Every Modern-era Doctor Who Episode Ranked (Part 5 - 25-11)

We’re continuing our ranking of every ‘Doctor Who’ episode from the modern era. Almost at the end now; this is the penultimate part, some of the best stories of the show. We’ve only got the top ten left after this, so look out for some of your favourites.

25. Turn Left

I’ve said it before, but Catherine Tate is brilliant as Donna, and this is her proper time to shine. An incredibly smart script from Russell T Davies brilliantly depicts the dystopian future created by the death of the Doctor if Donna never met him. The return of Billie Piper as Rose was also a big treat for viewers and the episode does really well to revisit moments from past stories where old companions now have to give their lives to save the earth. The great performances create some very emotional set pieces, particularly when the family living with the Noble’s is taken away to a labour camp as Bernard Cribbins’ Wilf heartbreakingly cries, salutes and laments that the world is falling apart. The Time Beetle is also a great concept and a nice throwback to classic Who monsters.

24. The Doctor’s Wife

Who doesn’t love the Tardis? It’s such an iconic part of the show’s history, right back to the first episode and it does get quite overlooked far too often. It was a genius idea then by writer Neil Gaiman to explore the relationship between the Doctor and his time machine. Suranne Jones is electrifying as Idris and whilst being incredibly funny is also at times very moving. Matt Smith’s emotional reaction to Idris’ body finally dying is gut-wrenching and the two have fabulous chemistry on screen. House (voiced by Michael Sheen) is also a great villain and leads to some really interesting moments around the manipulation of the Tardis’ interior.

23. The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit

What was that creature at the centre of the impossible planet? How did it have the ability to do all those things? Have we just seen the actual devil? We won’t know any of the answers to these questions, but exploring the answers to these is a lot of fun! There are so many ambitious ideas packed in here with a lot of action, emotion and philosophy thrown in for good measure. The Ood are a brilliant invention which have gone on to be a staple villain in modern-Who and whilst the production design of the Beast may not be the best, the ideas behind him and his motivations in this episode are fantastic. Some great performances all round help this to be a hugely enjoyable two-parter.

22. The Eleventh Hour

The perfect introduction! After David Tennant announced he was leaving the show, fans were heartbroken and the outcry towards his decision to step down was immense. Nobody thought the show would be able to survive without him and the BBC even suggested cancelling the series. Steven Moffat really pulled it out of the bag then to deliver the best first episode for a new Doctor in the show’s history. ‘The Eleventh Hour’ is a gem of an episode that gives Matt Smith the ideal platform to show us all what he can do, as well as neatly set up the characters of Amy and Rory. Throw in a cameo by Olivia Colman, ‘Sherlock-style’ cinematography for the park scene and the brilliant moment of the Atraxi going over old footage of each Doctor for Smith to step out and tell them to run, and Moffat has ticked an awful lot of boxes.

21. World Enough and Time/The Doctor Falls

In many ways, I actually blame the BBC for this episode not being higher up the list. The return of John Simm’s Master was leaked and rather than cover it up, the BBC decided to run with it and include him in promotional material for the series, a spoiler which left a very sour taste with many a fan, including me. That aside, there isn’t really anything else wrong with this two-parter. The Cyberman hospital in ‘World Enough and Time’ is potentially the creepiest moment in the whole of the series and looks straight out of a Tim Burton or Terry Gilliam movie. Michelle Gomez is brilliant as ever as the more sympathetic version of the two Master’s and Moffat’s handling of Bill’s storyline is done incredibly well. However, the star of the show is, once again, Peter Capaldi who delivers every line (particularly his fantastic speech about kindness to the two Master’s) with the kind of gusto and magnificence that we have come to expect of his Doctor.

20. Spyfall Part 1/Part 2

After the relative disappointment of Series 11, ‘Spyfall’ did exactly what it needed to do to tell people that the same wasn’t going to happen again. The spy genre is charmingly used in this two-parter and it finally feels like each of the companions is given enough to do when compared to most other episodes in Chibnall’s run. The main reason it makes the top 20 though is because of the supreme talents of Sacha Dhawan. After John Simm and Michelle Gomez were so brilliantly cast as the Doctor’s arch-nemesis, I really didn’t think we needed a new Master so soon, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. He lights up every scene he’s in with the bouncy playfulness of a schoolboy on a sugar high and a compelling aura of danger that is both terrifying and delightfully entertaining. His reveal at the end of part 1 is expertly handled by director Jamie Magnus Stone and I can’t wait to see more of what his Master can offer.

19. Extremis/The Pyramid at the End of the World/The Lie of the Land

This three-parter may not have been everyone’s cup of tea, but it certainly worked for me. In many ways, you could combine this with ‘Oxygen’ and call it a four-parter, as the Doctor’s blindness plotline plays such a crucial role in this story. ‘Extremis’ is arguably the strongest of this unique and ambitious arc, with a strong script exploring a number of themes such as mortality and religion and is one of the deepest and most thought-provoking depictions of a simulated reality in recent years. ‘The Pyramid at the End of the World’ nicely builds on this and manages to create sufficient tension with the side-by-side plots of the laboratory and the armies. Whilst ‘The Lie of the Land’ may not be the most satisfying conclusion to this trilogy, the main role it plays is to add further development to the character of Bill and delve into her relationship with her mother.

18. The Waters of Mars

‘I really should go.’ What makes me believe that David Tennant is the best actor to ever play the Doctor is the humanity he brings to the role; he’s funny, romantic and is able to conjure up more emotion in an audience than most actors ever could. How ingenious then, to turn all that on its head and show a side of the Doctor that is dark, powerful and alien. Seeing the Doctor wrestle with his conscious on whether to save the Mars crew makes for excellent television and nicely sets up his final episode. Lindsay Duncan is also excellent as Adelaide. Seeing her go from a strong to a desperate leader is a master class in acting and the final moments of the episode when we realise the consequences of the Doctor’s actions on Adelaide is heartbreaking. Furthermore, this episode becomes even more notable now with the emergence of the multi-platform story ‘Time Lord Victorious’.

17. Rosa

This was an important episode, showing how crucial science fiction can be with purposeful messages and powerful history lessons. Whilst Chibnall doesn’t quite make the political mark he wanted with episodes like ‘Orphan 55’ and ‘Praxeus’, he nails it on the head here, thanks to the writing talents of author Malorie Blackman. The story of Rosa Parks is such an integral part of the 20th century, it’s vital to not mess up the portrayal of it, not only to be informative and accurate, but to also not come across as insensitive. Thankfully, ‘Rosa’ is such an exceptional retelling of the events, we needn’t have been worried. Vinette Robinson is wonderful as Rosa Parks and the combination of her performance, the expert direction and the use of Andra Day’s ‘Rise Up’ make the bus scene one of the most emotional moments in the show's history. It’s episodes like this that make me proud to be a fan of the show.

16. Bad Wolf/Parting of the Ways

We didn’t want him to and we were shocked when Christopher Ecclestone left the show, but if he had to go, this was the way to do it. Whilst ‘Bad Wolf’ is the kind of reflection on television and the media that ‘The Long Game’ failed to be, with hilarious parodies of ‘Big Brother’, ‘Trinny and Susannah’ and ‘The Weakest Link’, ‘Parting of the Ways’ is terrifying, gut-wrenching and superb television. There are so many brilliant moments to love here: The Doctor’s fiery and defiant message to the Daleks, the horrifying slaughter of the Satellite’s passengers, the Doctor’s hologram telling Rose to have a fantastic life and Rose’s triumphant return to complete the Bad Wolf arc and save the day. A regeneration episode should make you wish that this Doctor would stay, and this series finale does just that.

15. Human Nature/The Family of Blood

It’s a Who story unlike any other. Writer Paul Cornell initially created this plot as a novel in the ’90s, but it was so good that he decided to adapt it for the revived series with rewrites from Russell T Davies. John Smith’s story is heartbreaking; seeing a man being told that his life isn’t real and that in order to save everyone he has to give it up to bring back someone else is incredibly hard to watch, especially due to the outstanding acting of David Tennant. It also brings in a new breakdown of the Doctor’s character, as we see the potential life that John Smith could have unfold in a vision, and how he doesn’t even account for the idea that he could fall in love. The production in this episode is also superb with early 20th century England being beautifully brought to life. Whilst the Scarecrows were designed to be a new entry in the long line of terrifying Who villains, it’s actually the Family of Blood themselves that bring the terror, most notably Harry Lloyd as Baines who gives the best performance of a villain in the history of the show.

14. The Zygon Invasion/The Zygon Inversion

The consequences and the futility of war have never been presented more intelligently or eloquently in the show’s history than in this two-parter. These are easily the best episodes Peter Harness wrote for the show and he cleverly changes the tone of the plot from generic alien invasion story to something more deep and intricate. Although there’s some great action and chilling tension, these episodes are best summed up by the Osgood box scene; two powers about to engage in a conflict which could potentially kill millions and one man trying to stop them. Peter Capaldi’s speech here is perfect and he delivers it with such fire, such power and yet, such heart, he embodies everything that the character of the Doctor should be about.

13. The End of Time Part 1/Part 2

This might be a controversial one. I’m aware that a lot of fans aren’t too favourable on this Christmas two-parter, and there are some who actively dislike it. For me though, I think it did everything it needed to and more. Both Russell T Davies and David Tennant were leaving the show and they needed a send-off, something special. Whilst there are plot points that don’t quite hit the mark and there are some more forgettable scenes and characters, the emotion that builds within me when I watch this episode is immense. The quieter scenes with Wilf and the Doctor are so beautifully played out by the two actors, John Simm is brilliant as always as the Master, but it’s the finale that everything has been leading to that is the high mark of the episode. His sacrifice to save Wilf, his goodbye to all his friends and family and his final goodbye is heartbreaking. He was the best Doctor we’ve ever had, and to paraphrase his final words, I didn’t want him to go.

12. Mummy on the Orient Express

Maybe this is what ‘Voyage of the Damned’ wanted to be. A future infused period piece with a fascinating concept villain makes this a hugely entertaining Capaldi episode. The Foretold is just genius. As well as being incredibly creepy, the inclusion of a timer onscreen to coincide with the 66-second countdown that preludes every death caused by the Foretold makes for some great tension. The production design is also spot on here; the beautiful Orient Express set, the illustrious costumes, the sinister design of the mummy and the gorgeous music (Foxes does a great cover here of ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’) all add up to create a striking and imaginative visual that nicely accompanies the engaging plot. ‘Mummy on the Orient Express’ is the perfect Doctor Who example of style and substance together to create something with a lot of rewatchability. Frank Skinner is also charmingly delightful as Perkins and it would have been fun to see him crop up again at some point.

11. Utopia/Sound of the Drums/Last of the Timelords

Let’s get something very clear; the Master is brilliant. He’s Moriarty to the Doctor’s Sherlock Holmes, the Joker to his Batman, and every episode that features this classic character are automatically heightened because of him. So to see his return to the show in the modern era was a big deal and his reveal in ‘Utopia’ is one of the best individual moments in the show’s history (Derek Jacobi absolutely kills it in this scene). John Simm is perfect. For me, he is the Master. He’s a ball of energy and oozes charm, terror and goofy playfulness all in one. The final parts of this trilogy are mostly that good because of him, but also there’s a thrilling drama here with political conspiracy, dystopian sci-fi and a gut-wrenching ending. Throw in the return of Captain Jack (he’s the Face of Boe?!) and Martha’s chance to prove that she’s the toughest companion of the Doctor to date and this makes for a fantastic series finale.

I hope you’ve enjoyed part 5 of this list. Do come back soon for the final part of my ranking of every Doctor Who episode of the modern era.