Honourable Mentions
Blink, The Unicorn and the Wasp, The Impossible Astronaut, Human Nature/The Family of Blood, Time of the Angels/Flesh and Stone, The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang, The Stolen Earth/Journey's End, A Good Man Goes to War, The Girl in the Fireplace, The Waters of Mars
5. Eleventh Hour- Season 5
As a show runner, Steven Moffat was very devisive- his run suffered from inconsistent writing and a few underwhelming arcs- but I think most people can agree that he sure as hell can write a fantastic stand-alone episode. Though Jodie Whittaker's first outing as the Doctor was by no means weak, nothing can beat Eleven's debut in terms of post-regeneration stories in New Who. There was so much to set up- the new companion, the prisoner Zero/Atraxi villain, the crack in the wall that fuelled nearly all of Eleven's run, 'silence will fall' and of course the Eleventh Doctor himself. All of this is done excellently, from the performances to the pacing of the story (twenty minutes to save the world is a good way to get rid of the post-regeneration lag that plagued David Tennant's introduction).
Additionally, the cinematography and production is a noticeable step up from the previous season- filmed with vibrant colours and a hint of a fairy tale atmosphere which works perfectly with regards to Amelia Pond's story. Composer Murray Gold also returns with a completely new flavour for this era of the show- and *nothing* can beat the musical cue that plays as the Doctor introduces himself to the world, bow tie and all, for the first time as GIF'ed above. Perhaps I'm biased because, though David Tennant is my favourite Doctor, Matt Smith is the Doctor that I first properly started watching- none of the other Doctors got me on board with their personality and story potential quite like this season opener.
4. Vincent and the Doctor- Season 5
Vincent and the Doctor is mostly a by-the-numbers 'monster in a famous historical setting' story that Doctor Who has done time and time again. Though the production is great and it's fun seeing the inspirations behind Van Gogh's most famous paintings in a way that only this show can do, at the end of the day it's got a disposable alien creature for the Doctor to help and a famous historical figure to befriend along the way. However, this episode excels at portraying Van Gogh's struggles with mental illness, mostly due to a fantastic performance by Tony Curran (and also Bill Nighy in a small but memorable cameo) and the beautiful writing by Richard Curtis, director and writer of British gems such as Love Actually, Notting Hill and About Time. Moments such as Van Gogh's break-downs, his poor treatment by the people in his town as well as heartwarming moments such as in the GIF above, where you get to see a glimpse of the pure creativity that he possessed, sets this story apart from the other historical episodes the show has to offer.
The last scene of the episode- watched even by the occasional non-fan when it pops up on their Youtube recommendations- is, in my opinion, the most emotionally powerful moment of the entire show. It is equal parts heart-breaking and inspiring and to this day, listening to 'Chances' by Athlete reignites that melancholic, bittersweet feeling that this episode so effectively evokes. Though the episode often plays the Doctor and Amy meeting the most famous painter of all time for comedy- and effectively so- it never forgets that this was once a real, living person, one who had a magical talent but also a difficult life. It is the humanity of the episode rather than the alien/time-travelling element of it that makes it such a special episode of Doctor Who.
3. Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead- Season 4
Am I cheating by lumping together a two parter? Maybe. Am I going to do it anyway? Hell yes. Doctor Who has a history of two part episodes- with season 9 comprised nearly all of two parters to varying effect. The best pairs are ones that have a cohesive, twisting story and a world that warrants being explored for two hours. The Library episodes have both. The concept of a world full of books is fascinating and believable enough (in terms of Doctor Who anyway) to engage us for two hours. The episodes also play host to one of the best mysteries for the Doctor to solve- one that isn't convoluted, set up carefully in the first part and resolves itself well at the end.
The episode cuts from a troubled little girl, Cal, watching TV in her living room to the Doctor and Donna visiting the biggest library in the universe; the connection between these two stories becomes more clear as the story progresses until they eventually converge at the end. This set up also leaves room for a compelling Donna storyline in the second part of the story and what's more, the debut of the mysterious River Song, whose story is arguably at its most effective.
Also, I have to admit that Ten and Donna have to be my favourite pairing of the Russel T Davies era by far. Their banter and friendship is part of the reason Season 4 works works so well. Though Catherine Tate is mostly known for her comedy, this two parter really changed my mind as to her dramatic acting ability, so when it came for her time to leave at the end of this season I was really quite upset.
In addition to everything that's been mentioned thus far, we also have a genuinely memorable and intimidating villain, the Vashta Nerada. Though Steven Moffat later over used the whole 'don't breathe/blink/think' thing, the concept of avoiding the shadows is very inventive and effective, especially due to the clever use of lighting that makes it feel like the characters are constantly enveloped in the darkness.
All in all, the Library episodes of Doctor Who includes all of the elements that the show is known for- a mystery for the Doctor to solve, a compelling experience for the companion, a threatening and inventive monster, a ridiculous yet fun setting and the introduction of an ongoing time-travel arc in the character of River Song.
2. Midnight- Season 4
In some ways, Midnight doesn't even feel like a Doctor Who episode. It scratches the surface of a Twilight Zone/Black Mirror tone (though of course nowhere near as dark, this is a family show after all) and remains to be one of the most frightening episodes of the show. This is hugely down to the excellent restraint shown by writer Russell T. Davies in that the episode never reveals what the creature is, and I am happy never knowing. This mystery especially pays off in scenes such as when the driver first sees a mysterious figure running towards the stalled vehicle (shudder), or the ominous knocking around the cabin as the creature checks for weaknesses. Our imagination is much more unsettling than anything that could be shown on the show.
Davies steadily increases the tension in the cabin, relying on character dynamics rather than CGI to build an increasing lack of control. How many times have we seen the Doctor instantly take charge and everyone immediately follow his plan? Instead, here we see the Doctor trapped with not even a companion on his side (to be fair Donna went through enough this season, she deserves a sun-bathe), struggling against the increasing paranoia of ordinary people (including Merlin himself, Colin Morgan). We go from the happy go lucky 'allons-y' Doctor to the GIF above in a matter of perhaps half an hour, and the the shift never feels sudden.
Other remarkable things about the episode- the precision of the dialogue in this episode is insane. The behind the scenes (which you can watch here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mV3BBnl32Y) details just how insanely accurate the dialogue and line deliveries had to be. Luckily, it all pays off and the overlapping voices and repetitions add to the chaos of the episode. Again, Murray Gold is excellent here, delivering a dark scores that also serves to increase the tension and David Tennant is excellent as usual. Though there isn't any time travel within the episode, the show uses its ability to invent a completely new destination/setting that is supposedly completely uninhabited and treacherous to really cut the Doctor off from any outside help and makes the appearance of the creature far more horrifying.
1. Heaven Sent- Season 9
Peter Capaldi was frequently let down by inconsistent writing, but in my opinion he was the brightest part of every episode he was in. I loved his dark sense of humour and his clear passion for the role. Heaven Sent is undoubtedly his best work and also happens to be my favourite ever episode of Doctor Who.
There is a chance that I am a 'prisoner of the moment', too close to the air date of this episode to judge it clearly within the context of the whole run of the show but this episode embodies several things that make Doctor Who such a great show. For one, Who is know for the time travel elements, and the use of a timeloop as a plot device in this one episode is something few shows could do. The unfolding mystery- another element that the show is known for as mentioned for number 3- within the episode works well too. As usual we are uncovering the mystery with the Doctor and when he finally realises what is going on, we do too. The episode takes its time to set up the mystery, clue by clue, so when it finally comes together we get a huge emotional and story pay off.
We also get an emotional arc- the main monster of the episode is forgettable, unimportant even, but works well to represent the grief he feels due to Clara's tragic death (Hell Bent doesn't exist in my mind). Punching through a wall harder than diamonds, tiny dent by tiny dent is a terrific display of the Doctor's resilience in an impossible situation.
Much like Vincent and the Doctor, it the final 10 minutes of the episode that elevate it to masterpiece level- the montage of the Doctor getting through the wall steadily, whilst getting just a little further along in his story, is masterfully written and wonderfully performed. Even Murray Gold is at his very best with the Shephards Boy being one of my favourite scores from the show. Like so many on this list, the story works magnificently as a stand-alone piece of story-telling, whilst also allowing the Doctor to grow as a result of previous events in the season and Peter Capaldi shoulders the task of carrying the episode perfectly.
Thank you for reading this article- I'd love to hear your top 5 through Twitter (@filmdomblog) or Instagram (cinematicwallflower). Also I realise that I didn't use the word TARDIS or Dalek once in this entire blog post so do with that information what you will. If you've never watched Doctor Who, these episodes make great starting points, to really get a feel for what the show is all about.
Be sure to check out my other blog posts ranging from Beautiful Movie Shots to Movie Scores to Recommendations.