Doctor Who: EVERY Fifteenth Doctor Episode Ranked Worst To Best

13. Empire Of Death

Empire Of Death is a perfectly fine, middle-of-the-road Doctor Who episode, offering the general big bombastic style that audiences had come to expect from Russell T. Davies. The return of Sutehk was a bit underwhelming, sacrificing any real screen presence for a CGI dog (it was quite a menacing one, to be fair).

The episode tries to handle a little too many plot threads. The reveal of Ruby's mother (with extremely dubious ethical decisions along the way), the casual death of trillions of people, and the reveal that Sutehk had been with the Doctor ever since Pyramids Of Mars all combined to make the episode a busy one. Gabriel Woolfe is a very welcome cameo though!

In truth, the episode's strengths lie with Bonnie Gordon's Mel. Though she doesn't get all of the screen time that she needs, Gordon manages to give Mel strength, heart, and power. It is more than a little shocking when it seems as though Mel has finally met her maker (does anyone really stay dead in this show?). 

Though not perfect, Empire Of Death does score points for how the Doctor defeats Sutehk. Got an antsy dog? Take him for a walk!

Sadly, Mrs. Flood's ominous warning feels tacked on and, thanks to the resolution of her character arc, completely pointless at this stage.