10 Most Hated Doctor Who Episodes

We’ll start with a positive: this is probably one of the funniest episodes of NuWho, and is a genuinely enjoyable little romp in isolation. Unfortunately, it’s also the story that marks the beginning of the nosedive in the Eleventh Doctor era’s key story arc, and it also wastes its potentially intriguing setting.

We're introduced to the character of Mels, Amy and Rory’s best friend in the whole wide world, who knows all about the Doctor. However, she hasn’t shown up at any point until just now, not even at the Ponds’ wedding. Considering they are meant to be nigh inseparable, it’s a little hard to see the character as anything other than a late insert. She could've even been introduced earlier in the series, but for some reason, this was decided against. Her identity is played as a huge mystery, but her sharing a name with the baby born last episode means that every single viewer knew exactly who she was before the episode’s "big twist" reveal.

The episode doesn’t even get better once River shows up properly. Let's Kill Hitler has an issue which only gets worse as time goes on, and that is the continued flanderization of River Song. In Silence in the Library, we see a smart, capable love interest for the Doctor, who has a bit of a flirty streak, but is also tough and serious when the moment calls for it.

Sadly, at this point in the Moffat era, River had been almost entirely reduced to a walking innuendo.