Doctor Who: Every Post-Regeneration Episode Ranked Worst To Best
4. Deep Breath (Twelfth Doctor)
"He's woven the future from the cloth of the past. Simple, stark, and back to basics. No frills, no scarf, no messing, just 100 per cent Rebel Time Lord."
OK, so we don't get to see the full "magician" look until the end of the episode. But we do get to see the Twelfth Doctor's Rebel Time Lord persona in full swing.
Out of all the NuWho post-regeneration episodes, it's Peter Capaldi's Doctor who displays the most erratic behaviour - madness has really never looked so good. His intense interaction with Barney the tramp is furiously funny (fun fact: the actor playing Barney, Brian Miller, was married to Elizabeth Sladen). And just the fact he casually talks to a Tyrannosaurus ex!
Moreover, the episode's overall tone is in keeping with this acerbic Doctor. It's Victorian Whitechapel with a dash of sci-fi. We've got literal face-offs; an escape pod powered by "skin"; the visually eviscerating Half-Face Man threatening Clara with a blowtorch. The scene beforehand was torturously tense enough when she bravely held her breath/nerve as Half-Face Man scrutinises her; the sound of its cogs and gears slowly ticking away blends and balances perfectly with the low hum incidental music.
That's not to mention whether the Doctor actually killed Half-Face Man. Either way, it's a bloody good shot to impale it on top of Big Ben.
You can understand Clara's massive reservations of travelling with a man who is markedly different from his previous incarnation. Thankfully, a quick word from his old self to Clara reassures her that's still our favourite time travelling alien standing right in front of her. Just don't mess with those attack eyebrows.