Doctor Who Opinions

Doctor Who is back for its 2nd or 15th (or 41st, if you’re old and/or obsessive enough to go back to an era before BBC seemed to know they were making a sci-fi show or discover the concept of lighting).

And I’m enjoying the ride! Ncuti Gatwa, our Fifteenth Doctor is a treasure, and I think companion actors Varada Sethu and Millie Gibbons have been great picks. I think this era is going to be the jumping on point for a lot of new fans and Ncuti is going to be a lot of people’s all-time favorite Doctor.

But nostalgia’s a hell of a drug, so I’m pretty set on some of my favorites. And I’m going to shout them out below.

• Favorite Doctor - Eleventh/Matt Smith: The Eleventh Doctor was my personal jumping on point for DW, and that take on the character will always have a place in my heart. Usually goofy and fun-loving, his frequent turns into the terrifyingly cold are some of the most memorable moments in my time with the show (search “Colonel Runaway” for a classic).

• Best Doctor - Twelfth/Peter Capaldi: No shade on Smith or any of the other Doctors, but I believe that Capaldi is the definitive take on the Doctor. Where Eleven is sunny which makes his Oncoming Storm moments hit harder, Twelve is generally a little more distant and aloof, which makes his moments of vulnerability and compassion shine. He wears his world-weariness on his sleeve while stepping back from the immediate friendliness of the eras around him. And his speech in The Zygon Inversion is an all-time great.

• Favorite Episode - A Christmas Carol: BECAUSE I LIKE IT.

• Best Episode - Midnight: I recently went back and rewatched this one for no reason in particular, and holy hell does it hold up. Without spoilers, it feels like both a Doctor Who all-time great and a Twilight Zone all-time great episode. It’s haunting, it’s timeless, and it’s worth a watch even if you’ve never seen another episode. Do it. Do it. DOOOOOOOOOOOO ITTTTTTTTTT.