Doctor Who: Every Doctor's DEFINITIVE Episode

Jodie Whittaker’s first series struggled with identity. But coming into Series 12, Spyfall grabs you and doesn't let go. This is where her era found its footing, and the tone, style, and ambition finally started to align.

The globe-trotting espionage thriller genre makes for a cinematic opener that really slaps you awake. We're presented with a story that balances spectacle with mystery and still leaves room for character drama, humour, and some well above-average action set-pieces. For the first time, the show felt high-budget without feeling empty. Most importantly of all, this story was fun, and that's what Thirteen's era should have been from the beginning, rather than the grim and moody Series 11, which felt like a bit of a hangover from the darker tones of the previous Doctors.

Whittaker is given some real plot to chew on, and she gets to be commanding, playful and elusive. Spyfall also (re)introduces the Master, the defining antagonist of Thirteen’s run. Sacha Dhawan’s Master is great fun, crackling with vindictive malice, especially in Part 1's hair-raising cliffhanger. Dhawan really brings out the best in Thirteen's character, providing her with a foil that draws out her harder edge.

All told, Spyfall feels like the blueprint for what this era wanted to be. Bold, modern, cinematic, and stylish Doctor Who with a global scope and emotional stakes. It never quite reached these heights consistently, but Spyfall at least gave us a taste.