6. Returning humans
Some of the best episodes of Doctor Who are when the Doctor has meaningful interactions with humans who are not the companion. In the reboot era two great examples of this are Harriett Jones and Craig, who made substantial contributions to the series by giving the Doctor a different perspective on things in his times of need. This year we have Joivan Wade as Rigsy coming back. He was a huge hit last year as a graffiti artist who Clara befriended in “Flatline.”
7. Clara and the Doctor
Speaking of Clara, Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman finally clicked as the Doctor and companion by the end of the season. There were some rough patches, but by the end of the season their relationship worked. A lot centered on bickering and control, but it worked. We particularly liked that we were not facing the Doctor and girlfriend motif yet again. This one is truly space alien and his human guide.
8. Mark Gatiss
Mark Gatiss has penned a number of episodes over the years. Our two favorites were “The Crimson Horror” and last year’s romp “Robots of Sherwood.” This year he’s behind episode number 9 called “Sleep No More.” We’d also love it if Gatiss made one of his famous cameos as an alien, but no word on that as of yet.
9. River Song
OK, so technically she’s not in the main run of 12 episodes. Technically she’s in the Doctor Who Christmas Special, but details, details. The only thing that could be better than River Song interacting with the Doctor would be if we could get Captain Jack Harkness interacting with the Doctor. Hope springs eternal!
10. Two-parters
It’s really a balance thing. Doctor Who is at its best when there are both one-off and two-parters in a season. Sometimes you want that scary and/or funny standalone episode, such as last year’s museum overnight gone jungle “In the Forest of the Night.” The last two seasons, except for season finales, have been exclusively one-offs. We’ve really missed those suspenseful two-parters like “Silence in the Library” and “Forest of the Damned,” and we are happy about their return.
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