Best/Favorite NuWho Series Finale - Rank & Rate

[Emperor-Tiberius]

So, with the finale of the 8th (or the 9th, really ) out today, how would you rank and rate the finales of the previous series?

Just to clarify (although why would I need to, but anyway), since the 2009 Specials were released seperately from series 4, it is thus considered a separate series from series 4, and designated as Series 4B. I've mentioned this before, but felt I had to do so again.

I also took the liberty and labelled the Trilogy of the Doctor as a big, three-part Series 7 finale, because they all bleed into each other (although not like the RTD multi-parter stories, I admit) and all that.

Anyway, what do you think?

 

[Green Lantern]

Struggled with this so I voted for multiple ones. I love how series 1 seems the most popular though, I guess the basics are best.

Series 1:
Love it, a nice standard Doctor Who story at the end of the day. The Daleks and Eccleston are pretty much the best combination that the show has ever had to offer, shows off their true power, it's just fantastic!
Series 2:
Another great story, Cybermen and Daleks, fuck yeah! My childhood man, my childhood.
Series 3:
Great story, it's really good! The scene in Utopia where Yana revealed he's the Master is one of those moments when I just shouted "YES" to the TV, has stuck with me to this day lol. It's really good, and Simm plays the Master well here.
Series 4:
Once again very good, my mother's favourite. Love that all the shows met up, and Torchwood, yay! Davros is also pretty cool. It's a good story, although TBH in hindsight, without the guest appearances it is a little average. But I'm just over examining it, and it's still good!
The End of Time:
Love it!!!! The Master's a little too mad here at times but I still like it and he's supposed to be that way. Good story, one of those ones that I watch very frequently. It's awesome!
Series 5:
Not as good as the previous ones but not bad. But boring though and overly.....Moffaty....
Series 6:
Average. Like with the Series 5 finale, it focusses to much on tying up strings of the series (and not particularly well) and not being a good episode in its own right.
Series 7 Trilogy:
This is a mixed bag for me. The Name of the Doctor was average to me, better than the other Smith finales but still just average and rather dull. If it was just Day of the Doctor here it'd win my vote easily, it's brilliant for obvious reasons. But Name of the Doctor was a piece of utter crap, hated it very much. So that's why this is such a mixed bag for me.
Series 8:
Yes, getting back to what a finale should be! Apart from Missy being annoying in part 2, almost everything else is really good in this one, some great visuals of the Cybermen in part 2, some nice emotional bits, just great in general.

 

[tomalak301]

This was hard, but when BBC America did their Doctor Who marathon last year, one of the episodes I ended up watching the most of was Journey's End, and I remember that finale being really really good. You had a celebration of all the Shows in the RTD era and it just felt really grand. Nice way to end the regular RTD era Doctor who episodes.

In terms of ranking

Season 4
Season 1
Season 5
Season 7
Season 2
Season 3 (Even though Utopia and Sound of Drums were really really good)
Season 8
Season 6

 

[Emperor-Tiberius]

This was hard, but when BBC America did their Doctor Who marathon last year, one of the episodes I ended up watching the most of was Journey's End, and I remember that finale being really really good. You had a celebration of all the Shows in the RTD era and it just felt really grand. Nice way to end the regular RTD era Doctor who episodes.

To me, the biggest problem is Rose. She just had no place there. RTD really ruined his great ending in Doomsday with this soppy happy ending nonsense. But the rest of it was great.

Season 4
Season 1
Season 5
Season 7
Season 2
Season 3 (Even though Utopia and Sound of Drums were really really good)
Season 8
Season 6

Where's 4B? Was End of Time so bad?

 

[Mr Light]

1. S3 The Master Trilogy. so many amazing moments that stay with me to this day. Derek Jabobi as the Master. the Doctor's relationship to the Master post-Time War. The Master utterly triumphant. The Valiant. Martha Jones saves the day. It's pretty much perfect.

2. S4 Journey's End. The biggest most amazing climax to Dr Who ever with every modern companion coming back for it. Amazing!

3. S7 Anniversary. a wonderful end for Matt Smith. so much classic references. Clara's purpose was great. the Anniversary Movie was all kinds of wonderful (aside from undoing the death of Gallifrey, ugh). Smith's final episode was a great moving end to his character and managed to (in passing) explain every unexplained plotline from his run.

4. S2 Doomsday. Daleks fighting Cybermen! Total geek out. And the final revelation of Torchwood. and getting rid of Rose. all epic stuff.

5. S1 Bad Wolf.

6. S5, S6, S8. all three had an extremely promising set up that I was totally keyed up for, but the resolution was rushed and confusing and dropped a lot of balls. I don't know how to rank them.

7. End of Time. Ah, RTD. I love your run so much. But I don't like this story on almost every level. No proper Companion? the Master as a manic lighting shooting Skeletor? the Time Lords finally return... for five minutes and don't do anything? Man that was a complete let down.

 

[kirk55555]

My favorite is Stolen Earth/Journey's End (I don't count Turn Left, because its atrocious, easily the worst episode of Series 4 and definitely not essential for the finale). The special ends up having Davros, The Doctor and friends piloting the tARDIS, and the clone Doctor. I don't care if its stupid, the TARDIS towing the Earth was just awesome

The End of Time, while it had its problems, had a very emotional last part, if you can forgive the stupid Master stuff (which I can, I thought it was entertaining, if flawed). I think 10's last acts before regenerating were a lot more emotional than 9 or 11's, although neither of there last scenes were bad. If I was just voting for the Doctor's personal "finale", it would be The End of Time, but Stolen Earth/Journey's End win as episodes that blew my mind when I first saw them. It was an epic end to Series 4.

 

[tomalak301]

This was hard, but when BBC America did their Doctor Who marathon last year, one of the episodes I ended up watching the most of was Journey's End, and I remember that finale being really really good. You had a celebration of all the Shows in the RTD era and it just felt really grand. Nice way to end the regular RTD era Doctor who episodes.

To me, the biggest problem is Rose. She just had no place there. RTD really ruined his great ending in Doomsday with this soppy happy ending nonsense. But the rest of it was great.

Yeah they didn't really need Rose, but to keep with the wrapping up of the RTD era, Rose was the first companion of that era so I didn't mind it.

Season 4
Season 1
Season 5
Season 7
Season 2
Season 3 (Even though Utopia and Sound of Drums were really really good)
Season 8
Season 6

Where's 4B? Was End of Time so bad?

I would probably place End of Time after Season 2 and before Season 3. Last of the Time Lords really did bring down the Season 3 arc, which is a shame because the first two episodes were great.

 

[davejames]

Pandorica Opens/Big Bang would be my favorite. The first episode was dark and epic and dramatic as hell, and the second had one of the coolest endings ever with Amy bringing the Doctor back into existence at her wedding reception (and was also just a lot of wacky, time-twisty fun throughout).

Second would be the 50th Anniversary episodes. Even though Time of the Doctor was a big disappointment, Name and Day were SO damn great that they easily make up for anything else in my mind (not to mention Night of the Doctor with McGann, which probably deserves to be included as well).


After that it's a bit harder to say (although the Master trilogy would definitely be at the bottom of the list).

 

[auntiehill]

I'd have to go with Pandorica Opens/Big Bang as well. It was just thoroughly enjoyable, with wonderful time-travel twist and turns.

 

[Mr Light]

I haven't seen it since it aired, but I remember "Big Bang" being horrifically anti-climactic and a huge cop out and I can't believe it's this popular

 

[Emperor-Tiberius]

My ranking/rating:

1. Bad Wolf/The Parting of the Ways (*****)
2. Turn Left/Stolen Earth/Journey's End (****1/2)
3. The Pandorica Opens/Big Bang (****1/2)
4. Trilogy of the Doctor (Name/Day/Time) (****1/2)
5. End of Time (***1/2)
6. Army of Ghosts/Doomsday (***1/2)
7. Utopia/Sound of Drums/Last of the Time Lords (***)
8. Dark Water/Death in Heaven (***)
9. The Wedding of River Song (*)

EDIT: Wow, I didn't realize how similar my list is to FelizNavidad's list!