Doctor Who: 10 Most Underrated Eleventh Doctor Episodes
2. Asylum Of The Daleks
Just as we mentioned when discussing The Power Of Three, Series 7A - and most of Series 7, for that matter - tends to get lost in the blur of the Ponds' departure and the impending (at the time) 50th anniversary celebrations. So it's sort of understandable that gems like Asylum Of The Daleks would get lost in the bustle.
It also doesn't help that the Daleks are an overexposed and overused villain, but even still, Asylum is one of the most interesting uses of the iconic death machines we've had since Doctor Who returned in 2005.
The setting of a dinghy facility where insane Daleks are sent to be locked up means that there's an impending sense of doom throughout, and fittingly, the episode also makes the Doctor feel terrified and helpless at certain points, one of the only times in recent memory that the Daleks have actually been scary.
As an extra plus, Oswin's subplot is a highly refreshing way to introduce a companion, and the reveal of her true Dalek nature is disturbing to watch even when you know it's coming. Oh, and watching the Doctor carry an unconscious Amy through a room full of exploded Dalek corpses is one of the coolest images in the whole series.
The story only ever seems to draw criticism because of the Amy and Rory subplot, even though it's perfectly reasonable that two people with such a complicated relationship would encounter some difficult emotional roadblocks en route to a messy separation. Even if you contend that it's an issue, it's brilliantly acted by Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill, who deliver two of their strongest performances in this episode.
Asylum Of The Daleks isn't quite as good as 2005's Dalek, but you can make a strong argument for it being the second-best Dalek story of the NuWho era.