February 8Feb 8 VATD great historical episode learnt a bit more about Vincent Van Gough by watching this, yes i knew of him as an artist but didnt know about his struggles that made him the artist he was, Bill nighly cameos were expertly done and really sold the impact of Vincent on history, Tony curan and Karen Gilan really gelled well together and had great chemistry, definitely a strong episode thats really held up over time (and glad we got a couple of cameos from Tony in future episodes)
February 8Feb 8 Bad Wolf/Parting of the Ways - The game show references have dated this a bit, but it's still very enjoyable to someone that gets them, and the dark twist is great and quite emblematic of sci-fi satires in the 2000s. Otherwise, I think this is an excellent finale, the Daleks are great and though it's still gutting Nine went so early (and the circumstances behind it even more so), it did at least feel a fitting send-off and also showed the brilliant character growth of him and Rose.The Girl in the Fireplace - The negativity in this thread shocks me, this episode is excellent and a deserved classic, brilliant emotional storytelling and proof of how Moffat can turn standalone stories with characters that we've never met into something beautiful.School Reunion - This wouldn't quite be so high as the threat is a bit silly and there's terrible CGI, but otherwise it's great fun and obviously K-9 and Sarah Jane are iconic, I never saw them originally but they fit in really well here. I was surprised to know the original voice actor for K-9 is still alive so maybe a return one day (although may not feel right without Sarah-Jane ofc. </3)Father's Day - This was one of two Season 1 episodes they screened last year at the special 20th Anniversary of Nu-Who event at the BFI, it was wonderful watching it again, it's one of my absolule favourite episodes, it's the first time we really see Rose do something wrong, yet we obviously sympathise as it's something most of us want to do and the Doctor's real coldness towards her is striking. There's a lot of quiet moments in the Church with both Rose and her father, but they are well done and never slow down the pace so the eventual sacrifice is heartbreaking, the dragons could maybe look a little better, but their ongoing threat still feels menacing as the stakes increase. Still such an amazing episode.The Eleventh Hour - Oddly enough, I remember being quite underwhelmed by this at the time but I think I was being picky with a new showrunner, when I rewatched it, it was way better, managed to be fast-paced and quite deep and scary at the same time with setting up the season long arc as well. Smith and Gillan felt instantly standout as well and clearly weren't trying to be their past iterations.Amy's Choice - This was the moment in S5 I knew Moffat could still produce something uniquely brilliant to RTD. Toby Jones is always a great villain (I saw him in a production of Othello recently where Iago suited him down to the ground) and the trippiness and sense of dread is wonderfully done. A harrowing, gripping watch.Wild Blue Yonder - My favourite of the Anniversary specials, I really liked the minimalist horror take in a similar style to Midnight, and Tennat and Tate were definitely the best choices to wring the suspense out of this, it was genuinely quite terrifying at moments when you weren't sure which was human and which was the copy and properly uncanny valley at times, the space cart chase at the end with the bizarre hybrid thing chasing them strayed into goofy territory, but didn't devalue the episode.Dalek - This was the other episode that was screened at the aforementioned event and indeed is another big favourite, in fact I'd put it in the top 10. I think the introduction to the Daleks is brilliant, a solitary, rather pathetic and almost sympathetic machine at one point, Rose's reaction felt very natural and human too too and we really see the effect of PTSD on the Doctor here, he sounds quite barbaric at times and 'you would make a good Dalek' is quite chillingly delivered. The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances - A classic two parter and the gas mask boy genuinely gave me nightmares back in the day, Captain Jack obviously an excellent addition and the 'everybody lives' resolution is a little cheesy but it is lovely to see the Doctor so happy and the WW2 setting is well-realised.Human Nature/The Family of the Blood - Ooh this may be top 10 for me too I think, another classic two parter and one of the most well executed concepts, The Doctor as a human and Martha on her own makes the threat feel very real, it has more of a historical horror vibe than typical Doctor Who episode and it's only in the very last moment when he regains his Doctor status at the end, I think the impact on others that he had as a human is explored very well too giving it a somewhat bittersweet ending. An excellent experimental two parter turned out wellI'd substitute Dalek, Fathers Day and the Human Nature two parter with three of that top 10, but all very good choices!
February 8Feb 8 I really wasn't a fan of the Martha companion episodes, just never got on with her character
February 8Feb 8 12 minutes ago, Calum said:If The Waters of Mars doesn’t win this thread’s going to the trash can xReally?It wouldn't be near my top 10. The Doctor's a complete dick in it 🤣
February 8Feb 8 Agreed with @ElectroBoy The waters of Mars is the worst in the top 10 be low top 20 at absolute best for me too 🤣
February 8Feb 8 I'd also lose Army of Ghosts and The Stolen Earth from the top 10 - both had great first eps, but Journey's End in particular is a bit of mess. Also whilst Rose's departure in Doomsday had emotional weight - it sort of pointless too - Jackie didn't have any void stuff on her - so actually didn't need to go through to Pete's World. She could've actually helped the Doctor and Rose to hold on and work the levers. Both had great promotions/ build up though. But as finales go the second eps just don't live up to the hype. But I was guessing when there was a lot of Moff era stories early outs that the top 10/ 20 was going to be very RTD1 heavy 🤣
February 8Feb 8 Agree with all of that as I already mentioned josephs number 11 and 12 would be top 10 over them 🤣🤣
February 8Feb 8 Just to say though that all the stories in the top 10 do have merit - and I can see why people would like them. That's the good thing about Who, so many different stories and eras to enjoy :)
February 8Feb 8 Author RTD1 really was my peak fandom as an excitable kid who couldn't wait for each episode to drop! Nostalgia's helping of course, and that's why this isn't an objective ranking, it's purely subjective and based on no real logic other than how much I enjoy each episode!
February 9Feb 9 8 hours ago, JosephStyles said:RTD1 really was my peak fandom as an excitable kid who couldn't wait for each episode to drop! Nostalgia's helping of course, and that's why this isn't an objective ranking, it's purely subjective and based on no real logic other than how much I enjoy each episode!Oh I know and if I was doing this mine would be the same eg nostalgia, excitement and how much enjoyment you get from an episode. It’s the only way to do it :)i can see why these episodes would be in your top 10! Edited February 9Feb 9 by ElectroBoy
February 9Feb 9 Author 09 Silence in the Library / Forest of the DeadSeries 4 Episode 8-9Doctor: 10thCompanion: Donna NobleAlso featuring: River SongFirst aired: 31st May and 7th June 2008Writer: Steven MoffatBy this point, quality was a given with a Steven Moffat script, and it remains one of his very best today. Following a distress call, the Doctor and Donna visit the Library, an entire planet devoted to books. Yet, it's empty. At least, until Strackman Lux and his exploration team arrive, including a woman named River Song, who recognises the Doctor, much to his confusion. Together, they must remain cautious of the deadly shadows around them. There's so much to love in this story, and it all begins with Moffat's skill for making something mundane become incredibly terrifying. The shadows becoming unsafe suddenly has every character on edge, and us as audience members too, knowing that one wrong move could be the end for anyone. The guest cast are strong, particularly Steve Pemberton as the arrogant Lux, and of course Alex Kingston, who shines in her first appearance as River. Alex has immediate chemistry with David Tennant, which makes it crazy considering it's their only on-screen appearance together! Donna's story is also brilliant here, with her being "saved" by the computer into a virtual world, where she falls in love and believes she has kids, only to lose them all. Between that, and River's shocking death before we've even gotten to know her, it's an emotional second part, with high stakes where few of the guest characters actually make it out alive. Other great moments involved Donna and Miss Evangelista's relationship (and the latter's distorted face in the virtual computer world), as well as Miss Evangelista's death and the effect of the communication device fading - harrowing! A superb, complex script that not only kickstarted my favourite run of episodes ever (to the end of series 4), but also set up plenty of River Song lore for Moffat's own era.
February 9Feb 9 I like Silence In The Library a lot but I'm not as fond as Forest Of The Dead, I just don't like being put in a stimulation plot but the deadly shadows plot i loved, the tension in that is immaculate
February 9Feb 9 A strong 2 parter but I think the ending is overdone. Edited February 9Feb 9 by ElectroBoy
February 9Feb 9 SITL/FOTD peak Moffat story telling with the River wibbly wobbly times wimey stuff, Alex Kingston was perfectly cast for this role and her and Tennant gelled so well together (shame this is the only meeting of this doctor considering their chemistry). The vashta nereda was a simple yet scary villain and the library was an interesting concept, a great pair of episodes to use to introduce a newbie to Dictor who 🙌
February 10Feb 10 Author 08 The Waters of Mars2009 Winter SpecialDoctor: 10thCompanion: Adelaide BrookeFirst aired: 15th November 2009Writer: Russell T Davies & Phil FordCompared to this year, 2009 looks like we were relatively well fed with Doctor Who, but at the time, no full series felt like torture! In the second special of the year, the Doctor arrives on Mars in 2059, where the first human colony, led by Adelaide Brooke, are at the centre of a fixed point in time, one that shapes the future of human space travel. Though initially keen to escape, the Doctor is reeled in by a mystery involving the colony's water supply. This episode takes the show in a dark direction, and that's why I love it. The Flood are terrifyingly realised, huge praise must go to the team behind the prosthetics, and the concept of water spreading a viral-like infection is genius - there's no escape! Lindsay Duncan excels as a different type of companion in Adelaide, who isn't wooed by the Doctor or keen to please him, retaining her headstrong nature right to the end, where the Doctor gets too big for his boots and takes the laws of time into his own hands. It's a significant moment in the 10th Doctor's journey, and David Tennant plays it really convincingly, setting up his final story (and his eventual humbling) really well. Elsewhere in the episode, I love the direction throughout, and the visuals are great - the colony's greenhouse felt like an excellent maze for the Doctor and Adelaide to first stumble upon the Flood creatures, and then the Flood on top of the roof excreting heaps of water that begins to seep through, as the Doctor reluctantly leaves, is superb! High stakes, high tension, and huge consequences in this episode and the next.
February 10Feb 10 I highly enjoy this episode, such a great setting and premise. Dont know where it would rank for me though
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