And just like that,the latest season ofDoctor Whohas come to an end. The long-running BBC sci-fi series kicked off its current, Russell T Davies-run era late last year with a trio of David Tennant-led 60th anniversary specials that were, in turn, followed by the show’s 2023 Christmas special,The Church on Ruby Road. That episode formally introduced viewers to Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor and his first companion,Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson), and it set up a series of cosmic, time-hopping adventures to come.
The season that has since aired didn’t prove to be the full-blown home run that some may have wanted. It did, however, successfully breathe life back intoDoctor Whoand brought with it more than a few memorable new entries in the series’ ever-growing list of great installments. With that in mind, now that Gatwa’s firstDoctor Whoseason is over, here are all nine of its episodes — ranked from worst to best.
9. Space Babies
Space Babiesis an admirably weird, zany sci-fi adventure that doesn’t ultimately go anywhere particularly interesting or surprising. Its plot, which follows the Doctor and Ruby as they find themselves trapped on a baby factory that is being stalked by a slimy monster, is fairly tame and by-the-numbers byDoctor Whostandards. It gives the episode plenty of opportunities for both tension and humor.
Like a lot of the Russell T Davies-penned episodes ofDoctor Whothat don’t totally come together, though, it’s a tonally odd piece that never really finds its footing or a rhythm that works. As its season’s first non-holiday special installment, it’s a bit of a letdown. Fortunately, the season only really got better from this point on.
8. The Church on Ruby Road
Like 2005’sThe Christmas Invasion,The Church on Ruby Roadtries to deliver all the moments of wintery cheer that everyDoctor WhoChristmas special should while also introducing the show’s latest iteration of the Doctor. ToThe Church on Ruby Road‘s credit, there’s an excited energy coursing through the entire episode that is extremely endearing, and both Gatwa and Gibson emerge as equally luminous, likable figures early in its runtime.
However, the scenes featuring its singing, time-traveling goblin villains, who feast on both the temporal power of coincidences and the flesh of human babies, are too absurd and ridiculous even forDoctor Who. The episode, consequently, gets Gatwa and Gibson’sDoctor Whoera off to an uneven start — one that leaves you hopeful but anxious to see what they do next.
7. The Devil’s Chord
Rounding out the season’s lackluster opening trio of episodes isThe Devil’s Chord. Featuring a scene-stealing supporting turn from Jinkx Monsoon as the villainous Maestro, the 1960s-set installment is better and more well-realized than bothThe Church on Ruby RoadandSpace Babies.
It overstays its welcome, though, and pushes itself to such an ill-fitting blockbuster scale that its final acts ends up becoming more mildly irritating than thrillingly entertaining. It’s an episode that is brimming with genuinely astonishing stylistic touches and moments of formal experimentation, but it doesn’t know when to slow down or stop, and that greatly limits its overall impact.
6. Dot and Bubble
ABlack Mirror-esque exploration of the dangers of social media bubbles, thisDoctor Whoepisode starts off strong and only gets better in its final 10 minutes. Set in the futuristic, domed city of Finetime, the episode follows Lindy Pepper-Bean (Callie Cooke), a resident of Finetime, as both the Doctor and Ruby try to save her from an invasion of human-eating, bug-like aliens by chatting with her through her VR social media network.
Penned, once again, by Russell T Davies,Dot and Bubbleis the slowest episode ofDoctor Who‘s latest season, but its slow-burn nature pays off in spades when Davies makes the bold choice to reveal that the person the Doctor has exerted so much effort to save is, in her own way, just as monstrous as the creatures he’s tried to protect her from. The twist in question bringsDot and Bubbleto a conclusion that is as dark as it is scathing, and which gives the episode’s larger themes the edge they demand.
Written byLokiseason 1 director Kate Herron and Briony Redman,Rogueis silly, romantic, light on its feet, and so, so much fun. Set in the early 1800s, the episode follows the Doctor and Ruby as their trip into the past is disrupted by the presence of murderous, shapeshifting aliens who, like them, are desperate to live out their own,Bridgerton-inspired fantasies.
Anchored by Gatwa’s playful chemistry with guest star Jonathan Groff, who nearly steals the episode as a time-traveling bounty hunter,Rogueis the platonic ideal of a standard, mid-seasonDoctor Whoepisode. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, but it isn’t so cheeky as to be distracting, either, and its final minutes are just twisty enough to send the episode out on a high.
4. Empire of Death
Empire of Death, the second half ofDoctor Whoseason 14’s two-part finale, is a deeply atmospheric, surprisingly moving hour of television. It follows the Doctor, Ruby, and Mel Bush (Bonnie Langford) as they hide away in a “memory TARDIS” and attempt to find a way to reverse the effects of Sutekh’s dust of death. Set in a universe that has gone quiet from widespread loss and bone-deep despair,Empire of Deathnot only forces Ncuti’s Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor to outsmart one of his most powerful enemies for the second time but it also pushes him to make the darkest decision of hisDoctor Whotenure to date.
The episode is, for the most part, completely thrilling and engaging. Its placement this low on this list is, therefore, due to the strength of the remaining entries, its own inability to replicate the same sense of terror and operatic drama as its immediate predecessor, and the slightly anticlimactic nature of its final reveals regarding Ruby’s mysterious mother.
3. The Legend of Ruby Sunday
The Legend of Ruby Sundayis a masterclass in steadily building tension and dread. After repeatedly teasing the arrival of a powerful god known only as “He Who Waits” across its first seven chapters,Doctor Whoseason 14 finally reveals its Big Bad’s identity in an episode that is perfectly paced, edited, and, in its closing minutes, absolutely chilling. The episode’s high point is undoubtedly its climactic sequence, which brings a relatively obscureWhovillain named Sutekh back into the fold with an entrance that is about as dramatic and terrifying as any of the show’s antagonists have ever received.
As expertly conceived and constructed as the episode’s climax is, though, its preceding minutes are full of noteworthy moments, including a digital reconstruction of Ruby’s origin story that is both eerie and heartbreaking.The Legend of Ruby Sundayalso gets bonus points for giving Jemma Redgrave what might be her best swing at bat yet as the occasionally frustrating but increasingly likable Kate Lethbridge-Stewart.
A nervy slice of pure, unbridled tension courtesy of former showrunner Steven Moffat,Boomis about as outright assaultive as an episode ofDoctor Whowill ever get. As concise, economical, and spare as its title suggests, the episode follows the Doctor as he tries to figure out how to step off a futuristic landmine without killing himself and everyone else present on the war-torn planet he and Ruby have found themselves on.
Like a lot of greatDoctor Whoepisodes before it,Boomserves as a showcase for both its writer and star. It gives Ncuti Gatwa more to do emotionally than practically any of the season’s other installments, and the actor doesn’t let the opportunities presented byBoompass him by. He chews his way through every one of the episode’s tense beats — all while standing almost the entire time on one leg, no less — and helps pushBoomto the explosive, gripping heights that so many longtimeWhofans went into it hoping it would reach.
1. 73 Yards
A Doctor-lite episode,73 Yardsfollows Ruby after the accidental breaking of a Welsh fairy circle seemingly erases the Doctor from existence, locks her out of the TARDIS, and results in her being relentlessly stalked from a distance by an older woman whose mere presence makes anyone who gets close to her run in fear from Ruby herself. A melancholic, haunting meditation on the very human fear of being abandoned,73 Yardsbounces effortlessly between genres — transforming seamlessly from a Welsh folk horror tale to aDead Zone-esque sci-fi political thriller to a dramatic meditation on growing up, aging out of your old fears, and reconnecting with your younger self.
The episode’s circular conclusion answers just enough questions while also creating entirely new ones. In doing so,73 Yardsleaves the door open for repeat viewings and different interpretations — guaranteeing that viewers will return to it in the years to come just to experience its many mysteries and emotions, as well as Millie Gibson’s astonishing central performance, all over again. As a result, of all the episodes thatDoctor Whohas produced over the past six months,73 Yardshas the best chance of being remembered in 10 years asone of the show’s very best.
All nine episodes ofDoctor Whoseason 14 are streaming now on Disney+.
