Okay, so the end of the episode was a bit lacking, but the overall idea of “Cold War” was so fun that we had to include it at number 30. This episode managed to incorporate so many tropes of Cold War-inspired media, and we had a lot of laughs watching Smith and Coleman race around the tiny submarine. The location and the genre meant there was heightened tension, and this worked wonderfully in Smith’s performance.
Not all fans will agree with this ranking, but the close of season 6 was always somewhat disappointing to us. While there were unique elements (and we loved the return of those eyepatches), the solution to all of the questions asked in this season was unsatisfying. The combination of the fakeout wedding and the fake Doctor made this an episode that couldn’t be salvaged, even by a stellar performance by all of the cast.
Smith has fantastic chemistry with the trio of Vastra, Jenny and Strax, and we loved seeing their return in “The Crimson Horror.” The solution was a little weak (all of this for a prehistorical leech?), but the overall concept was so interesting that we couldn’t help but enjoy it. Smith played well off Coleman as usual, but we were also delighted to see his interactions with Ada and Mrs. Gillyflower, albeit for slightly different reasons.
There was a lot of potential in this two-part episode, but it unfortunately didn’t quite manage to pull off what it set out to do. “The Hungry Earth” had a solid set up, but it was the emotional climax of “Cold Blood” that really bumped this up the list. The three key actors played this so well, that even the weirdly designed Silurians didn’t bother us. It wasn’t perfect, but it was getting closer.
“A Christmas Carol” was absolutely one of the better Christmas specials that we have seen on Doctor Who. Combining Moffat’s quirky take on a real Christmas story with a little Doctor Who magic (or science, whatever we’re calling it), this was a delightful episode that gave Smith room to show off his comedic chops. Not to mention, Marilyn Monroe.
Another controversial choice, but how can we not love “Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS”? The first episode to give us a true glimpse past the control room of the TARDIS (rather than just the corridors), we loved the adventure vibe and the reveal about the supporting characters. This was an episode that made us recall Clara’s introduction, and remember the distinct chemistry that Coleman and Smith have, even when they aren’t in the same room.
Any follow up to the season 5 opener was going to have a lot of work to do, but in general “The Beast Below” succeeded. This episode proved that the chemistry between Gillan and Smith was not a fluke, but a relationship that we would continue to enjoy through her time on Doctor Who. The imaginative elements and the badass that was Liz 10 had us smiling, while the emotional ending still packed a punch.
While many fans enjoyed it immensely, the combination of genres in “Hide” is actually what cost this episode a higher place on our list. For us, the 1970s period and the ghost story was all that this episode needed – but it wouldn’t be Doctor Who if it didn’t get overcomplicated once in a while. The love story switch at the end was fun, although it was Smith’s empathy that really sold us on the reveal.
“The Name of the Doctor” was too concerned with bringing back past characters and clever reveals that it didn’t really accomplish all that it could have. Despite the title, Matt Smith was overshadowed by the complicated elements that didn’t all work together. Although it set up the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who, it seems safe to say by now that the Clara story didn’t work as well as the writing team may have hoped.
This might be an unpopular opinion, but we loved “Night Terrors.” The creepy one-off episode included fantastic performances from Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill. The reusing of elements like the perception filter did not even bother us; we were too concerned with those terrifying dolls. Although it didn’t entirely fit into the overarching storyline, the plot of the episode was absolutely enjoyable.
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