Six Doctor Who Episodes That’ll Make You Love Time Lords

Do you know who has two hearts and the tendency to time travel?

The Doctor, that’s who.

Created in 1963, Doctor Who stands as one of the most beloved shows in sci-fi history. The program began as an educational romp through space and ran until the late 1980s. In the following years, several failed attempts to revive the series were put into action by the BBC, but nothing landed until 2005.

The new millennium introduced audiences to what’s known now as Nu-Who, the wildly successful relaunch of Doctor Who. Treated to the Ninth Doctor, the continuation has become a global phenomenon and churned out more than eight seasons.

It’s easy to see why some curious sci-fi fanatics are scared of the series though. Where does one start? Who is the best Doctor for beginners? And what in the world is a TARDIS?

If you’re someone who wants to watch Doctor Who but doesn’t know where to start, no worries! At ComicBook.com, we have created a list of six fan-favorite episodes that will inevitably make you fall for Gallifrey’s last Time Lord.

Allon-sy!

Vincent and the Doctor

Doctor Who has a history of featuring historical figures. From princes to authors, the series does not hesitate to ask how time may have changed if someone like the Queen had turned left instead of right. And, when it comes to Vincent van Gogh, Doctor Who questions if the painter was really so mad. 

“Vincent and the Doctor” follows the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) as he travels with his companion Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) to France. Following their arrival, the pair are stunned when they run into Van Gogh while he’s painting a field of flowers. The two time travelers soon see the painter’s madness for themselves, but the Doctor suspects his condition is being worsened by an invisible monster known as the Krafayis. Teaming up with Van Gogh, the Doctor and Amy defeat the creature and bring Van Gogh to present-day London so that the painter may see his legacy in a terribly touching scene.

Seriously, bring tissues.

The Girl In The Fireplace

If you’re looking for a love story, then you better say yes to this amorous episode of Doctor Who. But, be warned – not everything ends so sweetly.

“The Girl in the Fireplace” focuses on the live of Madame de Pompadour and her extraterrestrial crush on the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant). The episode follows the Doctor and his companions after they stumble across a 51st Century spaceship that has been abandoned. But, after the Doctor discovers the ship has a mysterious connection to 18th Century France, he meets de Pompadour. When the Doctor then discovers the young girl is being stalked by a hoard of murderous clockwork androids, he does his best to save de Pompadour in a literal race against time.

The Empty Child / The Doctor Dances

Two-part specials are very common in Doctor Who, and there are few episodes which so brilliantly enthrall fans like these first season staples.

“The Empty Child” kicks off as the Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) time travels to 1941 England with his companion Rose (Billie Piper). Thrown into the London Blitz during World War II, the pair find themselves embroiled in an unexpected alien invasion. An alien race called the Chula have descended upon England in its time of crisis, using the war to cover up their tracks while they parasitically attach themselves to innocent hosts. By the time “The Doctor Dances” comes in to finish the two-part special, fans are left wondering whether the Doctor and his new friends will make it out of the encounter alive?

Midnight

There’s something about deep space that leaves people paranoid. “Midnight” takes this universal truth and runs with it, leaving Doctor Who fans traumatized and unwilling to ever tell another knock-knock joke again.

The episode focuses primarily on the Tenth Doctor as he parts ways with his companion Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) for a day. Eager to visit a local attraction on a planet called Midnight, the Doctor takes a shuttle to the vacation locale along with other passengers. But, when their ride stops mid-route, the tourists soon discover their travel plans have been halted by a dangerous alien. Pitted against one another, the episode details how fear and paranoia settle into the shuttle and turn the passengers against each other in a deadly game of ‘He Said, She Said.’

Silence In The Library / Forest Of The Dead

According to Doctor Who, libraries hold some of the most powerful weapons in the world, but they can also house dangerous foes. No episode in the long-running franchise exemplifies this tenant better than “Silence of the Library” and “Forest of the Dead.”

In this two-part serial, the Tenth Doctor and Donna Noble travel to the 51st Century where they visit the universe’s largest library. However, the duo are surprised to find the planet-sized repository totally empty. They learn the location has been abandoned for more than 100 years, a fact that deeply confuses the Doctor. However, he discovers the reason why no one visits the library after a carnivorous alien race makes itself known to the Doctor, Donna, and a team of archaeologists led by Dr. River Song.

Blink

Even if you haven’t seen Doctor Who, you may have heard about the Weeping Angels. The creatures are famous amongst sci-fi fans because they are just downright creepy.

The alien race is introduced in the critically acclaimed episode “Blink.” The story follows the Tenth Doctor and his companion Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman) after they get trapped in the past. The pair then try to communicate with a young woman named Sally Sparrow (Carey Mulligan) in an attempt to keep a hoard of Weeping Angels from hijacking the TARDIS. Forced to solve the Doctor’s vague riddles, Sally and a friend must help bring the Doctor back to the present while running dangerous predators who will kill them if they so much as blink.

Honorable Mentions

When it comes to Doctor Who, you have to decide between Old or Nu-Who.

The show has aired for more than fifty years, and it has the episode backlog to prove it. So, to make things easier, the Doctor Who fandom has split the series into these two different eras.

If you want to start with Nu-Who, then you might want to start with “The Eleventh Hour.” This episode focuses on the Eleventh Doctor and introduces the quirky alien and his adorable companion to fans. Other season-starters include “The Christmas Invasion” and “Rose,” but be warned! If you start with these stories, you’ll have to give Doctor Who a couple episodes to warm up.

Should Old-Who strike you’re fancy, then there are plenty of fan-favorite episodes to start your journey. Stories like “The Genesis of the Daleks,” “The Seeds of Doom,” and “Tombs of the Cybermen” are acclaimed for their complex plots, terrifying villains, and sci-fi synopses.