As part of a conversation with some friends online the other day, someone mentioned the upcoming series (only three more weeks to wait!) and that they needed to catch up on last series before the new one began. Then the conversation turned to Capaldi and his episodes.

Now regular readers will probably know that I adore Capaldi’s Doctor. So when folks wished for a list of the standalone Capaldi episodes worth watching, I was filled with excitement. Who better than me, I wondered, to provide such a list? But at the same time, it made me sad to think that so many people think his series aren’t worth watching. Sure, every Doctor has to slog through some stinkers, but I just don’t get why so many people think these episodes are that much worse than those of other Doctors.

The biggest issue, of course, is Moffat’s problematic showrunning. Some of Moffat’s ideas (like how his Companions kept being puzzles rather than people) really made my skin crawl. But by that same metric, Matt Smith’s Doctor shouldn’t be considered worth watching. I think the important thing to remember is that every era, every Doctor, has suffered from bad writing—some more so than others, I’ll admit—and that all judgements about quality are down to personal preferences.

That being said, I have compiled my own list of a few episodes from each of Capaldi’s three seasons that I think are worth a watch. I’ve included some notes on each one to give an idea of what it’s about and provide my own heads-up about the biggest pros and cons I remember. (If I’ve missed something major, please leave a comment so I can make the change. It has been a while since I’ve watched any of these…)

Series 8
Deep Breath (S08E01)
I figure a regeneration story is always worth a watch. Neither the character, the actor, nor the audience is quite sure where this new Doctor is headed, and we all stumble through together. This episode in particular gives a direct nod to the fact that the change between Smith and Capaldi was expected to be difficult for the audience, by showing Clara’s reluctance to accept this new version of the Doctor.

For those who like the Paternoster Gang (Vastra, Jenny, and Strax), this provides a nice farewell nod to them, and gives the audience an added sense of familiarity. As always, I have some nits to pick, but  you can read about them in both my original review (linked above) and my re-watch with my kids.

Time Heist (S08E05)
In the vein of all the classic heist flicks, the Doctor and Clara are key players in a caper. They must break into the most secure bank in the galaxy and extract… Well, actually, they don’t know; their memories have been wiped.

This story features yet another antagonist in the form of a white woman with tightly coiffed dark hair, severe lipstick, and chunky glasses (Moffat certainly seems to have a type), but also has a couple of innovative ideas and some one-off characters we’d actually not mind seeing again. Ignore the obvious references at the beginning to larger series through-lines, and you can view this one at any point without getting lost.

Mummy on the Orient Express (S08E08)
This one is almost-but-not-quite a standalone, and as long as you know that Clara and the Doctor have had a fight, and she’s decided she’s about to stop traveling with him (thanks to her boyfriend’s concerns), you don’t need to know anything else. More importantly, it’s my favorite episode of Series Eight.

It’s kind of a classic, quirky set-up, and writer Jamie Mathieson did a great job with the “Orient Express in space” remit he was given. It’s atmospheric, the costumes are killer, and both the problem and the antagonist are interesting. It gives you a good sense of the Doctor and Clara’s relationship and brings some of the joy back into watching their adventures.

Series 9
The Magician’s Apprentice / The Witch’s Familiar (S09E01/02)
With the exception of the one true stand-alone, both in terms of plot and of structure (Sleep No More, S09E09; see below) all the episodes in Series Nine are two-parters. In this opening pair, we get to build on the mythology of the Doctor’s relationships with multiple recurring antagonists. There’s both great snark and great cringey bits (e.g., the introduction of the “sonic sunglasses”), but as Moffat two-parters go, it holds up better on the back end than most.

Heaven Sent / Hell Bent (S09E11/12)
Technically this pair is a two-parter, but if you ask me, they’re two separate, consecutive stories. Hell Bent concludes the whole series. If you haven’t been watching all through, you will therefore likely be mightily confused. But you get the chance to see a gender-swap regeneration on screen for the first time, and there are some cool additions to Gallifreyan lore.

As for Heaven Sent, the only things you need to know ahead of time to follow it are these: Clara has died, the Doctor couldn’t save her, and he’s distraught. The rest is left for the viewer to piece together along the way. It is, for all intents and purposes, a one-man show. Capaldi carries the entire episode; the only other characters to appear (there are only two) never speak. His performance is masterful, as is Rachel Talalay’s direction. It is probably my favorite single episode (story) in all of Doctor Who.

Series 10
The Pilot (S10E01)
Much like a regeneration story, a new Companion on-boarding is almost always worth your time. Bill and Twelve became my favorite TARDIS team of all time during this series, and watching the beginnings of their relationship and the establishment of Bill’s character always delights me. The down side is that there are hooks into the series arc, which may or may not bother a casual viewer.

Thin Ice (S10E03)
Set in Regency England during a Frost Fair, this episode is truly delightful, even if I didn’t 100% buy into the creature, and you don’t need any background plot knowledge. Among other things, the Doctor finally faces the reality of human racism head-on—or maybe I should say fist-on. It’s probably the closest the Doctor has ever come to punching a Nazi, and I’m all about it. Plus, Bill’s dress is fab.

The Eaters of Light (S10E10)
Aside from being a great standalone, this story marks the return of Classic series writer Rona Munro. Set in her native Scotland during the time of the Picts, Bill, the Doctor, and Nardole (yes, he’s nominally part of this TARDIS team, too!) explore the real reason for the disappearance of the Roman Ninth Legion.

Twice Upon a Time (Christmas Special 2017)
Capaldi’s final episode also features David Bradley as the First Doctor. I’m not sure how much I like this particular flavor of timey-wiminess (one would need spoilers for the end of Series Ten—and of Series Nine, for that matter—to understand the full context of this story), but it allows the Doctor to indulge in a little self-reflection, and heal his hearts before giving in to the inevitable. His farewell speech is moving, and at the very end, we get our first tiny glimpse of Jodie’s Doctor.

NO SHOWS
There is at least one episode in every season that I think is just plain bad. Under no circumstances would I wish the following episodes on anyone, unless (like me) they feel compelled to watch every episode there is.

Kill the Moon (S08E06)
Aside from the heavy-handed abortion allegory (which the writer insisted wasn’t intended, but ~pffff!~), the violation of physics (specifically the laws of gravity and conservation of mass) in a story set on Earth make this episode downright painful to watch.

Sleep No More (S09E09)
The creatures are made from the crud that builds up in people’s eyes as they sleep. Nuff said.

The Lie of the Land (S10E08)
This one’s actually the final installment in a three-parter, which is a strike against it to begin. Even if it stood alone, though (the first part, Extremis, probably could, and it’s the best of the three), I wouldn’t recommend it. There is zero payoff after all that screen time, and a big violation of trust in the middle that still doesn’t sit well with me, years later. (For that matter, avoid the middle part, too. The Pyramid at the End of the World (S10E07) is no better.)

QUICK PICKS
If I had to choose just one episode out of each of Capaldi’s three series to recommend to someone who didn’t want to commit a lot of viewing time to his era, it would be these:

Mummy on the Orient Express (S08E09)
Heaven Sent (S09E11)
Thin Ice (S10E03)

So there you have it: Neowhovian’s Guide to the Capaldi Era. Whether you use this guide yourself or want to compile your own, I’d love to hear your thoughts on my picks. I love comparing notes!