Top Five Stories: The Tenth Doctor

It took me a little while to warm up to Ten.  I suppose the first regeneration is always the hardest, and even though I’d known it was coming, I spent a few episodes being wary of this twiggy, pinstriped interloper who’d replaced the glorious Nine.  But warm up I did, and the following episodes hold my fondest memories of the Tenth Doctor era.

 

“The Fires of Pompeii” (Series 4, Episode 2)

 

I’ve written about this episode before, but it bears repeating – it’s a fantastic story.  It isn’t Donna’s first time in the TARDIS, but it’s her first real excursion, and she handles herself with aplomb.  Given the Doctor’s history with the Time War, an accidental arrival in Pompeii is ripe for drama.  With great supporting characters, memorable villains, and an emotional climax, this is one of my favorite Who episodes ever.

 

“Human Nature” / “The Family of Blood” (Series 3, Episodes 8 & 9)

 

Originally written as a Seventh Doctor novel, the story gets a facelift here.  On the run from some especially-dangerous aliens, the Doctor and Martha hide out in a 1913 boys’ boarding school, with Martha posing as a maid and the Doctor disguised in a human body/mind.  It’s an excellent showcase for Martha, and John Smith gives us great insights into the Doctor.  Plus, the Family of Blood deserves kudos for being incredibly scary despite looking completely human.

 

“School Reunion” (Series 2, Episode 3)

 

Anthony Stewart Head (Giles!) as a bat-alien headmaster!  The Doctor and Rose undercover as a physics teacher and a lunch lady!  My first real glimpse of Ten’s potential!  But all that is nothing compared to this episode’s real coup:  the return of one Sarah Jane Smith and a certain robotic dog of hers.  I loved it even before I saw classic Who; after I had, I couldn’t watch it without wearing a grin almost as big as David Tennant’s, and since Elisabeth Sladen died, I haven’t watched it without tearing up at the loveliness.  Sarah Jane is amazing, and she’s forever.

 

“The Unicorn and the Wasp” (Series 4, Episode 7)

 

More of the Doctor and Donna doin’ their thing, this time in a frothy romp through the 1920s with Agatha Christie.  The Doctor does his best Poirot impression, Donna is fabulous as a sleuthing flapper, and Agatha brings intelligence and pathos to the proceedings.  With sparkling dialogue and a fine send-up to Christie-era country-estate life, this one is a delight.

 

“The Impossible Planet” / “The Satan Pit” (Series 2, Episodes 8 & 9)

 

In this story, by turns compelling and terrifying, the Doctor and Rose are stranded on a mysterious planet that orbits a black hole.  The scientific crew with which they find themselves is beautifully-developed, and the ruminations on loss, fear, and faith are great.  On the alien side, there’s a shadowy beast, a horrific possession, and the first appearance of the Ood – who doesn’t love an Ood?