A Look Back at the Episodes of Steven Moffat · 5:26am Nov 18th, 2013
With The Day of the Doctor less than a week away, I'm sure many of us Whovians are feeling a tingling joy waiting to burst from within us due to the excitement we're feeling about all this special is promising us. However, I'm sure there are a few (or a lot) of Whovians out there who are trying to keep their excitement back as much as possible for one simple reason: Steven Moffat is the writer of the episode.
Oh yes, the man nearly as divisive as the characters within the show he's currently in charge of. When it comes to the Moff, it seems that people either love him and praise him for his brilliance or hate his guts and accuse him of ruining the show with his over-complicated plots and "stereotypical" female characters. Personally, I've enjoyed Moffat's work as showrunner. Sure, he has his flaws and there are definitely some certain aspects that could have been executed better but, overall, I'm satisfied with a majority of the work that Moffat has provided for this fantastic show. So, in honor of the upcoming 50th anniversary special that has been penned by none other than the Moff, I've decided to take a look back at all of Moffat's episodes for Doctor Who. Which are his best? Which are his worst? And where were the lines drawn?
Series 1, Episodes 9 and 10: The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances
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After taking a look back at Series 1, I have to say that this 2-parter is probably my favorite pair of episodes from that season. I mean there's so much to love about these episodes! The Ninth Doctor is as enjoyable as ever, Rose gets some nice moments, we get an interesting and creepy monster in the form of the Empty Child, Jamie (as well as the nanogenes that have infected him), we get a relatable and sympathetic episodic character in the form of Nancy, and, of course, we witness the introduction of the one and only Captain Jack Harkness! The "Everybody Lives!" moment has gone on to become one of the most famous and memorable moments in "New Who" and the scene where Nancy reveals the truth to Jamie still makes my eyes water a bit, to be honest. Overall, this 2-parter was a fantastic start for Moffat's career with Doctor Who!
Series 2, Episode 4: The Girl in the Fireplace
This episode definitely remains to be one of my favorite episodes from the series. We get some enjoyable comedic moments here and there but we also get a very deep, moving, melancholy, and pretty dark story. The chemistry between the Tenth Doctor and Reinette was executed beautifully and it only makes it all the more saddening when her ultimate fate comes around. The song that plays at the end of the episode "Madame de Pompadour" remains to be my favorite piece of Doctor Who soundtrack music to date. The monsters of the episode, the Clockwork robots, were also really creepy. I still get chills during that scene when the robot pops out from underneath Reinette's bed. Also, on a quick side note, I also find it interesting how the basis of this episode seems to almost be a reflection of what we would later see happen with the Eleventh Doctor and Amy. Overall, another great episode!
Series 3, Episode 10: Blink
Dear God, do I even need to explain how much this episode kicks ass?! We get an excellent protagonist in the form of Sally Sparrow, we get a perfectly executed and extremely well-thought-out wibbly-wobby timey-wimey plot (as well as the introduction of said phrase), and, of course, we see the introduction of one of the scariest monsters, if not the scariest monster, in the history of Doctor Who: the Weeping Angels! This remains to be my favorite episode of the series and many consider this to be the best episode of Doctor Who thus far! Some may disagree but everyone has their own opinion. This is the episode I recommend non-Whovians to watch first if they plan to take a look at the show because your opinions of this episode will mostly likely tell you whether to continue looking into the show or not. Overall, fantastic episode, and I think that goes without saying!
2007 Children in Need Special: Time Crash
While not a full episode, this minisode provides enough awesomeness in its own right! It's definitely magical to see Peter Davison take up the role of the 5th Doctor once again and he and Tennant worked off each other magnificently! It's funny to see the Tenth Doctor start acting like a fan of himself and that ending farewell between the two Doctors was just a perfectly heartwarming moment. What makes this whole scenario even funnier now is that Peter Davison is David Tennant's father-in-law. For those of you who were unaware of this, let that sink in for a few moments. Anyway, great minisode!
Series 4, Episodes 9 and 10: Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead
Yet another pair of truly fantastic episodes that really goes without saying! We get an interesting and creepy setting in the form of the Library and a scary and intimidating monster in the Vashta Nerada. We also saw the introduction of River Song and the beginning of her complicated relationship with the Doctor. It was an interesting twist to meet someone who knew more than the Doctor and her fate in the latter episode set the tone for her future appearances. The one-off characters were also interesting and enjoyable and the twist involving the true identity of the little girl was both tragic and shocking. Donna also got to really shine in this episode and the moment where she "lost" her virtual children was probably one of the most heartbreaking moments involving her character. Overall, these episodes were fantastic and the perfect start to the complicated story arc of the complicating River Song!
Series 5, Episode 1: The Eleventh Hour
Matt Smith had some big shoes to fill following the departure of David Tennant and this episode was definitely a great start for his Doctor. After his quick introduction at the end of The End of Time: Part 2 we finally get a look at the character of this Doctor and we meet his companions-to-be, Amy Pond and Rory Williams. We get an interesting companion plot that reflects what happened back in The Girl in the Fireplace and the crack in the wall proved to be an intriguing start to a complicated season mystery. I also liked the Doctor's inventive plan to defeat Prisoner Zero. Overall, really good episode and a great start for the Eleventh Doctor's era!
Series 5, Episode 2: The Beast Below
As far as I can tell, this seems to be an episode that not that many people talk about. Which is kind of strange as this episode isn't really that bad. Actually, I think it's quite good. While not the greatest episode of the season, it definitely acts as a nice first adventure for Amy and has its share of creepy and suspenseful moments. We also got a first look at the anger that the Eleventh Doctor tends to keep hidden inside and I found that to be really interesting. Overall, not the greatest but certainly still pretty good.
Series 5, Episodes 4 and 5: The Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone
Here we go. Time to get into the divisive stuff. I know a fair amount of people don't care for these episode but, personally, I really enjoyed them. Sure, that one scene where the Angels moved was awkward and "Angel Bob" was pretty laughable at certain points but these episodes still acted as an interesting and fitting return for the Weeping Angels. We got some more information about how the Angels work and that scene with the Angel hologram approaching Amy still creeps me out. It was nice to see River Song again and it was interesting to see how differently she acted here vs. her future self we saw back in Series 4. Overall, I think these were pretty good episodes. A few flaws here and there, sure, but still enjoyable IMO.
Series 5, Episodes 12 and 13: The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang
This is probably where the Moffat trope of over-complicated plots probably began to rear its head. However, these episodes were IMO enjoyable, fun, exciting, and acted as a fitting conclusion to the Series 5 story arc. While the source for the TARDIS exploding was never really explained (hopefully that'll be explained in the future), everything else fit together quite nicely. River had some great moments in this episode and Rory's devotion to Amy was prove ten fold here when he decided to wait two thousand years for her to wake up! So, overall, I enjoyed these episodes and I think they acted as a nice end to Series 5.
2010 Christmas Special: A Christmas Carol
I never truly fell in love with this Christmas special but I can definitely say that it has a magical charm to it. The Eleventh Doctor was enjoyable as usual and both Michael Gambon and Katherine Jenkins gave really good performances. The only thing that kind of made me confused is why were Amy and Rory dressed as a policewoman kissogram and centurion respectively? But that's just a small nitpick. Anyway, not one of my favorite Doctor Who Christmas specials but still an enjoyable one overall.
Series 6, Episodes 1 and 2: The Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon
This was definitely a good way to start off a new season. The Doctor's "death" at the beginning was certainly a shocking way to start things off and everything after that was just an insane ride of suspense, horror, and awesomeness. The Silence were creepy villains and Canton Deleware was an interesting and entertaining episodic companion. Overall, really enjoyed these two episodes and I think they did a good job setting up this season's story arc.
Series 6, Episode 7: A Good Man Goes to War
The episode that revealed the identity of River Song. I think it was around this point that River began to become a divisive character. As I've made it clear in the past, I enjoy River as a character and I have no problems with who she turned out to be. This was definitely an exciting and thrilling way to finish the first half of Series 6. We saw the return of old characters, the introduction of new characters (such as Vastra, Jenny, and Strax), and witnessed a very traumatic and moving experience for both Amy and Rory. I also really love the track "Melody Pond" and it synced with the ending scene beautifully. Overall, really enjoyed this episode.
Series 6, Episode 8: Let's Kill Hitler
I found this to be an entertaining episode and a pretty interesting further look into the past of River Song. There were also several really enjoyable comedic moments here and there such as when Rory put Hitler in the cupboard. I also enjoyed the throwback to the past with the TARDIS showing holograms of Rose, Martha, and Donna. However, I also find this episode to not really be as enjoyable as the previous episode. I don't find it to be a terrible episode, just not a really spectacular one IMO. However, it's definitely loads better than the finale...speaking of which....
Series 6, Episode 13: The Wedding of River Song
While I can't say that this episode annoyed me as it did many other people, I can honestly see why so many people hate this episode. It's a real mess and it's way too overly-complicated for its own good IMO. I admit that I find it interesting to see what happens when you try to stop a fixed point in time (apparently the universe just says f*** it and smashes everything together) but the whole episode in the screwed-up universe felt more like a Doctor Who acid trip. Overall, a messy episode that could have been a lot better.
2011 Christmas Special: The Doctor, the Widow, and the Wardrobe
I've mentioned before how I found this to mostly be an okay Christmas special. While I did enjoy some aspects like the heartwarming ending, the Doctor's usual antics, and the occasional joke here and there, the episode still comes off as mostly forgettable. It almost feels like someone in the BBC just wanted to make a Doctor Who parody of Narnia. So, overall, not a terrible special but not a fantastic one either.
Series 7, Episode 1: Asylum of the Daleks
I really enjoyed this episode. The Dalek Asylum was a creepy and disturbing setting and the character of Oswin Oswald was funny and enjoyable. It was also nice seeing a combination of old and new Daleks brought together in one place. The only thing that didn't really make sense to me was why did Amy and Rory have to be divorced? There was no real reason for it and it seemed to be there only to put in some extra drama. But, overall, a really good episode.
Series 7, Episode 5: The Angels Take Manhattan
I love this episode. I know this episode is pretty divisive amongst fans and I acknowledge its flaws from the OP powers of the Weeping Angels to the weird choice to make the Statue of Liberty a Weeping Angel (seriously, how did nobody see the Statue of Liberty move?!) to Rory not getting a deserved farewell...but I still love it. The Angels still had their creepy moments, especially the babies; I enjoyed the drama presented between the Doctor, River, and the Ponds; the noir tone of the episode was really well done; and Amy and Rory's final moments were just heartbreaking. While Rory could have gotten a better farewell, I still think this was a really good departure for the Ponds. So, yeah, still love this episode.
2012 Christmas Special: The Snowmen
Another fairly divisive episode that I love. Sure, the climax is a bit disappointing and the villains were a bit underwhelming but this episode is saved by the fantastic characters! The Doctor, Clara, Vastra, Jenny, and Strax save this episode and make it a really enjoyable experience. The scene with all of them in the manor during the attack of the snowmen is probably my favorite part of the episode. Not to mention that the chemistry between the Doctor and Clara is just a wonder to behold. So, overall, another extremely good episode IMO.
Series 7, Episode 6: The Bells of Saint John
While this episode could have been a little bit better in some parts, I still think it's a pretty good episode. The chemistry between the Doctor and Clara was entertaining and Miss Kizlet was a pretty good villain. I also liked the inventive and "twist ending-esque" fashion in which the Doctor defeated Miss Kizlet and forced the pawns of the Great Intelligence to free the souls trapped in the Wi-Fi. Overall, a really fun and enjoyable episode.
Series 7, Episode 13: The Name of the Doctor
I've said it in the past and I'll say it again: this episode is PERFECT...in my opinion. Yes, I'm sure there are a few flaws to point out and nitpick about upon further inspection but, personally, I don't care. This episode was simply amazing from my POV. I love every moment of this episode and everything meshed together quite nicely. I was satisfied with the answer to Clara's mystery and the shocking reveal of the War Doctor at the end was something that I'm sure nobody saw coming (I sure as hell didn't). Once again, I think this episode is PERFECT!
And, finally, I've come to the end of this Moffat retrospective. As I've said earlier, I've enjoyed a majority of his work for the show and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what he has planned for us in The Day of the Doctor, the 2013 Christmas special, and Series 8. We're almost there! November 23, here we come!
I'm kind of interested to see if the War Doctor is one of his limited incarnations or if they gave him a freebie bonus incarnation.
I'm going to have agree with all the points you made here. Yes, Moffit does have a tendency to write some overcomplicated plot points but I have never felt that they detracted from the overall storyline. Does it get a bit jumbled at times? Yes, but I believe that some points being jumbled is the price we have to pay when dealing with a universe as vast and confusing as Doctor Who. The only episode where its left me a bit peeved was with episode 13 of series 6. It just didn't feel like Steve had his usual focus on this time around. It probably would have benefited from being split into two episodes or at the least a 90 minute special to clarify some of the more subtle details. It just seemed like a rush job to me with both its pacing and all the info it was throwing at you.
Truly, the only Moffit episodes I've felt were really underwhelming were the Christmas specials. This is not to say that they were horrible but more like that they didn't leave me feeling any satisfaction after watching them. I just came out with a feeling of meh at the end.
There are too many things for me to comment on. I will say though that I have yet to see a number of these episodes. But, I will say that "Doctor Who acid trip" sounds like fun to me!