The 13 Greatest Doctor Who Tv Stories of the Modern Era

[[SPOILER, but you knew that]]

With Doctor Who's Revolution of the Daleks coming out later today, I thought I would start my 2021 with a Top 10- wait no let's do a Top 13 of the best Doctor Who Episodes of the revival era of the franchise.

Be warned this is my opinion and your thoughts about the matter to me are moot.

So let's begin or something...

13. The Runaway Bride

It's no doubt that I'm a big big big big big fan of David Tennant's portrayal of The Doctor and this episode is something I have been attached for years as this was the first Doctor Who episode I had ever watched. 

It's a simple Christmas special which was the continuation of the cliffhanger that Series 2 left us on with a red-haired woman in a wedding dress appearing in the TARDIS after Tenth's most heartbreaking moment. Filled with various hijinks and Dark Doctor Moment!!! 

12. Human Nature/The Family of Blood

Guess what? The Doctor and his Companions are in trouble again and as they always mostly do they run. But what's this the monster of the week cannot be stopped, hmm that means TWO-PART STORY!!! woop woop (and also period clothing) 

Well, the villains aren't something to behold but what the story does for Martha's relationship with Tenth is great and also works on giving Tenth more depth. This also introduces us to a new concept of a time-lord hiding around the universe as a human. Yep, Ten is human for a good part of the two-parter.

11. Heaven Sent/Hell Bent

Well, this is, in my opinion, one of the Capaldi's best performances as the Doctor with him actually suffering. And we get back to Gallifrey. If I do another woop woop y'all will hate me. 

It has an emotional Twelve after the death of Clara with a fixed location time loop story which is continued with Twelve being a badass in his home planet. And also farewell to Clara. Words can't describe this episode enough.

Just give it a try cuz it tries something great with Capaldi before he became the teaching Doctor.

10. Demons of the Punjab

I have a personal attraction to stories based on earth history and a story set in the Partition era?! Sign me up. 

With rich character and a story based on a Companion's ancestors, the whole episode is a joyride which ends in tragedy regardless. But I'm still amazed by the depth of the side characters and the monster of the week not even being bad guys whose traditions almost made me make a new religion which was IMO too emo. This has got to be my favourite episode with the 13th Doctor.

9. The Eleventh Hour

Ah yes! The first actual episode with Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor and in HD. Wowza. We have a raggedy man in a blue box falling out of the sky into a Scottish girl's backyard. 

With our introduction to Amy Pond and Rory, the companions we get a homage to Doctors of past. The new Doctor is funny and quirky and as dangerous as always. Nothing else to say other than that.

Oh and watch out for gain eyeballs and little to no consequences.

8. Turn Left

Yep an alternate timeline, I love alternative timelines. And it follows Donna which is amazing. And BOOM! Bad Wolf. 

I'm a fan of Donna Noble too. She has one of her best episodes and she's solo but also joined by Rose Tyler. It ponders what if Donna Noble never met the Doctor again and he died in the Invasion of the Toclafane which was orchestrated by the Master.

7. The Waters of Mars

The biggest Dark Doctor Moment in my opinion. It's mostly character-driven plot with a few episodes away from the death of the Doctor. 

It shows how far the Doctor would go when he isn't regulated. Even going as far as to change a fixed point in time. We all know Tenth is the darkest Doctor to date and after all that happened in Journey's End.

And the first glimpse at Time Lord Victorious even though it's solved literally in minutes. It's kind of an "eh" episode for some people but even more Dark Doctor Moments is great.

6. Vincent and the Doctor

Yay a classic catch-the-monster episode with Eleven and Amy and also it's set on Earth where they meet Vincent van Gogh during the days leading up to his eventual suicide.

I won't fib with you but this episode is sad as you get to know this lovely troubled man running around France where everyone he knows berates him and you know he will eventually take his own life and the Doctor can't do nothing about it.
Nonetheless, it has a good side character and a good setting to boot.

5. Blink

Now listen up, yeah I know you like Blink, might even be your favourite episode but this is my list so your opinion means nothing to me. It's a good episode but it is totally overrated. 

Following someone other than the Doctor and their Companions is great at times but it's done at its best. It has a lot of wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff and the first on-screen appearance of the Weeping Angels.

It's a cleverly written piece without a doubt and pretty fun episode to begin with. Definitely a win.

4. Word Enough and Time/The Docter Falls

In my opinion, the greatest emotional Doctor Who episode that actually made me cry. I know Peter Capaldi isn't the greatest Doctor but this was his swan song. 
With the resurgence of the Master and partially redeemed Missy and the return of the Mondasian Cybermen with time shenanigans caused by a black hole. A great farewell to Nardole and Bill and Twelve in the next episode but this hit all the bars.

Every one of the main characters gave their best performance during this story, although the MissyxMaster thing was kinda bizarre. I mean it's not weird for the Master to be narcissexual but yikes.

3. The End of Time

Yes, Doctor's final time as the 10th doctor or we thought. I know he returns in Day of the Doctor but this is the final time Tennant's Doctor had an adventure. A Time-Lord plot, although as not as interesting as the normal ones, is still welcome. 

With Rassilon and the Master being in the same time period, this cannot mean well for Earth or The Doctor of War. As foretold, this is the Doctor's death. Companion-less and sadder than ever the Doctor rushes to save his oldest friend. But the Doctor is nothing without a companion so he is joined by Wilfred, Donna's grandfather. And thus a meme was born. 
Ps. "Vale Decem" in my opinion is the best piece of orchestral music on the show.

2. The Stolen Earth/Journey's End

Literally, everything crosses over into this two-parter culminating with the conclusion to the romance between Rose Tyler and Ten. It also concludes Donna's adventures with the Doctor. Yes, I love that episode mostly for Donna as she gives her most emotional performance here.

Torchwood, Sarah Jane and all the Companions till that point join the Doctor in the biggest resurgence of the Daleks with the whole season hinting at their plans. It was amazing to see it all come together in a battle that results in 3 Doctors. Again not much words cause I think I will steal the importance of it if I spoil any more. 

1. Utopia

Yes, in my opinion, this is the best episode in the whole series. With a twist that can be easily caught by fans of the original run and an introduction to the Doctor's greatest nemesis for new fans. The Master is a one of a kinda crazy that acts with the energy of the Tenth Doctor whilst being his polar opposite. 

The addition of the Master being there, like literally staring us in the face but still we are not able to understand. It also takes us to the end of the universe, a bad place where the future humans are feral and the normal ones are waiting for death. But they have hope, a distant signal of Utopia. The episode has good main-side characters and the return of Jack Harkness. It's an episode which has a good reason to exist.

With Jack's immortality, the fob watch of the time-lords and being at the end of the universe it is a story for those who are invested in the series.