Every Episode of Doctor Who Season 1 (2024) Ranked from Worst to Best

This season of Doctor Who felt like a new beginning for the show in a way we haven’t felt for a while – and not just because they reset the season numbers. Whether you call it Season 1 or Series 14, the 2024 season of Doctor Who has been a delight. As a long-time fan who did not enjoy the writing from the previous era of the show at all, it’s been a delightful experience to look forward to new episodes every week and actually have them deliver quality.

It wasn’t perfect, but it’s about as close as Doctor Who has ever gotten. It brought a new energy to the show that I connect with on so many levels, and introduced unique story concepts that were excellently executed. Ncuti Gatwa is a joy to watch whenever he’s on-screen and his chemistry with Millie Gibson makes for a memorable TARDIS team that always electrifies the equally brilliant scripts.

So, with such a great season, what rises to the top? I’ve gone through each episode, Christmas special included, and ranked them all from worst to best.

Space Babies

Check out my full Space Babies review here.

I feel the need to emphasize that while Space Babies might be the worst episode of this season, it is by no means bad, it just failed to truly enthrall me like everything else did. A lot of people were turned off by the overall concept of this one, and it does have echoes of a childish era gone by. The CGI of the talking babies is not great, and the bogeyman being made of literal bogies is a little bit cringe-worthy.

However, it’s an example of how Ncuti and Millie can light up a mediocre story with their presence. Despite this being just their second episode together they already feel like best friends, and it’s great to see Ruby learn the ins and outs of what it’s like to travel in the TARDIS. She doesn’t forget to enjoy herself though, and it makes for a breezy adventure that I enjoyed, even though I doubt I’ll ever think much about it after this.

The Devil’s Chord

Check out my full The Devil’s Chord review here.

It’s a little unfortunate that the first two episodes ended up being the worst two, but that’s more a testament to everything that followed, as The Devil’s Chord is a joyous watch. Jinkx Monsoon makes this entire thing gripping. Their performance as the Maestro will be remembered as one of the all-time best villain performances in the show’s history, even if some story elements left a little to be desired.

Playing with this pantheon of Gods has allowed the usual Doctor Who rules to bend a little, and it made for some impressive storytelling in this episode. The scene where the Doctor silences the episode, only for the Maestro to work out how to undo is genius from a writing, directing, and producing perspective. It’s a simple but powerful showcase of how this season hasn’t been afraid to experiment.

The Legend of Ruby Sunday & Empire of Death

Check out my full The Legend of Ruby Sunday review and Empire of Death review here.

The finale was the only two-parter this season, and it made the most of that extra space. So much was riding on the mysteries that had been built up over the course of the season. The mysteries of Susan Triad, Ruby’s Mother, and the true identity of The One Who Waits all needed to provide satisfying answers for a fanbase that had spent months getting worked up theorizing about it.

Thankfully, it delivered exactly where it needed to, giving us an all-time great villain reveal in Sutekh and a bold move in revealing Ruby’s mother as an ordinary person, only made extraordinary by the weight people put on the mystery of her identity. The pacing of the second part is the only major issue I care to mention, as it felt a little disjointed at times, but it still provided a solid wrap-up for all of the loose ends.

The Church on Ruby Road

From 15’s latest adventure to his very first. Although The Giggle gave us a taste of Ncuti as the fifteenth Doctor, The Church on Ruby Road made a statement about the brash, bright, and energetic nature both he and the show would bring from now on. Goblins showed us that the show is no longer afraid to step out of typical sci-fi situations; a musical interlude showed that it’s not going to take itself too seriously; and Ncuti owning the screen in every scene showed it wouldn’t take long to get used to the new guy.

Ruby is the perfect fish out of water as she’s first shown the Doctor’s world and we can see the wonder slowly grow in her eyes, to the point where the person that steps aboard the TARDIS at the end feels like a truly changed person. Like all Christmas specials, it doesn’t forget to have plenty of fun along the way, and thankfully that carried into the season that followed.

Rogue

Check out my full Rogue review here.

From here on up, you could tell me any of these was your favorite episode of the series and I’d understand, they’re all that good. One of the few episodes not written by Russell T Davies, guests Kate Herron and Briony Redman gave us a truly classic Doctor Who adventure, as well as introduced a character that the entire fanbase (and the Doctor) instantly fell for.

The Chuldur are just the right level of goofy as a villain to make the whole episode buzz with constant laughter and excitement. “Doctor Who does Bridgerton” may sound like a flavor of the month, but Heroon and Redman created something really special here. I’m sure fans will be begging for Rogue to return for years to come as a result.

73 Yards

Check out my full 73 Yards review here.

This turned out to be a bit of a divisive one if only because fans can’t agree on any of the answers to the mysteries it sets out. That’s exactly what I think makes 73 such a masterstroke though. Doctor Who sometimes falls into the trap of over-explaining itself – as does all sci-fi to a certain extent – so having the confidence to do something supernatural and not explain any of it is something I applaud.

That aside, it uses that opportunity to tell a really tragic yet somehow slightly hopeful story with Ruby all on her own. After a handful of adventures alongside the Doctor, it was nice to get some alone time with Ruby to help flesh her out as a companion a lot, as well as seeing how the Doctor has changed her in such a short time. It’s an extremely slow-paced episode, but it uses every moment to its benefit, telling a meaningful story about Ruby’s journey while throwing in a lot of strong messaging about the state of UK politics.

Dot and Bubble

Check out my full Dot and Bubble review here.

I went back and forth on which episode got the top spot here. In the end, I decided Dot and Bubble gets the silver medal, but it still stands as one of my new all-time favorite episodes in show history. The writing here is truly genius, it carefully draws your attention with a gripping mystery and strange characters so you don’t notice the careful twist that’s being built up in the background.

The “they’re actually racist” twist is utterly incredible, and what’s more, everyone experienced it in a different way. All of the hints went over my head until the big reveal, which made this heart-stopping twist that utterly blew me away. Meanwhile, someone who has been on the receiving end of these kinds of aggressions from people like Lindy in their real lives picked up on it a lot earlier, and it left them with a very different viewing experience.

There’s a fascinating discussion to be had there that I am not at all qualified to get into, but it leaves Dot and Bubble as the kind of story we will be talking about for years.

Boom

Check out my full Boom review here.

As is tradition, anytime Russell T Davies is in charge of Doctor Who, Steven Moffat has to come along and write the best episode of the season. This is a stellar example of how limitation breeds creativity. The Doctor often has to be sidelined in stories to stop him from instantly solving the plot, but this episode takes things even further, putting him in a position where the only thing he can do to save himself is talk and talk and talk.

It goes without saying at this point, but Ncuti nails the performance here. He manages to feel in control of the situation yet simultaneously helpless as he is unable to move a muscle or even get too emotional. All of the secondary characters serve their purpose perfectly and it creates a story that fills you with tension and doesn’t give you a moment to breathe until the day is saved. I had my eyes glued to the screen from start to finish with every peak and trough in momentum causing me to shift in my seat and lean forward with anticipation as to what was coming next.

Speaking of what’s coming next, we now know that Moffat is going to be writing the upcoming Christmas special, so it’s time to get excited once again.