Ranking: 4 Pips = Great | 3 Pips = Good | 2 Pips = Okay | 1 Pip = Bad
“Rose”
Anika: 4 Pips
An excellent start to the new era. Rose Tyler became one of my favourite characters of all time with four words “I‘ve got the bronze!”
Sam: 4 Pips
I came for the Christopher Eccleston and I stayed because of the “Turn of the Earth” speech What a perfect introduction to the Doctor and his new companion. I’d only ever seen the TV movie before this, and boy was I sold.
“The End of the World”
Anika: 3 Pips
I like it because it’s quiet and the visual of the Doctor and Rose watching the sun stays with me to this day.
Sam: 3 1/2 Pips
It drags a little in the middle (upon my many rewatches), but it’s filled with so many of what are, to me, the staples of why I love Doctor Who, that I don’t mind.
“The Unquiet Dead”
Anika: 2 Pips?
Honestly, I barely remember this episode happening…
Sam: 3 Pips
Not the best story, but I love the Doctor with Dickens, I love the moment he holds Rose’s hand and is ready to die with her, and I love Gwyneth.
“Aliens of London”
Anika: 3 Pips
Ah, the accidentally destructive power of the Doctor. A recurring theme, and one I am a big fan of. Poor Mickey!
Sam: 1 1/2 Pips
This may be my least favorite episode of the season? I’m not sure, but it’s the one that holds up the least for me in my multiple rewatches.
“World War Three”
Anika: 3 Pips
I love Harriet Jones in this episode, though she grates in later appearances. This episode and the one just before are a more-than-3-but-less-than-4 pip type story: adventure, humor, human drama — good stuff.
Sam: 3 Pips
This one is elevated over the previous by the moments at the end, with the Doctor and Rose and Jackie on the phone, and by Harriet Jones (she doesn’t grate on me later).
“Dalek”
Anika: 4 Pips
The first episode of ‘New Who’ I saw and still one of my most favourite of all. I live for stories about monsters being tamed.
Sam: 4 Pips
This was my first introduction to the Daleks and even now, having seen way more Dalek stories, it’s one of my favorites. I rewatched it right after I saw “Genesis of the Daleks” for the first time and it’s a really amazing bookend (later sort of ruined by the Daleks’ inevitable return as superbaddies). This might also be Rose’s best episode, IMO.
“The Long Game”
Anika: 2Pips?
I barely remember this episode happening also.
Sam: 2 Pips
This seems like such a breather episode between two solid drama episodes. Maybe I’d like it more in a different context? I think the story didn’t really focus where I wanted it to focus.
“Father’s Day”
Anika: 4 Pips
Difficult to watch (for me) but beautiful.
Sam: 4 Pips
Can’t talk. Crying.
“The Empty Child”
Anika: 3 Pips
Actually terrifying.
Sam: 3 Pips
I also find that this drags a little in the middle, but it does such an amazing job of setting mood and tone. Also it introduced Captain Jack, with whom I have a tumultuous relationship to this day.
“The Doctor Dances”
Anika: 3 Pips
The actual terror is resolved with such joy it’s like Narnia.
Sam: 3 Pips
Just this once, everybody lives!
“Boom Town”
Anika: 3 Pips
Hands down Rose’s best outfit of the season, possibly the series. And we get more Destructive Doctor Drama in both the A and B plots so yay.
Sam: 4 Pips
Is this the best episode of the season? No. But it is an absolute joy to watch that I still keep in my rotation of “Doctor Who episodes to watch when I’m feeling down”? You betcha. BLON RULES.
“Bad Wolf”
Anika: 2 Pips
Some fun moments but it’s already dated and the fun moments don’t really have anything to do with the action or story.
Sam: 2 Pips
You know, I’ve seen this episode at least 6 times by now and I couldn’t tell you what happens except for some game show stuff and maybe Daleks at the end? It gets mushed in with the finale in my head, I guess. I remember enjoying the parts, but I don’t know about the whole.
“The Parting of the Ways”
Anika: 4 Pips
So, I started watching Doctor Who because I’d heard Barty Crouch Jr. (David Tennant) was in it. “Dalek” and “Rose” and Rose made me a fan of the show, and I like Eccleston and what he does with the role, but I’d been waiting the entire season for Ten’s arrival. Plus Rose got to be a Phoenix!
Sam: 3 1/2 Pips
Did I know Christopher Eccleston was leaving when this aired? Probably. But I guess I didn’t want to believe it was true. And by this point, I was such a Rose/Doctor shipper (stay tuned for my capsule review of s2 to see when THAT changed) and they KISSED and my shipper heart was a flutter and then WHAM there he went and I was sad and wasn’t ready and it was my first real Doctor regeneration and UGH, still sad every time I watch it.
