an embarrassingly thorough(?) review of modern doctor who: series 1

Hiyaaaa! ☆ I've had it in my head for a while to review the series of 'Modern' Doctor Who (2005-25) because who doesn't like Punkyfish hoodies, saying 'blimey' in the face of alien horrors, and Christopher Eccleston? (Aside from certain higher-ups...I digress.) Series 1 is probably my favourite and even though that implies it has steadily gotten worse over time, I wouldn't say that's true either. Series 1 didn't rest on the laurels of the 'Classic' era and took its inspiration from Buffy, Smallville, anything freak-of-the-week-y; it just so happens that nineties and noughties teen-ish dramas are my favourite genre of television. 

Anyway, without too in-depth of a preamble, this is going to be MY (repeat: MY) attempt at categorising each episode of Doctor Who, starting from the very beginning, on a scale of 1-10. I'll also give a brief to long review (depending on how much I have to say) with all my grizzly "opinions". I'm not overly well-versed in cinematography nor screenwriting jargon so this is probably going to come across as incredibly ham-fisted. Let's begin ＼(＾▽＾)／

S1E01: Rose 7/10

Eery rewatch/watch of DW sets you up for success if you start here so whatever those eejits on r/doctorwho think they're doing by recommending Series 5 as a jumping-off point are doing is WAY beyond me. Billie Piper is really great at portraying a somewhat destitute London teenager living in her mum's flat (I wouldn't know anything about the London part) and the stylists are so on-point here: the make-up, the off-the-shoulder top, everything. Autons are sufficiently creepy and funny, Eccleston is from the Norf, they got their fancy London shots and shot everything else in freezing Cardiff without it looking overly jagged...+1 or -1 for the dodgy photoshop job of the Doctor in the JFK photo, your mileage may vary.

S1E02: The End of the World 7/10

The quality of this series is consistently good. I LOVE the alien designs of this episode, all somewhat humanoid and totally out-there: Moxx of Balhoon (gross), Cassandra (baby's first Cronenbergian body horror), Jabe (hot). I think the deaths are very schlocky but this episode lays the groundwork for how jaded and distrusting the Doctor has become. No more Mr. Nice Jelly Baby. He's mean to Rose and therefore to the audience BUT I love how he finds Cassandra funny at the start. Big retro fans like a Resident Evil level, all without getting sliced to smithereens. A good and fun episode!

S1E03: The Unquiet Dead 6.5/10

I think, in good conscience, I can't rate this episode any higher because it comes across to many people (kids) as slow, inconsequential, and boring. Historical episodes are traditional but often alienate younger viewers THOUGH I don't think it's any reason to stop making them. I actually really like this episode and its comedy but I'm not sure it's that interesting on a rewatch.

S1E04/5: Aliens of London and World War Three 7/10 

I'm choosing to rank these two together right now because they are, again, consistent in tone and quality. It's a good 9/11 analogy that I didn't pick up on when I was younger: manufactured threats, for-profit motivations, etc. Some of the CGI is kind of wonky when the Slitheen are running but you didn't hear that from me. Jackie is way too forgiving and Mickey is not as annoying.

S1E06: Dalek 8.5/10

Comically bad American accents BUT amazing ending. I think it's difficult to appreciate this episode because we've done the whole "the Doctor would make a good Dalek" thing about ten gazillion times now but its impact in this episode is profound. Rose proves that she's a great, caring companion and our enemy of the week (Van Hatten) gets his comeuppance. Adam sucks.

S1E07: The Long Game 6.5/10

ADAM SUCKS. I loved this episode as a kid because of how lived-in and fleshed-out it felt but the story's a little thin at times. I love the whole "this is wrong" vibe, always super creepy. Humanity stuck in arrested development because of news media manipulation...? Who could've guessed? I love anything with Tamsin Grieg BTW. (The episode name always reminds me of the Long One in Slither, BTW. This episode also features Max, a big, sluggish creature!)

S1E08: Father's Day 10/10

I LOVE THIS EPISODE. I think it's one of the only episodes of TV that can consistently make me cry no matter what. It's so tragic and happy at the same time. I hated those red-tinted POV shots as a kid; they freaked me out so much. It's another RTD episode where the monster isn't super important but the emotional beats of the story are so strong that you don't really care. Rose's dad genuinely caring for her...So heart-rending. That car is going really slow, isn't it?

S1E09/10: The Empty Child and The Doctor Dances 9.5/10

Again, the quality here is good enough that I'm able to rank these two episodes as a whole. A happy ending, more child-friendly body horror with gas mask zombies, Captain Jack before he became really irritating but still has 2000s bi guy hair...? I always used to cover my eyes when that guy's face turned into a gas mask. WW2 is a good setting for Doctor Who...if you're not Mark Gatiss, that is. This episode is slow and methodical.

S1E11: Boom Town 7/10

This is 'filler' in the truest sense of the word but it was another episode I loved as a kid. This probably burned a hole in my portable DVD player with the amount of times I rewatched it. Rose's outfit is so cute and everyone's happy apart from Mickey. Margaret gets to start her life again...What a bittersweet ending. I love the 'Blaidd Drwg' scene! Not too much to say but it's very low-stakes (even if there's a world-shaking earthquake) with a lot of emphasis on morality, the ethics of the death penalty, and character development. Can the Doctor still kill? Will he?

S1E12/13: Bad Wolf and The Parting of the Ways 10/10

YES YES YES YES YES YES. The Platonic ideal of sci-fi; it doesn't get any better than this. I could wax poetic about these episodes forever and ever. The BEST regeneration story and a fantastic way to finish off an amazing series. I know that these game shows aren't REALLY relevant in the same way that they were but seeing these mock-up Weakest Link and Big Brother sets with a dark twist is perfect. I love Jo Joyner and Patterson Joseph, my gosh. He plays unlikeable arsehole so easily for such a nice guy. The Daleks are scary and gross (more off-screen body horror...RTD, you devil) which reminds me of the Classic episode 'Revelation of the Daleks' with the pink bubble-wrap guy turning into a Dalek. Something like that. (Side note: there are so many episodes ending in 'of the Daleks' that I had to search through a list to remember what it was called.) Here's what I'm talking about if you don't know:

The Doctor can't kill anymore because of how Rose has changed him and then she saves his life. The aesthetics are grungy and neon. Perfect. I love it!

I might also do an overview of the episodes but this is more for people who've already seen them. Hope you enjoyed; I'll do Series 2 ASAP! Love you lots for reading to this point ヽ(o＾▽＾o)ノ see ya!