Top 10 Fav. Episodes of Doctor Who Part 2

Less than a week to go until the 50th anniversary episode for Doctor Who!  My excitement levels are pretty much off the charts, and watching the mini-sode "The Night of the Doctor" has only added a heaping does of crazy happiness.  How great was it to see the Eighth Doctor again?  He was fantastic, and I wish Paul McGann could get a spinoff show.  I would totally watch it, as I suspect every other Doctor Who fan would, judging by the insane level of sheer glee on the internet in reaction to him reprising the role.  It was a great surprise, and it makes me think that "The Day of the Doctor" is going to be just freaking awesome.

So last week, I started a countdown of my favorite Doctor Who episodes, and this weekend we're finishing that countdown to number one.  The Whovember celebration continueths now with these Top 5 Personal Favorite Episodes!  Let's get to it...

#5: The Runaway Bride
Doctor: 10th

Now, I know a lot of fans don't like this episode, because many found the character of Donna here to be extremely annoying.  But I only ever found her hilarious in this episode.  This is another Christmas special, the first one after Rose is trapped in the alternate universe.  So here we get to see the Doctor when he is hurting, and angry, even a bit dangerous.  I like getting to see this darker side of the Doctor because it reminds you that even though he is a good man, (well, Time Lord) he still has flaws.  He's not perfect.

Also, he's not from Mars.

I also really enjoy the humor in the episode.  The running joke of Donna calling him a Martian and him trying to correct her is great, as is Donna's reactions to some of his questions.  I also like that Donna isn't afraid to give him what for--she speaks her mind and is straight up about what she thinks.  She tells the Doctor that he shouldn't travel alone and she's right.

Donna: Hmm...I think this situation calls for a cookie.
Doctor: I sense you are a wise woman.

Overall, I think The Runaway Bride is a vastly underrated episode.  Sure, the villain is ridiculously over-the-top, but the emphasis on character development makes up for it.  For this, The Runaway Bride cracks my top 5 favorites.

#4: School Reunion

Doctor: 10th

WE GET TO SEE SARAH JANE AND K-9!!  

*Does the Dance of Joy*

I haven't even watched Classic Who, but I know how beloved Sarah Jane is as a companion.  She first made her appearance with the Third Doctor, and she sticks with him through a regeneration into the Fourth. She is one of the most, if not the most popular companions in the history of the show, and so to get to see her interact with the Tenth Doctor is a wonderful surprise and treat for the fans.  The fact that the episode doesn't let us down in quality makes everything even better.

So not only do we get to see Sarah Jane and K-9 again, we also get to see Anthony Stewart Head, or as I think of him, Giles!  (From Buffy the Vampire Slayer)  It's so freaky watching him play the villain of the episode, and he does a great job--he is definitely creepy and sinister.  (Giles!  What happened to you?!)

The trademark Doctor Who humor is in full swing here--Rose's jealously over finding out that the Doctor has traveled with other women in the past is hilarious, and another hilarious scene opens the episode with the Doctor teaching a science class.

Gah, I wish the Doctor had been my science teacher.  Seriously.  School Reunion is a great episode, and it definitely belongs in my top 5 favorite episodes.

#3: The Fires of Pompeii
Doctor: 10th

I know, another Tenth Doctor Episode, but I can't help it.  The Tenth Doctor was my favorite, and it's because there are so many good episodes during his run.  The Fires of Pompeii is another example of Doctor Who at its best.  I just watched it again last night, and every time, it reminds me of how good it is.

This episode takes place in the past, and I always love it when the show travels back in time.  The production values are fantastic in this episode--Pompeii looks amazing, and the special effects are also just incredible.  You can tell the show put effort into making the special effects look good, and it pays off. Watching Mount Vesuvius erupt and destroy the city is such a powerful scene, one of the most moving I think in the whole series.  What's especially wrenching about this episode, is that we see that the Doctor can't always save everyone, no matter how much he wants to.  But I also like that even though he can't save everyone, he goes back, at Donna's begging, and saves a single family.  That's why the Doctor needs a companion, and he says as much to Donna at the end.

As sad as this episode is, there are also some great moments--like when the Doctor fights off the lava monsters with a squirt gun.

Total badass.

What's especially cool about this episode now, is that it has Peter Capaldi--the actor soon to be playing the 12th Doctor--playing the head of the Roman family the Doctor rescues.  I like that in the end, the family has a carving of the Doctor and Donna in their home.  It's always fun to see the Doctor leaving evidence of himself throughout history.

Modern Day Archaeologist: WTF?!

Plus, in The Fires of Pompeii we get this shot:

I can show you the world.

Which makes me think of:

Do you trust me?

Note to self: Call the BBC and ask for a Doctor Who/Disney crossover.  Because it would be awesome.

Anywho, moving on to...

#2: The Doctor's Wife
Doctor: 11th

This is such a great episode, written by Neil Gaimen, and I watch it over and over.  Why?  Because we finally get to meet the TARDIS and she is amazing.  Now it's important to remember that the TARDIS is alive and sentient.  She and the Doctor share a telepathic bond with each other, but this is the first time we get to see them interact person to person.  And it's gloriously entertaining, as well as touching.

My one true pairing of the show.

Really, that's why I love this episode so much.  The Amy and Rory subplot is whatever, it's the interactions between the Doctor and the TARDIS that makes this episode one of my all-time favorites.

So romantic...

And finally, we reach my #1 Favorite: The Christmas Invasion
Doctor: 10th

Where do I start with The Christmas Invasion?  First of all, it's our first proper episode with the Tenth Doctor, and even though he spends the majority of the episode unconscious, he still manages to steal the show.  Second, it's absolutely hilarious.  I crack up every single time when the Tenth Doctor stops his frantic explaining to ask why there's an apple in his dressing gown.

Doctor: We haven't got much time.  If there's pilot fish then...why is there an apple in my dressing gown?
Jackie: Oh, that's Howard's, sorry.
Doctor: He keeps apples in his dressing gown?
Jackie: He gets hungry...
Doctor: What, he gets hungry in his sleep?
Jackie: Sometimes.

Hello, have you seen my clothes?

From the Doctor, to Harriet Jones: Prime Minister, to the nod to Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, to the instantly classic line, "I'm gonna get killed by a Christmas tree!!" to the Doctor's disappointment of not being a ginger, and to the fact that a cup of tea is what ultimately saves the day by reviving the Doctor--this episode is just over-the-top, beyond fun.  I like the acknowledgement of Classic Who as well, when we get to see the wardrobe room of the TARDIS and watch the Doctor assemble his new outfit, while wearing the Fourth Doctor's scarf. : )

So there is my list of my Top 10 personal favorites.  It was hard choosing what to include, but ultimately these are the episodes that draw me back for a re-watch again and again.  I'd love to hear about your personal favs in a comment!

Fun Fact of the Day: Several episodes of Doctor Who begin with the exact same sequence: a view of the Earth's moon, then panning towards Earth followed by a fast zoom down to London.  Episodes in which this opening was used include "Rose," "The Christmas Invasion," "Army of Ghosts," and "The Runaway Bride."

TTFN! Ta Ta for Now!

Top 10 Favorite Episodes of Doctor Who

Hello readers!  My Whovember celebration continues in this post.  I suspect by now all us Whovains have watched the trailer for the 50th anniversary episode over a thousand times, and all I can say is, "Is it Nov. 23rd yet?!"  I can't wait to see the Tenth Doctor again, and for him to meet the 11th Doctor just fills me with what can only be described as unimaginable excitement and glee.

Face of unimaginable excitement and glee.

Today I'm going to talk about my Top 10 favorite episodes from the show.  These are my personal favorites, the episodes I find myself going back to watch again and again when I have a spare hour to kill from reading Doctor Who fanfiction.  Now, I want to be very clear that I don't think these are the Top 10 best episodes, just my personal favorites.  I plan to do another list later on, of the Top 10 Best.  Also, I should state again, that for the moment, I still haven't been able to watch any Classic Who, so all the episodes come from New Who.  One day I will catch up with the Classic Episodes, and then I plan to re-evaluate all my lists. So no complaining that there isn't anything from the classic episodes please. ; ) If you have some favorite episodes from Classic Who, I'd love to hear about them in the comments.

Without further ado, let us begin the list of Top 10 Personal Favorite Episodes of Doctor Who! (Hooray!)

Honorable Mention: A Christmas Carol
Doctor: 11th

Now, as an American Whovian, I only recently discovered that not all Doctor Who episodes are up in Netflix, or available in the iTunes seasons.  So it was only these past couple of weeks that I realized that I had missed some of the Eleventh Doctor's Christmas specials.  Fortunately, my local Barnes & Nobles has them available on DVD, so I raced down to my store to procure them.  One of these episodes was A Christmas Carol.

I do believe I've stepped into a classic English  novel. Jolly good!

I liked A Christmas Carol immensely--it's a lighthearted romp of an episode, with a great guest star in Michael Gambon, and some hilarious scenes with the Doctor.  The spirit of Christmas is definitely present throughout, and I liked the images of the fish swimming in the air.  Overall, I found it a very fun and heartwarming episode.

#10: Partners in Crime
Doctor: 10th

Okay, I have to say this episode contains one of my favorite moments in the whole series, and that is when the Doctor and Donna meet up again after spending the episode just narrowly missing each other.  Them spotting each other through the windows, and their subsequent mime conversation is hysterical.  I love Donna Noble--she is by far my favorite companion, and it's the scenes like the one mentioned above that cement her status.  For this scene alone, this episode breaks my Top 10 favorite.  I don't care so much about the plot, but watching the antics of the Doctor and Donna as they separately work on the same case makes me smile, and then their banter when they discover each other is just fantastic.

Doctor: Mwahahaha...
Donna: Can't believe I want to hang out with a crazy alien.

#9: The Girl in the Fireplace
Doctor: 10th

I love The Girl in the Fireplace because it combines everything I love about Doctor Who--time travel, hilarious scenes, heartbreak, and a great guest star in Sophia Myles (She played Beth in another favorite TV show of mine, the cancelled-too-soon Moonlight).  Not only that, but it's an episode that takes place in the future and the past simultaneously, which is awesome, because I always like it when the Doctor goes to the past.  The episode is also frightening with the clockwork men, and the ship using human parts to make repairs definitely struck the right note of scary disturbing.  So much happens in this episode--the Doctor finding a horse, inventing the banana daiquiri, subsequently getting drunk (which leads to one of the best lines: Rose: "Oh look what the cat dragged in, the oncoming storm."), and crashing aforementioned horse into a ballroom and declaring himself a Time Lord. Just awesome.

#8: The Lodger/Closing Time
Doctor: 11th

Oh, The Lodger and Closing Time how I adore your hilariousness.  I'm counting these two episodes as one, because to me, they really sync together.  In The Lodger the Eleventh Doctor gets stuck on Earth and has to pass for human while solving a mystery in his landlord's house.  His poor, bemused landlord Craig is utterly baffled by this weird person who calls himself The Doctor and this is where the episode's comedy shines.  Then, in Closing Time the Doctor comes back for a visit, and we are introduced to Craig's infant son, who calls himself Stormageddon, which I think is possibly the best name for a baby ever.

Stormageddon: You will fear me.

I always enjoy it when the story is focused more on the characters than the spectacle, and that is definitely what The Lodger and Closing Time are all about.  And at the end of The Lodger when Craig tells the Doctor to keep a set of keys, it warms my heart.

#7: The Doctor's Daughter
Doctor: 10th

Where do I start with The Doctor's Daughter?  I love this episode because it gives us a glimpse of the Doctor's past, has both Martha and Donna as companions, and introduces the best wasted plot line of New Who episodes, in Jenny, the Doctor's daughter.  I really liked Jenny as a character, and it seems a shame that we haven't gotten to see her again so far. I also enjoyed how the episode shows the friendship between the Doctor and Donna.  It is so easy and natural between them, and I like that the Donna isn't afraid to speak her mind to the Doctor and tell him that he's wrong about not being able to care for Jenny.  It's a very heartwarming moment, when you think that finally the Doctor may be a bit happier, so it's made all the more crushing when Jenny dies.

I need a cookie or some chocolate or something *sobs*

But what's really cruel, is that Jenny isn't actually dead, but the Doctor leaves before that's discovered. ARGH! WHY?!  WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO ME SHOW?! SERIOUSLY!

Seriously, why?!

I really would love to see Jenny reunite with her Dad one day!  Come on!  It's not too much to ask. There are some great story possibilities there.

#6: The Shakespeare Code
Doctor: 10th

So, I was an English Literature major in college, and the Doctor traveled back in time with Martha to meet William Shakespeare.  Also, part of their plan to save the world involved quoting Harry Potter.  I feel that should be sufficient explanation on why this is one of my favorites.

HE MEETS SHAKESPEARE!!! *does the dance of joy*

So there are the first 5 of my Top 10.  Next Sunday, I will finish up the list. : )

Fun Fact of the Day: David Tennant is married to Georgia Moffet, who played his daughter in The Doctor's Daughter, but she is the actual real life daughter of Peter Davison who played the 5th Doctor.  Their child is the only child in the world who can say that both her Dad and her Grandfather are the Doctor.

TTFN! Ta Ta For Now!

Whovember!!

Readers, the few that I have, by now you must know that I am a HUGE fan of Doctor Who (yes, really).  I discovered the show last April--through a process that looked something like this:

Me: Hmm, a friend of mine is always posting about this show on Facebook--maybe I should check it out...

Me, after watching first episode with 9th Doctor: Hmm, well that was REEEEAAAAALLLLY cheesy, not sure if I want to keep watching, though it kinda reminds me of Star Trek: TOS, which I love. I've got nothing better to do, maybe I'll watch another episode.

Me, later that night: THIS SHOW IS THE MOST AWESOMEST THING EVER!! OMG!! LOVE!!

And the show proceeded to take over my life, to the point now, where I have a TARDIS phone case, a TARDIS bathrobe, my boss gave me a Doctor Who card for my birthday, and a coworker 3D printed a Dalek for me.  All of which makes me insanely happy. :-D

I became a fan of the show, just in time for it to celebrate it's 50th anniversary this year, and to go to Comic-Con, where I managed to get into Hall H to see it's anniversary panel.  Yes, this whovian got to be in the same room as Matt Smith--twice! (Be still, my heart).

So, in celebration of Doctor Who, and the fact that it's airing it's 50th anniversary episode this month, I am renaming November to Whovember, and plan to post every week about my favorite show.

And there was much rejoicing.

For my first Whovian post this month, I thought I'd discuss the main character himself: The Doctor.  Now, I still haven't seen any Classic Who--as I've only just finally caught up with all the episodes of New Who.  So, because of this, this post will only focus on the New Who Doctors--9, 10, and 11.

The Doctor is what drew me into the show, and he is the reason I keep watching.  He is such a compelling main character, and the possibilities of stories you can tell with him are literally endless.  He's an alien who never dies, just regenerates, and can travel through all of time and space.  It's a gold mine of stories.

So let's begin with where it all began for me: The 9th Doctor, played by Christopher Eccleston.

You can't travel through time? How sad.  I can. Like a boss.

There is a saying among Whovians, "You never forget your first Doctor."  For me, my first Doctor was 9. The ninth incantation of the Doctor was, a lot of the time, angry and bitter.  It is assumed that he regenerated out of the Time War, in which his species was destroyed, so it's understandable that he's carrying quite a lot of emotional scars from those events. He's also the only Doctor so far to dress in modern, normal street clothing, with his black leather jacket, as well as also being notable as the only Doctor without crazy/ridiculous hair.

Seriously, just look at the hair.

The 9th Doctor meets some of New Who's most popular companions, Rose, and Jack Harkness (who was so popular, he got a spin-off called Torchwood, which was actually my first exposure at all to the Whovian universe.)  Over the course of the Ninth's single season, we get to watch as Rose gradually helps him process and deal with his anger.  This is primarily the focus of the excellent episode, "Dalek," in which the Doctor comes face to face with his old enemy, and we get a glimpse of how deeply his is scarred by his experiences from the war.

Do you feel lucky punk? Do ya?

As angry and hurt the Ninth Doctor is though, he usually hides it behind a cheerful smile, in what really becomes the norm for the New Who Doctors.  He walks around with a casual and flippant air, cracks hilarious jokes, and has a wide, beaming smile.  His interactions with Rose and the various situations he finds himself in, often lead to genuinely funny moments, which a lot people I think, myself included, tend to forget about.

The Ninth Doctor is one of the most underrated Doctor in my opinion.  His single season is full of solid and excellent episodes, introduces, as I said, two of the most popular companions in the history of the show, and Christopher Eccleston also had the job of reintroducing the Doctor to an entire new generation of fans. Without Nine, there would be any New Who for us to enjoy at all, and for that, Nine will always have a spot in my heart.

Plus, check out his crazy awesome dance moves.

Now, we come to my favorite doctor, The 10th Doctor, played by the excellent David Tennant.  The Tenth Doctor remains one of the most popular Doctors of all time, and it has everything to do with how excellently David Tennant captured the character.  He took the foundations that Eccleston started, and built upon them, bringing us a bit more of the Doctor's back-story in the war, and conveying the highs and the heartbreaking lows of the Doctor's emotions, often within the same scene.

With the Tenth Doctor we also got to see a bit more of the romantic side of him.  His relationship with Rose develops into one of the most popular pairings in the history of the show, if not the most popular couple in the history of British television.

The Doctor: Rose, guess what I got you for Christmas?
Rose: A cute pair of shoes?
The Doctor: No.  I got you ALL OF TIME AND SPACE!
Rose: Best boyfriend ever!

His relationship with Rose would last for the whole of David Tennant's first season, during which we get to see a lighter, happier side of the Doctor, until (spoilers) he and Rose are separated in the season finale.  This caused fan-girls everywhere to have breakdowns and curse the universe for its cruelty.

After his separation from Rose, we see the Doctor revert back to a more distant, angry personality.  He's learned his lesson about love, and he's decided that it's not for him.  It's therefore painful to see him interact with his next companion, Martha Jones, who quite obviously loves him.  But the Doctor doesn't return her feelings.  Martha gets a lot of flak, I think, simply for being the replacement companion after Rose, and also for falling in love with the Doctor, but honestly, can you blame her?  Maybe it's because I didn't start watching the show until it was well into Matt Smith's run, but Martha never bothered me.  In fact, some of my favorite episodes fall under her time as a companion.  

The Doctor and Martha, hanging out with Shakespeare, quoting Harry Potter.
The English Lit major inside of me just died of a happiness overload.

Also with the Tenth Doctor, we get my favorite companion of all of New Who--Donna Noble.  Her and Ten's relationship is just hysterically awesome.  They're best friends, and I think Donna, more than Martha, really helps Ten move on from Rose's loss. 

You just know they're up to something.

Though at the same time, Donna reveals the cracks in his cheerful facade more than any other companion on the show, and it is her departure, (spoilers) with no memories of the Doctor that truly sends the Doctor into a downward spiral that ultimately culminates in him breaking down and going temporarily insane with the power of time.

I DEMAND A COOKIE AS WELL!!

The Tenth Doctor had it all--happy, heartbroken, angry, good, evil, funny, clever.  It's no wonder he remains so popular to this day.

But of course, eventually, he regenerates into The 11th Doctor played by Matt Smith.  Matt Smith had the insanely difficult job of playing the Doctor after one of the most popular Doctors of all time, but fortunately for the fans, he not only lived up to David Tennant's legacy, he carved one out for himself, also becoming a fan favorite.

Hello, I'm the Doctor.  Check out my crazy awesome hair.

The Eleventh Doctor is often thought of as one of the more 'alien' Doctor's, in that he doesn't conform to normal human behavior.  I really like that about him, as it often leads to hilarious scenes with him interacting with his bemused companions.  The Eleventh Doctor is also the youngest body he has yet to inhabit, which gives him the feel of a childlike personality at times.  But as we spend more time with him on the show, we quickly come to realize that the childlike persona is just a mask, and it covers the spirit of an old, broken man, who's lived through too many horrors.

What do you mean, you don't like my hair?

What I really enjoy about the Eleventh Doctor is how well the stories play around with the idea of interacting with a time-traveler.  For example, his companions meet a past version of himself, just after interacting with a future version, and the scene is played brilliantly, with the younger Doctor being confused and angry when he senses his companions are keeping information from him.

What I don't like about the Eleventh Doctor is that the story-lines turn him and the TARDIS into the two most important things in the Universe.  Like, when the TARDIS explodes, it has the power to destroy all of creation. Or everyone is obsessed with the Doctor's name, because it's supposedly, all powerful or something.  I don't know.  I found those story arcs very annoying and frustrating, and it's because of them that I can't quite love the Eleventh Doctor's run as I did with the Ninth, and the Tenth.  Don't get me wrong, I love Matt's portrayal of the Eleventh Doctor, and there are some episodes of his that I LOVE, for example, "The Doctor's Wife," but overall, I was really disappointed by the story arcs.

The Eleventh Doctor though, is still wonderfully entertaining.  Matt Smith is hilarious, and his Doctor is a combination of clumsiness, awkward limbs, and hilarious expressions.  He describes himself in the show as 'A madman with a box' and he truly does act like a madman.  He comes  across as an alien, and I do love Amy and Rory as his companions who have to put up with his bizarre behavior and interference in their lives.

"Cut my hair? That's just nonsense" 

It took me a while to get used to the new TARDIS design, but it grows on you.  We've yet to see this Doctor regenerate, but while part of me dreads to see the Eleventh go, the other part of me is super excited to see what the new Doctor will bring to the story.

Well, his hair won't be as awesome as mine, that's for sure.

Fun Fact of the Day: The Tardis prop used for the first series with Christopher Eccleston was put up for auction by Bonhams of London in 2010 and sold for £10,800, or around 17,200 US dollars.  But to be fair, you just bought all of time and space...

TTFN! Ta Ta For Now!