There’s simply no questioning just how poorChris Chibnall’s era ofDoctor Whowas. Over three seasons and a subsequent pair of specials in 2022, Chibnall andJodie Whittaker’sThirteenth Doctor ushered in a downward trendin both viewing figures and fan satisfaction, leaving the series in a troubled state as their time in control of the TARDIS came to an end. Desperate to re-find the show’s mojo from the mid-noughties, theBBC, alongside new partnersDisney,literallybrought it back, with former showrunnerRussell T. Daviesreinstated alongside long-time collaborators in the production team, as well as the series' beloved composerMurray Gold.
After a trio of 60th Anniversary specials that felt more like a celebration of Davies' first era than the entire show, it was time to look forward, as brand-new DoctorNcuti Gatwaarrived. However, in his first season, a lot was left to be desired, with an over-reliance on fan service and a frustrating arc for new companion Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) leaving a bitter taste in many mouths. Still, Davies was likely finding his feet as he realigned himself with the special formula that made his first era so great.Season 2 would be much better, right?With the dust settling on a controversial finale and Season 2 (or series 15) now over, here’s a look at every episode, ranked.
Doctor Who
8"The Reality War"
Over two years of big-budget sci-fi, countless mystery boxes, and endless puzzle-teasing had come to this.All Davies had to do was stick the landing, rectifying the disastrous finale of the year prior. What instead occurred was “The Reality War,” a chaotic stain that symbolizes everything wrong with Davies' second era at the helm. The episode follows The Doctor and Belinda (Varada Sethu) as they attempt to put a stop to The Rani’s(Anita Dobson/Archie Panjabi)plan to bring back a dormant Omega. However, a laughably quick ditching of the season’s main antagonist — with a gun no less — is followed by a final thirty minutes that, although an unfortunate result of apparent behind-the-scenes mayhem, have sent the fandom into meltdown.
Doctor Whohas always been a show thatproudly honors its history. However, Davies' second era has relied far too heavily on the great to come before, attempting to maximize bland, soulless fan service instead of producing fresh content with the series' future in mind. The culmination of this was “The Reality War,” whichdisposed of its current Doctorand quickly replaced him with a figment of the past in a loud and unashamed message to the world thatDoctor Whomight not be here to stay because it’s too busy begging us to reminisce.How can a show move forward when it refuses to face the right way?
7"The Robot Revolution"
Sadly, the worst two episodes ofDoctor WhoSeason 2 are the finale and the opener;The two episodes every great television season must nail. However, in contrast to “The Reality War,” “The Robot Revolution” isn’t a disservice to the series or a maelstrom of behind-the-scenes carnage; it is simply rather forgettable in a season that boasts several strong individual outings.
Introducing the audience to thenewest companion aboard the TARDIS, Belinda, “The Robot Revolution” sees the nurse from Earth kidnapped by robots and taken to a planet that, unbeknownst to her, worships her as their queen. However, their sinister plan to augment her into a cyborg ruler is thwarted by an energetic Fifteenth Doctor.Visually striking but narratively uneventful, “The Robot Revolution” is at least better than the previous year’s opening gambit, “Space Babies.”
6"The Interstellar Song Contest"
With the two-part finale on the horizon, and withThe Eurovision Song Contestabout to air live to a global audience of an estimated 166 million,Doctor Whodecided to cash in on the hype and set their latest episode on a futuristic version of the singing extravaganza. What unfolds is The Doctor and Belinda’s accidental trip to see the show going awry, as a disgruntled pair of protesters remove the venue’s oxygen shield, sending 100,000 people into space unprotected.
“The Interstellar Song Contest” is an episode of two halves. On one hand, the often camp, neon sci-fi ofDoctor Whofeels perfect for the bright lights ofEurovision. Some of the visuals, such as the sight of 100,000 people floating into space, remain imprinted in fans' minds, and the performances from the supporting cast are consistently strong. However, on the other hand,the episode’s moral stance on a politically fragile issue is egregious at best, and the reveal of thetrue identity of Mrs. Flood falls incredibly flat.
5"Wish World"
The true identity of Mrs. Flood has been revealed as The Rani, and, after her bi-generation into two, the duo’s plan to bring back Gallifrey can commence. After recruiting the controversial commentator with a chip on his shoulder, Conrad (Jonah Hauer-King), the trio create a “Wish World,” which sees a backwards version of reality carved in Conrad’s image, wheredoubt is punished by the governmentand disabled people are sidelined with no purpose.
The world built by Davies and directorAlex Sanjiv Pillaiin this episode is genuinely fascinating, with the deeper exploration of the mind of Conrad a welcome continuation of the brilliance of “Lucky Day.” Althoughbafflingly green-screened into existence with the attention to detail of a toddler with a hammer, it is also wonderful to seeJonathan Groff’s vibrant Rogueonce again. However, it is undeniable that what came after it in the final episode of the season harms the reputation of “Wish World,” with engaging moments in the episode rendered frustratingly benign by their lack of resolution one week later.
4"The Story & The Engine"
One of the few positive inputs from the Chibnall era of the series was theacceleration in telling different cultural stories. Thankfully, Davies kept this trend going with Season 2’s “The Story & The Engine.” Set in 2019 Lagos, the episode follows the TARDIS team as they become trapped inside a barbershop, with a bitter owner who created much of mankind’s mythology, desperate for new stories after he becomes no longer useful.
The most unique episode of the season, “The Story & The Engine,” is likely to age gracefully in spite of the rest of the second outing, thanks largely to being its own standalone story that could perhaps fit into any other era of the show, at least structurally. However, its positive is also its negative, as such singular storytelling compared to the rest of the season leaves it feeling tonally off-balance, especially when Disney has only offered this era eight episodes per outing.In a previous season of modern Who with 13 episodes, “The Story & The Engine” would feel much better suited.
The main antagonist-based throughline of Davies' second era has been the exploration of The Pantheon, a group of god-like beings seeking to cause mayhem across the universe. Just as in Season 1, Season 2’s second episode surprises audiences with the introduction of another member of The Pantheon, this time Lux Imperator, the God of Light, who manifests as cartoon character Mr. Ring-a-Ding (Alan Cumming) and takes over a 1950s Miami movie theater.
An ambitious episode that simply wouldn’t exist without Disney’s big-budget investment,“Lux” is a wonderful example of what this new era ofDoctor Whoshould’ve always been about. Adventurous, visually stunning, andunlike anything we’d seen before, it’s difficult to praise “Lux” without feeling melancholy at the wonder of what else might’ve been, were this zealous, forward-thinking mission statement stuck to.
2"Lucky Day"
For the second season in a row, Gibson was able to shine brightest on her own.The ‘Doctor-lite’ story has been a staple of modern Who ever since “Love and Monsters” in 2006, with the pinnacle coming the next year in “Blink.” Although far from those heights, “Lucky Day” is another stellar addition to theDoctor Whoepisode sub-genre, following Gibson as her blossoming relationship with Conrad comes crumbling down when she realizes he has been using her as a means to get to UNIT, aiming to ‘expose’ them to his radicalized online following.
Davies’Doctor Whohas always been politically charged, even since a group of farting green aliens dressed in the suits of the British government tried to start “World War Three” back in 2005. In “Lucky Day,“Davies' examination of online radicalization and extremist conspiracy messaging is neat and timely, with Conrad’s character thankfully not relegated to a caricature. In fact, he is definitely Season 2’s best new villain, with hisreturn in the finale a welcome one. “Lucky Day” might look like a simplistic filler episode to the uninitiated, butthis thrilling outing’s quality is definitely ‘bigger on the inside’.
1"The Well”
“The Well” is thebestDoctor Whoepisodesince 2017’s “World Enough and Time.“A long-rumored sequel to the genius 2008 episode “Midnight,” “The Well” follows The Doctor and Belinda as they arrive back on the diamond planet, unbeknownst to the titular Time Lord, andfind Rose Ayling-Ellis' Aliss aloneamong a sea of bodies. With time ticking, the race is on to find a solution to the seemingly inevitable demise of everyone on the mining colony’s base.
With a palpable tension simmering throughout, akin to its acclaimed older sibling,“The Well” offers a heaped helping of whatDoctor Whodoes best: unflinching, primetime television horror.Add to that a clever, affecting display of the ignorance of many to the needs of the Deaf community — even 400,000 years in the future — as well as the satisfying return of the show’s most mysterious villain of the modern era, and a recipe for greatness is born. There’s a sense from within most current fandoms that praising newer works is simply ‘recency bias.’ However, “The Well” is more than worthy of its enormous praise, with the episode’s reputation likely to grow as timey-wimey goes on.
