3. Dead. They Burnt With You Dalek
The episode Dalek was a Series 1 highlight which reintroduced the iconic villain in an utterly terrifying way, and does it so well that the show still struggles to recapture that tone (see The Cold War, Series 7). At the emotional core of the episode was Eccleston's exchange with the Dalek, when the Doctor first found out that there were other survivors from the Time War. This whole scene is one of the greatest preludes to the 50th ever committed to screen. When Nine first realises the 'Metal-tron' found in America was in fact a surviving Dalek he states it's 'impossible', and you can see the emotion written on his face. This scene was Ecclestone's prime chance to show his emotional range (a feat made all the more impressive by the fact it was literally just the actor yelling at an inanimate object) and also offered a tantalising glimpse of the Time War by showing the mess of emotions the Doctor felt in it's aftermath. From the sheer disappointment when he realises the Dalek survived to the manic fear of extermination as he bangs on the door and the almost smug shouting of 'I made it happen!' when the Dalek doesn't believe his species perished, Nine truly goes through the emotional ringer, further building anticipation for this cataclysmic, as yet unseen War. Viewers are no doubt keen to see the wartime events which made Eccleston's Doctor so emotional and traumatised in the first relaunch series, and the rumour mill remains convinced that Nine may make a fleeting appearance in the episode. If he continues to bring this sort of quality to proceedings, I for one really look forward to it.