Doctor Who: 10 Most Underrated Eleventh Doctor Episodes
3. The Beast Below
The Beast Below has been dumped on by Doctor Who fans for years, and Moffat himself has even cast some shade over his own episode on numerous occasions (although he did later admit that it was better than he initially thought).
It's hard to say exactly why the episode has such a bad reputation because it really isn't that bad at all, but maybe it didn't help that it had the unenviable task of following up The Eleventh Hour, so it was always going to feel like a letdown in comparison. Plus - when it was first broadcast - it was definitely on the lower end of the quality spectrum for Moffat episodes, and that perception of inferiority has never fully left its side.
Whatever the case, The Beast Below is a lot better than you might remember.
From some of the best production design in Series 5 - with Starship UK's mix of grungy London market and futuristic spacecraft - to Sophie Okonedo's sassy and strong-willed Queen Liz, to a smattering of terrific scenes like the Doctor's explosive outburst and Amy's bold decision to cut the Star Whale loose, it's a powerful episode with an on-point explanation about why the Doctor chooses to help people - even if the overall execution is a touch heavy-handed.
It's also capped off with a stunning dialogue scene between Amy and the Doctor that serves as one of the show's best demonstrations for why the Time Lord needs his companions. He couldn't see that the Star Whale would just be kind, because, whenever he travels the universe, all he sees is death and violence. But all his companions see - and all Amy sees - is the Doctor being kind and saving the day.
On top of the writing, the stunning background view of deep space (with Murray Gold's magical score) makes this scene one of the best in Series 5.