But the most epic Matt Smith moment, the most poignant moment in his tenure as the Doctor, came in The Rings of Akhaten. After joining Clara on a trip to a bustling and colourful space market, we discover there's more to the planet than meets the eye. Since the Rings first became settled, a constant song has been sung in order to placate an angry god. If the god ever wakes up, well... best not to talk about it. Fortunately for us, it does wake up, which leads to one of the most moving moments in the show's 50-year history. Fiery and fuming, the newly awakened god reaches out, reaches out to devour the nearest lifeforms, reaches out to feed on their lives and their stories. Step in the Doctor. "Okay then," he says, as the age-old song strengthens in the background. "I'll tell you a story." And he does. He tells a story of all that he's seen, of the Time War, the passing of the Time Lords, the birth of the universe and the end of it, of mad universes and burning worlds, lost things and found things, secrets and knowledge. Then he falls to the ground, completely spent. Top that, Peter Capaldi.
Mike Revell is the author of STONEBIRD (Quercus, 2015), and is an award-winning journalist. He has written for the Mirror and NFL UK. He lives near Cambridge, and has an unhealthy obsession with American football, Doctor Who, and Game of Thrones.
