The Cutprice Guignol

Now, I have to admit, of all the articles I’ve got planned for this series, this one posed the, uh, most significant challenge to me.

Not that there’s any era of Doctor Who I outright don’t like, but if there was a low point in the modern era’s run, it’s this one. Anyone who’s been keeping up with my endless groaning and griping in real-time already knows this, so I shan’t recount it here. No! This is a series about positivity, after all, and it’s only fair that we fight the profound urge to be a snarky bitch and try to write something nice for a change.

Because there are some really great episodes in Peter Capaldi’s run (as well as some really great assistants – looking at you, my beloved Bill Potts), even if a few of them ended up not really delivering the way they promised to. I know it’s a beloved era for a lot of people, and I would love to hear what if that’s the case for you – this is a safe space for you to love up on all your least popular DW opinions, and I thoroughly encourage you to do so in the comments. Anyway! Let’s get to the best episode of Peter Capaldi’s run on the show.

Mummy on the Orient Express

I love a monster-of-the-week story, and this is simply one of the best, most inventive, and most memorable examples of it in the modern era of the show. It’s such a silly premise, but one that’s approached with the utmost Agatha Christie-esque seriousness (and a few Empty Child references thrown in for good measure) to incredible effect. Frank Skinner is one of my favourite one-episode guest stars of all time, and Peter Capaldi is so clearly having a wonderful time goofing around on a space-train while fighting off a genuinely formidable and unique villain. This is silly, scary Who at its very best, and I still think it’s bloody fantastic.

Heaven Sent

Now, for something completely different. If Mummy is one of the best throwaway episodes the show has ever done, Heaven Sent is one of the most singularly impressive pieces of character study it’s ever pulled off. I wasn’t sure about it at the time, but I’ve since come to adore it. With outrageously good direction from Rachel Talalay to elevate this into pure, cinematic event TV, Heaven Sent is an unsettling, memorable, and profoundly moving meditation of grief, loss, and love, hinged on Capaldi’s single best performance in the show. The monster, that endless, creeping beast, feels like something out of Yeats poem, a blend of literal and metaphysical horror, and the setting is eerie and ancient. Even though I’m not a huge fan of what follows, there’s just no denying what an impressive achievement this episode is.

The Husbands of River Song

A Christmas special? On my best-of list? It’s more likely than you think, it seems. River Song is one of the most prominent aspects of preceding Doctor Matt Smith’s run, but it’s this episode that gave her the most perfect send-off imaginable. It’s got a lot of silliness to it – Greg Davies, for goodness sake, stomping around like he’s just smelled a fart – but the heart of it is the gorgeous and affecting final meeting between Capaldi’s Doctor and River Song. Alex Kingston and Capaldi share a phenomenal chemistry here, tinged with a deep sadness as they come to part ways and meet for the first time again. It’s one of the few episodes of the show that have actually made me cry, a gentle, bittersweet love story reliant on two tremendous performances from all-time brilliant actors, and just thinking about it now gets me a bit choked up.

What are your favourite episodes from this era? Are there any on this list you think don’t belong here? Let me know in the comments!

If you’d like to read my other Doctor Who articles, you can check them out here (and take a look at my books if you’re feeling curious!).

(header image via YouTube)