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When Doctor Who returned to British television in 2005, the sci-fi show reintroduced the iconic time-traveling Gallifreyan and his time machine to an entirely new generation of fans. New Who‘s successful twelve seasons have provided Whovians with some of the scariest aliens, the funniest companions, and the most charming Doctors in the franchise.
The earliest seasons, in particular, also contain some of the best two-episode arcs in the entire franchise. Usually used as epic season finales, these two-parters tend to involve some of the Doctor’s biggest enemies and close the season-long storylines that get introduced early on.
10 The Tenth Doctor’s Era Ends In “The End Of Time, Part 1 & 2”
The Tenth Doctor finds an unexpected companion in Wilf, Donna Noble’s grandfather, in “The End of Time.” The Master, now resurrected, is concocting a plan to bring the Timelords back after their tragic death during the Last Great Time War. The Doctor, who has been escaping from a prophecy about his incoming regeneration, has to stop the Master from destroying Humanity before it’s too late.
“The End of Time” marks the end of the Tenth Doctor’s era, with David Tennant stepping down from the role towards the end of the second part. The episodes discuss the Doctor’s god complex, which is hinted at during the entire fourth season and spawned the Time Lord Victorious comic.
9 The Weeping Angels Return In “The Time Of Angels/Flesh & Stone”
After receiving a coded message from River Song, the Eleventh Doctor and Amy help her investigate the mysterious creature inside a crashed starship. It turns out to be a Weeping Angel, one of the quantum-locked statues the Doctor had encountered during his previous regeneration. Together with a group of militarized clerics, the three time-travelers must adventure into a cave on their way to the ship.
“The Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone” brings the Weeping Angels back from their twenty-episode hiatus for a much more action-packed journey. The two-parter provided new details about the murderous statues and River Song, mixing adventure with suspense throughout its entire runtime.
8 The Ninth Doctor Says Goodbye In “Bad Wolf/The Parting Of The Ways”
Upon materializing aboard Satellite Five, the Ninth Doctor, Rose Tyler, and Jack Harkness find themselves fighting against invading Daleks. The Doctor sends Rose back to her own time, only for her to find a way back by looking into the Heart of the TARDIS and acquiring an immense but deadly power. In an attempt to save her once again, the Doctor absorbs her powers, weakening his body and rushing his regeneration into the Tenth Doctor.
“Bad Wolf/The Parting of the Ways” is the first two-part finale of the New Who era. The episodes reveal the truth behind Bad Wolf, a phrase that had appeared routinely throughout the entire season, and mark the Ninth Doctor’s last televised adventure.
7 The Eleventh Doctor Goes To America In “The Impossible Astronaut/Day Of The Moon”
The Eleventh Doctor, his companions Rory and Amy, and River Song are all summoned by a future version of the Doctor to Utah, where they meet a man who has a message for them: Space, 1969. Now reunited, the four travel to Washington D.C., 1969 to help President Nixon investigate a mysterious astronaut with connections to an alien organization called the Silence.
“The Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon” is the most shocking season-opener of Doctor Who, with several plot twists, scary new aliens, and various revelations that keep the audience at the edge of their seats. It introduced the Silence as the sixth season’s main villain and was filmed mainly in the U.S., a first for a Who story. The first episode, “The Impossible Astronaut,” was dedicated to Sarah Jane Smith’s actress, Elisabeth Sladen, as she had died days before its broadcast.
6 The Cybermen & The Daleks Go To War In “Army Of Ghosts/Doomsday”
When an army of Cybermen from another universe and a group of Daleks decide to fight over the Earth, the Tenth Doctor, Rose, and Mickey must team up with Torchwood to stop them from destroying the planet. After Rose ends up stranded in the parallel universe where her father is alive, the Doctor has no choice but to say goodbye to her and their budding romance.
“Army of Ghosts/Doomsday” is the first Doctor Who story to involve both the Cybermen and the Daleks, having them appear together and interacting with each other. The two-parter is also a favorite of Rose Tyler fans despite her bittersweet departure as the Doctor’s lead companion and main romantic interest.
5 The Universe Receives A Revamp In “The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang”
A prophetic Van Gogh painting called “The Pandorica Opens” shows the Doctor’s beloved TARDIS exploding in space. Troubled by this image, the Eleventh Doctor and Amy look for the Pandorica, an enclosure created to contain the biggest threat in the universe, and find a supposedly deceased Rory alongside it.
The two-parter is the first season finale in Steven Moffat’s era as head writer. As such, “The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang” is one the most timey-wimey stories in New Who, connecting most of its season’s previous episodes and completely rewriting the universe towards the end of the second episode.
4 The Ninth Doctor Battles An Epidemic In “The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances”
After chasing what they believe to be an emergency alert to 1940s London, the Ninth Doctor and Rose meet Jack Harkness, a Time Agent. Though wary of him, the Doctor allies with Jack to investigate a strange child wearing a gas mask who keeps calling for his mother. Soon enough, the three find themselves surrounded by a multitude of others who are also wearing the same mask.
“The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances” was written by Steven Moffat and is arguably the best, and the scariest story of the first season. It introduced Jack Harkness, who would become one of the Doctor’s friends and his on-and-off companion, and is one of the highest-rated Doctor Who two-parters on IMDb.
3 The Tenth Doctor Meets Satan In “The Impossible Planet/Satan’s Pit”
While exploring a human-operated space base on the planet Krop Tor, the Doctor and Rose lose the TARDIS to an unexpected earthquake that sends the time machine down a deep ravine. While they try to find a way to get it back, a mysterious entity who calls itself Satan possesses a member of the base’s crew and begins wreaking havoc on the planet.
“The Impossible Planet/Satan’s Pit” marks the debut of the Oods, an empathetic race of aliens. The two-episode arc is also known as one of the best traditional sci-fi stories of the new era for its outstanding writing and directing. The design for the Beast has also been widely praised for its grotesque and terrifying look.
2 The Tenth Doctor Encounters River Song For The First Time In “Silence In The Library/Forest Of The Dead”
Thirty centuries into the future, the Tenth Doctor and Donna encounter River Song and her archeology expedition while visiting a suspiciously empty planet-sized library. While investigating the mysterious carnivorous creatures hiding in the dark, River confesses that she knows a future version of the Doctor.
“Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead” is a fan favorite for its suspenseful pacing, and for introducing the frightening Vashta Nerada in their first and only appearance. Alex Kingston also makes her debut as River Song, a character that is essential to the following two seasons starring Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor.
1 A Deadly Family Tries To Achieve Immortality In “Human Nature/The Family Of Blood”
A group of aliens who call themselves the Family of Blood attack a boarding school in the early 1900s in search of a particular item that they believe will help them achieve immortality. John Smith, a schoolteacher with delusions of being an alien with a time machine, must figure something out before the Family of Blood attains its goal.
“Human Nature/The Family of Blood” is based on the eponymous Doctor Who novel by Paul Cornell. The two-parter was nominated for a Hugo Award in 2008 and was ranked as the sixth-best Doctor Who story by Doctor Who Magazine. It explored a new side to the Doctor and is widely considered to be the Tenth Doctor’s best two-episode arc.
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