Doctor Who: The Six Best Thirteenth Doctor Stories So Far

All Whovians will remember the moment that actress Jodie Whittaker was announced as the Thirteenth Doctor. Whittaker was the first woman to play the role in Doctor Who's long history, and while some fans struggled with the change, she was, for the most part, welcomed.

Recently, we received the news that Whittaker is to leave the Tardis in 2022, in a special coinciding with the BBC's 100th anniversary. While we'll still have Whittaker on our screens for a while yet, it seems a good time to look back on The Thirteenth Doctor's tenure.

So, here's a look at the six best Thirteenth Doctor stories so far.

6. Spyfall (Series 12, eps 1 & 2)

After just over a year's break, Doctor Who's twelfth series opened with the two-part story 'Spyfall'. The Thirteenth Doctor and her fam are recruited to investigate the mysterious executions of a series of intelligence agents. Strangely, each victim's DNA has been spliced with that of an alien race known as the Kasaavin. This splicing occured when the Kasaavin transported their victims to a separate dimension before killing them. The Doctor teams up with Agent O, an apparent expert on extraterrestrial incursions, to investigate the online company VOR, believed to be in league with the Kasaavin. Unfortunately, it turns out O is actually The Master, and had himself been working with the villains the whole time.

In part two of the story, The Doctor, separated from her companions, must work together with historical figures Ada Lovelace and Noor Anayat Khan to foil The Master's plot.

While many Whovians agree that the story gets a little jumbled in part two, the memorable reveal of Sacha Dhawan's Master at the end of part one is enough to earn Spyfall a place among Thirteen's best adventures.

5. 'It Takes You Away' (Series 11, ep 9)

While visiting Norway, The Doctor and her friends encounter Hanne, a blind teenager, and agree to help her find her missing Father, Erik. The group discovers that Erik stumbled through a portal to another universe, and The Doctor, Graham, and Yaz venture in after him. It turns out that the other universe, known as the Solitract, is sentient, and lonely, luring people in by taking the taking the form of dead loved ones. Erik is held there by the form of Hanne's Mother, Trine, while Graham finds himself tempted by an illusion of his recently deceased wife, Grace.

Unfortunately, the Solitract is incompatible with other life forms, leading to both itself and Earth becoming unstable. Thankfully, The Doctor is able to convince the Solitract to save both worlds by releasing it's prisoners.

While some were confused or disappointed by the episode's ending, others fondly remember 'It Takes You Away' as Jodie Whittaker's first chance to truly show her potential as The Doctor.

4. 'Fugitive Of The Judoon' (Series 12, Ep 5)

After learning that a Judoon Platoon has locked down Gloucester while searching for a fugitive, The Doctor takes the fam to investigate. The Judoon zero in on the home of Ruth and Lee Clayton. Though neither are able to explain why the Judoon may be after them, The Doctor agrees to help Ruth escape. After breaking an alarm system that had been her Chameleon arch, it is revealed that Ruth is actually a past version of The Doctor, fleeing from her duties with a Gallifreyan organisation known as the Division. The Thirteenth Doctor has no memory of ever having been The Fugitive Doctor, which troubles her.

Meanwhile, Graham, Ryan, and Yaz end up on their own adventure with Jack Harkness, who accidentally picked each of them up while trying to reach The Doctor. Before returning them, he asks that they deliver a message to The Doctor:

"Beware the Lone Cyberman."

While many believe 'Fugitive Of The Judoon' may have worked better as a two-parter, the episode has been praised for how it handled the reveal of Ruth's true identity.

3. 'Demons Of The Punjab' (Series 11, ep 6)

After being gifted a broken watch by her Grandmother, Yaz requests a trip to the Punjab in August, 1947, to learn more about her family's past. While there, Yaz discovers her Muslim Grandmother, Umbreen, is about to marry a Hindu man named Prem, who is definitely not Yaz's Grandfather. The Doctor soon realises that they have arrived the day before the partition of India. Prem is destined to die on his Wedding night, and unfortunately, the tragedy cannot be prevented.

'Demons of the Punjab' was praised for highlighting a dark period of history that is all too often glossed over, and the twist regard ing the episode's featured aliens, the Thijarians.

2. 'The Haunting of Villa Diodati' (Series 12, ep 8)

The Doctor takes Graham, Ryan, and Yaz on a trip to Lake Geneva in 1917. The purpose of the trip is the hope that they will witness a night at Villa Diodati that inspired Mary Shelley to write her classic novel, Frankenstein. However, things quickly become complicated when Mary's soon to be husband, Percy Shelley, disappears, and an apparition is found haunting the Villa. It is eventually discovered that the apparition is the Lone Cyberman that Jack warned them about earlier in the season. It is searching for the Cyberium, a compound containing all the knowledge of the Cybermen.

The 'Haunting of Villa Diodati' is widely considered one of the best episodes of Doctor Who series 12, tying into the series main plot while also delivering an impressive historical episode.

1. 'Rosa' (Series 11, ep 3)

While The Doctor is attempting to take her new friends home, The Tardis makes an unexpected stop in Montgomery, Alabama, 1955, having been drawn there by traces of artron energy, indicating another time traveller close by. Blasko, a white supremacist from the future, has travelled to 1955 to derail the events that led to Rosa Parks's history-making act of defiance on the Montgomery busline. It is up to The Doctor, Ryan, Graham, and Yaz to stop Blasko and ensure Rosa gets her moment, keeping the Civil Rights movement on track.

The episode was praised for weaving The Doctor and friends into Rosa's story without having them take away from it. Some critics claimed the episode could even become a useful tool for teaching children about the Civil Rights movement in schools.

Time will tell whether any of the Thirteenth Doctor's final batch of adventures earn a place on this list.