The Fantasy Review’s list of Chris Chibnall’s Best Doctor Who Episodes.
Also check out: Chris Chibnall’s Worst Doctor Who Episodes
#4 – The Woman Who Fell to Earth
I didn’t hate The Woman Who Fell to Earth. Out of all of Chibnall’s seasons as showrunner, this episode has the most characterisation and the best plot.
Jodie’s introduction as the 13th Doctor is fun, silly, and I enjoyed it. Her performance in the role is amazing and I am so angry that she never got the best stories she deserved.
#3 – Eve of the Daleks
This 2022 New Years Day special surprised me. I was so ready to give up hope I was going to enjoy Doctor Who again and then they spring this fun little romp out!
I love a Groundhog Day trope and I love it when Doctor Who does a fun twist on other things (like Time Heist did with the Ocean’s 11 thing, for example).
Aisling Bea probably made the episode even better considering her brilliant performance, but her character was a person! Makes a change for Chibnall.
#2 – War of the Sontarans
This might just be ranked here for the look of the Sontarans… It’s not, but it does feel like that as I come to write this as it’s all I can think about! The Sontarans looked amazing in War of the Sontarans (Season 13, “Flux”, Episode 2).
Now, season 13, despite the fact it was written by Chibnall and COVID had made everything incredibly difficult, was actually pretty enjoyable. Considering all the things it had going against it, that was quite the achievement. The finale fell flat, but to be honest, after years of trash I was just happy I enjoyed the journey.
War of the Sontarans is a dark episode, set on a field of war. Dan and Karvanista were the buddy-duo I didn’t think I needed, saving the human race from their Sontaran overlords.
#1 – Spyfall, Part 1
I will never speak of part 2… but Spyfall, Part 1 (Season 12, Episode 1) made me yell and scream and point at the TV like the Leonardo DiCaprio meme and I loved it!
The best part of the episode? The newly revealed Master (Sacha Dhawan you BEAUTY!) was perfectly insane and brilliant, but it was his little matchbox that got me yelling and pointing. We need more of that classic, camp, whimsy in Doctor Who.
Sure, the ending was fluffed, but whatever. I still look back fondly at that brief moment when I thought everything was going to be alright again, like when Capaldi’s second series started and I was so glad it was better than his first.
#0 – Honourable Mention
I could not leave this off the list. It is a Torchwood episode, but it’s Chibnall’s best piece of writing for the Doctor Who universe and my favourite single episode of Torchwood.
I am, of course, talking about Countrycide. This was one of the best cases of humans being the monsters, not the aliens, that Doctor Who or its expanded universe had ever done. It is a dark, creepy story that feels like a short horror movie.
It’s violent, brutal, and suspenseful. The characterisation is spot-on and the atmosphere and tone are done perfectly. Chibnall never did better than this in Doctor Who or Torchwood.
