Movies - TV
The 12 Best David Tennant Doctor Who Episodes, Ranked
By MICHAEL BOYLE
12. Partners in Crime
“Partners in Crime” demonstrates how fun and charming Tennant can be as he teams up with Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) again. This episode highlights the comedic chemistry these two would have throughout the rest of the season and stresses the importance of the Doctor having a companion, a recurring theme throughout the show.
11. Gridlock
The Doctor meets with the Face of Boe and is told, “You are not alone,” prompting Martha to question the statement. This episode isn’t the first mention of the Time War, but it’s the first time the Doctor talks about what happened on screen, with Tennant delivering a powerful monologue — and Martha finally stepping out of Rose’s shadow.
10. Girl in the Fireplace
The Doctor keeps popping up in Reinette's (Sophia Myles) bedroom throughout her life and promises to take her traveling through space and time, only to arrive years after her death. “The Girl in the Fireplace” is a reminder of what happens to all the Doctor’s companions — the Doctor keeps on living while everyone he connects with gets old and dies.
9. Christmas Invasion
The writers knew this would be the first time many viewers would experience the Doctor’s regeneration and switching actors, so Rose’s confusion and apprehension about accepting a new Doctor became the focus. Though Tennant is unconscious most of the episode, he proves he’s a worthy successor the moment he jumps into action.
8. Day of the Doctor
Doctor Who’s 50th anniversary special had the Tenth Doctor teaming up with his lighthearted future self and his past, serious iteration, the War Doctor (John Hurt). Toward the climax, the Tenth Doctor’s described as “the man who regrets,” a terrific and succinct description of what makes Tennant so unique among the other modern Doctors.