10 Doctor Who Episodes We Were WAY Too Harsh On

Dragonfire is an episode that regularly crops up in Doctor Who supercuts, compilations, and lists, and it’s almost always for the same reason: it contains one of the worst cliffhangers in Doctor Who history. And while there’s no arguing that the Doctor inexplicably deciding to hang himself off a cliff for seemingly no other reason than the episode getting close to the 25-minute mark isn’t utterly ridiculous, it does rather overshadow the rest of the story.

Because beyond its bizarrely literal cliffhanger, Dragonfire is actually a fairly enjoyable and well-put together example of late-80s Who. It features a unique setting, fun plot, the return of Sabalom Glitz, and, perhaps most importantly of all, the introduction of fan-favourite companion Ace and her trusty Nitro-9 explosives. And the cherry on top: one of the most shockingly graphic deaths in the show’s history, where the BBC’s effects crew pay homage to Raiders of the Lost Ark and melt the villain’s face on screen.

And while it’s unlikely to end up an example of how the show gained a new lease of life right before cancellation (like Remembrance of the Daleks or The Curse of Fenric), it is still representative of how Doctor Who was still putting out good stories into the late 1980s.