9. Dalek
Christopher Ecclestons stint on the show was brief and varied to say the very least- for every Rose, there was an Aliens In London, for every Parting Of The Ways a Long Game lingering around the corner, so its safe to say that Season One struggles to feel like the most memorable post-2004 run. That said, in one instance in particular, the writing team got things just right, bringing the fairly-consistent episode quality to new heights in Episode Six: Dalek. Funnily enough, the story could have turned out very differently if Terry Nation continued to disallow the iconic adversarys appearance in the new series, but thankfully that wasnt the case. Rob Sherman picked up on his Sixth Doctor audio Jubilees narrative, focusing on a supposedly harmless incarnation of the Doctors most ancient foe in an underground complex. Sure enough, the infamous cunning of the Dalek race shone through, as in spite of losing its allies to the Time War, Nations fabled creation escaped its confines and began wreaking havoc on the planet Earth. Ecclestons reaction to the return of an enemy he thought his race sacrificed themselves to defeat shows the dark turns new Who is capable of taking, with his performance unrestrained by the restrictions of Saturday teatime telly and mirroring the more realistic post-watershed dramas totally. By the time Rose and the Doctor are standing on either side of his gun, youll understand both sides of the story and the reasons each character is placed in the position they are, yet is the lone instance of the Daleks self-destruction that makes this a true shocker. Matt Smith reflects on the concept that the Daleks think hate is beautiful in the Season Seven premiere, but its here that such a concept truly comes to light in all its glory, making for a defining Ninth Doctor episode that outshines all of its competitors in Season One!