16 minutes ago, JosephBoone said:

131 Tooth and Claw

Series 2 Episode 2

Doctor: 10th

Companion: Rose Tyler

First aired: 22nd April 2006

Writer: Russell T Davies

Another historical episode departs now, and this time, we see the Doctor and Rose unintentionally landing in Scotland in 1879, where they bump into Queen Victoria and accompany her to Balmoral House, unaware that it is now under the control of some sinister monks harbouring a werewolf. There's some good comedy in the episode, from Rose being "naked" to the attempts at getting Queen Victoria to say "I am not amused", which makes the dynamic between the Tenth Doctor and Rose feel natural after just a few episodes. Father Angelo, the head monk, feels disposed of a little too easily, and the episode mostly just involves the main characters running from one room to another, but there's some good tension throughout, and Pauline Collins excels as Queen Victoria, exploring some of the intricacies of her personality and history with ease. I do find Sir Robert's sacrifice to be a little pointless, though - there was no way he was going to be able to fight the werewolf off! Nevertheless, a solid historical episode, albeit low down the list of series 2 episodes I'd put on to rewatch if I were to select one right now.

Aww this one should be higher! This appeared on the first Doctor Who DVD I owned along with the following two episodes and I watched it so many times, so there is a lot of nostalgia there for me but I do think it genuinely is a great episode. There is so much action and suspense and it is supported by a fantastic soundtrack - the scene with werewolf transforming and Rose encouraging everyone to break the chains is a solid example of this. David Tennant's portrayal of the Doctor here is so fresh, exciting and fun; there's a sort of innocence to it. I suppose it's a contrast to the more serious portrayal of Christopher Eccleston's Doctor and Tennant's Doctor was yet to experience the hurt of losing Rose which was always there in context in Series 3 and 4. Much like Simon Callow in The Unquiet Dead, I completely buy Pauline Collins as Queen Victoria. Love the running gag of Rose attempting and finally succeeding in getting her to say "I am not amused"!

130 The Idiot's Lantern

Series 2 Episode 7

Doctor: 10th

Companion: Rose Tyler

First aired: 27th May 2006

Writer: Mark Gatiss

Another series 2 episode drops and this time it's the Doctor and Rose's visit to England in 1953. It's Queen Elizabeth II's coronation, and Magpie Electricals has been selling televisions to households hoping to watch the historic event, but the Doctor and Rose quickly realise not all is as it seems, particularly in the Connolly household! There's some good kitchen sink drama in this episode, with the characters of Eddie, Rita and Tommy Connolly taking particular focus. Even as a child watching this for the first time, it was easy to see how Eddie was a nasty man ("I AM TALKING!!! "), but later rewatches as I grew up displayed the clear undertones of abuse towards both Rita and Tommy, which makes Rita standing up to Eddie a particularly strong moment in the episode. I find this to be the stronger element to the episode, though Maureen Lipman gives a delightfully camp performance as the Wire, who has employed Mr. Magpie to do her dirty work. The faceless people are a really striking image and it makes total sense that there would be a cover up involved, though I don't think this is explored far enough. Rose being one of the victims was a jaw-dropping moment, though, and the Doctor's reaction made it feel really real, well played by David Tennant. The chase up the television transmitter at Alexandra Palace is a little daft! I think I'd have liked the threat to be a little more fleshed out somehow, though I'm not sure how given the episode's runtime. A solid episode, though easily forgotten sandwiched between two memorable two-parters.

TUD not sure id rank it this low Eve miles is an underrated actress glad she got cast in Torchwood of the back of this ( still needs a 5th series with or without Jack) yeah the Gelth wasn't the most exciting of villians but I found the episode charming in it was the first trip to the past and was done really well

TLG yeah Adam was a prick, ( although his treatment was probably unfair considering Rose disobeyed in fathers day similarly and was forgiven easy) we never got to learn the full ramifications for adam though, yes it was implied his mother discover the gap in head but what happened next 😅, wasn't keen on the might jagrafese, and it was disposed off possibly a little too easy, I do think it was more to plant seeds of the game station for later on, not a terrible episode overall though

T&C yeah werewolves in doctor who interesting concept, but the bulk was more of the doctor Rose and Queen Victoria, other most notable moment was it planting the more of the seeds of the torchwood arc, again not a bad episode wouldn't tank it very high either

TIL was a fun romp, the coronation setting was more fun and upbeat after a few heavy episodes did cheer when Rita finally stood up for themselves, the wire was cheesy but fun concept that could probably work even more so if was set today, interesting tidbit is magpie elterical items being used years later like the 12th doctors guitar amps

129 The Vampires of Venice

Series 5 Episode 6

Doctor: 11th

Companion: Amy Pond, Rory Williams

First aired: 8th May 2010

Writer: Toby Whithouse

Mid-series standalone episodes are struggling a little at the moment as we lose another, this time from Matt Smith's first series. Fresh from the final few minutes of Flesh and Stone (shudders), the Doctor stages an intervention, bringing Rory on board the TARDIS and taking him and Amy to Venice in 1580 for a romantic date. Of course, it doesn't quite go to plan when they discover that fish-like aliens who present as vampires are taking advantage of young girls, cutting them off from their families, to be used for procreation of their own race. It's an episode that gets lost amongst series 5, my personal favourite Smiths eries, but that's not to say it's bad - far from it. There's a couple of strong emotional beats with Guido and his daughter Isabella, who sadly never get to reunite after the latter is inducted into Rosanna Calvieri's cult. There's also some good comedy, from Guido having to wear Rory's stag do t-shirt to the Doctor and Rory comparing torch sizes, and some redeeming scenes for Amy after the mess of the previous episode, proving how strong a couple her and Rory make. The CGI's a little ropey in this, especially during the resolution where the Doctor climbs the tower, but it's a fun romp, nothing more and nothing less.

TVOV, its main job was to undo that last scene from flesh & Stone wasn't it, it was definitely effective in laying the groundwork for their strong relationship, other than that it really doesnt add much to the series arc so I can understand why it gets lost in the shuffle. It wasn't a terrible episode by any stretch,

The "vampires" wernt a terrible monster either,

Closing Time - James Corden in anything devalues it so can't say I've revisited it much x (I don't recall much else about it, just another waste of the Cybermen)

The Ghost Monument - This was where Chibnall's weaknesses really started to show, a lot of issues here persisted throughout the series. The Doctor scolding Ryan about using a gun (with bland acting as per) when she would go on to detonate them was a choice indeed x

The Church of Ruby Road - This was honestly a pretty decent first outing for Fifteen, the goblins were a bit of a silly villain and the song is just an absolute mistake but it's not as juvenile as Space Babies and there was some really good tension when Ruby disappeared. The Doctor allowing the villain to be impaled though felt very out of character and jarred with the tone.

The Name of the Doctor - Oh, that's rather low! True it's heavy on ideas and exposition, but it was still emotional and thrilling, and was a great set-up for the anniversary specials that followed. The Great Intelligence weren't quite as effective as they first appeared, but they had a great design and concept.

Once, Upon Time - An interesting experiment, but didn't quite work as a whole. It didn't really serve as any substantial development to any of the characters, just flashbacks that didn't advance the plot and added a whole lot of confusion. Just one of many examples in the series of too much thrown at the wall and not all of it sticking.

Kill The Moon - Certainly an interesting one that I have mixed feelings about. I thought the main plot wasn't particularly engaging and would have been a bit filler-y, the moon being an egg is the show jumping the shark if ever I've seen one, but the Doctor doing possibly one of the cruelest things he's done and Clara's completely scathing reaction was so striking. As said, I really loved the arc of someone so trusting and sensitive struggling to adapt to someone completely the opposite and I think Capaldi was the perfect person to portray this and I think that added a real sense of gravitas to what was otherwise a pretty average episode.

Night Terrors - Definitely a bit better than a lot of child horror episodes, but it's still just ultimately filler like a lot of these episodes are. I did really like the doll's design, quite creepy.

The Unquiet Dead - Oh I think this is too low, admittedly S1 is almost all killer no filler so it's not amongst the best of that year, but I wouldn't rank it the lowest by any means (especially when both Slitheen episodes are still to come?!), I love the historical episodes and this added a deeper sense of morality between the conflict between humans and ghosts, and I like the slower moments too as it makes us care about the characters a bit more.

The Return of Doctor Mysterio - Not sure I needed Doctor Who's take on a superhero story (bloody MCU interfering in everything at the time x), but it was OK for what it was, not one I revisit though.

The Long Game - I think this is a more worthy of being low in S1, it's filler but goes to show how good that season was. The ethics of journalism subplot is interesting, but the sci-fi concept just feels very dated nowadays. Simon Pegg is underutilised and the villain is not the most remarkable, the dumping of the utterly useless Adam was wonderful though, the rare moment of a show knowing how pointless he was.

Tooth and Claw - I think this is still a solid episode even if it doesn't measure up to the very best of S2, the early seasons did historical episodes really well and the sense of suspense and dread before we see the werewolf is really great. The Queen Victoria running gags got a bit overused though.

The Idiot's Lantern - There was an interesting exploration of domestic abuse here which is commendable for a show that has a young audience. Otherwise, it's definitely towards the lower end of the season, the threat was ruined a but by the poorly executed conclusion.

The Vampires of Venice - I guess we needed an episode like this after Flesh and Stone, but it's very forgettable and there's not much about it that invites a rewatch,

128 The Lazarus Experiment

Series 3 Episode 6

Doctor: 10th

Companion: Martha Jones

Also featuring: Francine Jones, Tish Jones, Leo Jones

First aired: 5th May 2007

Writer: Stephen Greenhorn

Another mid-series "filler" episode, The Lazarus Experiment saw Martha return home to find her sister Tish working for a man called Richard Lazarus, who makes himself younger in a machine he invented. The result on his DNA causes him to transform into a monster which terrorises the guests at his event and pursues the Doctor, Martha and Tish. I think this is a great episode in terms of getting to grips with Martha's family, particularly Francine and her opinion of the Doctor, despite not knowing the full truth of who he is, as well as the dynamic between Martha and Tish as siblings. The concept is ambitious, though I'm not sure the science really holds up, Lazarus becoming an enormous creature who can suck the life out of his victims is more than just far-fetched! The CGI of the creature has definitely looked worse as time's gone by. There's some good tension throughout, though, and the chase scene up Southwark Cathedral was gripping. A decent episode with some consequences for future episodes too, from Francine's concern over the Doctor to Lazarus' technology later forming the basis for the Master's laser screwdriver.

TLE, was definitely good for fleshing out Martha's family, my biggest gripe is it taking this long for her to "official be the companion" and finally get a tardis key, lazarus was definitely topical and potentially still is with the idea of vanity and ageing, shame the cgi has unironicaly aged badly,

2 minutes ago, 777666jason said:

TLE, was definitely good for fleshing out Martha's family, my biggest gripe is it taking this long for her to "official be the companion" and finally get a tardis key, lazarus was definitely topical and potentially still is with the idea of vanity and ageing, shame the cgi has unironicaly aged badly,

Martha was done so dirty by 10!!

127 Cold War

Series 7 Episode 8

Doctor: 11th

Companion: Clara Oswald

First aired: 13th April 2013

Writer: Mark Gatiss

We're powering through Mark Gatiss' episodes, only two of his nine scripts for the show remain (and we just lost an episode that stars him too)...! We're back to series 7 and the first New Who outing of the Ice Warriors. The episode is set on a Soviet submarine near the North Pole in 1983, which makes for a fantastically claustrophobic setting. The pacing's a little off from the start, as the Doctor and Clara land and are, quite literally, immediately thrown into the action as the submarine begins to sink. It's a little chaotic and makes for a confusing introduction to the setting and guest cast, but the calmer, more tense atmosphere afterwards is good. Skaldak, the lone Ice Warrior, is quite menacing, and I particularly like the scene where Clara confronts him, following the Doctor's instructions on how to be respectful. I'm less keen on Skaldak coming out of his suit, I think the silhouette of the Ice Warrior suit is part of what makes them so intimidating. I also find the support cast a little weak on the whole, it's that element which makes the story feel less memorable than it should be. Definitely the better of the two Ice Warrior outings in New Who, though there's still room for improvement!

The Vampire's Of Venice is for me, a ep I'd consider so vastly underrated.

The Idiot's Lantern...is good but such a confusing message at end...

Pretty much everything else I agree with although Lazarus should be lower down :P

Great Countdown thus far!!!

CW for the impossible girl arc there really was a lot of standalone stuff wasn't there and we really didnt learn much again , alas not a terrible episode, the ice warrior wasn't a bad enemy but given the hype behind them I was expecting more, the support cast was there for the sake of being there too, probably about right for the ranking

126 The Bells of Saint John

Series 7 Episode 6

Doctor: 11th

Companion: Clara Oswald

First aired: 30th March 2013

Writer: Steven Moffat

Another series 7B episode departs and this time it's the mid-series premiere. The Bells of Saint John saw the Doctor tracking down the real Clara Oswald, confused by the two echoes he previously met, both of whom died. Set on modern day Earth, they're both confronted by a threat that manifests through a wi-fi network. The science feels a little iffy in this episode and it feels a little like the episode's latching onto something that felt quite topical for the sake of it, but the episode as a whole is solid regardless, a good example of "bread and butter" Doctor Who. It's one of the better episodes in terms of the Eleventh Doctor and Clara's relationship, though the pacing is still a bit weird at times, with the plane scene throwing everything entirely off-kilter, and some of Clara's "firsts", such as seeing the TARDIS interior and choosing to travel with the Doctor, being either brushed over (Victorian Clara got a much better "smaller on the outside" scene) or missing entirely. That's a small issue, though, because as daft as it is, the Doctor riding a motorbike up a skyscraper is really cool imagery. It's a fun episode and feels much more like a series premiere following some Amy and Rory specials.

TBOSJ loses a few point for introducing the insufferable Angie and Artie, was a very weird companion introduction episode but not an overly terrible one, the woman who gave clara the number mystery was intriguing (although if missy was so obsessed with getting global and keeping them together she should of had a cameo in series 9 finale at least), they definitely used the wifi as the bad guy for a cheap real life scare, nice to see the great intelligence return (even if the ending to the arc was a let down)

125 The Wedding of River Song

Series 6 Episode 13

Doctor: 11th

Companion: Amy Pond, Rory Williams, River Song

First aired: 1st October 2011

Writer: Steven Moffat

Series 6 was already an ambitious project. It featured a much heavier story arc than modern Who had up to that point, and with that came high expectations and pressure to wrap every story strand up properly. I don't think this episode did that particularly well, but it had some cool ideas, imagery and elements regardless. The idea of time having stopped as a result of River refusing to kill the Doctor was an interesting concept, and I liked revisiting Dorium Maldovar again, his headless form made for some hilarious moments. I don't think Madame Kovarian was wrapped up quite as well as I'd have hoped (and Amy leaving her to be killed, alternate timeline or otherwise, was quite shocking!) and it feels like the final tidbits weren't wrapped up until 2 years later, in The Time of the Doctor, when I think it probably could've done with having the Silence arc wrapped up much sooner, allowing series 7 and the specials to focus solely on Trenzalore and "the question". Despite that, the Silence in the water made for some excellent imagery, I really liked the callbacks to Churchill and Charles Dickens, and I appreciate the ambition of the episode as a whole because having so many elements and managing to juggle them mostly effectively is impressive, a credit to Moffat's writing ability. Some minor tweaks would have made all the difference to this episode for me, but I still enjoy it for what it is (though it's best watched as part of a full series 6 rewatch, as opposed to on its own).