3. A Good Man Goes to War: Colonel Runaway
Of course, The Doctor didnt need fancy make-up appliances or elaborate plot contrivances to be terrifying. Under Smith, The Eleventh Doctor was often intimidating and off-putting in scenes that were built entirely around dialogue. Case in point: The Colonel Runaway speech from season sixs mid-season finale, A Good Man Goes to War. The Doctor, Rory, and a host of friendly humans and aliens have overtaken the space station of Demons Run without firing a single shot, all part of a rescue mission to save Amy Pond from the forces of The Silence, the biggest and baddest Big Bad of modern WHO. Having overtaken the base, The Doctor comes face to face with the military commander responsible for abducting Amy. Things go poorly for the Colonel, as The Doctor delivers a speech in which he insists that the military man not only surrender, but do so in a manner that will forever tar him as a coward and fool, staining his legacy for all time. What makes this confrontation so especially chilling is that its clear that even a triumphant victory and safe return of his friend will not sate Eleven. Only when his opposition has been destroyed in soul as well as body will The Doctor be truly satisfied. And again, its a dynamite showcase for Smith. The Doctor is trembling with rage, barely containing the volcano of hate and anger that he feels for the man standing inches from him. You can see how badly The Doctor wishes to rip this insignificant human to shreds for having so greatly offended him, and Smith does a fantastic job showing The Doctor struggling, and almost failing, to hold back his darkest wishes. Not only does this sequence convey the emotional storm inside of this particular incarnation of The Doctor, it also perfectly encapsulates the notion of a Time Lord as an ancient, all-powerful figure. Smith truly seems beyond humanity in this moment. Though he is the youngest actor to ever assume the role of Doctor Who, Smith made you feel the toll that all the lives of The Doctor have taken over the centuries, and that was never any clearer than in this scene.