Doctor Who: 8 Matt Smith Era Problems The New Series Should Improve Upon

4. One Time Villains

Don't get stressed just yet, this entry is not for insulting the 11th Doctor's Villains. For the most part the one time villains were incredibly strong, which is where the problem comes in. So many times the audience was teased with the promise of a character's return only to have them never heard from again. A perfect example of this was the Dream Lord from Amy's Choice, a powerful being capable of creating horrifying dreamscapes in which to trap people's consciousnesses. This charismatic character was eventually revealed to be a manifestation of The Doctor's darker thoughts and inner conflict, and the episode closed with the implication that the character would return. However, the Dream Lord, along with many other villains, never made good on their promise to return, leaving audiences with nothing but speculation. Imagine the possibilities that series seven villain The Shakri hold? In their first appearance they were described by The Doctor as the pest exterminators of the Universe, and a myth that mothers on Gallifrey told their children to make them behave. Not only is strength and fear built into the character, but that fact they weren't actually seen in the episode still retains some of their mystery. This villain is begging to be used in a two part episode or story arc, and any future inclusion of them would automatically make the awful ending to The Power of Three forgivable.