Every Modern Doctor Who Season Ranked From Best To Worst

Of all the modern Doctor Who seasons, none had such a staggering variation in quality than this one. Season 9 was a mix of brilliance and mediocrity, with Clara Oswald's refusal to die a real weak point. While Jenna-Louise Coleman often received undue criticism for her portrayal as Clara, her character arc is a real mess here.

When the series is good though it is very good, with an outstanding Dalek double episode to open proceedings that sees the unlikely dynamic combo of Missy and Clara. The series continues with multiple double episodes, but this format quickly loses momentum by the 'The Girl Who' double, which fails to make adequate use of Thrones stalwart Maisie Williams.

The truly unwatchable Sleep No More signifies a series running out of ideas, conjuring the worst villain in Who history. The shock death of Clara at the end of Face the Raven seems like another fake out, however her character's journey finally comes to a satisfying and beautiful send off in the perfect Heaven Sent. Capaldi acts his heart out in this gem, not only facing down his own fears but also learning to move forward from his companion's death, while also seeking retribution.

The finale then undoes all of the preceding episode's good work, with the unnecessary retconning of Clara's death and another 'tricked you' Moffat story arc that just feels lazy. Having a clever twist is one thing, but repeatedly leading the audience up the garden path is just annoying.