Best Christopher Eccelston Episodes

The first of the New Who Doctors only got 1 season. That remains one of the saddest things in the Doctor Who universe because Christopher Eccelston was a seriously incredible Doctor. And he was the perfect bridge between the old and the new. The reality here is that there is only 1 episode of this season that you could possibly skip. Because it is British television the seasons are so much shorter so when I say we did not get enough time with Christopher Eccelston I really really mean it. I’m gonna go ahead and say that you should absolutely watch the entire season because it is so beautifully written. That said, here is my list of the best Eccelston episodes.

First up on this list is The Unquiet Dead, the 3rd episode of Christopher Eccelston’s series. The reason I think this one is so impressive is that we get to see what the dynamic between The Doctor and Rose is going to be for the rest of the season. She has already proven herself as a worthy companion for him but in this episode he kind of lets her interact with the world fully on her own. Without his guidance. And I think that is really important because we get to see how Rose kind of balances the Doctor out.

Next up on this list is, Dalek the 6th episode of 9s series. Now the reason I love this one so much is, like my first pick, we get to see more of Rose and the Doctor. Though this time they have kind of a different approach to things. Rose is driven by compassion and humanity and at this point The Doctor is driven by fear and loss. So when he encounters one of his oldest and most violent enemies we really see that fear and when the Dalek shell opens we see Rose’s humanity and love.

The two parter with The Empty Child and The Doctor Dances is an obscenely good piece of writing. We get to see the Doctor’s darkness and hope and exhaustion. I always love watching the Doctor solve puzzles and watching him figure out the little boy was this girl's son and not brother was heartbreaking. One of my favorite lines of the entire series is, “just this once, everybody lives” because it is really reflective of just how much the Doctor has been through.

And last but not least, Bad Wolf. This is where we really start to wrap up the arc that this whole season has gone on. The words Bad Wolf have been scrawled all around the universe this whole season and we finally find out what that means and what it has all been leading towards. We also get Jack Harkness which is always a treat because that man is the best occasional companion that the Doctor has. It's really a great episode and the finale is a wonderful tribute to Christopher Eccelston’s doctor and a lovely goodbye to a version of this character that we didn’t get enough time with.

One more time all the episodes are incredible. And as far as single season arcs go for ANY show it is top tier. It is haunting, heartbreaking and beautiful and if Eccelston ever wanted to come back for a Doctor Who special I am hoping that the BBC would be up for it. The way he and Billie Piper play off of each other is incredible. I could watch 10 more seasons of them and if it weren’t for him I know a whole generation of people wouldn’t be the Doctor Who fans that they are today, me included.