10 Doctor Who Episodes NOBODY Was Ready For

The second half of Series 6 got off to a rocky start with episodes like Let's Kill Hitler and Night Terrors, but out of nowhere came The Girl Who Waited.

Similarly to Amy’s Choice, the relationship between Amy and Rory was front and centre in this episode, while the Doctor’s recklessness and morals (particularly where his companions are concerned) were also brought into question.

The Doctor, Amy, and Rory land on the resort planet of Apalapucia, where Amy soon finds herself alone in a different timeline, left behind to fend for herself as she waits for the Doctor to come and save her.

Rory then finds an older, bitter version of Amy, who tells him she’s been waiting for 36 years. The episode switches between old and young Amy, finally bringing them together when the Doctor promises Rory that the TARDIS can hold both versions at once.

Rule one: the Doctor lies.

Coming from the guy whose only previous Doctor Who credit was the mediocre Rise of the Cybermen/The Age of Steel, few were expecting The Girl Who Waited to be such a tour-de-force of writing, direction, and acting, with Gillan delivering her best performance (actually, two of her best performances) as Amy.

Writer Tom MacRae has referred to this episode as his "most accomplished piece of plotting ever" - high praise that The Girl Who Waited more than earns.