Doctor Who Series 9: Every Episode Ranked from Worst to Best

Series 9 of Doctor Who takes a bold approach with its mostly two-part stories, promising a fresh narrative structure and extra time for each story to develop. The result, however, did not entirely meet expectations. Instead of carefully crafted stories, it often felt like episodes were struggling to fill the extra time. Sometimes, the two parts of a story didn’t even seem connected, leading to a disjointed feel. Let’s dive into an episode-by-episode ranking from worst to best.

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Respecting its attempt at a unique style, “Sleep No More” ultimately fails to deliver. It ranked among the worst Doctor Who episodes of all time. The found-footage format is underutilized, and instead, it feels like a regular episode filmed in shaky-cam. The story itself is fairly average and ends abruptly, making it the least successful one-part story this season.

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“Hell Bent” could be considered one of the biggest cases of missed potential in Doctor Who history. It fumbled everything it had going for it, including the cliffhanger of “Heaven Sent,” the Doctor-Clara relationship, and the return of Gallifrey. The story of the Doctor going too far to save Clara wasn’t well-earned and felt mishandled. Despite a perfect twist where the Doctor has to forget Clara, the finale was largely a letdown.

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“The Girl Who Died” and “The Woman Who Lived” presented a fascinating character in Ashildr, who was granted immortality by the Doctor. The idea that she must keep journals because her brain can’t store millennia’s worth of memories was intriguing but ultimately squandered. This story left much to be desired, and despite Maisie Williams’ commendable performance, the character of Ashildr felt like missed potential.

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“Under the Lake” and “Before the Flood” present a solid mystery about ghostly figures but falter in the second part. The Doctor easily outmaneuvers the villain, making the built-up tension fall flat. While the Bootstrap Paradox speech and the Doctor’s clever resolution provide some highlights, a good bookend doesn’t make a good story.

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“The Magician’s Apprentice” and “The Witch’s Familiar” managed to work by sheer force of throwing everything at the wall, despite not all ideas sticking. The Doctor’s dilemma of saving Davros in different times was intriguing, though the second part of the story weakened without the Doctor’s presence. The Dalek sewers concept was creepy but unnecessary.

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“The Zygon Invasion” and “The Zygon Inversion” offered a significant improvement in quality. Revisiting the importance of the Zygon treaty from “Day of the Doctor” brought up interesting questions about coexistence. Despite some scenes not landing, the episode is mostly remembered for Peter Capaldi’s masterful anti-war speech, which stands as one of the greatest moments in Doctor Who history.

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“Face the Raven” expertly tells a Clara-centric story. Clara’s decision to risk her life to save Rigsy and ultimately taking the Raven is the culmination of her character arc. Her overconfidence and the Doctor’s helplessness make it a heartbreaking moment. If her death wasn’t undone, it could have been one of the best companion exits ever, paving the way for the Doctor’s emotional state going into “Heaven Sent.”

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“Heaven Sent” is unanimously considered one of the greatest Doctor Who episodes ever. It showcases both brilliant writing and phenomenal acting, with Capaldi delivering one of his greatest performances. The episode’s examination of grief and its horrifyingly beautiful twist—where the Doctor goes through billions of iterations of the same events—makes it an unforgettable tale. It’s a testament to the Doctor’s heroism and resilience, chipping away at a solid wall of diamond over and over, refusing to give up.

Source: BBC