With just 14 episodes left of the Moffat era, I thought it would be a good time to look at five of his best so far and remember just what Doctor Who will be missing when he steps down as showrunner next year.
(Don't forget to check out part one of this feature, featuring five of Moffat's worst episodes)
Disclaimer: This list is purely subjective. Difference of opinion is a beautiful thing.
5. The Eleventh Hour
What a perfect way to introduce us to the Eleventh Doctor and the Moffat-run era of Doctor Who.
A clear, fast paced, well written and well directed episode which makes you quickly forget about the David Tennant years and look forward to new and exciting adventures with Matt Smith. A shame that spirit only really lasted for one series…
4. The Girl in the Fireplace
Series Two is my least favourite series of Doctor Who, but under all of that baggage you have two beautifully written stories. One of those is School Reunion and the other is The Girl in the Fireplace. Not only is this episode actually pretty creepy and atmospheric to begin with, but it is also the most heartwarming and poetic of episodes with an incredibly powerful and emotional ending.
Damn allergies playing up again…
3. The Empty Child / The Doctor Dances
“Are you my mummy?”Probably one of the creepiest stories of the modern series, and one which still holds up more than a decade later. What more can I say? It is genuinely chilling! The first glimpse of Jamie on the rooftop, the typewriter scene, the moment the Doctor sends Jamie to his room but it's the one they’re standing in (I watched this again recently and it actually made me jump!). It’s all really well done!
These two episodes really showed how fantastic (that was unintentional - sorry) Eccleston is as the Doctor and it’s a shame Moffat never got to write more for him. You cant forget the best line in the whole story…
“Rose, I’m trying to resonate concrete.”Although it became something of a Moffat trope, the 'everybody lives' is just wonderful. It shows it’s not all doom and gloom and every once in a while there are happy endings, which actually brings me nicely onto...
2. Silence in the Library / Forest of the Dead
For a long time this was my absolute favourite Doctor Who story, and it is still pretty close! I honestly don't know what to write about it without gushing over the ending for 500 words! It’s dark and creepy, it's engaging, it's happy, it's sad. Really, it's exactly how I like Doctor Who to be.
Plus we also get the first appearance of River Song which sets up an intriguing mystery and also allows for the most poetic and magical of endings which recites the Ninth Doctor’s line ‘everybody lives.’
It’s perfect really… that's the only word I can use to describe it…
Speaking of perfection..
1. Heaven Sent
This is Steven Moffat’s magnum opus!
The most beautiful and most powerful episode of Doctor Who I think I have ever seen. It was the perfect way to portray not only the Doctor’s grief for Clara but also his desperation. The writing is perfect, the acting is phenomenal, Rachel Talalay is becoming one of my favourite directors, the cinematography is gorgeous, the Veil is unsettling, the gore is shocking, the score is amazing (hurry up with a soundtrack please!), the editing is clear and in the montage as the Doctor breaks the wall each second is utter perfection - if one clip was a fraction of a second longer it wouldn't have worked as well as it did. The whole thing is perfect from beginning to end and I don't think Moffat will be able to top it.
‘Where is Blink?’ I hear you ask… yeah, well, It’s good but not quite as good as these.
So, there you have it, my top 5 best and worst Moffat episodes. Depending on how good or bad Series 10 is there might be an update next year. Do you agree with my list? Debate and and discuss below!
Nick is a 2000 year old alien who travels through time and space, saving the good and conquering the evil... or so he likes to think.
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