Top Ten: Episodes of Doctor Who

Hey everyone!  Welcome to the inaugural post of my blog-a-day thingy.  I swear as this thing goes on it will become more affluent and seem less like it was just thrown together at odd moments during the day.

So Saturday means a Top Ten list and, to start off with something easy, I decided to dedicate this list to my favorite television show, Doctor Who.  There are a lot of things to talk about when it comes to the sci-fi show and almost every topic one can broach will end up making someone mad.  The Doctor Who fan base is just too passionate and opinionated to take someone else's opinion at their word without throwing in their two cents.  Everyone has a favorite Doctor, a favorite companion, a favorite season, and a favorite episode and, by God, if you don't agree then you aren't a true fan of the show.  Hopefully my list doesn't come off in this manner.  I put a lot of thought and consideration into any list I make so don't think anything you are about to read is anything but my honest to God opinion.  There is a lot to appreciate about Doctor Who and its characters, themes, and story arcs.  I'm sure we can agree on something.  If you haven't watched the show before, I will be sure to note which episodes on my list are good introduction for the Whoniverse.

Ok so, ground rules: I'm only including episodes from the 2005 reboot of Doctor Who.  I just haven't seen enough Classic Who to include anything on my Top Ten List.  Also, I'm considering two-parters as one episode to make more room on the list for other deserving episodes that would otherwise be left off.

Also, SPOILER ALERT.  I'm sorry, but it's the only way I can do some episodes justice.

10. The Angels Take Manhattan

• Dark and moody
• Has the flavor of an old-school, private eye novel
• Breathes new scary into the Weeping Angels, especially with the baby ones
• Brings Amy and Rory's story to a delicate close after a long, drawn out ending
• Matt Smith knocks the ending out of the park

9. The Girl in the Fireplace

• Knock out performances by David Tennant and Sophia Myles
• Parallels to the story of Amy Pond, the Girl Who Waited
• Great atmosphere and thrilling story
• Makes a bizarre story idea into a genuine Doctor Who classic
• Self-containment makes it great for new viewers

8. The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang

• Complex but absolutely satisfying ending to the season
• Mysterious and compelling narrative that never lets the audience go
• The Doctor's Stonehenge Speech
• Guest appearances by the entire Doctor Who baddies list
• Rory the Centurion (need I say more?)

7. The Doctor's Wife

• A master class in Doctor Who writing by Neil Gaiman
• Finally a humanized personification of the TARDIS
• A delicious mixture of new ideas and fanservice
• Amy and Rory's psychological battle against House
• Unforgetable conversations between the Doctor and the TARDIS

6. The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances

• Introduction of Captain Jack Harkness
• Expertly balanced comedy, romance, and horror
• Great performances all around, especially Christopher Eccleston
• Iconic and memorable writing by Steven Moffat
• The absolutely joyful ending

5. The Day of the Doctor

• Not the 50th anniversary episode we wanted, but the one we deserved
• Matt Smith, David Tennant, and John Hurt have infectious chemistry
• A twist that changed Doctor Who as we knew it
• Billie Piper proving that she deserved to come back even if she wasn't playing Rose
• Tom Baker's nose and Peter Capaldi's eyes

4. Blink

• Most iconic and well-known Doctor Who episode for a reason
• Proves the merit of Doctor-lite episodes
• Coins and perfectly demonstrates "wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey"
• Introduced the best New Who monster in the Weeping Angels
• Gold standard for the quality of Doctor Who writing

3. Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead

• The first, last, and best River Song episode
• Intense and marvelously written, even if a little confusing at first watch
• Vashta Nerada are perfect Doctor Who monsters
• An emotional roller coaster ride that doesn't let up until the last moment
• The Doctor opens the TARDIS door with a snap

2. Vincent and the Doctor

• The only Doctor Who episode yet that has made me cry
• Stunning acting from nearly everyone in the episode
• Beautiful cinematography and fantastic writing
• A great episode for those looking to get into the show
• "The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and bad things.  The good things don't always soften the bad things, but vice-versa, the bad things don't necessarily spoil the good things and make them unimportant."

1. The Eleventh Hour

• A fabulous and charming introduction to the Eleventh Doctor
• Instant chemistry and dynamics between Matt Smith and Karen Gillian
• Hectic and quirky fun at every turn
• Proves that Matt Smith is the rightful successor to the Doctor Who throne
• "I'm the Doctor. So basically, run." Chills