While every fan ofDoctor Whohas their opinions about which Doctor is the bestincarnation of the iconic character, it is hard to deny how impactful the Tenth Doctor was.
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The quality of Tennant’s embodiment of the character are a large part of what makes his era so memorable, but another contributing factor is the quality of the stories he is part of. There are three seasons worth of stories to choose from, so what are the best during the Tenth Doctors era?
9The Girl In The Fireplace - Season Two, Episode Four
One of the most impressive aspects of Doctor Who as a series is how well tone can be balanced and managed within a single story, and an amazing example of this is The Girl In The Fireplace. This story shows the Doctor and his companions witnessing the life of Madame Du Pompadour abridged by a time-warping ship.
The emotion of seeing this character’s life sped up, and the impact the Doctor has on her, balanced with the mystery of the murderous clockwork monsters seemingly hunting her, makes this an incredibly memorable early episode for Tenth Doctor.
8Rise of the Cybermen & Age of Steel - Season Two, Episodes Five And Six
The reboot of Doctor Who had the tricky task of picking and choosing classic enemies of the Doctor to reintroduce to a new generation, and working out how to most effectively pull this off.
The way this was achieved for the Cybermen was with a two-part story that introduces the audience to parallel universes, foreshadowing the tragic end of the season, while also giving the story a unique premise. It also highlights the strengths of Rose as a companion, this time emotionally challenging her with an alternate version of her parents.
7The Runaway Bride - Season Three Christmas Special
The Christmas specials for Doctor Who often end up being some of the most memorable episodes, and perhaps one of the most impactful was the third season special ‘The Runaway Bride’.
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As well as being one of thestrongest specials in the series, it also serves as an introduction to future companion Donna Noble, a full season before she returns as a more permanent fixture. While this episode only intends to show off Noble as a one-off character, it does a spectacular job of setting up her thematic arc for season four, as well as displaying her strengths and weaknesses.
6Gridlock - Season Three, Episode Three
A strength of Doctor Who as a series is the ability to build up a world that we might only ever witness for one story, but make it believable and get the audience invested in the events taking place. The majority of Gridlock takes place in a futuristic traffic jam with rows and stacks of floating cars slowly moving forwards for literal decades.
The Doctor and Martha find themselves getting insights into the lives of unique characters all confined to their small space giving the episode an incredibly intriguing perspective. The mystery of the gridlock and the creatures at the bottom of the road also keep the episode engaging as well.
542 - Season Three, Episode Seven
Some of the best Doctor Who episodes are the ones that manage to maintain tension throughout the entirety of the episode while also intriguing the audience with an enticing mystery, and 42, which takes place in real-time across 42 minutes, is a perfect example of this.
As Martha and the Doctor find themselves on a ship slowly falling into star, there is also a mysterious entity on board vaporizing the few remaining crew members. You’ll struggle to look away until the episode concludes, as the clock constantly ticking closer to a seemingly inevitable death drives emotions to a high and lets the audience see more depth in both the Doctor and Martha.
4Blink - Season Three, Episode Ten
One of the most iconic modern Doctor Who episodes is Blink. As well as being a Doctor-lite episode that features little of the Doctor or Martha, this episode is also an amazing introduction to the Weeping Angels, some of the most threatening creatures faced in the series.
It is astounding how the story manages to remain engaging without our protagonists present, as well as keeping the tension high, and unraveling a satisfying central mystery.
While stories with a simple premise can be some of the strongest in Doctor Who, sometimes the higher concept stories can also be incredible as well. A great example of this is the unconventional narrative told over Silence in the Library and Forest of the Dead.
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Over these two episodes, we’re introduced to the complex setting of the library and learn about the mysteries the unique setting is steeped in. Perhaps more impressive is the introduction of River Song, a fan-favourite character that only becomes more impactful in future seasons.
2Turn Left - Season Four, Episode Eleven
The later episodes in seasons of Doctor Who can sometimes get caught up in the grandeur of the gradually earned finale. However, what the fourth season does well is giving the finale arc a more introspective introduction by focusing on Donna.
The recent events of Donna’s life and the events of the past couple seasons are looked back upon from a different timeline where Donna took a different path and never ended up meeting the Doctor. For such a seemingly simple premise, the narrative is massively impactful and highlights the impressive overarching storytelling throughout the past couple of seasons.
1The Water of Mars - Season Four, Special Four
The specials following season led up to the departure of the Tenth Doctor, and are some of the best stories in the series. But one of the most impact is The Water of Mars. Seeing the Doctor without a companion can sometimes be jarring, and this solitude is accentuated in this story where we see the Doctor without a grounding presence, and the consequences of this.
It also helps that the threat in this story is horrifying and threatens a sympathetic crew of one-off characters that we end up rooting for. The strength of the episode alone is enough, but how it leads into the swan song of Tennant’s Doctor is even better.
