, before they put a stop to reality itself.

Though this isn't the final episode of RTD1, it feels in some ways that it could and should have been. Every companion from the first four series returns (Adam exempted obviously x), and the show crosses over with its spin-offs for the first time. As an 11 year old fan, it was insanely exciting! Seeing that title sequence with all of the names whooshing by so fast to fit everyone in was a rush in itself as well as how all of the companions interacted with each other, with many having never met before. The likes of Captain Jack and Sarah Jane working together was brilliant, as well as finally seeing Gwen, Ianto and Luke in the main show. Rose teaming up with Sylvia and Wilf made for excellent TV too, particularly given the lack of webcam ("she says they're naughty" !!!!).

Amongst the excitement of the returnees, we can't forget how great David Tennant and Catherine Tate are throughout, too. Donna coming to terms with the potential loss of her entire planet is displayed expertly through a grounded performance from Catherine, and David rises to the challenge of confronting Davros, making it easily believable that he's the same man who met and fought Davros time and time again in the past. I love the contrast he brings to the role of the Metacrisis Doctor, too - there's more of a naivety in that portrayal, which leads to the reckless decision of committing genocide at the climax of the episode. Julian Bleach matches Tennant's skills, too - he's superb as Davros, who is given a layered portrayal, and it's a dynamic that's picked up on really well in The Magician's Apprentice down the line, too.

The cliffhanger at the end of The Stolen Earth is arguably the show's greatest cliffhanger. Knowing Tennant was leaving, a surprise regeneration had the entire nation talking - such was the power of the show at that time! It's no wonder that Journey's End was the first Doctor Who episode in history to top the weekly viewing figures. Rose's reunion with the Doctor in that moment was exciting, and then horrifying as the Dalek emerges! I like that their later interactions are a little more subtle, not distracting from the pace of the episode (and I love Martha's reaction to Rose too, knowing just how much she meant to the Doctor). Their goodbye scene on the beach again initially felt less impactful than the first time, but I appreciate it more now - Rose had helped the Doctor so much, that the best gift he could give the Metacrisis Doctor was her, and the impact he would undoubtedly have on her.

There's so many other great moments through this two-parter. As we'd come to expect with RTD1, the invasion of Earth felt more realistic through the depiction of the media, with cameos from Brian Cox and Paul O'Grady! The transmission of that first "EXTERMINATE" message is perhaps my favourite scene of the whole thing, it always gives me goosebumps, and the companions' reactions highlight the stakes perfectly (particular props to Elisabeth Sladen in that scene). Rose seeing off shoplifters with her gun, Wilf's paintball gun, the Doctor speaking Judoon ("mo ho x"), Jackie being banned from the TARDIS controls, "Captain Cheesecake", and the surprise return of Harriet Jones ("yes, we know who you are") also make this episode feel so great, not to mention the absolute insanity of Dalek Caan!

Of course, I can't talk about this story without touching on Donna's departure, too. What I adored about Donna was the progression we'd seen from The Runaway Bride to Journey's End - her character had softened and grown in empathy, and in order to save her life, the Doctor must strip her of that by removing her memories. It's heartbreaking, even knowing what comes later in The Star Beast, because Donna was so keen to keep travelling, and her being forced to return to her old life like nothing had happened still breaks my heart. Sylvia's defensiveness, and the Doctor putting her in her place, was a great touch given her and Donna's frosty relationship, while Wilf's farewell to the Doctor was full of so much heart, particularly given his full TARDIS had fully emptied out.

There's probably so much more I could say about this story that I'll think of later, but this story's pretty tough to top for me. It's full of fan service, for sure, but it does that fan service so well, and because of the interconnected nature of RTD1 and the spin-offs, it felt like a reward for sticking with the show. I've rewatched this story more than any other and it still gives me such an enormous rush!

Joseph ranks every Doctor Who episode (2005-2025)

01 The Stolen Earth / Journey’s End

02 World Enough and Time / The Doctor Falls

03 Turn Left

04 Heaven Sent

05 Army of Ghosts / Doomsday

06 Midnight

07 Blink

08 The Waters of Mars

09 Silence in the Library / Forest of the Dead

10 Vincent and the Doctor

11 Human Nature / The Family of Blood

12 The Empty Child / The Doctor Dances

13 Dalek

14 Wild Blue Yonder

15 Amy’s Choice

16 The Eleventh Hour

17 Father’s Day

18 School Reunion

19 The Girl in the Fireplace

20 Bad Wolf / The Parting of the Ways

21 The Impossible Planet / The Satan Pit

22 The Well

23 The Day of the Doctor

24 Face the Raven

25 73 Yards

26 Gridlock

27 Extremis

28 Village of the Angels

29 Dark Water / Death in Heaven

30 The Pandorica Opens / The Big Bang

31 The Power of the Doctor

32 Oxygen

33 Boom

34 Flatline

35 Fugitive of the Judoon

36 Partners in Crime

37 The Girl Who Waited

38 Rosa

39 The Haunting of Villa Diodati

40 The Time of Angels / Flesh and Stone

41 Dot and Bubble

42 Asylum of the Daleks

43 The Fires of Pompeii

44 Last Christmas

45 The God Complex

46 The Zygon Invasion / The Zygon Inversion

47 Rise of the Cybermen / The Age of Steel

48 The Angels Take Manhattan

49 Mummy on the Orient Express

50 Utopia / The Sound of Drums / Last of the Time Lords

51 Lucky Day

52 War of the Sontarans

53 Rose

54 Boom Town

55 Planet of the Ood

56 Lux

57 The Interstellar Song Contest

58 Rogue

59 Revolution of the Daleks

60 The Runaway Bride

61 The Star Beast

62 Smith and Jones

63 Eve of the Daleks

64 The Husbands of River Song

65 Aliens of London / World War Three

66 The Giggle

67 Resolution

68 Spyfall

69 The Unicorn and The Wasp

70 A Christmas Carol

71 The Woman Who Fell to Earth

72 Time Heist

73 The Time of the Doctor

74 Deep Breath

75 The Pilot

76 Hell Bent

77 Demons of the Punjab

78 A Good Man Goes To War

79 The Hungry Earth / Cold Blood

80 Voyage of the Damned

81 The Caretaker

82 Under the Lake / Before the Flood

83 The Christmas Invasion

84 Listen

85 The Snowmen

86 The Magician’s Apprentice / The Witch’s Familiar

87 The End of the World

88 The Impossible Astronaut / Day of the Moon

89 The Doctor’s Wife

90 The Sontaran Stratagem / The Poison Sky

91 Ascension of the Cybermen / The Timeless Children

92 Joy to the World

93 The End of Time

94 Kerblam!

95 The Legend of Ruby Sunday / Empire of Death

96 Wish World / The Reality War

97 Daleks in Manhattan / Evolution of the Daleks

98 Knock Knock

99 The Halloween Apocalypse

100 The Robot Revolution

101 The Story & the Engine

102 Smile

103 The Shakespeare Code

104 The Power of Three

105 It Takes You Away

106 A Town Called Mercy

107 The Next Doctor

108 Twice Upon a Time

109 The Witchfinders

110 Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS

111 The Rebel Flesh / The Almost People

112 The Beast Below

113 The Doctor’s Daughter

114 Into the Dalek

115 The Devil's Chord

116 New Earth

117 Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror

118 Planet of the Dead

119 The Pyramid at the End of the World

120 Thin Ice

121 Robot of Sherwood

122 The Crimson Horror

123 The Lodger

124 The Vanquishers

125 The Wedding of River Song

126 The Bells of Saint John

127 Cold War

128 The Lazarus Experiment

129 The Vampires of Venice

130 The Idiot’s Lantern

131 Tooth and Claw

132 The Long Game

133 The Return of Doctor Mysterio

134 The Unquiet Dead

135 Night Terrors

136 Kill the Moon

137 Once, Upon Time

138 The Name of the Doctor

139 The Church on Ruby Road

140 The Ghost Monument

141 Closing Time

142 42

143 Space Babies

144 Can You Hear Me?

145 Empress of Mars

146 The Curse of the Black Spot

147 Survivors of the Flux

148 The Eaters of Light

149 The Girl Who Died

150 Fear Her

151 The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe

152 Arachnids in the UK

153 Let’s Kill Hitler

154 The Lie of the Land

155 Praxeus

156 Hide

157 Victory of the Daleks

158 The Woman Who Lived

159 Love & Monsters

160 Legend of the Sea Devils

161 The Tsuranga Conundrum

162 The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos

163 Orphan 55

164 Sleep No More

165 The Rings of Akhaten

166 In the Forest of the Night

167 Nightmare in Silver

168 Dinosaurs on a Spaceship

And finally, an enormous THANK YOU to everyone who's followed this thread and commented along the way!! I've loved discussing every episode with you all!

WEAT/TDF a great pair of episodes, agree very dark but that didnt stop it being fantastic, Billy getting shot less than 5 minutes in was definitely shocking to say the least , was also fascinating to see the old school cybermen over their metal 21st century conterparts, glad bills ultimate ending was tweaked so she could have a somewhat happier ending even in death, my only minor Gripe with this at the time is John simms return was spoiled weeks in advance with all the trailers, and it would of packed a bigger punch without it, that said his and Michelle Gomez 2 masters were great and the face off was just 👌👌

(Although we still dont know whether Sascha follows Missy or not) Great pair of episodes to almost closs out the Moffat era and definitely worthy to be this high

TSE/JE yes yes yes definitely the best episode of New who this is the closest we ever got to Doctor who does avengers as we are ever got, was kind of a shame this wasn't the end to the RTD1 era, yes the specials were good but this felt like the perfect celebration of the era as a whole, the inclusion of both Torchwood and Sarah Jane just made this so much better (shame no Clyde or Mariah though) the cliffhanger was just perfect considering we already knew David was leaving and they dangled the carrot of the name of the christmas episode, the daleks played their role perfectly too and Davros 😲

Honestly could talk about this episode for ages deserving winner

Cheers for this Joseph been interesting to follow apologise if I got over passionate about it at times 🤣🤣

Seeing everyone reunite was so special. Terrific two parter, where for once I enjoy both parts just as equally.

Well done for getting through it! A mammoth task and a very enjoyable countdown... even if I didn't entirely agree with all of it 🤣.

Its always good to hear other people's views! with regards the top 2; World Enough and Time/ The Doctor Falls is such an epic 2 parter, with so much going for it - an amazing couple of episodes.

The Stolen Earth/ Journey's End had such a build up to it - and as pointed out, so many strong stories running into it (the run from Silence in the Library through to Turn Left is amazing). I do think there are issues with Journey's End, but I can see why it would be your fave - there's so many great elements and moments; like the whole RTD era to that point coming together.

Part of me thinks Tennant should've regenerated at the end, rather than having those 4 specials - especially given how much of a celebration of his time in the role TSE/ JE was.

Well done Joseph! It's been good to read through :)

Edited Friday at 14:084 days by ElectroBoy

Wild Blue Yonder - one of my favourite eps of RTD2 along with Boom and The Well just perfect horror mystery with Sci-Fi blended in.

Dalek - I love when when we see a darker side to the doctor and that's being forced to face the only dalek left who killed his own kind back in the time war. stunning bit of tv. also henry van statten low key worse as a villain than a Dalek.

The Empty Child/Doctor Dances - This terrified me as a kid, well THAT one scene did. You all know the one. I love how the line "Are you My Mummy" has been referenced in the show twice since this ep happened. iconic and brilliant.

The Family Of Blood/Human Nature - many of the guest actors in this need awards like im serious how the whole family of blood was convincedly pulling off two characters needs to be applauded.

Vincent and The Doctor - the best real life person episode like how it beautifully shows Vincent's mental health and the ending always brings a tear to my eye. An masterpiece of you pardon the pun.

Silence In The Library/Forest Of The Dead - another great horror charged story and the introduction to River Song. Alex Kingston had my instantly. How she left us all being intrigued who she was to the doctor.

The Waters Of Mars - Gosh I love this episode. Perfect terror, and some of it even coming from the doctor.

Blink - there is a reason why this tops many whovians favourite episode list. The best doctor lite episode.

Midnight - My favourite episode of all time, to the surprise of absolute no one. Just peak doctor who with a cast of people you love to hate (they act amazingly in it) and equally terrified of the threat.

Army Of Ghosts/Doomsday - 'This Is Not War, this is Pest Control' might just be one of the sassiest lines uttered on Doctor Who.

Heaven Sent - A perfect Analogy for grief. 10/10. No Notes.

Turn Left - Doctor Who have done a "what if" episode brilliantly here. I didn't feel like I was missing the doctor in it because Catherine Tate did a masterclass in acting. Brilliant.

World Enough and Time / The Doctor Falls - Seeing the Cyberman in that hospital scene was honestly one of the chilling doctor who moments, like I was actually scared of the Cyberman again. Only critic is I wish the master reveal wasn't leaked by the newspapers on even in the next time or coming soon thing or whatever it was...I'd have been MIND BLOWN to see John Simms again.

The Stolen Earth/Journey's End - The way Doctor Who did Avengers Assemble before they even did. Epic to see the main franchise and its spin offs working together. BAD.ASS.

1 hour ago, ElectroBoy said:

Part of me thinks Tennant should've regenerated at the end, rather than having those 4 specials - especially given how much of a celebration of his time in the role TSE/ JE was.

He really should of it was the perfect end to the era , I wonder why Moffat wasn't ready to take over in 2009 or even 2008 christmas , But TSE/JE is definitely a better celebration of RTD1 era than TEOT

Thanks everyone!!

A regeneration at the end of Journey's End would definitely have felt more appropriate for Tennant's Doctor, but I guess RTD wasn't quite ready to hand over the reigns that early, and Tennant had even considered staying on with Moffat initially so I guess he probably hadn't arrived at a decision when Journey's End was being written and filmed? But it certainly would have saved us the "victory lap" in The End of Time Part 2. That said, we wouldn't have had Wilf as companion, nor The Waters of Mars I suppose, so swings and roundabouts!

Well final thoughts then!

Vincent and the Doctor - An excellent episode and one that really set the standard for episodes involving historical figures, it manages to use it's concept to say something profound about the man himself rather than relying on the novelty value of having them in the episode, would be quite high up for me as well.

Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead - Probably my favourite two parter, the first half has some amazing shock moments in thge eerie setting and the ongoing 'hey who turned out the lights' build-up and Donna Noble leaving the library at the end, and the second half's reveal of Donna living a parallel world is really well done too. Up there with the scariest the show has been.

The Waters of Mars - 'I've gone too far' is such a simple line delivered with so much menace, easily the best of the specials and a fantastic space under siege scenario with a great payoff that shows how arraogant and cold this version was becoming. Adelaide was a great guest star as well.

Next two might involve gushing x

Blink - This was my number 1 and may still be on a different day, it's definitely between that and the episode to come. Either way, it's all been said before but I still can't praise this episode enough - one of the most scary, tightly plotted and original ideas they've ever had, it was perhaps inevitable the Angels would become overused, but they are still utterly terrifying here, especially so when they still have the weeping expression but you notice subtle movements that make you feel that something's not right, also when the video of the Doctor is revealed to actually be watching her. Sally is a fantastic protagonist too and it's impressive we have an entirely new character that's really rootable. A masterpiece x

Midnight - It may be that it's fresher in my head because of The Well, but this is still as close to perfect as any Doctor Who episode will be, and especially impressive given it was intended as a filler, budget episode. Not only is the monster minimalist and terrifying (this is still what I think is the only monster the Doctor hasn't been able to best even within an episode, and he would've likedly died without the intervention), with the long stretches of silence and staring and it gradually becoming more confident with speech as it overpowers the recipient. It's a great study of groupthink as well and how people react in a crisis (and a bit of subtle racism in how some of them treat the stewardess as well). I could talk forever about it, amazing episode.

Army of Ghosts/Doomsday - This is an episode it's tough for me to be objective about as I literally could not stop watching this as a young pre-teen and I have such nostalgia for it, but even when I'm older, I still really like it and it would likely be in my top 10 too. I think the cliffhanger is built up really well, the two aliens obviously work great off each other and Rose's departure is, yes, a little overwrought but it had to be, it was the kind of cruel, bittersweet finale that RTD1 really did well, and of course no mention of this episode can go without the ultimate sass-off between anyone ever:

Heaven Sent - This would be third I think for me, I still wonder how on earth they got away with airing something this experimental and daring pre-watershed. Peter Capaldi had already found his rhythm this season, but this absolutely was his moment, the psychological torment and confict within himself is so beautifully bought to life, it's almost akin to a stage monologue rather than an episode. Moffat had his flaws, but no other showrunner could effectively show the sheer emotional weight that the Doctor carries round with him and the impact of life-changing experiences.

Turn Left - Just like Midnight, a really effective standalone episode with the Doctor out of the picture now, it's something the show had never quite tried before and it really shows the impact on society and everyone's daily lives that the Doctor has, you can really feel the tension and pain as everything falls apart for Donna gradually, it sets up well for the gut-punch that would follow in the finale.

World Enough and Time/The Doctor Falls - I don't know if this would quite be as high for me, but I do think this is a real highlight of an otherwise quite underwhelming season. World Enough and Time definitely does a lot of the heavy lifting, I think it's the scariest and profoundly the Cybermen have been portrayed so far (and remembering they are suffering people stripped of their emotions which is terrifying and they deserve to be portrayed better than just mindless robots) and Bill's departure is so powerful and tragic. The second part does suffer from some of the usual finale tactics, but the Master and Missy play off each other wonderfully and it was great to see John Simm back.

The Stolen Earth/Journey's End - While this wouldn't really be anywhere near as high for me, I do think you make a great case for it and similar to Army of Ghosts/Doomsday, it was something I was head over heels for at the time and so still have some fondness for it. My criticisms would be that it's a bit overstuffed and all over the place and the Daleks end up as comic foil when they looked more threatening than ever before, but other than that, it's a great send off for RTD1's era and gave every character a fitting role in a Dalek invasion, much more so than the even messier End of Time saga, I did also really appreciate that they actually went through with the cruel ending for Donna which added a lot of edge to the Doctor's character for the specials. One I do still have a lot of fondness for even if it's not a firm favourite.

Well done on this phenomenal undertaking Joseph! It's been really great reading your thoughts and for me myself to reflect on them as well, it's made me realise why I turned into such a fan and how I still hold on hope that it can reach that greatness again one day (assuming it's going to get picked up again x)

I couldn't possibly try to rank for myself, but I will try to do a rough top 5 of each era (discounting Fourteen as he only had three, but ftr, Wild Blue Yonder > Star Beast >>>> The Giggle)

Ninth Doctor:

1. Dalek

2. Fathers Day

3. The Empty Child/Doctor Dances

4. Bad Wolf/Parting of the Ways

5. The Unquiet Dead

Tenth Doctor (ooft this was tough x):

1. Midnight

2. Blink

3. Human Nature/The Family of Blood

4. Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead

5. Army of Ghosts/Doomsday

Eleventh Doctor:

1. The Doctor's Wife (you are so wrong about this!!)

2. The Day of the Doctor

3. The Girl Who Waited

4. Amy's Choice

5. The God Complex

Twenfth Doctor:

1. Heaven Sent

2. The Zygon Invasion/The Zygon Inversion

3. Face the Raven

4. Mummy on the Orient Express

5. World Enough and Time/The Doctor Falls

Thirteenth Doctor:

1. The Haunting of Villa Diodati

2. The Power of the Doctor

3. Demons of the Punjab

4. Fugitive of the Judoon

5. Flux Chapter Four: The Village of the Angels

Fifteenth Doctor

1. 73 Yards

2. The Well

3. Dot and Bubble

4. Lux

5. Lucky Day