Such a good companion introduction! Martha starts off immediately as such a vivid character, with a complex family dynamic and clear ambitions for herself, that being a career in medicine. She’s not as bombastic a personality as other companions but her quieter and mire internal qualities feel incredibly relatable. Ten is up to his typical Casanova schtick, and while it’s still not my favorite aspect, it’s a lot more tolerable here. The Judoon feature for the first time as tertiary villains and the Plasmavore is a decent monster for an episode that is ultimately more about Martha and Ten than it is anything else.

The iconic introduction of Donna Noble! Ten is violently thrust from his moping as Donna materializes in the TARDIS and hijinks ensue. Their comedic dynamic is gold but their chemistry also really helps the more sincere moments. It’s a Christmas special but the more festive aspects take a backseat and that works for the story.

And so Rose’s time as a companion comes to an end. The music in this episode is so incredibly good, I think “Doomsday” is definitely up there as one of my favorite Murray Gold compositions. The sassiness between the Cybermen and Daleks is iconic. As with most companions, it’s somewhat of a somber close but with the foreknowledge that she returns, it doesn’t strike as hard as it would a first time viewer.

The intrigue continues. Apex seems to be an entertaining extraterrestrial ally, but I can’t help but think he’s not all he seems to be. We also have a Torchwood connection, so I’m curious to see where that goes.

An engaging introduction to the finale of series two. The “ghosts” provide intrigue off the bat and the Doctor’s inevitable meddling earns him some unwelcome attention. Finally, Torchwood takes the stage after being seeded the entire series. I’d forgotten just how irritating Yvonne is but that’s exactly the point, you really bank on Torchwood’s downfall. Ten and Jackie are so great as a dynamic, just having agreed to be mildly civil in the name of just straight up lying to their captors. We also see Mickey return! Overall, the inevitable reveal of the Cybermen and then the Dalek cliffhanger set up the second part quite well.

Not the strongest of episodes, I will say. The TARDIS parking gag is always hilarious though. It’s a solid concept that ends up kind of middling. Kel from the council though is iconic.

Lots of silly bits in this episode, that can’t be denied. Elton and the members of LINDA, as well as Jackie Tyler, are the core of the episode, it’s their dynamics that make it. The awkward sincerity of them all is something that is tangible and helps thread the more outlandish bits (I’m looking at you Abzorbaloff) with the story as a whole. And the ultimate message of finding connection as a means to cope with more somber bits of life is something that hits quite well I think. Also, how can you not enjoy a little bit of ELO?

Let me just say the score for this story is excellent. Story-wise, this a strong follow up to The Impossible Planet. With Ten and Ida trapped on the planet’s surface and Rose stuck in the base with the rest of the crew, we see the best of their dynamics. I liked the discussion of faith with Ida, I thought it was an interesting element. With Rose separated from the Doctor, we get to see her step up into a leadership role which is just a pleasure to see. The Ood are reasonably menacing as secondary monsters and The Beast is a really solid CGI monster for its time.

There is no question that this is the better two parter of series two. We get some good moments from the Doctor of appreciating humans and their tenacity. The story takes place on a gritty planetary base, which sets a nice atmosphere. The Ood and the subject of their enslavement isn’t delved into too deeply beyond some brief questioning from Rose and a couple quips, which is unfortunate. I quite liked the mortgage moment, though it is sandwiched between a little bit of smarminess. The dynamics between everyone on the base are the best character moments though. The Beast is an interesting villain, playing off of religious imagery. It’s a base under siege story and within its concentrated setting, it works quite well.

A pretty decent NSA novel, nothing particularly special. It’s a standard botched landing on an alien planet and an evil oil monster is afoot. Martha ends up getting sidelined for a large portion of the story, which I wasn’t a huge fan of. However, the clever talking alien otters did endear themselves to me.

In my rewatch, I found this really enjoyable. Many seem to regard this as a middling story but I think this is a gem that people tend to overlook because of its comparatively simplistic concept to other episodes. Indeed, I think its small scale story is what really allows it to shine. The story takes place in an average London neighborhood, right on the crest of Queen Elizabeth’s coronation. The Fifties time period really works for the story not only in the more positive community-based aspects but also the sinister nature of conformity and police activity that seems to be more at home in the recent war. Ten and Rose’s smarmy banter is present but knows when to take a backseat when it needs to, setting up some really nice moments between the family and with Magpie. The Wire is such an underrated monster, because I think it’s such a clever concept that almost seems too simple. There is absolutely something wonderfully unsettling about your television talking back to you and stealing your face, especially set in a time where this sort of technology is still an unknown. I feel the ending is a tad oversimplified but it is not outweighed by the fantastic atmosphere and pacing of the story.

This part is very action-based, which isn’t a bad thing. Everything in the plot comes in at full force with Cybus controlling the population of London and Cybermen roaming freely. Our band of heroes predictably infiltrate and destroy the warehouse/factory where everything is occurring. Mickey is at his best in this story and it’s a shame that his character didn’t get more chances to show himself like this. The small bits of humanity are also where the story shines, like the connections made between Mrs. Moore and Ten as well as the exchange with Sally. Things were tidied up a bit too quickly at the end but I understand why it was expedited.

An interesting alternative origin for Cybermen. It’s mostly a lot of set up for part two, but the relationships explored in these parallel counterparts are good, like Mickey with his grandmother and Rose with Pete. John Lumic is your classic campy insane rich scientist but works fine as the villain.

Originally a bit more split on this episode, this is definitely the best of the first four episodes of this series. While I still don’t really jive with Ten’s casanova characterization, there were a lot of aspects of the episode I found myself appreciating. Let it be said that the Clockwork Droids are some of the best monster designs in show as a whole. As with many Moffat episodes, the plot is quite compelling. And while I don’t like the romantic aspect of Ten and Reinette’s relationship, I like the guardian angel dynamic that gets played with (which we’d later see again with Eleven). Additionally, the absolute gut punch of her death as an ending is strong if slightly predictable. It’s a pleasant blend of sci-fi and historical that really fuels into the fairy tale vibe Moffat does so well.

Such a pleasant return of Sarah Jane, also acting as a backdoor into her spinoff. The Krillitane are fine villains nothing particularly special. I love K9 I’ve discovered here, he’s a just a good boy. Here, the more retrospective aspects actually help to uplift a perfectly average story.

I really like how this “season” seems to be more focused on telling a trans story with the background of Doctor Who. Thank you, Juno Dawson. Also, hello Rani Chandra.

The first half of the special is super solid. It’s a solid adaptation of the original comic with some good character dynamics, especially with Donna’s memory and the Doctor’s reappearance. However, as soon as the Meep gets revealed as evil is when things go downhill for me. The pacing gets a little off and the writing gets a bit handwave-y. I thought the stuff concerning Rose and transness was a bit clumsy, however well-meaning it was. It could’ve benefited from an actual trans writer. And the “letting it go” felt like a major cop out for me but I get why they did it. But I do appreciate the return to the old dynamic between the Doctor and Donna.

Oh man, coming back on a rewatch and I just didn’t enjoy it all that much. Coming out of Eccleston’s era where each episode had some sort of message to say about humanity or the world at large, this episode comparatively lacks immensely in substance. There’s some clever jokes but there’s also a lot of uncomfortable objectification that gets excused by Cassandra’s vanity. It’s very silly, which isn’t a bad thing but there isn’t as much to balance it out. Also, this is where the flirtation between Rose and Ten amps up and becomes a fundamentally different vibe from her dynamic with Nine, which I’m just not a huge fan of.

I am most definitely nostalgic for this episode (I mean, this is when Thasmin is most explicitly canon) but that does not blind me to its faults. The supporting cast have some lackluster acting and the storyline is kind of a mess, not the most well-written of specials. However, there’s some strong SFX with the ocean and the moments between Yaz and Thirteen are actually pretty good. I personally enjoyed the Sea Devil design but they were kind of nothing characters and I wished there had been more for them to do other than act imposing. There’s some hidden gems in this story but it’s otherwise a bit underwhelming.

This is my favorite of Thirteen’s holiday specials. I am most definitely partial to time loop stories, so that probably helps. All the characters are at their best here, especially with the addition of Aisling Bea to the guest cast. The concurrent love stories happening side by side is an aspect I quite appreciate and surprisingly fits in really well as the B-plot to the more pressing Dalek threat. The fact that this is such a small-scale story does wonders. As a result, it becomes a strong character piece with a well-supported storyline.

The 2000’s Christmas vibes are strong here and it’s glorious. Overall, Ten is out of action for most of the episode, getting a good post-regeneration nap in. Leaving Harriet Jones & Co. to figure out the big picture stuff of the Sycorax invasion and Rose to corral Jackie and Mickey into helping protect the Doctor, we see lots of strong character moments and the resourcefulness of our human protagonists when there’s no one around to help. Just in the nick of time though, Mr. Sleeping Beauty swans in and sword fights the alien threat into submission. While I think this is a very fun special, Ten’s introductory characterization doesn’t gel with me as well as it used to. His cockiness and abject unforgiving actions just don’t seem super in line with all the work that Nine did. Perhaps I’m a bit miffed at what he did to Harriet Jones. Ten is undeniably petty whether it’s earned or not. Regardless of his other qualities, I do appreciate his more silly moments. Also, if you had any doubt that feelings between Rose and him were platonic or romantic, it becomes abundantly clear that some major flirting is happening. Alas, off we go into Series 2.

Essentially a murder mystery with a bit of political intrigue. It’s lots of fun, Three and Jo get to be their silly and affectionate selves while also getting down to business when it’s needed. The presence of all the different alien representatives was fun to see as well, especially Alpha Centauri.

While the Daleks pose a threat at large, the relationship between Rose and Nine is what the episode hinges on. With the Dalek Emperor hell bent on destroying humanity, the Doctor faces the all too familiar moral dilemma of what must be done to eliminate the Daleks. He sends Rose away both for her own safety but also because he doesn’t want her to see what he could be capable of. The culmination of the Bad Wolf storyline is in part a deus ex machina but it is so well-supported by being interwoven throughout the series. Such a great final story for Nine and Eccleston’s run as the Doctor.

The episode begins with Nine, Rose, and Jack all respectively waking up in three separate futuristic game shows, which is a little absurd but doesn’t do all that much to impact the tone of the episode. When each quickly learns that the games are deadly, that’s when things get interesting. With our plucky side character for the story Lynda by his side, the Doctor manages to escape and try to figure out what’s going on at Satellite 5. The story works as both a criticism of reality TV and the passive culture surrounding entertainment but also served to further the “Bad Wolf” storyline. This is when we get the proper return of the Daleks with all their might and it does well at building the tension of what will happen next.

A far more character driven episode rather than plot, but that is not to its detriment. Not only do we get a tense battle of morality between Nine and Margaret—discussing redemption and what it means to kill—but also a turning point in Mickey and Rose’s relationship where Mickey realizes that while Rose will always be his first choice, he isn’t hers. Captain Jack is simply there.