Doctor Who: 12 Best Twelfth Doctor Episodes
9. Oxygen
Jamie Mathieson showed his considerable worth as a writer once again with this grim space adventure, that may have deterred many a would-be astronaut. Exploring the harsh realities of travelling in a vacuum, Oxygen maintained an atmosphere of fear and intensity as the Doctor, his companions and the Chasm Forge survivors were relentlessly hunted by the corpse-carrying suits through a hostile environment. Making nightmare fuel out of matter-of-fact occurrences like malfunctioning suits and limited oxygen supplies, few Doctor Who episodes had ever been as terrifying.
The concept of corporate-dominated space travel was an ingenious one, as the cast were charged for the air they breathed and realised that they really were “fighting the suits”. It also paved the way to a brilliant resolution, as the Doctor saved the lives of his allies by making their survival more profitable than their deaths.
Oxygen was a particularly brutal experience for the Doctor, who sacrificed his sight in order to protect Bill from the vacuum (that dodgy suit has a lot to answer for). While the Doctor’s genius and resourcefulness enabled him to triumph at Chasm Forge regardless, the revelation that he hadn’t been able to restore his eyesight ended the episode on a chilling note.