Top Ten Favourite Doctor Who Episodes
EarlGreyTea68, who got the idea from a challenge issued by johnmayergirl23 to _thirty2flavors, posted her top ten favourite Doctor Who episodes, in order. Her list got me thinking about what my favourites are so I decided to give this a go. Trust me, it's harder than it looks.
This is my top ten:
10. The Girl in the Fireplace By Steven Moffat
Okay. I admit that I have to set my Doctor/Rose shipper heart aside for a moment in order to include this, but there's just something about the story in this one that completely captivates me. I've always loved that time period in history so that's definitely part of the appeal but I also think that part of it is the idea of Reinette meeting him at a young age and knowing him her whole life (plus she was super cute as a little girl). I love the fairytale aspect of it and I love the nonlinearity of it. There's also the fact that en's drunken "I think I just invented banana daqueries" scene never fails to make me giggle hysterically. Plus, Ten crashing through that mirror on the horse is pretty awesome.
9. The Shakespeare Code By Gareth Roberts
This was an obvious choice to me since I do so love Shakespeare and the portrayal of Will was pretty darn awesome. I get endless amusement out of watching Ten interact with Will whilst trying not to influence history and I even like the way Will flirts with Martha. Plus, it contains the single best use of "Expelliarmus" in todays pop culture outside of Harry Potter. Oh, and Shakespeare flirting with Ten ("57 academics just punched the air") is made of a whole lot of win!
8. The Doctor's Daughter By Stephen Greenhorn
It's possible I may be a little more in love with the idea of Jenny than the episode itself but I do adore this one. Ten's reaction to Jenny is priceless to me, as is Donna's motherly prodding as she sort of annoys Ten into feeling paternal toward her. I also love some of the emotional beats in this episode, even the with the sad (from Ten's POV anyway) ending. But what I love most is that it leaves us with that wonderful tease of her being alive and in the universe somewhere. My number one wish for future Who is that we meet Jenny again someday. Oh, plus, Jenny doing back flips through the lasers? Brilliant!
7. Parting of the Ways By Russell T. Davies
This was the episode that really cinched my love for this show. As a long time Joss Whedon fan, one thing I appreciate is when shows make subtle connections that carry over the episodes and seasons. So when the whole Bad Wolf thing was revealed my brain pretty much exploded with excitement. Plus, there are so many great things happening in this episode. You've got an EPIC Doctor/Dalek battle, Jack being bad ass with two guns, and just generally being his awesome self, Nine being all self sacrificing and trying to keep Rose safe, Rose not standing for said self sacrificing and ABSORBING THE FREAKING TIME VORTEX to get back to him, Jack kissing Rose AND the Doctor, Jackie procuring a BIG ASS truck, Rose dusting the Daleks with the sweep of a hand and the Doctor saving her with a kiss.
6. Blink By Steven Moffat
With the exception of maybe Midnight, this has got to be one of the creepiest episodes from RTD's era. It's also brilliant. Not only was I drawn completely into the story and on the edge of my seat for 45 minutes, but I was also completely captivated by Sally Sparrow. I mean, the Doctor is in this for all of what? 5 minutes? and I barely noticed because I was so wrapped up in the mystery of it all and the greatness of Miss. Sparrow. Sally Sparrow is another person I would totally love to see appear on the show again.
5. Turn Left By Russell T. Davies
I adore this episode. And find it's look at "What if the Donna wasn't there" fascinating. Not only do we get an entire tribute to the awesome that is Donna (and get even more reasons to love her), but it also marks the highly anticipated return of Rose. I love the fact that Donna detects that something is off even though she can't quite pin point it. I love that Rose finds her and watches her and slowly reveals to her just how important she is. I love that even though the audience knows exactly who Rose is, Donna doesn't have a clue. I love the hint of sadness that's beneath everything that Rose says, that even though we don't really know what she's gone through since Doomsday, it's clear that she's desperate to find the Doctor. It makes my little shipper heart do flip flops. Really. I also love that Rose is very Doctor-like in her dealings with Unit. I really love Donna at the end of this episode when she's terrified but willing to do what she has to to fix things and eventually sacrifices herself. Some of Catherine Tate's best work in my opinion. The reveal at the end is also pretty awesome, and I loved the return of "Bad Wolf".
4. Time Crash by Steven Moffat
Okay, I know it's not technically an episode, but these 7 minutes are some of my most favourite of all of New Who. Which is funny since I've yet to see any Classic Who, but this episode is part of what's made me want to, and one of these days I will actually dive in an go for it. What I love about this episode is the way that the Doctors mock each other but with a great fondness beneath the surface. ("Look at me, I'm wearing a vegetable", and "Are you part of that group, Lynda" send me into endless peels of laughter). I also love the fact that it shows us that even after 5 regenerations, there's part of the Doctor that is still the same. Most of all though, I love the fact that DT's fanboy comes out in full force. He's positively gleeful in this and it will always be one of my fondest memories of Ten.
3. Father's Day by Paul Cornell
This was the episode where Doctor Who first wormed it's way into my heart and changed from a show I rather liked, to a show I adored. It's partly the angst whore in me that makes me love this episode, but it's also that as someone who grew up without a father, I completely relate to Rose here. I adore young Rose and Jackie and the way they bookend the episode. I also love the fact that this is where it's clear that the Doctor really cares for Rose because he breaks the rules for her, he goes against his own intuition for her, and he doesn't even suggest that Pete needs to let the car hit him to set things right because he doesn't want Rose to lose her father again. Everything seems to step it up a knotch in this episode too. The emotion in it gets me every time - from Rose reverting to being childlike in her father's presence, to the Doctor calling her stupid, to the heartbreaking moment when Pete realizes what has to be done and does it. Everytime I watch this episode I end up a blubbering mess and yet it only makes me love it more.
2. Doomsday By Rusell T Davies
This episode litterally BROKE me the first time I saw it. I'm talking hysterical, messy, runny nosed, heaving sobs for HOURS after watching it. I went to work the next day and people kept asking me what was wrong. Someone even asked if someone had died. And I couldn't explain it... I mean, how do you tell people that you're THAT upset over a television show? And that's precicely why I love Doomsday so much. I have always liked things that make me FEEL and Doomsday left me feeling raw and sad and wrecked for DAYS afterward. That caught my attention. When I first started watching DW, I SWORE I would only watch. That I'd never get involved in fandom, that I'd never write fic for it. Doomsday was the first crack in that plan, and a few weeks after watching it, I wrote my first who fic. But besides the sadness, there are some truly brilliant moments in this episode that I really like. Like the reveal of "Bigger on the inside" and BILLIONS of Daleks coming out to fight. And the Cybermen, Dalek verbal sparing. "You are superior at dying" LOL. Plus, Ten is just adorable with his 3-D glasses and attempted Jackie/Alt-Pete matchmaking. One of my favourite moments is when Ten and Pete simultaneously press the yellow buttons to keep their loved ones safe. OF COURSE Rose didn't stay (which is another thing I love even though it led to major tears) but I love that she's willing to take a stand and tell him she's staying with him no matter what. The expression on his face as he realizes that for once he's not alone makes me both happy and sad (given what happens). This episode was epic and will always be one of my favourites.
1.Partners in Crime by Russell T Davies
I cannot express to you all just how much I love this episode. It is the ultimate cute and bubbly episode for me. Donna's return was brilliant and I love that for the first quarter or so of this episode Donna and Ten are practically mirroring each other's motions but continually missing each other. Whoever directed this episode did a fantastic job with it because the way this section in particular is choreographed is brilliant. Donna and the Doctor popping up and down from the cubicles is priceless! Then you have the brilliant sign language moment when Donna and Ten finally see each other. Hands down one of the funniest Who moments ever! Catherine Tate was comedically brilliant there. I love how happy and giddy they are together in the later parts of this episode, there's so much comedic gold in it that I could write a whole essay on that topic alone. Plus, the Adipose have got to be the most adorable aliens ever ("I'm waving at fat!" Hee!). Donna's eagerness to travel in the TARDIS never fails to amuse me and I absolutely adore the whole "You want to MATE?" sequence. What really tips the scales for me on this one though, is after an entire episode that I THOROUGHLY enjoyed, and in which I was finally starting to accept that Rose was gone and was ready to fully enjoy Donna's turn as companion, RTD managed to sucker punch me with the AMAZING reveal of Rose. My mind imploded at that point and I was practically jumping off the couch. I had been waiting for so long to see her again! Incidentally, it was that moment that sparked my first ever DW fic Reunion (Which was written before I even saw "Fires of Pompeii").
This is my top ten:
10. The Girl in the Fireplace By Steven Moffat
Okay. I admit that I have to set my Doctor/Rose shipper heart aside for a moment in order to include this, but there's just something about the story in this one that completely captivates me. I've always loved that time period in history so that's definitely part of the appeal but I also think that part of it is the idea of Reinette meeting him at a young age and knowing him her whole life (plus she was super cute as a little girl). I love the fairytale aspect of it and I love the nonlinearity of it. There's also the fact that en's drunken "I think I just invented banana daqueries" scene never fails to make me giggle hysterically. Plus, Ten crashing through that mirror on the horse is pretty awesome.
9. The Shakespeare Code By Gareth Roberts
This was an obvious choice to me since I do so love Shakespeare and the portrayal of Will was pretty darn awesome. I get endless amusement out of watching Ten interact with Will whilst trying not to influence history and I even like the way Will flirts with Martha. Plus, it contains the single best use of "Expelliarmus" in todays pop culture outside of Harry Potter. Oh, and Shakespeare flirting with Ten ("57 academics just punched the air") is made of a whole lot of win!
8. The Doctor's Daughter By Stephen Greenhorn
It's possible I may be a little more in love with the idea of Jenny than the episode itself but I do adore this one. Ten's reaction to Jenny is priceless to me, as is Donna's motherly prodding as she sort of annoys Ten into feeling paternal toward her. I also love some of the emotional beats in this episode, even the with the sad (from Ten's POV anyway) ending. But what I love most is that it leaves us with that wonderful tease of her being alive and in the universe somewhere. My number one wish for future Who is that we meet Jenny again someday. Oh, plus, Jenny doing back flips through the lasers? Brilliant!
7. Parting of the Ways By Russell T. Davies
This was the episode that really cinched my love for this show. As a long time Joss Whedon fan, one thing I appreciate is when shows make subtle connections that carry over the episodes and seasons. So when the whole Bad Wolf thing was revealed my brain pretty much exploded with excitement. Plus, there are so many great things happening in this episode. You've got an EPIC Doctor/Dalek battle, Jack being bad ass with two guns, and just generally being his awesome self, Nine being all self sacrificing and trying to keep Rose safe, Rose not standing for said self sacrificing and ABSORBING THE FREAKING TIME VORTEX to get back to him, Jack kissing Rose AND the Doctor, Jackie procuring a BIG ASS truck, Rose dusting the Daleks with the sweep of a hand and the Doctor saving her with a kiss.
6. Blink By Steven Moffat
With the exception of maybe Midnight, this has got to be one of the creepiest episodes from RTD's era. It's also brilliant. Not only was I drawn completely into the story and on the edge of my seat for 45 minutes, but I was also completely captivated by Sally Sparrow. I mean, the Doctor is in this for all of what? 5 minutes? and I barely noticed because I was so wrapped up in the mystery of it all and the greatness of Miss. Sparrow. Sally Sparrow is another person I would totally love to see appear on the show again.
5. Turn Left By Russell T. Davies
I adore this episode. And find it's look at "What if the Donna wasn't there" fascinating. Not only do we get an entire tribute to the awesome that is Donna (and get even more reasons to love her), but it also marks the highly anticipated return of Rose. I love the fact that Donna detects that something is off even though she can't quite pin point it. I love that Rose finds her and watches her and slowly reveals to her just how important she is. I love that even though the audience knows exactly who Rose is, Donna doesn't have a clue. I love the hint of sadness that's beneath everything that Rose says, that even though we don't really know what she's gone through since Doomsday, it's clear that she's desperate to find the Doctor. It makes my little shipper heart do flip flops. Really. I also love that Rose is very Doctor-like in her dealings with Unit. I really love Donna at the end of this episode when she's terrified but willing to do what she has to to fix things and eventually sacrifices herself. Some of Catherine Tate's best work in my opinion. The reveal at the end is also pretty awesome, and I loved the return of "Bad Wolf".
4. Time Crash by Steven Moffat
Okay, I know it's not technically an episode, but these 7 minutes are some of my most favourite of all of New Who. Which is funny since I've yet to see any Classic Who, but this episode is part of what's made me want to, and one of these days I will actually dive in an go for it. What I love about this episode is the way that the Doctors mock each other but with a great fondness beneath the surface. ("Look at me, I'm wearing a vegetable", and "Are you part of that group, Lynda" send me into endless peels of laughter). I also love the fact that it shows us that even after 5 regenerations, there's part of the Doctor that is still the same. Most of all though, I love the fact that DT's fanboy comes out in full force. He's positively gleeful in this and it will always be one of my fondest memories of Ten.
3. Father's Day by Paul Cornell
This was the episode where Doctor Who first wormed it's way into my heart and changed from a show I rather liked, to a show I adored. It's partly the angst whore in me that makes me love this episode, but it's also that as someone who grew up without a father, I completely relate to Rose here. I adore young Rose and Jackie and the way they bookend the episode. I also love the fact that this is where it's clear that the Doctor really cares for Rose because he breaks the rules for her, he goes against his own intuition for her, and he doesn't even suggest that Pete needs to let the car hit him to set things right because he doesn't want Rose to lose her father again. Everything seems to step it up a knotch in this episode too. The emotion in it gets me every time - from Rose reverting to being childlike in her father's presence, to the Doctor calling her stupid, to the heartbreaking moment when Pete realizes what has to be done and does it. Everytime I watch this episode I end up a blubbering mess and yet it only makes me love it more.
2. Doomsday By Rusell T Davies
This episode litterally BROKE me the first time I saw it. I'm talking hysterical, messy, runny nosed, heaving sobs for HOURS after watching it. I went to work the next day and people kept asking me what was wrong. Someone even asked if someone had died. And I couldn't explain it... I mean, how do you tell people that you're THAT upset over a television show? And that's precicely why I love Doomsday so much. I have always liked things that make me FEEL and Doomsday left me feeling raw and sad and wrecked for DAYS afterward. That caught my attention. When I first started watching DW, I SWORE I would only watch. That I'd never get involved in fandom, that I'd never write fic for it. Doomsday was the first crack in that plan, and a few weeks after watching it, I wrote my first who fic. But besides the sadness, there are some truly brilliant moments in this episode that I really like. Like the reveal of "Bigger on the inside" and BILLIONS of Daleks coming out to fight. And the Cybermen, Dalek verbal sparing. "You are superior at dying" LOL. Plus, Ten is just adorable with his 3-D glasses and attempted Jackie/Alt-Pete matchmaking. One of my favourite moments is when Ten and Pete simultaneously press the yellow buttons to keep their loved ones safe. OF COURSE Rose didn't stay (which is another thing I love even though it led to major tears) but I love that she's willing to take a stand and tell him she's staying with him no matter what. The expression on his face as he realizes that for once he's not alone makes me both happy and sad (given what happens). This episode was epic and will always be one of my favourites.
1.Partners in Crime by Russell T Davies
I cannot express to you all just how much I love this episode. It is the ultimate cute and bubbly episode for me. Donna's return was brilliant and I love that for the first quarter or so of this episode Donna and Ten are practically mirroring each other's motions but continually missing each other. Whoever directed this episode did a fantastic job with it because the way this section in particular is choreographed is brilliant. Donna and the Doctor popping up and down from the cubicles is priceless! Then you have the brilliant sign language moment when Donna and Ten finally see each other. Hands down one of the funniest Who moments ever! Catherine Tate was comedically brilliant there. I love how happy and giddy they are together in the later parts of this episode, there's so much comedic gold in it that I could write a whole essay on that topic alone. Plus, the Adipose have got to be the most adorable aliens ever ("I'm waving at fat!" Hee!). Donna's eagerness to travel in the TARDIS never fails to amuse me and I absolutely adore the whole "You want to MATE?" sequence. What really tips the scales for me on this one though, is after an entire episode that I THOROUGHLY enjoyed, and in which I was finally starting to accept that Rose was gone and was ready to fully enjoy Donna's turn as companion, RTD managed to sucker punch me with the AMAZING reveal of Rose. My mind imploded at that point and I was practically jumping off the couch. I had been waiting for so long to see her again! Incidentally, it was that moment that sparked my first ever DW fic Reunion (Which was written before I even saw "Fires of Pompeii").