Top twenty After-Gap adventures

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Posted by Craig in HTPBDET’s absence

I have realized that my old age meant that having a list of top 50 programmes was probably too much of an ask for most people. Apologies.

Debate is so interesting – but only if everyone feels able to participate.

So, is it easier to ask what the top twenty stories since the reboot are?

In case it is, and leads to animated debate, here is my list of the top twenty Post Gap stories.

1. Human Nature/Family of Blood

In this, for me, Tennant is shatteringly good. I never thought any actor would come close to Troughton in my heart, but this story made it clear that Tennant was in the race and a serious contender. Martha is actually good in this story and the monsters are the worst kind. The fob-watch concept was wonderful and the final moments when the Doctor wreaked terrible vengeance on the ghastly aliens was sensational. It changed everything. And it highlighted, in a clever and un-timey-wimey way, the utter desolation of the travelling Time Lord – the scenes with Jessica Hynes were fun, joyous and then heart-breaking. I cannot see it without weeping like a child.

2. Midnight

This left me breathless, both with the precision and clarity of Davies’ writing and the sensational performances from everyone, but especially Tennant and Sharpe. The moment when she started speaking his words before him…scary does not do it justice. It is a very small story but chilling, quirky and utterly unlike anything else Doctor Who has done. Donna at a resort was just the icing on the cake. Loved, loved, loved it.

3. Utopia

Any Doctor Who story with Derek Jacobi would be something to celebrate, but this one…where he turns out to be the Master. Dear God! What a superb reveal, and what a terrific if only passing performance he gave – what a malicious malevolent Master he would have been. Tennant was in excellent form and Jack made Martha seem more bearable than when he was not there. Loved Chanto in particular (her little rebellious moment with Martha is perfection) but the whole idea of Futurekind was utterly horrific. Laughed out loud at Hermits United. Loved the fabulous cliff-hanger and particularly loved Tennant’s handling of the sequence where he talks about why Jack was left behind in Parting of the Ways. And the sly “reverse the polarity” moment – brilliant, as Tennant says. And the set up for the Master’s death in two episodes time – Tennant’s desperation to make things right with the Master, to apologise, to have him see sense. This is an episode brimming with brilliant ideas, brilliant writing and brilliant acting. In short – brilliant!

4. Stolen Earth/End of Time

I don’t mind admitting to loving a bit of shameless sentimentality and the end here, with all the companions was, to me, glorious. I cried with pure pleasure to see them all together, to see Rose unexpectedly get her wish, to get Sarah to survive another journey (a Davros encounter no less) and, of course that just set up, perfectly, the appalling fate that befell the wonderful Donna who, for my money, made Tennant do his very best work on a consistent basis. The shock possible regeneration at the end of Stolen Earth was magic. It might be a bit silly in places, but, for me, it represents the kind of rollicking fun that you can only have with Doctor Who. And its full of heart-stopping moments and death, death and more death. The price of travelling with the Doctor juxtaposed against the price of there being no Doctor. I wished Tennant had regenerated here because he was never in better form than here – although he often matched the intensity and the devotion to the role, this I think was his greatest moment towards the end of his tenure.

5. Unicorn and the Wasp

Tennant and Tate at their rip-roaring best in an episode which plays with the format in a unique way and delivers laughs and thrills and simple joy (as well as true sadness) in equal measure. Felicity Kendall, Fenella Woolgar, Christopher Benjamin – all excellent. And a glorious Giant Wasp. The scene where Tennant is saved by death by cyanide is perfection – both to the roots of Christie’s writings and the zany alien nature of the Pixie Professor, as I had come to think of Tennant by this point. Donna’s excitement at meeting Agatha Christie was ebullient and infectious and I loved the running gag about them not being lovers. Enjoyed the parallels to Christie’s writings and the references to names of her novels. This is a unique and interesting romp – of a kind never done before or since.

6. Crimson Horror

The first story of Smith’s tenure that completely absorbed me – he finally becomes the Doctor for me here. Clara helps with this –I love her and finally he has a companion I can care for and about (apart from Rory, of course) with her, he seems more settled, more sure of what he is and who his Doctor is – finally, for me, he is exciting and comfortable and I care what he does and how he does it. The guest cast is magnificent in every respect; Diana Rigg is the best female villain the series has ever seen: “These are the wrong hands”. Rachael Stirling is a touching and fierce Ada. I love the weird trio of Strax, Jenny and Vastra and their presence here is extra joy. The writing is not tricksy or trying to be too clever – it’s a good old fashioned Doctor Who romp full of screams, murder, silly monsters and horrific humans. Plus Smith as literal misunderstood monster. Hands down, Smith’s best story to date.

7. Army of Ghosts/Doomsday

Apocalyptic is the word which springs to mind here – Torchwood, Daleks versus alternative Universe Cybermen (which is why they were so easy to see off) and then, unexpectedly, that wrenching heart-breaking end for poor Rose, gorgeous Rose – Rose who had been so instrumental in the programme’s revival success. After endless viewings I am still a mess as she is ripped away from Tennant (because of him, not her) and then the Bad Wolf Bay scene again, more tears (because of her, not him). This is desolate, dark stuff – very confronting. I never bought that Doctor 10 loved her (and I think Tennant is very clear about that the way he plays it, whatever RTD says was the intent, post broadcast) but I knew that she loved him. And I loved her – she was a fabulous, reliable and unique companion.

8. Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead

I was scared more than I have been for a very long time by the Vashta Nerada (always sounded like a particularly malignant form of tea leaf…) and enemy we never see but which causes such fear in Tennant (who is in top flight form here). Making shadows scary – inspired. And, of course, the introduction of River Song – I am not sure Alex Kingston is ever better in the role than she is here. The setting was great, the idea of CAL, the wonderful but unexpected “Donna Noble has left the Library”, a recycling of the repeated mantra idea of which Moffat is so fond. There is just nothing not to like here and I think this is Moffat’s best writing for Doctor Who.

9. Nightmare in Silver

The Cybermen are back – and bloody good at being implacable destroyers of worlds. Loved it for its sheer ambition – Willy Wonka meets Earthshock meets Tomb of the Cybermen meets Moonbase. I liked everything about it (apart from the more emotional aspects of the Cyber representation, but it was mostly ever thus post-Troughton, and Smith’s overly done possession – but they are just quibbles really). The story works. Clara is magnificent, Porridge is sublime, the kids are good, loved the Cybermites, loved Webley, especially in Cyber-mode. If you can’t watch this and enjoy it, Doctor Who is just not really for you I think. (I know how preposterously judgmental that sounds – sorry!)

10. Dalek

This story has several things going for it: It made me feel sorry for a Dalek; it showed in a startling way the change that the Time War had wrought on the Doctor; it establishes the role of the companion in the AG stories as moderator of a madman who travels in time; it introduces a bimbo male companion (Adam) which works quite well and shows more clearly than anything else can what a force of nature Rose can be; it does not have Davros; and it provides the first fresh approach to the concept of a Dalek since Evil of the Daleks. Ecclestone is superb here and this is where I was finally sold that he was The Doctor. Endlessly on edge, surprising and quite remarkable.

11. School Reunion

I think this story has the distinction, if you can call it that, of being the single episode of Doctor Who to make me cry the most (sadness, joy and despair) as well as the one, even more than Three or Five Doctors that was most celebratory of the programme and, yet, condemnatory at the same time. It was a sheer delight to see Sarah Jane Smith again, and to experience her pathos, anger, resentment, joy and, finally, acceptance. Tennant is blisteringly good in his scenes with her – we see the Doctor pay, up front and close, for all the lives he has trodden on in his time, with or without their permission. The scenes between Rose and Sarah are just perfect and Tennant has few moments finer than his swimming pool confrontation with Anthony Head’s superb Krilitane Finch. And, for once, K9 was not a pain in the butt!

12. Rose

Where would we be without Rose Tyler? Still wondering how to cope without Doctor Who in our lives. Because she was the key to the revival. Davies was very wise with his choice of reboot starter. Redoing Spearhead from Space, introducing a modern girl with mass appeal, a fabulous redesigned TARDIS, wonderful opening credits, witty snappy dialogue and an enigmatic new take on the Doctor – this was just pure joy. And it made me feel like I was 10 again. No other programme I have ever seen has that effect. It was the start of a whole new rollercoaster – and for that alone it deserves its place. Plus, as I have only recently realized, this story could take place at the same time as Spearhead From Space without the Doctors involved realizing. I wonder, now, if that was Davies’ idea…

13. Bad Wolf/Parting of the Ways

The first Post Gap regeneration; a whole new side to the TARDIS; the death and resurrection of a companion; Daleks by the gazillion; a satire on Big Brother; Captain Jack’s bare bottom; Ecclestone in “destroyer of worlds” mode; and Rose, sacrificing herself to save the day thereby permitting the Doctor to sacrifice himself to save her. It’s bold, funny, brilliant, scary, edgy and then plain nuts – but it works – and largely that is down to the sheer power of the acting of both Ecclestone and Piper. I think this is their best work as a team – and the end of this story made me feel, as if I was 12 again, the resentment, the wonder and the tears of the end of the Troughton era. And then Tennant arrived bringing smiles and hope. Glorious!

14. Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS

I don’t think it comes more sensibly timey-wimey than this odd foray into the heart of the wonderful TARDIS. It is a roller-coaster ride from start to finish, complete with charred bodies, alternative timelines for days, a library with a curious History of the Time War, bric a brac from earlier stories, memories of earlier adventures leaking from the damaged console. And Clara, wonderful, enigmatic, beautiful, spirited and glorious Clara. Frightened, unsure – bringing out all of the best aspects of Doctor Eleven. Smith’s care and concern for both the TARDIS and Clara is profound here – this is the same Doctor who simply dematerializes when Melody dissolves into goo at the end of A Good Man Goes To War leaving a distressed Amy and Rory to be placated by River, the grown-up version of their daughter, the one who has just dissolved into goo while the real one has been taken by Madame Kovarian. Smith is in top form in this episode. And the Big Button is delicious (and not a D.E.M.!)

15. Impossible Planet/Satan Pit

Tennant and Piper are in excellent in this moody space opera which, of course, introduces the Ood, those odd, bizarre but strangely appealing Post Gap aliens. The tension and mood is built beautifully – and the sense of real terror is never more clear than when Toby is revealed to be possessed. Rose is magnificent and her surprise shooting of the window and unclipping of the possessed Toby’s seatbelt in the escape pod a moment of thrilling excitement rarely matched in Post Gap episodes. As well, there is the Doctor’s almost existential discussions with Ida and his confrontation with the Beast (am still sad that the Beast did not turn out to be Sutekh) and the fact that the Doctor chooses to sacrifice everyone including Rose to stop the Beast’s plans. Tennant proves himself quite capable of making tough decisions – but, equally, I never felt it was satisfactory that he could not rescue the Ood. But then this was a Doctor unafraid of making hard choices and unwilling to apologise for them. The sense of “righteous entitlement” which will ultimately ensure his downfall really, I think, starts here.

16. Tooth and Claw

Vicious monks with incredible skills, Pauline Collins as Queen Victoria, a frightening slavering werewolf creature on the prowl – absolute top-notch fodder for Doctor Who. The scene where Tennant listens against the door while the Werewolf slavers outside the same door, also listening, is magic. And Pauline Collins is a sheer delight. In fact, there is nothing not to like here and everything to admire. The Tennant/Piper duo really hits its swing here. Rose has coped with the regeneration and very clearly has started to fall for this incarnation. You know, even here, that it will end in tears, you just don’t know how.

17. Snowmen

A Christmas Special that really delivers. Clara – again! How? Why does she not remember? The true start of the Impossible Girl story starts here. Loved Strax, Vastra and Jenny and they fitted seamlessly into this Genesis of the Great Intelligence story. Loved that the Doctor created his foe and gave them ideas for future (for them) but past (for him) adventures. Liked the TARDIS redesign and Clara’s reaction to it; even liked the cloud. And the opening with Richard E Grant was chilling. The story might have a few issues, but it had style and charisma and by the end of it I was engaged with Doctor Eleven as I had never been before. Thanks to Clara, Vastra, Jenny and Strax.

18. Turn Left

This was a glorious episode for both Donna and Rose, with both characters and actresses pressed to their limits. It is a coming-of-age story for Donna, and the moment where she decides to step in front of the traffic to cause her other self to turn left is utterly extraordinary. It’s as timey-wimey a story as anything that has followed it, but it makes complete logical sense. The interaction between Rose and Donna is rich and complex and provides an interesting counter-point to the interaction between Rose and Sarah-Jane in School Reunion. Exploring an alternative Universe without the Doctor is a clever idea and in a “Doctor-light” episode it achieves the feat of keeping the Doctor entirely to the fore of the narrative despite his absence. But when he does join, and the Cloister Bell rings…the excitement levels are seismic. And that hug! And then this:

DOCTOR: What was that for?

DONNA: I don’t know.

DONNA: I can’t remember. It’s slipping away. You know like when you try and think of a dream and it just sort of goes.

DOCTOR: Just got lucky, this thing. It’s one of the Trickster’s Brigade. Changes a life in tiny little ways. Most times, the universe just compensates around it, but with you? Great big parallel world.

DONNA: Hold on. You said parallel worlds are sealed off.

DOCTOR: They are. But you had one created around you. Funny thing is, seems to be happening a lot to you.

DONNA: How do you mean?

DOCTOR: Well, The Library and then this.

DONNA: Just goes with the job, I suppose.

DOCTOR: Sometimes I think there’s way too much coincidence around you, Donna. I met you once, then I met your grandfather, then I met you again. In the whole wide universe, I met you for a second time. It’s like something’s binding us together.

DONNA: Don’t be so daft. I’m nothing special.

DOCTOR: Yes, you are. You’re brilliant.

ROSE: He thought you were brilliant.

DONNA: She said that.

DOCTOR: Who did?

DONNA: That woman. I can’t remember.

DOCTOR: Well, she never existed now.

DONNA: No, but she said the stars. She said the stars are going out.

DOCTOR: Yeah, but that world’s gone.

DONNA: No, but she said it was all worlds. Every world. She said the darkness is coming even here.

DOCTOR: Who was she?

DONNA: I don’t know.

DOCTOR: What did she look like?

DONNA: She was blonde.

DOCTOR: What was her name?

DONNA: I don’t know.

DOCTOR: Donna, what was her name?

DONNA: But she told me to warn you. She said two words.

DOCTOR: What two words? What were they? What did she say?

DONNA: Bad Wolf. Well, what does it mean?

DONNA: Doctor, what is it? What’s Bad Wolf?

DOCTOR: It’s the end of the universe

It’s a wonderful entree into the two-part season finale and a perfect exposition of why Donna Noble is the best Post Gap companion.

19. Fires of Pompeii

As Gilbert and Sullivan would say: A Nice Dilemma We Have Here. This is the episode which establishes Donna Noble as that which her name suggests: Noble Queen. She forces the Doctor’s hand to save one family from the ravages of the molten outpourings of Vesuvius. She reminds him of the need to abandon the rigid rules of time travel theory (fixed points can’t be changed) to do what is right – harking back to the very reason that the Doctor abandoned Gallifrey all those years ago. It is dramatic and confrontational stuff and the sub-plot about the lost planet and the stone creatures is quite good too.  It’s a true turning point for Tennant’s Doctor. The moment when Donna puts her hand on the lever, with his, to ensure the eruption of Vesuvius is intense and thrilling.

20. The Pandorica Opens

This is a roller-coaster ride through everything that decades of Doctor Who accumulates. I think it is the best first part of any two parter since the reboot. It promises so much, in a clever, suspenseful and epic way. There are so many “Wow!” moments – River as Cleopatra, Rory returning as a Centurian but unremembered by Amy, the dismembered Cyberman stalking the crypt, the flight to Stonehenge, the arrival of the alien alliance, the reveal of Rory as Auton and the killing of Amy, River in the TARDIS investigating the collection of Amy’s memories and then trapped, and the opening and sealing of the Pandorica.  It is full scale adventure fantasy. And Rory kills Amy – did I mention that?

So – what are your top twenty stories Post Gap?


20 comments

  1. I can’t comment as much as I want without creating a reply as long as your post!

    Firstly to say I’m glad you’re still writing, which means your recuperation must be going well.

    Secondly, interesting that you don’t have Blink – was that an oversight, or is it simply outside the top 20 for you? I’d be interested to know why if the latter; what qualities about that story / the acting / the concepts presented in that episode, made it rate lower than these you have discussed here?

    Thirdly, even before reading your thoughts, but especially after, I think I’d have to say it’s Midnight at number 1 for me. It’s certainly one of the creepiest stories, and as you say, David Tennant and Leslie Sharpe are breathtaking and their exchanges grow ever more chilling in what they mean for the evolution of the unseen monster. Plus, it has humans acting like humans – which is sadly not always so noble, selfless, generous, brave etc as depicted in too much TV.

    Fourthly – I just have to highlight something you said about Crimson Horror: “he [Smith] finally becomes the Doctor for me here.” Taa-daa! You simply must be shortly to add an ‘S’ to your moniker. 🙂

  2. OK – I’ll give you mine. There is some crossover, so I’ll just put reasons on episodes you’ve not featured. I’ve left out everything after “The Snowmen” because those episodes need some time to sink in. I really can’t put them in order as well. My mood changes and the delight of the series is that, if you are in the mood for more comedy, let’s say, there are plenty to select from. Here are 20 great episodes.

    • Human Nature/Family of Blood, Midnight, Dalek, School Reunion, Impossible Planet/Satan Pit, Snowmen, Turn Left, Fires of Pompeii (as above)
    • Asylum of the Daleks

    I’ve always liked the Daleks, but acknowledge they rarely get well written. In a story about insane Daleks, the ones floating above impress the most. Not hysterical, but methodical and with a plan. No abject fear of the Oncoming storm. The White Supreme barely bothers to notice him, and the Dalek “Prime” Minister is almost oily in his playfulness. Lovely. And then there is Oswin Oswald. The Doctors growing suspicion that everything is not normal with her, and his mixture of horror, anger and compassion when he finally gets to see her fate.

    • The God Complex

    A story about how strong faith in anything can be subverted and consume you. Some obvious comparisons to Religion and Geek culture in an episode that features some strong support characters – the self sacrifice of Rita, and the “sly cowardice” of Gibiss. The camera work and direction make it an unsettling experience. This was the episode that got the box set a 12 certificate with a couple of members of the panel confessing it disturbed them in a way they couldn’t explain. I love “a” view of an old school end to the travels of Amy and Rory, and the ongoing story of how the Doctor couldn’t really leave them alone and “Save” them. The prophetic words “and how should it end. With me standing over your graves”.

    • The Girl who waited

    For me the ultimate word on “Does Amy love Rory” as she talks to herself. When I hear people complain that Amy was just another “mystery” to unravel I smile. Never has Who portrayed a romance between two people (and their imaginary friend) like that.

    Future Amy: All those boys chasing me, but it was only ever Rory. Why was that?
    Amy: You know when sometimes you meet someone so beautiful and then you actually talk to them and five minutes later they’re as dull as a brick? Then there’s other people, when you meet them you think, “Not bad. They’re okay.” And then you get to know them and… and their face just sort of becomes them. Like their personality’s written all over it. And they just turn into something so beautiful.
    Both: Rory’s the most beautiful man I’ve ever met.

    • The Doctors wife

    Having said that though, this episode gives a great shot of portraying the longest romance in Who history. The bizarre relationship between a boy and his magic box. Just as mad as each other and, we realise, joyfully rebellious as they escaped Gallifrey. A wonderful performance with Surrane Jones and Matt Smith really playing off each other.

    • Vincent and the Doctor

    Not to everyone’s taste, but I think one of the best things Richard Curtis has done in years. The Doctor being bored, ranting about various artists he’s met, the joy of remarkable friendship, and someone unappreciated getting to see their legacy and it not making a difference. Truly, some conditions are more cruel than to be “fixed” so easily. A valuable lesson for Amy, and for the audience. Love the attention to detail on the set design and the wonderful tributes to his work that pepper the episode. The Starry night sequence is a work of genius.

    • The Eleventh Hour

    I had real worries about Matt Smiths casting. Know you still don’t think that much of him, but my reservations largely evaporated over this one hour. The scenes with young Amelia both here, and in the Big Bang linger in the memory. Older Amy also impressed. Love her slow acceptance that she really wasn’t mad and her imaginary friend is back.

    • Blink

    One of the cleverest ideas I think I’ve ever seen on the small screen. It unfolds at a cracking pace, and you never really have the opportunity to consider this a Doctor lite episode. The Easter egg conversations are brilliantly executed, especially the repeated segments.

    • Gridlock

    An episode that really does have more resonance if you grew up with Who and embraced 2000AD – The Galaxy’s Greatest Comic. In the year of a 2000AD anniversary what better than its older sibling to wish it a happy one. It’s full of the mad energy that the show and comic embrace. The idea of a neverending jam with people living their lives in vehicles (“Mo-Pads” in Dredd’s universe). The mood enhancing stims, the look of the undercity, and a catalogue of other references in the inhabitants ending with Max Normal – Pinstrip Freak as the Doctor views his old adversary – the Macra.

    • Girl in the Fireplace

    When I see people diss the show for lack of imagination I do splutter. What other show would invest the time to make something so beguiling as those clockwork droids (with both masks and naked being glorious creations) and only use them once? SM trials his Doctor impinging throughout the life of an individual to great effect. I find it an astonishing and quite beautiful episode. “The Doctor…. it’s more than a name isn’t it”.

    • The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances

    Ecclestone on fine form as he dances around a mystery with a resolution that shines with hope. Loved the many echoes to “Talons of Weng Chiang” to be found scattered about. A fantastic swaggering performance from Barrowman as Captain Jack.

    • Fathers Day

    Yep – another unashamedly sentimental one. Loved the interplay between Rose and her dad as she begins to realise her mothers interpretation of him might not have been all that accurate, and then the realisation that maybe he was. Big hair and big mobiles, setting the period. I love Ecclestone rallying and calming the wedding party.

    I’ll put 20 odd Pre-Gap episodes on your other blog tomorrow. I also want to highlight, with my remaining few upto 50 a few spinoff novels, comics and audio, which while not always considered canon, may be intruiging for anyone who hasn’t experienced them. This will, at least let me mention the Eighth Doctor.

  3. @PhaseShift, I only thought to ask our cherished @HTPBDET about Blink, but after reading your post, I realise I should have also asked why he left The Empty Child two-parter, The Doctor’s Wife, The God Complex, and The Eleventh Hour off his list.

    But perhaps that is us, trying to carve our our memories onto HTPBDET! He has his own favourites, and we have ours. As it should be. And I’m glad to hear your thoughts too, about your 20 favourite AG episodes. Mine coincide quite a bit.

    I’m still not able, though, to profess the necessary love for ‘The Girl Who Waited’. Solely because the entire episode revolved around one wholly ridiculous thing:

    Rory had to decide between the green and red buttons, and it was a not-inconsequential decision for him (i.e, it wasn’t elided over in editing, but was a significant moment left for the audience to view); then, later, he distractedly tells Amy to ‘Push the button!’

    It was heart-breaking as an audience member to put myself in Amy’s shoes – would I have survived? Would I have wanted to survive? For almost 40 years? But the pathos of the situation were mitigated, for me, by a ‘script reason’ – i.e., if Rory had told Amy which button to push, the entire story wouldn’t have happened. And there was no reason, in my mind, for that numbskull script reason to occur. Rory had had to choose between two buttons, so of course he (as the one who loved Amy more than she could love him) would not have left that important detail out of his command.

    I would have rated Father’s Day higher myself, but frankly feared the wrath of the PG Whoniverse in doing so – I didn’t understand why the Doctor would do what he knew was so completely wrong to do, i.e., crossing timelines so many times, and didn’t understand when I watched it, why he would risk all of that for Rose. I’m glad that you as a PG-afficionado like this episode as much as I do! And of course it gave Rose a chance to say that heretofore unsaid goodbye to her Dad; and it set up the return of Rose’s father in the alternate universe.

    I personally didn’t rate Vincent highly until very recently, when another DWF commenter posted a link to depresssion – ‘that invisible monster’ – and I suddenly understood all of the metaphors at work in that episode. Many, many, metaphors – VVG’s depression; the Doctor as a monster he can see in the mirror; Amy wanting to save someone (but she can’t really remember who she’s lost, yet) from a monster, but she can’t do it; and a blind ‘monster’ who is simply lost, and can’t find its way home.

  4. @shazzbot

    On “The Girl Who Waited”, I think you have to judge that in the overall arc of Rory and Amy. Rory was always the guy who wanted to settle down. He went with them because Amy wanted to and he always followed Amy. As the series progresses, she’s taken from him, his daughter is stolen and he begins to change.

    Old Rory would have followed Amy back to the TARDIS in that episode, and his casual treatment of her puts her in that situation – something he acknowledges. The joy of the rest of the episode is them both realising how much they love each other, and the Doctor having to make that choice at the end – lying to her.

    Watching it also gives you the mechanism for why the TARDIS exploded in the Pandorica Opens (in my opinion).

  5. @PhaseShift“Watching it [The GIrl Who Waited] also gives you the mechanism for why the TARDIS exploded in the Pandorica Opens”

    Whoo-errnm-whaaaa-??!? First of all, his [their] daughter hasn’t yet been taken from them, when this episode occurs – she’s not even a twinkle in the eye of her grandad, so to speak. I’m perfectly willing to review this episode in light of what comes after, and I really want to, because I think the pathos of Amy surviving on her own – and naming her own de-warriorised Handbot ‘Rory’ is a stroke of script-writing genius – is worth a manly and womanly tear or two.

    But, … “the mechanism for why the TARDIS exploded in the Pandorica Opens”

    Please essplain!

  6. @ShazzbotThe Girl Who Waited is set after AGMGTW and Let’s Kill Hitler. Rory is aware of who Melody is and the fact his little girl has been stolen (and he’s grown up with her, until she’s become River). In the episode the Doctor talks of the magnitude of paradox the TARDIS can contain, and her destruction if exceeded.

    Now consider what we didn’t know at the end of season 5. We saw River fly the TARDIS with ease in the Angels two-parter. Far better than the Doctor.

    Fast forward to Pandorica Opens, and the TARDIS starts struggling as soon as she gets in. What has changed? Her father has been erased from history. She’s a Paradox within the TARDIS, but perhaps a minor one. Her mother is alive, and an aspect of her father remains in Rory the Roman. River asks the TARDIS why it has bought her to Amy’s house. “What do you want me to see”. She explores and discovers the pictures of Rory the Roman, Amy and that something is up. The TARDIS was trying to tell her what her problem was. She was the problem. We (and the Doctor) didn’t realise this at the time.

    Back in the TARDIS she’s struggling. In rapid succession her mother is killed, and the only person who has a vague possibility of resolving the paradox is thrown into a Stasis prison. River becomes a bigger Paradox and ……. Bang.

    A theory? Perhaps. But exhibit A here is helpful. A short that was developed from a competition that was run for schoolchildren. That Steve Moffat helpfully added a bit of cheeky dialogue to.

    You only have to watch the first little bit and listen.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHu2JNfHG9A

    “I can’t believe River blew you up” – as he throws a fez onto the console. I know a lot of people are still speculating on this, but the reason I don’t is that I think it has been answered, but the resolution places the emphasis on the audience to work it out. Others disagree.

  7. Ahhh, you almost had me until the link 😀

    “The Girl Who Waited is set after AGMGTW and Let’s Kill Hitler.” Yeah, well, mister, explain that in context of all which we have seen in your link. 🙂

    I have a Hurt Doctor-sized mental block about The Girl Who Waited – albeit liking Karen Gillen’s rush to the acting fore in that episode, and what it means in the overall arc of Rory loving Amy more than she could ever love him – but perhaps we should hop off the Tardis onto Vincent, and the sublime description of depression in that episode; or, why Fathers Day was one of your 20 best episodes since 2005.

  8. My top 20 (based on how I felt about that at the time), in chronological order:

    1. Dalek
    2. The Unquiet Dead
    3. Fathers Day
    4. The Empty Child / The Doctor Dances
    5. The Girl in the Fireplace
    6. The Impossible Planet / The Satan Pit
    7. Human Nature / Family of Blood
    8. Blink
    9. Utopia / The Sound of the Drums
    10. The Fires of Pompeii
    11. Silence in the Library / Forest of the Dead
    12. Midnight
    13. Turn Left
    14. The Waters of Mars
    15. The Eleventh Hour
    16. The Pandorica Opens
    17. The Impossible Astronaut / Day of The Moon
    18. The Doctor’s Wife
    19. Hide
    20. The Name of the Doctor

    Lots of two-parters here, which should be no surprise. Quite a few Moffat-penned stories too, I now realise. Hmmm….

  9. Posted by Craig in HTPBDET’s absence

    @Shazzbot

    Please do not think that omission from the top twenty indicates a lack of enthusiasm or, worse, an outright hatred of stories.

    It doesn’t – at least for me.

    The ones I listed are just my particular favourites.

    There are a cluster of other stories vying for 20th place – and they include Blink, Doctor’s Wife, Vincent and the Doctor, 42, Idiot’s Lantern, Eleventh Hour, Voyage of the Damned, Hide, Waters of Mars, Rise of the Cybermen/Age of Steel, Girl Who Waited, Time of the Angels, Christmas Invasion and New Earth ( not in any order )

    I find Moffat’s writing inconsistent – he often has the most fantastic ideas but, sometimes, they do not stand up to analysis and nor do they fulfill their promise.

    Hence, I include Pandorica Opens but not Big Bang.

    Blink is an interesting case. I loved it when I first saw it, but I had no real desire to watch it again. It seems fabulously clever writing – and much of it is – but I knew that it did not hold up to scrutiny and I wanted just to preserve the good feeling, the heart-breaking and heart-warming moments, the sense of abject terror it created.

    I also knew that Moffat knew that fans like me would say what I just said because this exchange in Blink is clearly directed at fans:

    LARRY: Sally, can’t you let it go?

    SALLY: Of course I can’t let it go.

    LARRY: This is over.

    SALLY: How did the Doctor know where to write the words on the wall? How could he get a copy of the transcript? Where did he get all that information from?

    LARRY: Look, some things you never find out. And that’s okay.

    SALLY: No, it isn’t.

    LARRY: Ever think this might be getting in the way of other things?

    SALLY: We just run a shop together. That’s all it is, just a shop.

    Read it like this:

    FAN 1: Sally, can’t you let it go?

    FAN2: Of course I can’t let it go.

    FAN1: The episode is over.

    FAN2: How did the Doctor know where to write the words on the wall? How could he get a copy of the transcript? Where did he get all that information from?

    FAN1: Look, some things you never find out. And that’s okay.

    FAN2: No, it isn’t.

    FAN1: Ever think this might be getting in the way of other things? We just watch a TV show together. That’s all it is, just a TV Show.

    It seems quite clear to me, as it did when I first watched it. It’s a direct challenge to fans to shut up about plot holes and enjoy.

    It was designed to smooth over things like – how could Sally possibly know the precise time she would need to duck to avoid the thrown rock/pot? How could writing “Duck now” on the wall possibly ensure she ducked at the correct second? Who threw the rock/pot and why? Is it really likely the Doctor would have Sally’s folder on him when zapped by the Angels? And, most crucially, if the Angels had the TARDIS key why hadn’t they used it?

    Remembering the Doctor says this:

    The lonely assassins, they used to be called. No one quite knows where they came from, but they’re as old as the universe, or very nearly, and they have survived this long because they have the most perfect defence system ever evolved. They are quantum-locked. They don’t exist when they’re being observed. The moment they are seen by any other living creature, they freeze into rock. No choice. It’s a fact of their biology. In the sight of any living thing, they literally turn to stone. And you can’t kill a stone. Of course, a stone can’t kill you either. But then you turn your head away, then you blink, and oh yes it can. ..That’s why they cover their eyes. They’re not weeping. They can’t risk looking at each other. Their greatest asset is their greatest curse. They can never be seen. The loneliest creatures in the universe. And I’m sorry. I am very, very sorry. It’s up to you now.

    Why didn’t the Angels Sally was not looking at when she took the TARDIS key from one of them zap her into the past and feed on her unexpended energy?

    Moffat also changes the rules, even his own, when it suits him. For instance, there is this in Blink:

    Fascinating race, the Weeping Angels. The only psychopaths in the universe to kill you nicely. No mess, no fuss, they just zap you into the past and let you live to death. The rest of your life used up and blown away in the blink of an eye. You die in the past, and in the present they consume the energy of all the days you might have had. All your stolen moments. They’re creatures of the abstract. They live off potential energy.

    Tell that to Father Octavian…

    None of this is to say that I did not love Blink – I did and do. But the reasons I have given take it out of my top 20.

    Of course, this is not to suggest that the stories which made my top 20 list are not plot-hole free or do not have irritating aspects. It’s just that, on balance, I prefer those twenty or admire them as a whole more – It’s all down to personal preference.

    Tell me, why do you like Blink and Doctor’s Wife?

    🙂

  10. @HTPBDET – You have such an advantage over me, in that your excellent memory and depth & breadth of knowledge of the show far surpass mine; I’m unable to quote lines (even a single line, much less whole conversations!) of dialogue to support my viewpoint, and I can’t wrap my analysis of one episode around the history of the show. Nor can I bring anything like your personal illustrations to my writing.

    But you have challenged, and I will accept. 🙂

    I starting watching the re-booted Doctor Who somewhere in David Tennant’s first series. I enjoyed what I saw so much that I started devouring each new week’s episode, and sought out the repeats of Ecclestone’s series (which I believe the BBC only repeated once; although they repeated everything beginning with Tennant multiple times). The only box-set I own is Ecclestone’s series. And all I know of previous series is through the writing on this site by you and others.

    1. Creepiness

    1a. Unseen monsters

    In thinking about my ‘top’ episodes, I realise that what I find creepiest – and therefore favourite! – is an unseen monster – Midnight, The Doctor’s Wife (House). How do you ‘fight’ a monster you can’t see? And it sounds odd to say but I find a cerebral scare far more gut-punching than a physically scary-looking monster. That also goes back to me being primarily a book-reader and not a TV-watcher as a child.

    Someone once said that once you ‘show’ the monster, some small part of your mind thinks ‘well, that’s not as bad as I was worried about.’ The mind imagines the worst thing you personally can think of, so any full-on sighting will never be as awful as what your mental picture was. (I think the example used was ‘oh my gosh that’s a 10-foot spider! … well, at least it’s not a 100-foot spider.’) Strictly in terms of this alone, God Complex was let down for me by seeing the Minotaur at the end. (see no. 2)

    Vincent earns half a point in this category for introducing an unseen monster but making it viewable too early in the episode. (see no. 2)

    1b. Incorporeal monsters

    Here, my episode choices are Silence/Forest, The Eleventh Hour, Empty Child/Doctor Dances, Waters of Mars. An incorporeal monster is inevitably going to start inhabiting things to gain perambulation, and human bodies are excellent for that. 😉 It also feeds into the human fear of loss of control – your body has been taken over by something and you no longer are the master of even your own body, much less your actions and thoughts. And, of course, you become the monster … which unless you have severe psychological problems 🙂 no-one wants to think of themselves as a monster, and if you have a vestige of your own thoughts alongside the monster’s in your mind, you have the horror of seeing yourself do things you don’t want to do, yet powerless to stop yourself.

    1c. Monsters that look like ordinary everyday things

    This is where Blink comes in for me. Who knew I could be suspicious of that Aphrodite on her shell that I can see in my garden from where I sit typing?! (Good thing I’m a touch-typist, I can keep an eye on her at all times!) Snowmen earns half a point here only, because snow melts whereas statues definitely do not.

    2. Larger themes

    (Back to God Complex and Vincent)

    God Complex tackles the concept of fear of the unknown and flips it totally on its head – the Doctor believes personal faith in something will conquer that fear (quite reasonable for any of us to assume). Yet it transpires that personal faith was the monster’s key to that person’s mind/soul. And a ‘Room 101’ for each of us has been in our cultural DNA since 1948, so it was a plot point we could all accept and dread.

    Vincent was all about the blind, unseen ‘monster’ of depression, and even though I really didn’t like the Doctor and Amy taking Vincent to modern-day Paris, that trip had an important point to make about serious depression.

    Turn Left was ostensibly about the little differences that can have huge effects on our life (and others’ lives), of course, but it was ultimately about self-sacrifice and whether we have the strength within to trust, completely, our ability to do the necessary thing.

    3. Humour

    Unicorn & the Wasp – yep, that death-by-cyanide scene was gloriously madcap, filled with funny moments, and was capped off by that unexpected kiss. In fact, I like most of the Donna series because the banter between the two of them was sublime.

    The Doctor’s Wife – the screwball comedy-style speed of dialogue between Idris and the Doctor is still a joy to remember. (also Amy: ‘Did you wish really, really hard?’)

    School Reunion – the one-upmanship between SJ and Rose was well-written, and it was great to see them realise during that exchange that they actually had much in common, and no need to be competitive over the Doctor.

    4. Pathos

    Absolutely, the loss of Rose behind the wall of the alternative universe still brings a tear to my eye, and her subsequent goodbye to a hologram of the Doctor is heart-breaking. In many ways, I wish the production team had the gumption to stand by this and not bring her back, and not give her a ‘human Doctor clone’ as a consolation prize.

    Amy in The Girl Who Waited – to turn into a warrior to survive, completely alone and bereft of human companionship – I thought that Tom Hanks movie where he lives on the island was gut-wrenching to contemplate, but Amy manages for decades. And then after all hope had actually died, she has to confront the people who she thought had abandoned her – and do the right thing for them (but not for her).

    Father’s Day – would you be willing to rip a hole in the universe to get to know the Dad you never met?

    There’s so much more, but I’ll stop now! I hope you enjoyed reading this. Keep getting better, and please keep writing more.

  11. @Shazzbot
    Sorry it has taken me so long to respond. I really enjoyed reading your thoughts and understanding more about your journey in the world of the Doctor.  I can only imagine what it must have been like to encounter Tennant as your first Doctor but there is a part of me that is, truly, envious of that.
    Hope you will join us all in watching Talons of Weng-Chiang and commenting on how you feel about it as an AG Who fan
    Unseen monsters are, indeed, always the creepiest. It’s partly why the Cybermen are such favourites of mine, because in the very early days, they spent a lot of time in the shadows, waiting to be revealed.
    I. too, was a great book-reader as a child. Still am, I guess. But I think the thing is that, back when Doctor Who started, the medium of television was still finding its way – so there was a clear distinction between watching television (which meant a commitment to doing something at a specific time each week and only having one chance to see it) and reading a book (which could be done anytime). Nowadays, one can choose when to watch what one wants in exactly the same way as one chooses where and when to read a book. So, I think that the “language” of reading and watching television has changed over time.
    I wonder what you think of the Snowmen vis-à-vis the Autons/Nestene Consciousness? Do you find the Snowmen scarier?
    Always seemed to me that the Nestenes were a kind of substitute for the Great Intelligence in Pertwee’s era – and I love them. I just always wished the GI could have operated the Yeti and the plastic…
    You have made me think hard about watching God Complex again…J
    Humour, as you rightly identify, is and has always been an integral part of Doctor Who – there is nothing like the scary thrill followed by the unexpected laugh.
    I suppose your view about Rose and whether it was good or bad that she returned in Tennant’s third year depends on whether or not you subscribe to the theory that the Doctor was in love with her. I don’t think he was – he loved her, sure, but I don’t think he was in love with her. She, on the other hand, was clearly in love with him. So, her return, in a metaphorical sense, represents her final chance to claim him – and, of course, in a fairy-tale kind of way she gets to take her Prince home. So, I actually quite liked Rose’s return – and I am still wondering whether or not Tennant is playing Rose’s Doctor in the Anniversary Special.  
     
    I really liked Father’s Day too – indeed, it is, I think, the first story in AG Doctor Who which could not easily be seen as a BG Doctor Who story. It’s also the moment where I decided that, for me, Eccleston was the Doctor, where I had no reservations about his portrayal.

    Thank you for sharing your thoughts @Shazzbot.

  12. @HTPBDET – Thanks, and I’m so glad to see you back online again!  I was on holiday this last week so missed giving you the [timely] massive hug you deserve.  Can I be a posting tart and point you toward my Caption Competition comments?  (My specialite is doing lyrics-to-the-tune-of.)

    It’s awfully late now but I promise to read tomorrow all that you posted in the last week and provide proper replies.  Just give me some time to get over my massive sighs of relief that you are doing so well.

    (P.S. I also posted a comment on the Talons of Weng Chiang thread;  please be gentle with me!)

    (P.P.S. you <i>so</i> need to add an ‘S’ to your moniker  😀 )

  13. A lovely idea. I thought the top twenty AG stories would be easy and He and I have just dicussed it after a few wines and we have made a list, of 34 favourites so it is clearly a more difficult task than I anticipated. Might take some time before I can put up the list of my top 20 and considerably longer before we can compile a list of our favourite 50 but we are working on it..

    Cheers

    Janette

  14. @HTPBDET“Nowadays, one can choose when to watch what one wants in exactly the same way as one chooses where and when to read a book. So, I think that the “language” of reading and watching television has changed over time.”

    That is a mighty truth.  Nothing makes me feel older than remembering my summer vacations in America (school years ran from September to June, with a great yawning gap in between).  I spent summer hours at the local library choosing books to read, reading them (well, the library had air-conditioning, and it was Southern California!), and getting those gold stars on my chart which I’m still inordinantly over-pleased to have won.

    Not sure I have much to offer in terms of Nestene Consciousness / Autons.  Although I will see your extravagantly personal blogging with a secret of my own – I always thought my cuddly toys came to life at night.  I would talk to them in the daytime, telling them I knew they were really alive, and exhorting them not to be mean to me in the moonlight.  (Why I, as a small child, assumed my toys would be mean to me under cover of darkness is a psychologist’s dream.)  So, safe to say that my childish imagination was fertile ground for a force which could animate otherwise still objects.

  15. @Shazzbot          That’s a lovely secret and thanks for sharing it. Very much appreciated.

    There is, actually, nothing more bleak, desolate or potentially frightening than a child’s toy – unless it is clutched firmly in the hand of a beaming child or casually within reaching distance of said child, awake or asleep.

    I have always wanted the Celestial Toymaker to team up with the Autons to steal the children of a world through their toys – cannot imagine anything more frightening – and simple…

    I wanted to call it Trouble in Toyland – what do you think?

    🙂

  16. @HTPBDET – I told someone else here that I call you ‘Geoff’ in my mind, just because ‘haitch-tup-bidudit’ is a mouthful even in silent mode.  🙂   Dunno why Geoff, but hope you don’t mind.

    I’m liking The Talons of Weng-Chiang quite a lot so far, not least because of the ventriloquist’s dummy.  As I said, as a child I imagined my toys had a life of their own – not just at night, but anytime I wasn’t looking at them.  I actually {cringe} would come into my bedroom and scan them to see if they’d changed position in my absence.  So yes, ‘Trouble in Toyland’ is a story right up my street.  I can imagine that many other children were in my shoes, looking at their toys and wondering what life they had when I was not there in the room with them.

  17. No Amys Choice?

    The simpleness of AMy having decide and realising that for all the excitement, the brilliance, the darkness in the Doctor, it wasn’t him.

    It was Rory.

    Plain simple Rory who had loved her since year dot.

    I always liked that  🙂

     

    Also, Girl in the Fireplace, Blink, Dalek, School Reunion, SMith and Jones, Partners in Crime, Unicorn and the Wasp, SIlence in the Libary, Midnight, The Next Doctor, The TIme of Angels, The Lodger , Day of the Moon, Doctors Wife, AGMGTW,  Cold War (though really disappointed at the SFX) , Hide, JtTCoTT, Crimson Horror

  18. I had to place a couple rules on my list to make it fair to pick between single and two-part episodes. So I automatically gave the win to single episodes. So here is the way my list turned out.

    1. The Angels Take Manhatten
    2. Amy’s Choice
    3. Blink
    4. Love and Monsters
    5. The Doctor’s Wife
    6. The End of the World
    7. Asylum of the Daleks
    8. The Runaway Bride
    9. Let’s Kill Hitler
    10. The Wedding of River Song
    11. A Good Man Goes to War
    12. The Christmas Invasion
    13. The Elventh Hour
    14. The Day of the Doctor
    15. Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead
    16. The Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon
    17. The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang
    18. The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances
    19. The Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone
    20. Bad Wolf/The Parting of the Ways

    These are the episodes that I like more everytime I watch them. I didn’t select them based on the performances of any of the actors, since I always think they do great. So I just think the writing, stories and characters, are the most exciting in these.

  19. @shazzbot

    My introduction to the show is very similar to yours.  Many times I have asked myself, “Why do I love this show so much?”  In five years of watching, I never felt any closer to finding the answer. My list of favorite episodes was based only on how often I would watch them and how I felt afterwards.  I agree with your list of elements. It amazes me how clearly you were able to identify them.  I knew Doctor Who had elements like creepiness, humor, and larger themes that I liked, but I didn’t know about your last category Pathos. IMO, the best episodes manage to include all of the elements, only changing the order of importance given to them. 

     I couldn’t explain before, why I thought it was “fair” to give single episodes the win over two part ones. I definitely would have placed the two part episodes higher on my list. But I wanted to give some credit, to one part episodes, for including all the elements in half the time (impressive to me, but not very important). Especially now, when it occurs to me, that the “pathos” in many of my favorite episodes was built up over entire seasons.

     I have the nagging feeling in the back of my mind, that Doctor Who still has an element that I never really want to find.

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