5 Ways Steven Moffat's Doctor Who Is BETTER Than Russell T Davies' (And 3 It's Worse)

This is a big one for Moffat. Put simply, the Doctor is a better character during his tenure. Moffat understood the Doctor on a deeper level than almost anyone who has ever written the show, and also, arguably for the first time, really explored the Doctor as the main character, challenging them and pushing the show in a very different, more introspective direction.

Eleven, and especially Twelve, feel astonishingly well-defined as characters. Their behaviour is consistent, their flaws matter, and they have meaningful character arcs that actually progress over the course of their time in the TARDIS. Eleven evolves from whimsical fairytale hero into a visibly exhausted old god hiding behind childishness. Twelve goes from abrasive and emotionally repressed to perhaps the kindest and most emotionally mature incarnation of them all - both characters undergo these changes as a direct, visible result of their experiences, and their development feels intentional and unrushed.

And then you have Moffat's companions. Clara is probably the most fully realised companion the show has ever had. Moffat took off the training wheels and trusted the audience to no longer need a surrogate. Instead of holding onto her being relatable and being the moral heart of the show, as companions often have been, Moffat allowed the character to evolve into a complicated, flawed and occasionally outright toxic person.

Her relationship with Twelve is messy, co-dependent and deeply compelling in a way the show hasn't attempted before or since. Her relationship with Twelve is the core of the show, and the adventures take a back seat, and this is so refreshing as a narrative style. Missy receives similarly nuanced treatment, and is by far and away the best incarnation of the Master - the performance is wonderful, but what sets her apart is her writing, which allows her to be a character first and a antagonist/plot device second. 

Let's compare this to RTD. Ten often yo-yos between 'I never would' and 'the fury of a Time Lord' depending on the needs of the script. One week he's the lonely god. Next week he is cracking jokes while hanging from a CGI crane. Then he is suddenly terrifying again. That isn't to say that the Time Lord Victorious moments aren't gripping TV, but they're dotted about his era and he never feels like he learns or evolves as a result of them - he hits all the beats of a fantastic Doctor, but the writing underneath is less cohesive than people often remember. How different is the Ten in The Christmas Invasion to the Ten in the End of Time, really? His final words are fairly compelling evidence towards him not having developed, not having overcome his vanity. Great tear-jerker, but not a satisfying resolution.

Another point to the Moff.