Story arcs are ok, if they come to some kind of conclusion and not leave you saying “What about the thing?” I still wonder “What about the thing?” with the whole Bad Wolf arc and years later with the Hybrid.
There are things that are sort of story arc-like, like drips of Vote Saxon being mentioned in passing, then finding out who Saxon really is later that series.
I also liked how Missy is introduced in Series 8, first with Clara calling a “help line”, which is the Doctor’s Tardis, and she tells him that a lady in the shop gave her his number. You don’t see the mysterious woman. That is from the beginning of the second half of series 7. You don’t find out who she really is until the end of Series 8.
I two at the top, (yes, yet another tie) and they are both from the Classic era.
The War Games
The Second Doctor’s final story story,The War Games, which I recently saw earlier this year (I don’t think I saw this before, outside of clips). It has ten parts which lasted the whole of season 6. That sounds like it would drag somewhere in the middle, or the end, but it moves along at a good pace as certain things are revealed. (And how about that Steve Jobs look-a-like 30 years before Jobs got that look?) And it is also when we are first introduced to the Time Lords. As well as the departure of Zoe, Jamie, and the Second Doctor.
Trial of a Time Lord
Trial of a Time Lord is my other favorite, a 14 parter taking up all of season 23. I did see this as a young teenage fan, and later bought the VHS boxset because I loved it so much (I still have it with it’s wonderful Tardis designed box art!). Unlike The War Games, this is divided up into 4 smaller stories:The Mysterious Planet, Mindwarp, Terror of the Vervoids, and The Ultimate Foe. I loved the twist of finding out who the Valeyard was (wrote about that here), and also the alternate endings to characters. Also loved the bantering between the Doctor and the Valeyard, the discovery of what the mysterious planet really was, and the other characters. But yes, I felt it had a good closing on the arc as to why the Doctor was really summoned to court.
While looking up this, I found out there was a Big Finish audio that not only brings back Colin baker as the 6th Doctor, but Lynda Bellingham as the Inquisitor (love her!), and Michael Jayston as the Valeyard. Info here, but don’t listen to the trailer if you don’t know the identity of the Valeyard.
Next on the Doctor Who 30 Day Challenge – Favorite Doctor Who Season
