Doctor Who: Every Doctor's WORST Episode
7. The Long Game (The Ninth Doctor)
It feels harsh to call The Long Game the "worst" of the Ninth Doctor's era, due to how consistent it is in terms of quality. However there's no escaping the weaknesses of the story.
What begins as a fun sci-fi satire of rolling news gives way to a slightly tedious plot about the worst Doctor Who companion ever trying to gain advanced technology. Thematically, the stories don't dovetail in a satisfying way, instead just acting as a means to endanger the Doctor and Rose. And then there's the rather tiresome RTD trope of the heroic sacrifice thrown in for good measure.
The Long Game is frustrating because of the strength of the other elements, including Anna Maxwell-Martin's vengeful Suki, and Simon Pegg's slimy Editor. There's a good story in there, but unlike the rest of that first year, The Long Game doesn't form a coherent whole.