Doctor Who

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Season 11
Season #: 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
User Score
2.4

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 493 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 76 out of 493
  2. Mixed: 46 out of 493
  3. Negative: 371 out of 493
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User Reviews

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  1. Burwaycow
    Dec 15, 2018
    7
    Having watched every episode I've never had more mixed feelings for a series of doctor who.

    First off the good: I think Jodie Whittaker is great. She completely ditches "I'm too cool for this" vibe that all previous doctors have had since 2005; instead we've got a doctor who happily admits she loves being surprised by all the universe has to offer. She's likable, passionate and dorky.    Having watched every episode I've never had more mixed feelings for a series of doctor who.

    First off the good: I think Jodie Whittaker is great. She completely ditches "I'm too cool for this" vibe that all previous doctors have had since 2005; instead we've got a doctor who happily admits she loves being surprised by all the universe has to offer. She's likable, passionate and dorky. If she was given one or two great episodes I could well see her becoming my second favorite doctor (I can't see anyone ever toppling Ecclestone for me).
    Secondly, I enjoyed Bradley Walsh. This was definitely the thing I was most apprehensive about going into the series, but having an older person in the Tardis who isn't falling over to impress the doctor at every moment is a nice new dynamic.
    The more straightforward episodes without any great season arc was probably what we needed after several years of increasingly convoluted Moffat stories.
    Production values are good, and even with a few moments of dodgy CGI, Doctor who has never looked so good.
    It takes you was the highlight of the series; starting off intriguing and creepy and ending in a sequence that was gloriously balls-out crazy.

    The meh: Ryan and Yas are both pretty unremarkable sidekicks. There's a solid attempt at an arc for Ryan and grant, but there's no interesting relationship between any other pairing of our 4 main characters.
    Also none of the monsters were very memorable. Moffat's greatest strength was thinking up cool monsters with unique abilities, and that was really missed here, with the only villain who gets more than one episode being a guy in a rubber suit who just shoots people.
    There wasn't much humor in the series as a whole. There were some light-hearted moments, but very few jokes that actually made me laugh.

    The Bad: Every one of Chibnall's episodes had a massive plot hole; seriously, I'll list each one:
    Ep 1: why didn't Tim Shaw activate the DNA bombs straight away?
    Ep 2: why were there all those killer Robots around that temple, and how had they stayed operational for so long, and why are they so bad at their one job?
    Ep 3: The racist alien had been in Alabama several weeks before the doctor arrived; why hadn't it already sent Rose back in time? We saw she wasn't hard to find.
    Ep 4: Why is locking the spiders in a small vault to starve such a kind and natural death? and why didn't the mother spider follow the vibrations of the music like all the rest?
    Ep 6: Impossibly unlikely coincidence of the medical ship finding them. Why didn't the detailed file on the Pting mention that it eats energy? How can flying a ship kill you? Why does a ship with enough equipment to put back together four people who have been blown up not have enough medication to treat pilot's heart for more than a few hours, or deliver a baby properly?
    Ep 10: What was Tim Shaw's plan when he confronted Grant? He just walked up to him and let himself get shot.
    (eps 4 and 7-9 not written by Chibnall)
    Crucially I found every episode lacking in tension: it was very rare that I felt that anyone was in actual danger. Maybe this was because the doctor, who is supposed to care about her companions, keeps on encouraging them to wander off on their own, surely she wouldn't do that if there was actual danger. Or maybe it was because in several episodes we say the villain have a chance to kill a character and not take it.

    In summary, I found lots to like in this series, but the writing, which at times was mystifyingly bad, dragged it down so it falls well short of being great.    … Expand
  2. cmdharris
    Nov 26, 2018
    10
    A great return to form for one of the most adaptable and entertaining shows of all time.
  3. j1train
    Oct 8, 2018
    10
    classic misogyny pulling the user reviews into the red and low-yellow zone. the premiere is thoroughly enjoyable and Whittaker is fantastic.
  4. MyDad
    Dec 3, 2018
    10
    I love this new season of Doctor Who and the direction Chibnall and co. have taken with it. Both as a Doctor Who show and in general.

    It seems like they've actively put effort into keeping past lore and events in mind but also putting in their own take - e.g. the way Jodie's Doctor acts feels reminiscent of past Doctors but with her own spin to it, the way they protect the events of    I love this new season of Doctor Who and the direction Chibnall and co. have taken with it. Both as a Doctor Who show and in general.

    It seems like they've actively put effort into keeping past lore and events in mind but also putting in their own take - e.g. the way Jodie's Doctor acts feels reminiscent of past Doctors but with her own spin to it, the way they protect the events of the past not because of some arbitrarily decided "fixed point in time" but because of the consequences changing those events would have to the future, etc.

    For the direction of the show, the effort put into going to non-UK and even non-US locations is amazing, and the level of attention and detail given to historical events is great, and I love that most antagonists have more understandable or grounded motivations. For writing in general, I will say that it feels like this has been an experimental season with some bumps in plot as a result. -However-, the ideas are great, the writing is usually smart and funny, and people are usually written like people, not tired tropes.

    They're legitimately trying something new with the show and doing things the show hasn't bothered to do before, and it's really exciting to see.    … Expand
  5. Blloggo
    Jan 5, 2019
    10
    This series has proved that you don't need to compromise quality for progression, Jodie Whittaker from the first moment we meet her, simply put, IS the Doctor. Her sense of energy and ability to have fun with an ancient character renewed is impressive. Alongside her is consistently good performances from her companions, the scripts are well written, humorous, and thought provoking. TheThis series has proved that you don't need to compromise quality for progression, Jodie Whittaker from the first moment we meet her, simply put, IS the Doctor. Her sense of energy and ability to have fun with an ancient character renewed is impressive. Alongside her is consistently good performances from her companions, the scripts are well written, humorous, and thought provoking. The design of this series is gorgeous and the accompanying score by Segun Akinola is beautifully subtle without being forgettable. This would make a great starting point for new fans, and has been a breath of fresh air for us long time whovians, i will never not be excited about a new series featuring this Doctor. Bravo… Expand
  6. Adri_card
    Oct 11, 2018
    10
    Jodie Whittaker is fantastic as The Doctor.
    Jodie Whittaker is The Doctor.
  7. athorist
    Dec 11, 2018
    8
    Wasn't perfect, but still the best Doctor Who series we've had in years. Jodie Whittaker was amazing from literally the first moment she was on screen, I hope she stays as the Doctor so she can grow into the role.
  8. JohannesKT
    Jan 4, 2019
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I think this was a pretty good and solid series; Not the best one but surely a good one; I liked Jodie and the Graham-Ryan relationship development. I think Yaz had nearly no space of development and that's a pity, I hope they give her some moments to shine in the next series. I loved the Thijarians and Demons of the Punjab, a wonderful hybrid between a pure historical episode and a normal "alien come to earth" episode.… Expand
  9. drscorpio
    Nov 1, 2018
    10
    The series has not been this consistently good since Davies and Tennant left. The writing is tight and compelling and not constantly falling back on timey-wimey cop outs. Whitaker had me sold on her being the Doctor, the one we've known all along, within minutes. Her performance is brilliant. Three companions does make the TARDIS seem a little crowded, but I have always preferred thatThe series has not been this consistently good since Davies and Tennant left. The writing is tight and compelling and not constantly falling back on timey-wimey cop outs. Whitaker had me sold on her being the Doctor, the one we've known all along, within minutes. Her performance is brilliant. Three companions does make the TARDIS seem a little crowded, but I have always preferred that approach. The visual effects have been turned up to 11 this season. The new composer is amazing.… Expand
  10. cloudman
    Oct 8, 2018
    10
    Jodie Whitaker is wonderfully funny and emotive. Yorkshire accents, like bow ties, are cool. The alien creature reminded me of a terminator / predator. It was fun to watch make her own Sonic Screwdriver. The companions provide a good dramatic compliment.
  11. chemicalsam
    Jan 10, 2019
    8
    Don't be fooled, this is a good season. All of the 'complaints' here just remind me of the same fanboy meltdown as with The Last Jedi, the writers do something even slightly different than the boring formula and the entire fandom has a **** fit. Don't be fooled, this is not 'feminist propaganda' this is simply a lead that's female.
  12. Davrosdaleks1
    Dec 9, 2018
    9
    Ah, the beginning of a new saga: the first female Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) and a new showrunner (Broadchurch's Chris Chibnall). I know a lot of fans HATE this season, but I enjoyed it.

    What I like about this one is that it is the most grounded and focuses on the people again. It used to be that the show was partially about the new people the Doctor would meet along the way. But in later    Ah, the beginning of a new saga: the first female Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) and a new showrunner (Broadchurch's Chris Chibnall). I know a lot of fans HATE this season, but I enjoyed it.

    What I like about this one is that it is the most grounded and focuses on the people again. It used to be that the show was partially about the new people the Doctor would meet along the way. But in later seasons, it became more about the concepts, and people became less important and more cannon fodder. Now, the show is back to being about the Doctor meeting new people and encouraging and experiencing the positivity of humanity even in the face of darkness. In fact, we get two historical episodes that are some of the most emotionally emotionally poignant ones they've ever done.

    I'm loving Jodie Whittaker. She's sort of a combination of the entertaining Tenth and Eleventh Doctors and the more human fifth Doctor. Capaldi did a good job as the Doctor, but I was disappointed with how coldly pragmatic he could be at times. This Doctor returns to the good-natured altruism of earlier Doctors. Whittaker is charming and funny. She is also the biggest people-person of the recent Doctors. I'm actually glad that they cut down on the Doctor's ego and grandstanding.

    Liking the new companions, who I think work well off of each other. Hands down the winner is Graham. It sure is a big change from tradition to go with an older companion, but his good-natured everyguyness works well as he gives some very good reactions to the craziness around him.

    This season made the decision to be more accessible to new viewers by using totally new villains and monsters. Unfortunately, most of them don't really stand out. You also don't get any of those popular concept episodes that are known to appear once or twice per season. Basically, the emphasis on characters is to the detriment of other classic Doctor Who tropes. That having been said, I felt this was most consistent season in quality. There aren't any episodes that are too childish, trying too hard to be clever, or try to jam too many things into one episode.

    One last issue, although death is well-known in Doctor Who, there are a couple killings in this that are a little too forced and feel cynically written.    … Expand
  13. zOOss
    Feb 15, 2019
    10
    I normally don't write reviews but I really enjoyed the show and was really confused when I saw all the negative reviews.
    I feel like many people are overreacting to the gender of the doctor. I personally didnt even know that there were so many discussions about this because I dont think it matters at all as long as we get a good doc.. And I think commenting on the current state of the    I normally don't write reviews but I really enjoyed the show and was really confused when I saw all the negative reviews.
    I feel like many people are overreacting to the gender of the doctor. I personally didnt even know that there were so many discussions about this because I dont think it matters at all as long as we get a good doc.. And I think commenting on the current state of the world is something almost every show did and always will do...

    At the end of the day this show is great and people are just annoyed by people bringing their political views into everything.    … Expand
  14. Sierra305
    Jun 6, 2019
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Solid season. It's a bunch of generally unconnected adventures, similar to the classic seasons, but doesn't really suffer for it. Lighter in tone, but that was kinda the point
    As Twelve said; Be Kind. Once you remember that, it makes sense    … Expand
  15. Ourore
    Oct 28, 2019
    9
    Yeah people don't like changes. And I think its unfair user reaction because Jodie did great, she has that soul of the Doctor.
    I have some questions about episode plots tho. While Doctor Who series strongest point is being able to choose any point in universe AND in time, which makes possible plots basically infinite, every second episode features current earth moral dilemmas (20 century    Yeah people don't like changes. And I think its unfair user reaction because Jodie did great, she has that soul of the Doctor.
    I have some questions about episode plots tho. While Doctor Who series strongest point is being able to choose any point in universe AND in time, which makes possible plots basically infinite, every second episode features current earth moral dilemmas (20 century is current, yes). That's just strange, please don't narrow focus of plot writers, they should be free to create beautiful Doctor Who journeys we all know.
    Still 9, with a room for improvement.    … Expand
  16. socokid
    Jul 19, 2020
    9
    The fact that a wave of first time voters here at metacritic couldn't help but make this amazing season about politics through clear misogyny should be forgiven as the act of petty ignorance.

    It is a truly great season that only gets better as it progresses. Our entire family has been loving it, and the fact that it goes back a bit more to the roots of the original show (Earth history)    The fact that a wave of first time voters here at metacritic couldn't help but make this amazing season about politics through clear misogyny should be forgiven as the act of petty ignorance.

    It is a truly great season that only gets better as it progresses. Our entire family has been loving it, and the fact that it goes back a bit more to the roots of the original show (Earth history) is great. The production values are much higher, the writing is great. It's Doctor Who through and through, and it's only gotten better with time.    … Expand
  17. DioGren
    Nov 19, 2019
    10
    Best Doctor. Каждая серия была хорошей, не скучной, хотя такая фантастика (абсурдная) и чужда для меня, но все равно остался доволен на протяжении всего сериала как Доктором так и атмосферой сериала.
  18. CalDoesDrumming
    Jan 4, 2020
    7
    Whilst I thought this season definitely had It’s imperfections it did make up for them a little in other places. Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor alone I thought was great, she carries the same whit & charisma as her predecessors but is stern & serious when she needs to be all whilst at the same time giving it enough individuality to make it her own, the new companions Yaz, Ryan & Graham IWhilst I thought this season definitely had It’s imperfections it did make up for them a little in other places. Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor alone I thought was great, she carries the same whit & charisma as her predecessors but is stern & serious when she needs to be all whilst at the same time giving it enough individuality to make it her own, the new companions Yaz, Ryan & Graham I thought were fairly welcome additions (Graham especially), not exactly up to the standards of ones like Rose or Clara for example but ok nonetheless, and the new sets & props such as the new Tardis & Sonic Screwdriver I thought looked really cool. The only things I weren’t so keen on (the “imperfections”) were that some of the other performances throughout the season were a bit hit & miss on occasions and the same with the some of stories which also at times especially in episodes like ‘Rosa’ & ‘Demons Of The Punjab’ did get a little bit too taboo for my liking, I totally get why they did it and I’m not in anyway against it, I just feel like it all could’ve done with being a bit less on the nose. I also felt a teeny bit deflated by the fact that there was no real proper story arc like Russel T Davies & Steven Moffat did in previous seasons but if in future ones there are I’ll happily forgive that.… Expand
  19. SilverEagle89
    Feb 3, 2020
    7
    This season gets more hate than is deserved. For the first season outing for the 13th Doctor is makes a valid start with a lot of potential.
  20. PurpleAvenger
    Jan 21, 2021
    8
    It took a little while to get going, but ended up producing some good episodes & a few fresh new jokes as well. Such a relief to finally be free of Moffat randomly **** all over the place every episode or two as show runner. It seems like some reviewers like having scripts at the level of teenage boy sensibilities, but personally I prefer storylines that are a bit more grown up.

Awards & Rankings

34
#34 Best TV Season of 2018
1
#1 Most Discussed TV Season of 2018

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. We Got This Covered
    Reviewed by: Christian Bone
    Oct 10, 2018
    80
    All in all, “The Woman Who Fell To Earth” succeeds as a statement of intent for this brand new era of Doctor Who, telling us that it’s going to be easily accessible, gorgeous to look at and listen to, all about the character drama and brought to life with a lead actress who has a lot of energy. In terms of comparing it to past Who, it’s not a flawless season opener, but it does a terrific job of making us excited for the rest of Doctor No. 13’s tenure.
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  2. IndieWire
    Reviewed by: Hanh Nguyen
    Oct 8, 2018
    67
    Goofy and curious, commanding and contemplative, Thirteen is already well on her way to demonstrating the complex emotional makeup that is the Doctor. She also demonstrates a cheerful, can-do spirit. ... With the exception of Tim Shaw’s unappealing self, very little about the episode feels Whovian. Gone is former showrunner Steven Moffat’s sense of play, both in the verbal sparring and convoluted storytelling.
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  3. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Sara Stewart
    Oct 8, 2018
    100
    The premiere episode here, “The Woman Who Fell to Earth,” reminded me, more than anything, of “The X-Files,” when it was really good. It takes you back to the days when Doctor Who was a fun sci-fi procedural. ... [The alien] resembles some gleaming villain out of a Marvel movie, which makes his blokey name, Tim Shaw, even more incongruously funny. This is Doctor Who at its best--nerdy and chilling and quick with a joke. And, most significantly of all, generous of spirit, a quality that simply shimmers off Whittaker.
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