TRR, as much as im in the minority that actually enjoys Space Babies i will admit this was the better of the 2 series openers, its a shame Belindas reasons for trying get home were basically retconned [yes we didnt know why but it was obvious at this point it wasn't "for poppy"] was refreshing a companion standing up to the doctor and was hopefully heading into a different direction than the last one(clara) to do this

Call me easily pleased but polish polish robot was my favourite, Sasha 55 death might of been more impactful if we hadn't met her 2 minutes before, so her deep connection to the doctor wasn't really impactful, would of be nice if we had more of an explanation about mundy flying than just a descendant , it was teased as being bigger 😅 the Mrs flood cameo was intriguing even if was a little flat after the actual reveal later in the series

TRR was an ok series opener, it did its job of introducing Belinda well, I did think it was a big run of the mill. Massive step up from SB and TDC which launched Disney Season 1.

99 The Halloween Apocalypse

Series 13 Episode 1

Doctor: 13th

Companion: Yasmin Khan, Dan Lewis

Also featuring: Inston-Vee Vinder, Karvanista, Claire Brown

First aired: 31st October 2021

Writer: Chris Chibnall

The opening episode of Flux promised a lot. It set up a significant amount of story strands for the ambitious six-episode series, and I remember feeling really excited about the amount of promise on show. The Doctor and Yaz are following Karvanista, a Lupari, which leads them to a man called Dan on Earth. Whilst they save Dan from Karvanista, they learn about the existence of the Flux. Across the universe, a being called Swarm escapes captivity. I think Swarm and Azure both seem really creepy in this episode, and in all of their appearances in the first ~four episodes of the series. The costumes and prosthetics, as well as the performance, are top notch! Dan's instantly likeable and shows potential in this episode too. A lot of what's going on is basically just setting up for later development, which makes this a difficult episode to place on its own, but I'd forgotten how exciting it was when I rewatched it recently, in spite of knowing that it doesn't quite dot every I and cross every T by the end of the series.

THA, makes me wonder why we dont have more Halloween specials. Dan was definitely a more instantly likable companion than Graham and Ryan, but thats what kinda happens when you actually try to develop a character, was definitely a promising opening episode even if it was more about setting up the series than its own standalone story

THA I think is better on re-watches; so many plot strands are crammed into the opening episode that it becomes a big difficult to follow on a first watch. I think its a decent start to Flux though.... barring the fairly awful CGI beginning :D

98 Knock Knock

Series 10 Episode 4

Doctor: 12th

Companion: Bill Potts, Nardole

First aired: 6th May 2017

Writer: Mike Bartlett

One of my favourite things about series 10 is that it fully committed to the Doctor being a university professor. It brings a real sense of cohesion that I felt series 8 had but series 9 lacked, and it's when the Capaldi era really shone. Knock Knock sees Bill and her friends looking for a place to live for uni, but when their only affordable offer is a haunted house, the Doctor can't help getting involved, especially when one of them suddenly refuses to leave his bedroom. It continues the dynamic of the Doctor and Bill brilliantly, and 12 feels really at home as the quirky professor figure. Bill's friends are largely undeveloped which is the only real downside of this episode, because otherwise, I think it's well paced, suitably creepy, and I think it has a brilliant plot twist at the end when we learn the real relationship between the Landlord and Eliza. David Suchet is superb as the Landlord, too! I think, narratively, the episode feels a bit unusual because Bill's friends weren't heard from before or after the episode, and Bill just returns to staying at home with her foster mum without another word said, but otherwise it's a solid episode.

KK, basic concept but a really good episode, I do agree the major flaws was introducing us to bill friends to instantly forget about them once the episode was over could of explored the affects the episode might of taken on them (even if it was just in passing) really enjoyed the doctor bill dynamic here, definitely gave off the annoying grandparents cramping style vibes even when just trying to help them overall another good episode

The Shakespeare Code - I do always have a soft spot for the historical episodes, this one isn't too memorable though even if I liked it at the time. Lol that line about JK from the Doctor is even more ironic given Tennant's been outspoken in trans rights (and we stan him for it ofc. x)

Smile - This one was better than I expected given the concept, there's only so much you can get from Emojibots though (somehow this was a thing in 2017 x), so it's not one I've returned to.

The Story & The Engine - Much like others, I do feel there was a lot of potential for this and the first part is really strong and explores black culture in a way no other iteration of Who has been allowed to. I think it's weak point comes from balancing it being a Doctor Who story and something more experimental, the play-like elements work really well, but the sci-fi part is weak and the conclusion with the CG spider is ridiculous and looks rough, I think had it leaned in more to the experimental format, it would've worked better.

The Robot Revolution - A good series opener, much better at balancing silliness and threat well. The villain reveal is a little on the nose, but I like that he was finally calling out this crowd as some of these idiots have specifically targeted the show and contributed to discourse about it deteriorating. The humour of the planet name and the polish robot worked well, moreover, Belinda is one of the best introductions to a companion the show has, not enough of them are willing to stand up to the Doctor and be no-nonsense, just a shame that it was quitae literally just for one episode (more on her conclusion when we get to it, gotta say you're being generous with the last two finales, they'd have both gone for me by now)

The Halloween Apocalypse - I was very intrigued by the thousand different plot strands at the time and Dan was a decent introduction despite how inconsequential he turned out to be, it's hard to judge now as I know it all mucked up for the finale (similar with Fugitive of the Judoon), but I guess on it's own, it's pretty decent.

Knock Knock - I get this and Hide mixed up in my head, both decent Haunted House capers but not quite memorable enough for me to stick them as favourites.

97 Daleks in Manhattan / Evolution of the Daleks

Series 3 Episode 4-5

Doctor: 10th

Companion: Martha Jones

First aired: 21st and 28th April 2007

Writer: Helen Raynor

Here we go then... HEAR ME OUT! I've never found this double bill to be a particularly bad outing. It's not flawless by any means but I have plenty of fun with it and always have. The Doctor and Martha land in 1930s New York and explore Hooverville, where homeless people lived in tents as part of a community. People from Hooverville were going missing, and it linked to the mysterious Mr. Diagoras and the construction of the Empire State Building. I like the exploration of Hooverville a lot, and Solomon and Frank make for memorable and likeable guest characters (Andrew Garfield being in Doctor Who before he got really famous will always be a flex). There's some great tension in the tunnels, especially when they first stumble upon a Pig Slave, and I find both episodes to be quite well paced with some great character moments, including Martha and Tallulah's chat about Laszlo (also My Angel Put the Devil In Me is the best Doctor Who musical number and you can't convince me otherwise x). The dissent among the Cult of Skaro is also pretty interesting, though sadly Dalek Sec Hybrid is where things somewhat fall down, with a dodgy American accent and some hammy acting to go with it. The concept is strong, though, and I love how all of the Dalek stories in RTD1 connect to each other. The Pig Slaves were a bit random but the designs are memorable. Whilst some elements don't work, I don't think it deserves the bad name it seems to have procured for itself...!

Good to see KK make your top 100, it often feels overlooked as it isn't a bad story at all. I think the ending is a bit weak... but its good to see more of the Doctor and Bill's relationship too. Some good side characters too; including Harry with a nice nod to the past

96 Wish World / The Reality War

Season 2 Episode 7-8

Doctor: 15th

Companion: Belinda Chandra, Ruby Sunday

Also featuring: Melanie Bush, Kate Lethbridge-Stewart, Shirley-Anne Bingham, Colonel Ibrahim, Susan Triad, Carla Sunday, Cherry Sunday, Mrs. Flood, The Rani, Susan Foreman, Anita Benn, Rose Noble, 13th Doctor

First aired: 24th and 31st May 2025

Writer: Russell T Davies

The conclusion to season 2 earlier this year provoked some very strong reactions online. Largely, I like it, but I can see where it falls down for some. We find the Doctor and Belinda in a fake reality, where they're husband and wife, with a daughter called Poppy (aka Captain Poppy from Space Babies). Conrad Clark appears to oversee the world, but there are "slips", involving broken crockery, and a strong pushback on any form of doubt. Firstly, I think it's an ambitious and exciting concept, and it ties in very well with Conrad's attitude towards the world from Lucky Day. All of the main cast do a fantastic job, with a special mention to Archie Panjabi and Anita Dobson as the two Ranis, who have a hilarious chemistry between them. Ruby plays a great part in it, too, getting in touch with the outcasts and forgotten people in Conrad's world, teaming up with Shirley, although they never really get to accomplish anything together in the end unfortunately. The Reality War is a really exciting conclusion, too. It keeps the pace up, and I love the role Anita plays in grounding the Doctor. I honestly don't think they should've bothered with Omega, though; it was an unnecessary delve into ancient lore that didn't actually accomplish anything (and Archie's Rani was disposed of way too quickly). Belinda being left in a box for a chunk of the second episode didn't help, either, though I find the fan reaction to her becoming a mother a bit overblown. The story is really let down by things that are out of its control, notably Ncuti's decision to depart, meaning the end of the episode had to be reshot to accommodate his departure. It feels much too soon for the Fifteenth Doctor to be regenerating, and it means the episode, and his era as a whole, end up feeling incomplete, particularly with Susan and Rogue's stories unfinished, and no goodbye scene with Ruby. This also means the Poppy storyline had to be wrapped up much quicker than we now know it was going to be, and I feel robbed of more time with Belinda, too. That said, Ncuti's final scenes were acted expertly - I loved the final scene with Belinda, as well as the Thirteenth Doctor's cameo, what a thrill that was! It's a weird set up of an episode and it's let down mostly by stuff it can't control, though it's still sloppy in some areas despite overall being a pretty thrilling watch. As for the regeneration scene, the jury's still out, I'm reserving judgement until we find out more!

Hmmm that does feel a bit high for the final as its was incredibly messy. I enjoyed most of Wish World and thought it set up some things nicely.

But The Reality War really did just become messy nonsense. I watched it at the cinema and whilst there were some great moments in it - 13 returning, Ruby is incredible and it was nice to see Anita again. But Omega was awful, The Rani's plan made no sense, the fact Panjabi's Rani was killed off and eaten by Omega was kind of laughable. Belinda's exit with Poppy felt kind of pointless and came out of nowhere - Belinda and Poppy just felt thrown together out of convenience... also why was Poppy in Space Babies? - similarly 15's reason for regenerating just felt shoe-horned in and didn't make a huge amount of sense, Susan had been trailed for pretty much Gatwa's time in the role and then came to nothing, there was so much techno-babble too it was unbelievable. It is amazing when you put this final next to the Series 1 final and RTD's first crack at doing an arc/ a finale, how big the difference in quality is. It feels like a completely different writer.

I know there was issues with Gatwa deciding to leave and so that did throw the proper ending out, however the mess shows on screen in a fairly big way. Billie Piper turning up at the end was fun though - and I hope some new who isn't too far away.

I should also say that some 'fans' criticism of RTD2 has been awful and I'm not one of them, I just did feel this story was particularly messy - the era has brought some fantastic episodes, a great Doctor and 2 brilliant companions. This final (for me) just wasn't the one.

Edited September 21Sep 21 by ElectroBoy

DIM/EOTD was very refreshing to see RTD try something different with the daleks, I can see why it was marmite but I enjoyed the dalek human hybrids so it was a shame Dalek sec was disposed off never to be seen again 🥲 Tululah was my stand out character, and would of made a great full time companion (even if Martha is underrated 🤣) also kicking myself in never realised that was Andrew garfield before he got big especially after a rewatch this year (although my brain was more thats the guy from holby city 🤣)

WW/TRW had so much potential , WW was a perfect part 1 to a 2 part story too, agree that it all made sense with Conrads way of thinking, the rogue and susan cameos were nice but knowing what we knkw now seem a bit pointless now, did like the fact that he tried to explain bigeneration in a way to not retcon the timeless child stuff (even if making timeless infertile was a little converluted)), The Rani was a great returning villian even if Archies version was disposed off a little too easily a running theme😅 Omega wasn't needed, but if they had to any random cgi creature would of worked here,

the regeneration, so random but ok given the backstage going on and seemed rushed so half the episode was tacked on, i dont mind belinda being a mother but it didnt feel like that was the direction we were going alas it is what it is (Ruby being the only one to even care about poppy being gone seemed a bit weird but guess it could be connected to the foundling thread) Still believe Ruby needs to return at some point and if thats last we saw of her where was her goodbye, as a big fan of Billie intrigued where thats gonna go excited but hope it wasn't done just for shock value (if it was they should of either left it ambiguous or gone for the original ending and worked from there) ( I did enjoy the 13th doctor cameo though another underrated doctor)

Edited September 21Sep 21 by 777666jason

I missed that DIM/ EOTD also came out... DIM is sort of an ok set-up, but EOTD is awful.

Bottom 5 Who for me :D

Well I've got thoughts on those two so won't wait until next week!

Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks - Fair play, but I can't agree overall,. I didn't enjoy this at the time and time hasn't been kind to it so I'd probably rank it as one of my least favourites of RTD1, it's not so much the story, it had potential, it's more how naff it all feels, the accents are really quite atrocious, especially the girl, and Andrew Garfield hasn't quite it down yet. Both the pig slaves and the Dalek hybrid look rough and the ending is just far too quickly resolved. I will say, the Doctor's final scene with Dalek Caan is a highlight, he really has a lot of pent up anger and was all ready to kill it, something we very rarely saw.

Wish World/The Reality War - I have a lot of resentment towards this atm as it's left the show in uncertainty, maybe I'll soften to it over time but I think it's a poor conclusion to a solid series, much like the season before it. Wish World is fine and does leave a decent amount of suspense, but we've seen this kind of thing done before many times (not the least on another Disney show, Wandavision) so it didn't feel that fresh. The Reality War was really where it all broke down, the Rani was a great villain but dealt with far too quickly, they DEFINITELY shouldn't have bothered with Omega given how insultingly easy he went down, and sadly the ending is just a mess with Fifteen's regeneration not making a lot of sense and having far from made his mark on the show, Belinda put in this weirdly random role as devoted mother when nothing in her character suggested that at all up to this point, no real goodbye to Ruby and a fan service- cliffhanger thrown in for good measure. It clearly went through multiple rewrites due to behind the scenes goings on and it shows. I'm just so annoyed that we've been denied a chance to close the era properly due to Disney being wishy-washy, I do hope the show can return soon as while I can see how a break may do it good and the discourse remains so toxic, I'm really not happy with it ending that way, and I think RTD having more freedom and time could be really good as parts of this era have been the best since Moffat's time.

Basically, f*** Disney x

95 The Legend of Ruby Sunday / Empire of Death

Season 1 Episode 7-8

Doctor: 15th

Companion: Ruby Sunday, Melanie Bush

Also featuring: Kate Lethbridge-Stewart, Rose Noble, Colonel Ibrahim, Carla Sunday, Cherry Sunday, Mrs. Flood, Susan Triad

First aired: 15th and 22nd June 2024

Writer: Russell T Davies

The two most polarising stories of RTD2 drop out side-by-side as one finale follows another! With the same woman appearing wherever the TARDIS lands, the Doctor and Ruby take to UNIT, whilst also trying to solve the mystery of Ruby's birth mum. This story is boosted quite notably by the first part, which is a really great episode, packed full of tension, strong character moments (the Doctor with Kate and then with Mel come to mind), and an incredible cliffhanger. It falls apart a bit in the second episode, not entirely as I still like the episode, but the pace really slows down. In some ways, this works - the memory TARDIS is a gorgeous set and allows for some great character moments, but Sutekh doesn't actually really do anything in the end other than sit on top of the TARDIS (I really hate the concept of him being attached from Pyramids of Mars, I'm choosing to listen to my headcanon of Wild Blue Yonder and the salt superstition being the moment things changed). Whilst Sutekh being dragged through the vortex was visually pretty great, it was quite an easy resolution. As for the solution to the mystery of Ruby's mum, it was a real anticlimax and I don't think it came across the way RTD hoped it would. I feel like I'm focusing more on the negatives here as they're quite pronounced but I like the majority of this two parter, from the entire concept of the Time Window, to Mel's presence throughout, to how fantastic Lenny Rush is as Morris Gibbons, I just wish it stuck the landing a bit more!

The first episode had such big promise and some good, tense moments - the Susan Twist character nicely woven into various stories and the big mystery of Ruby's mum - plus the Doctor's grand-daughter being teased and then the eventual reveal of Sutekh at the end - all fantastic!

Then the Empire of Death....

It wasn't all bad, however it certainly lacked. Ruby's mum just being ordinary after all the build up, Sutekh just sitting on the TARDIS for the whole episode and it all just felt a little lacking in action/ tension for a lot of the episode. Millie Gibson/ Bonnie Langford were great though and there were some nice nods to the past too. Lenny Rush was great as Maurice too, but really as a finale it just falls flat. Its also overly long and just doesn't resolve the series long Ruby Road storyline satisfactorily.

I feel both the Gatwa finales are possibly a little high - especially as so many excellent Smith stories have dropped out - both had decent first eps though. I do need to give both a rewatch at some point too to re-appraise.

Edited September 22Sep 22 by ElectroBoy

TLORS/EOD another pair of episodes where the first half was so good and set up the stories really well for the second half to just undo and ruin it, the Ruby reveal was definitely anticlimactic, like the message was nice but meh, Susan Triad character was expertly done but sutekh not so much, for a character that was supposed to be iconic in the classic era he was pretty naff, and if he really had been on the tardis since Pyramid of Mars there are loads of plotholes that really make no sense

Glad bonnie Langfords Mel was given time to shine the character was used effectively (glad she was nothing like the classic who version after watching Time and the Rani to do some research on the Rani the classic version was annoying 🤣) was also weird to see Ruby leave do soon given how we were promised big things (yeah I know we got 3 episodes return in season 2 but still)

9 hours ago, ElectroBoy said:

I feel both the Gatwa finales are possibly a little high - especially as so many excellent Smith stories have dropped out - both had decent first eps though. I do need to give both a rewatch at some point too to re-appraise.

Are the excellent Smith stories in the room with us?

Of course this is a fully subjective ranking based on nothing but my opinion - looking at things more objectively I think the season 2 finale in particular would've been lower given how messily it came together! I have a great time each time I watch both finales, though, and that has to count for something, and both finales have a massive amount of positives too.

2 hours ago, JosephBoone said:

Are the excellent Smith stories in the room with us?