Every episode of Doctor Who Season 1, ranked worst to best

This past season of Doctor Who, in my opinion, is one of the strongest we've had in a long time. And that is not to say Jodie Whittaker's seasons were bad or poorly done. I absolutely loved some of those episodes, and I think she had an incredible run as the titular Doctor.

However, there was one key difference between her season and the current one: the return of former showrunner Russell T Davies. Him coming back to the franchise has been nothing short of amazing, and you can feel the positive influence on most of the episodes from this season.

Another major element is Ncuti Gatwa, who plays the newest incarnation of the Doctor. He is perhaps one of the strongest Doctors we've ever had, and that is saying something because I love David Tennant and Matt Smith. Gatwa's first season as the Doctor has been mindblowing, inspiring, heartfelt, and emotional. He brings an allure to the Doctor that we've quite possibly never had before. It's as if he was born to play this role!

I loved so many moments from this past season, and I'm looking forward to many more we'll (hopefully) have with Gatwa as the lead and Davies at the helm (with some more Stephen Moffat-penned episodes, please).

Looking back at this season, I was thinking about some of my favorite episodes, and some of the episodes I could have done without. The latter didn't stand out due to any deficit in the acting, but rather because the stories just didn't come fully to life. I'm breaking down this season's episodes, ranking them from worst to best. Bear in mind, this is simply my opinion and yours may differ greatly. Whatever the case may be, feel free to share your own rankings in the comments below!

If you have not watched this season of Doctor Who, I implore you to come back after you have so as not to read any MAJOR SPOILERS below. With that in mind, let's get into the episode rankings of this season of Doctor Who!

8. Doctor Who Season 1, Episode 1: "Space Babies"

I imagine I am not alone in ranking this as the season's worst episode. Of the eight episodes this season had, this one just did not hit home for me. Everything from the CGI babies to the Bogeyman being a literal accumulation of the babies' snot was just not what I was looking for from a Doctor Who episode.

Perhaps the only standout aspect of the episode is Gatwa and Millie Gibson's (Ruby Sunday) performances. They manage to make a boring, strange episode entertaining enough, and offer hope that the season won't be a bust.

And luckily, "Space Babies" isn't enough to pull us away from what is a pretty stellar season as a whole. Things start getting better immediately:

7. Doctor Who Season 1, Episode 2: "The Devil's Chord"

I remember watching the sophomore episode of this season and thinking, "Uh oh, is this season headed for the gutter?" I loved seeing Jinkx Monsoon as the Maestro. Their performance was spectacular and perhaps the only reason "The Devil's Chord" was worth the watch.

There have been many villains throughout the course of Doctor Who, but none quite like Monsoon's Maestro. They were chilling, frightening, and unsettling, almost like the Weeping Angels, but way more talkative. Then there's the cool moment where the Doctor drains the world of sound and everything goes quiet as the Maestro attempts to figure out a solution.

The episode has great visuals, but other than that, there isn't much to boast about. It may not have been the season's strongest episode, but it definitely gives us the heebie-jeebies thanks to Monsoon!

6. Doctor Who Season 1, Episode 5: "Dot and Bubble"

"Dot and Bubble" surely isn't an awful episode, but it just wasn't my favorite. However, as a fan of Black Mirror, I have to say they did a pretty job with the "technology is horror" element. Furthermore, the social commentary on racism was adroit. The fact that the robots were essentially racist was a twist I did not see coming, and I have to credit Davies for that one. He did a phenomenal job with that reveal!

Given this twist, I say that this episode is quite strong, but I was just pulled into the other episodes more. However, great storytelling and writing, I do have to give it that.

5. Doctor Who Season 1, Episode 8: "Empire of Death"

After all the build-up and the breadcrumbs left throughout the season, I have to say I was underwhelmed with part two of the season 1 finale. I wanted so much more, and I felt that once the reveal happened, I didn't feel the sense of satisfaction I was looking for.

The mystery of Susan Triad felt rushed, Ruby's mother's identify being revealed felt anticlimactic, and Sutekh didn't give me everything I wanted out of a villain. I think I expected something insane to happen, and while there were certainly moments that had me on the edge of my seat, the ending was ultimately not what I was looking for.

Nonetheless, Ruby Sunday's "exit" did have me clutching my heart a bit, but I know she will come back and the Doctor won't be solo for too long. Luckily, even though some aspects were not what I had hoped for, I did like the Doctor replacing humanity while dragging Sutekh through the universe. I almost kind of respected that Ruby's mother wasn't someone with a crazy identity. Even though I wish that were the case, I can see the beauty in making it someone ordinary we didn't know.

4. Doctor Who Season 1, Episode 7: "The Legend of Ruby Sunday"

I don't have a lot to add here since this was part one of a two-parter but I did enjoy the buildup of learning about the Pantheon of Gods and that Sutekh was behind much of what happened all season. I also appreciated the way things came full-circle after we realized who the big bad villain is, and how we have seen them before!

The fact that Sutekh is a villain who's showed up on Doctor Who lore makes the story richer and deeper. Was anyone else as shocked as I was to learn that Sutekh has been traveling with the TARDIS this whole time?! I mean, the adventures that villain has been on unbeknowst to the Doctor is a wild revelation.

The episode had me on the edge of my seat; I simply couldn't wrap my head around all the chaos that was ensuing. I thought it was executed perfectly, and dovetailed nicely all the theories Whovians had been coming up with about Susan Twist all season. To finally learn what that was about brought a sense of relief, but it also led to many more questions as we headed into the finale.

Overall, job well done, Davies and company!

3. Doctor Who Season 1, Episode 3: "Boom"

Why is "Boom" landing the number three spot? Davies brought in former Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat to write the episode. That's a recipe for success.

There is nothing this episode didn't have. We had high-strung emotion, intensity, and moments that pulled at your heartstrings when you least expected it. I was quite emotional throughout the episode, and it is why I rank it is as high as I do on this list.

It is unclear to me how Gatwa pulls out the performance he does in this episode. There were so many nuances to his performance; he swung between ultimate inner chaos and an overall sense of calm. The Doctor was standing on a ticking bomb, but he managed to pull it together and get through it. Gatwa gave an effortless performance, and I was in awe of it.

Can we get more Moffat-written episodes please?

2. Doctor Who Season 1, Episode 4: "73 Yards"

Now we have arrived at my number two favorite episode of the season, "73 Yards." This season had a couple of episodes that managed to entertain us without the presence of the Doctor, including this one.

In "73 Yards," we go through decades of Ruby's life as she grapples with a haunting presence that won't leave her alone until that final reveal that had me going full "O-M-G." Ruby essentially lost every bit of her life and yet still persevered. It was truly one hell of an episode, and it had gut-wrenching moments that let Gibson shine as the Doctor's newest companion. I think this was her strongest episode, and it has me excited for what's yet to come with her.

1. Doctor Who Season 1, Episode 6: "Rogue"

We've finally arrived at my favorite episode of the season, "Rogue." Wow wow wow WHAT an episode. From the Bridgerton vibes to Jonathan Groff's cameo and the introduction to the Doctor's sexuality, this episode had everything going for it.

I love that this era of Doctor Who is embracing the Doctor's sexuality and allowing the character to break free of the shackles that tie them to heteronormative values. It was amazing to see the Doctor convey his interest in Groff's character and to dabble in a potential romance. It was wonderful!

There's also the parts of this episode, especially the end, that have you reeling from the ups and downs (especially when we thought we were going to lose Ruby). It was truly a thrilling, romantic, and beautiful episode worthy of the number one spot.

I hope that we get more of these types of episodes in the future (especially with the tie-ins to past Doctors). I loved everything about it and I anticipate the episode's success will surely pave the way for more like it.

And that wraps up my rankings of worst to best episodes of this season of Doctor Who. I'd love to hear what you thought and if you have a different order. Truly, it was an amazing season and showed that Gatwa is a wonderful person to take over for this new era of Doctor Who alongside Gibson as his companion.

I can't wait for what lies ahead!