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

This is a big one for the Moffster. 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 a multi-layered character, challenging them and pushing the show in a different, more introspective direction.

Eleven, and especially Twelve, feel astonishingly well-defined. Their behaviour is consistent, their flaws matter, and they have meaningful character arcs that progress during their time in the TARDIS. Eleven evolves from whimsical fairytale hero to a visibly exhausted old god hiding behind his 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 result of their experiences, and their development feels intentional and carefully plotted.

And then you have Moffat's companions.

Clara is perhaps 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 Clara 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. 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 an antagonist second. 

Let's compare this to RTD. Ten yo-yos between 'I never would' and 'the fury of the Time Lord' depending on the needs of the script. One week he's a lonely god. Next he's cracking jokes while hanging from a CGI crane. Then he's suddenly terrifying again.

This isn't to say that those 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 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. A brilliant Doctor no doubt, but far less behind the eyes compared to Moffat's incarnations.