10 Doctor Who Episodes That Took Risks And Failed

9. The Doctor’s Obsessions Lead Them To Murder

Doctor Who hell bent the doctor shoots a general
BBC

When did the Doctor start to murder people? No, not arranging them to kill themselves or destroy the ships they were on, but aim a gun at a person who had done them no wrong and pull the trigger? Let us ask the General, shall we?

Peter Capaldi’s first two years were bogged down by his relationship with Jenna Coleman. Clara as a character simply did not work, while Coleman herself was wonderfully fun to watch on-screen. However, fun and charming as she was, having the Doctor turn into a murderer on the off-chance that it could save her life truly didn’t work.

Hell Bent, season nine’s finale, was a poor follow-up to the outstanding episode Heaven Sent. While Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor obviously had a passionate drive to save his best friend, far too many lines were crossed in the underwhelming coda to their time together. Erasing Clara from the Doctor’s memory, while playing for the emotion of it all, seemed like a poor attempt to force an ending that would see her live and continue to have adventures. Flying off in a TARDIS shaped like a diner? Sure, why not.

Murdering a Time Lord for a lost cause? Maybe let’s not.

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Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"