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Doctor Who Series 10 Review

  • Writer: SimplyWho
    SimplyWho
  • Oct 15
  • 5 min read

RTD stuck to his guns and didn't really change much but Moffat on the other hand...


  • Series 5 was the same structure as RTD, 13 episodes, opener, forward in time, back in time, two parter, couple of mid-series episodes, another two parter, a single episode and then a two part finale. All airing in the Spring and Summer.

  • Series 6 opened with an epic two parter, the arc played a big part, the series was split in two with a mid-series cliffhanger of sorts and a two month gap. The finale was a standalone episode.

  • Series 7 was a series of one-off stories, billed as a movie of the week. The series was split in two again, but this time had a Christmas special in the middle of a six month gap. We also got two additional specials after the series, the 50th and a Christmas regeneration.

  • Series 8 reduced the episode count by one. The series moved to airing Autumn.

  • Series 9 was a series of two parters.

  • Series 10 followed a gap year, and was moved back to airing in the Summer. The series was mainly one-off stories, but it had a trilogy in the middle.


So, we were always being kept on our toes, and it did keep things fresh. Series 10 was also branded as a bit of a reboot, a jumping on point as they say. I don't see the point in these generally, as by the end of the series we had revisited a whole host of villains and people - Nardole, Missy, the Master, Rusty, the Daleks, Ice Warriors, etc.


This happened in the more recent Disney era. Hop on the show with us they say, and then chuck the Rani, Sutekh, Susan, Omega, the Time War and all other manner of things at us.


Promo image for series 10. Nardole hiding behind the Doctor in the TARDIS as the Doctor holds on to Bill hanging out of it. Fire all around
@BBC

Anyway, I am not here to complain about series 10, I am here to review it, and this is peak Doctor Who that holds a very special place in my heart. Right from the start it was pretty clear things were being swept aside for some fresh new adventures with Bill and Nardole, and that is why I love this series so much. This is my favourite TARDIS team! A new companion, a new dynamic, and the feeling that the show was prepared to experiment again. What struck me most about this series was how well it balanced the traditional Doctor Who thrills with a more modern awareness of the world around us. It still stands up now, even more so if anything.


Right from the beginning, Bill Potts is a revelation. She’s instantly relatable, funny, curious, and refreshingly normal. Her perspective grounds the Doctor, and paired with Nardole, who is a lot more than just comic relief, whatever Missy says. The three of them together feel vibrant, fresh, and just the right balance of chaos and heart.


The show also wasn’t afraid to try new things either. Having a three-part story (Extremis, The Pyramid at the End of the World, The Lie of the Land) felt exciting, and I loved that it felt ambitious and different. Likewise, individual episodes like Smile with its emoji-speaking robots, or Knock Knock with its haunted house horror, show how versatile Doctor Who can be. Series 10 was very varied, and that gave it a spark.


Three monks in robs lined up together, hands in front of them
@BBC

What impresses me most, though, is how this era dealt with social issues. Thin Ice tackled class, privilege, and racism. Oxygen went straight for capitalism, in a way that feels even sharper today. The Eaters of Light explored colonialism, so did Smile for that matter. These weren’t issues crowbarred in, they were woven naturally into the fabric of the storytelling. Doctor Who has always been political, but here it struck a balance of being relevant, thoughtful, and never too in-your-face. Oxygen is a shining light of how you say something but still make a thrilling, brilliant story.


And then there’s Peter Capaldi. What a Doctor. Watching Series 10 again, I can’t help but think how perfect he is, and how perfect his journey was, from wondering if he was a good man, to being the goodest of good men. He is still the funniest Doctor to me. He is passionate, angry, and devastatingly powerful when the moment calls for it. His speeches, his authority, his warmth with Bill, they all combine to make this one of the strongest performances we’ve ever had from the Doctor. It’s an era that feels mature, confident, and deeply moving.


Dark picture, Missy, Cyberman Bill and the Master in a line
@BBC

The finale is where it all comes together. World Enough and Time and The Doctor Falls have to be some of the best ever Doctor Who. They are dark, creepy, emotional, heartbreaking, they are everything really. Missy and the Master shine, the Cybermen are terrifying, and Capaldi delivers the performance of a lifetime. It’s bold, it’s tragic, it’s thrilling, and it is Doctor Who at its absolute best.


Then we have Twice Upon a Time to wrap it all up with. The end of an era in more ways than one. The end of Capaldi, the end of Moffat, the end of Murray Gold. It’s a quieter, more reflective goodbye for the Twelfth Doctor, and nothing like the last time the show was renewed so sweepingly in The End of Time. It’s not a perfect special, but I love how it speaks about what it means to be the Doctor. Comparing Twelve's final words of kindness and hope to the next Doctor with Ten being all I'm going to die and I don't want to go is chalk and cheese.


Looking back on series 10 as a whole, I think it is really strong. It dared to try different things, it tackled real-world issues with confidence, and it gave us a TARDIS team I’ll never stop loving. Capaldi’s Doctor went out on a high, leaving behind an era that feels both deeply underrated and absolutely essential.


As is always the way, a showrunners run always seems divisive. Steven Moffat has played such a big part in Doctor Who, he has played a massive part in my time with the show. From gasmask zombies to a very quiet library, from Matt Smith to Peter Capaldi, he has given us some of the most memorable episodes and moments in the shows history.


And now, moving forward, I’m so excited to see Jodie again. At the time, I didn’t vibe with Series 11 in the slightest. It felt too much of a departure, and I struggled with it. But time has passed, I’ve rewatched the show in full, and I’m curious to re-evaluate. I feel like my mind has been opened over the past few years - I found out I was autistic, I have definently become more aware to the issues other people face around the globe, and the anger I feel with politicians, the rich, the greedy has grown ten-fold. Maybe my opinion will hold, but maybe I’ll find new things to enjoy. Who knows. Maybe I could end up appreciating Series 11 far more, or even flip on Flux, which I loved at the time. That’s the beauty of Doctor Who. It changes, we change, and it’s always worth taking the long way round.








What did you think of series 10? What did you think of Peter Capaldi's run? What did you think of the Moffat era? Let me know in the comments below.


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