And in this blog post from December 16, I looked at the second half of Doctor Who Series 11, ranking episodes 6 through 10.
Today, at the demand of virtually no one, I rank all 10 episodes of Doctor Who Series 11, episodes 1 through 10.
#10. It Takes You Away
I know a lot of people liked this episode.
And the episode certainly looks good with its Norwegian “Girl With the Dragon
Tatoo” vibe. But ultimately I find this episode is more “vibe” than “story”
which is a shame because there is the foundation of a good story here: the
sentient universe that is a threat to our universe simply because it’s
lonely. But this concept is shoe-horned
into the last 1/3 of the episode via rapid fire exposition dump.
#9. The Tsuranga Conundrum
Tsuranga is a modern riff on a classic Doctor
Who trope, the base under siege adventure. There are story structure weaknesses
and the Doctor has to fight for attention in a crowded cast. But the Pting is a
clever addition to Doctor Who’s lexicon of alien monsters.
#8. The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos
We get our first recurring threat with the
return of Tzim-Sha but there was no burning desire to see him come back. We do
get a good bonding moment or 2 with Ryan and Graham which effectively book ends
their relationship from where it started at the first of the season.
#7. The Ghost Monument
The TARDIS reveal is epic and moving. The
Doctor’s faith that she would find her TARDIS again is shaken and so is that of
the viewers. I mean, in previous teasers and what not, the TARDIS was not
seen. Would the Doctor be without her
TARDIS for most of Series 11? Chibnall constructed a situation where the
obvious (of course she would get her TARDIS back) was in doubt.
#6. Kerblam!
The Doctor gets a fez again and we’re made to
be afraid of bubble wrap and (for good measure) Amazon.
#5. Arachnids in the UK
Chris Noth is amazing as the Trump expy and
Jodie’s Doctor gets some really funny lines. And the Doctor/Yaz shippers go “squeee”
when the Doctor is unsure if she and Yaz are seeing each other.
#4. The Witchfinder
Another tour de force guest star turn, this
time from Alan Cumming as King James. Plus the Doctor’s first encounter with a
problem where her gender is an obstacle. And Graham wears a big funny hat and
quotes Pulp Fiction.
#3. Demons of the Punjab
An intense hour as the Doctor and team finds themselves
in a geo-political crisis and a family being torn apart by it. The “make sure
history does what it’s supposed to” story is brutal as the Doctor and her
friends walk away while someone is murdered. But it’s also personal as Yaz’s
life, maybe her existence, is at risk if history is altered.
#2. The Woman Who Fell To Earth
OK the Doctor has her head on straight enough
to build her own sonic screwdriver out of scrap metal and random alien tech
(which is awesome!) but has trouble remembering she is called the Doctor? Really?
OK, that bothers me a lot. Still, this episode does what it needs to do efficiently
with style and humor as Jodie hits the ground running as the new Doctor and we’re
introduced to our new supporting cast.
#1. Rosa
Yes, the villain sucks. We get that. But everything
else about Rosa is just so freaking amazing. From the powerful performance of Vinette
Robinson as Rosa Parks to the painfully accurate recreation of 1950’s Alabama
and the unyielding racial segregation that ruled society. We still have room
for humor (The Doctor can’t be Banksy! Or is she?) but the heart rending drama
at the core of this story is impressive and inescapable. And special kudos to
Bradley Walsh who brought to the role of Graham a surprising range of
emotion. The emotional power and scope
of this episode sets a high bar for what Doctor Who can accomplish.
OK, we're now just a few short days away from the New Year's Special where we get the return of the Daleks. Expectations are high for this outing.
OK, we're now just a few short days away from the New Year's Special where we get the return of the Daleks. Expectations are high for this outing.
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