Doctor Who’s Greatest Episode Reveals The Show’s Most Underrated Doctor

In 2023, Doctor Who Magazine crowned one episode of Doctor Who as the greatest of all time, and it clearly highlights the exceptional talent of the underrated Doctor who stars in the episode. To mark 60 years of the show’s run, DWM, the official magazine made in coordination with the show, polled fans to get to the bottom of which episode throughout that lengthy run was best.

Evidently, in a series that has been running for that length of time, there are very few fans who have seen all, or even most of the episodes from 1963 to the current day. From the black and white classic entries with William Hartnell’s first Doctor, to the most recent polished releases starring Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor, the series has evolved and changed over time.

That being said, many dedicated fans have dived into the series, and watched all apart from the lost episodes that were discarded by the BBC back when the company ran into storage issues. And from that extensive research and in-depth review, one episode came out as the absolute winner for Who fans everywhere.

Why “Heaven Sent” Is Doctor Who’s Greatest Episode

“Heaven Sent” came out in 2015. The episode appears in season 9, as the 11th episode of the revived series, which started back up in 2005. The episode was written by Steven Moffat, who was also serving as the showrunner at that time, and directed by Rachel Talalay.

While some popular episodes of the series have been Doctor-lite episodes, such as “Blink” (another Moffat special), “Heaven Sent” is as Doctor-heavy as it’s possible to get in one episode, as there is literally no one else present. The entire episode is focused heavily on Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor, as he roams around the inside of a Confession Dial, trying to find his way out.

The episode comes just after the Doctor lost his dear friend Clara Oswald to the Quantum Shade, and sees the Doctor uncover the truth about his homeworld, Gallifrey, being trapped in a pocket universe. And while the episode technically covers four and a half billion years’ worth of time, it all fits neatly into the standard 54 minutes, which is common for episodes of the show.

In general, the Doctor is never alone. Whether he is surrounded by companions or facing off against mortal enemies, the Doctor usually has others to bounce off, but this episode puts the Doctor to the test in a different way as Peter Capaldi delivers several monologues and has to move the story forward on his own.

Despite the overwhelming hurdles of this unusual setting, Moffat’s writing delivers an outstanding story that sees the Doctor expose several of his most deeply-held secrets, as he solves an impossible puzzle, and captivates the audience with his incredible insight.

Adding to this, Talalay’s direction gives a story that features many repetitive sequences and lines into something that feels active, full, and intense. Every shot is deliberate, and pieces together a larger narrative that is perhaps one of the most memorable moments in the Doctor’s lengthy history.

And of course, none of this could have been possible without the stunning performance of Peter Capaldi, who brings all of his years of experience to the fore to deliver a career-defining performance. The episode feels akin to watching a one-man stage play as Capaldi captures the emotion of the dialogue and provides enough variety and intensity in his performance for the rest of the crew to cut something spectacular together.

Peter Capaldi Doesn’t Get Enough Credit As The Doctor

When people discuss their favorite Doctor, there are a handful that frequently top the list. Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor and David Tennant as the Tenth have frequently traded places at the top, and it makes sense with the vibrancy and character that they brought to the role during their respective runs.

Similarly, Tom Baker, who played the Fourth Doctor during the classic era, has frequently been cited as the best Doctor of all time, as a person who was able to make the character feel distinctly alien, and yet imbue him with emotion, kindness, sincerity, and unbridled excitement and joy.

However, all of the above have some core aspects in common in their portrayals. They lean into a happy-go-lucky persona, which is contrasted with moments of intensity, anger, frustration, and rage, but largely, they appear as positive, joyful figures. Peter Capaldi’s time as the Doctor certainly wasn’t that, as the Doctor began to face parts of his past that had long been left unexplored.

But Capaldi’s performance was incredibly complex, layered, and just as varied as anyone else who took on the role. Capaldi had moments of excitement and joy as the Doctor, and he had times when his anger boiled over. He showcased intense sadness and extended periods of self-reflection.

He delivered outstanding monologues and equally stunning quiet periods where his expressions told the viewer all that they needed to know about what was going on inside the Doctor’s head. The truth is, Peter Capaldi bridged the gap between the classic era and the modern. His delivery was an incredible blend of the best aspects of the Doctor from across the show’s run.

And with Steven Moffat as the showrunner who provided the foundation and stories for this Doctor, it allowed the character to shine in an exceptional way. But, the sudden shift from such young and vibrant Doctors as Tennant and Smith were prone to be was jarring for new audiences, and it resulted in them needing more time to warm up to his interpretation of the character.

I am also someone who stepped back from the show for a period of time when Capaldi came in as the Doctor. Having only really experienced the modern era of the show at the time, it was hard to imagine such a massive change to the character, but upon revisiting the series and watching Capaldi’s run as the Twelfth Doctor in particular, I gained a newfound respect for his time on the TARDIS.

Peter Capaldi is absolutely incredible as the Doctor. His ability to keep a story moving, even when there is no one else to support him, as seen in “Heaven Sent,” is just one small part of what makes him great. Throughout his run, he has had some of the most incredible and insightful moments as the Doctor, and it’s incredible to see how he made the character his own during his time on Doctor Who.