JosephBoone

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.

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!

Rita #1

Sales are in!

He called it "I'm Only Myself" the other day!

Official Chart Update Singles (Top 100) 01 Lewis Capaldi - Something in the Heavens (34,204) [24,358 physicals] 02 HUNTR/X, EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, REI AMI & KPop Demon Hunters Cast - Golden (25,180) 03 Olivia Dean - Man I Need (20,997) 04 Saja Boys, Andrew Choi, Neckwav, Danny Chung, Kevin Woo, samUIL Lee & KPop Demon Hunters Cast - Soda Pop (14,560) 05 RAYE - WHERE IS MY HUSBAND! (12,598) 15 Alex Warren - Eternity 20 Rihanna - Breakin' Dishes 21 TWICE - TAKEDOWN 22 Anne-Marie - DEPRESSED 27 Ed Sheeran - Sapphire 28 Chappell Roan - Pink Pony Club 31 TWICE - Strategy 33 Lewis Capaldi - Survive 34 Lola Young - d£aler 37 Benson Boone - Beautiful Things ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Albums (Top 100) 01 Biffy Clyro - Futique (24,375) [23,306 physicals, 626 downloads, 803 streaming] 02 Lola Young - I’m Only F**king Myself (11,995) [10,606 physicals, 153 downloads, 1,236 streaming] 03 The Divine Comedy - Rainy Sunday Afternoon (8,351) 04 Sabrina Carpenter - Man's Best Friend (6,873) 05 Buckingham Nicks - Buckingham Nicks (6,255) 06 Nine Inch Nails - TRON: Ares (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (5,892) 07 Joy Crookes - Juniper (4,072) 09 Newton Faulkner - OCTOPUS (3,239) 13 Sammy Virji - Same Day Cleaning 19 Lady Gaga - The Fame 21 NewDad - Altar 32 Hawkwind - Hall of the Mountain Grill 37 Cardi B - AM I THE DRAMA? 38 Lewis Capaldi - Broken By Desire to Be Heavenly Sent 40 Dido - No Angel

+5 Sombr - 12 To 12 +4 Demon Hunters Cast - Golden +3 Demon Hunters Cast - Soda Pop +2 Sabrina Carpenter - Tears +1 Demon Hunters Cast - Your Idol -1 Sabrina Carpenter - Manchild -2 Olivia Dean - Man I Need -3 Sabrina Carpenter - When Did You Get Hot -4 Olivia Dean - Nice To Each Other -5 Sam Fender & Olivia Dean - Rein Me In

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!

Still no complaints - The Legend of Ruby Sunday is fantastic but Empire of Death doesn't quite capitalise on it. It's better than it often gets credit for, though.

This is such an unusual thing to do but I'm here for it, I'd love to attend! If it means I can hear The Garden and Hold Up a Light live

This is its first time top 20 (and top 100 at all)!

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...!

I wouldn't ever rule out Lewis Capaldi in a race where more physical sales could help him to the #1 but I do think it's likely to be a tough battle for him to hold on when Golden and Man I Need are doing such big numbers, and this isn't his big comeback moment like Survive.

Official Chart First Look: Full Update 1 Lewis Capaldi - Something in the Heavens 2 HUNTR/X, EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, REI AMI & KPop Demon Hunters Cast - Golden 3 Olivia Dean - Man I Need 4 RAYE - WHERE IS MY HUSBAND! 5 Saja Boys, Andrew Choi, Neckwav, Danny Chung, Kevin Woo, samUIL Lee & KPop Demon Hunters Cast - Soda Pop 6 Saja Boys, Andrew Choi, Neckwav, Danny Chung, Kevin Woo, samUIL Lee & KPop Demon Hunters Cast - Your Idol 7 Sabrina Carpenter - Tears 8 sombr - 12 to 12 9 Olivia Dean - Nice to Each Other 10 Sabrina Carpenter - When Did You Get Hot? 11 Sabrina Carpenter - Manchild 12 Sam Fender & Olivia Dean - Rein Me In 13 Alex Warren - Ordinary 14 Chappell Roan - The Subway 15 Anne-Marie - DEPRESSED 16 Alex Warren - Eternity 17 Disco Lines & Tinashe - No Broke Boys 18 Lady Gaga - The Dead Dance 19 Olivia Dean - Dive 20 Rihanna - Breakin' Dishes Official Charts Report

2 HUNTR/X, EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, REI AMI & KPop Demon Hunters Cast - Golden 1 Lewis Capaldi - Something in the Heavens

3 Olivia Dean - Man I Need

4 RAYE - WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!

5 Saja Boys, Andrew Choi, Neckwav, Danny Chung, Kevin Woo, samUIL Lee & KPop Demon Hunters Cast - Soda Pop

6 Saja Boys, Andrew Choi, Neckwav, Danny Chung, Kevin Woo, samUIL Lee & KPop Demon Hunters Cast - Your Idol

7 Sabrina Carpenter - Tears

8 sombr - 12 to 12

9 Olivia Dean - Nice to Each Other

11 Sabrina Carpenter - Manchild 10 Sabrina Carpenter - When Did You Get Hot?

12 Sam Fender & Olivia Dean - Rein Me In

13 Alex Warren - Ordinary