This should be fun.
Nuts. While the Chibnall episode is alright (maybe the most inoffensive episode off the bat) but its also patently boring and largely uneventful for most of it, whereas the RTD2 one is fun, paced well, with a returning companion to rival the energy of all companions since Clara left (arguably maybe even when she left) and a villain that is far more entertaining and fun and believable villainy (helped by the fact she's voiced by a real-life islamophobe, as an aside) while the self-serious Tim has all the menace of the John Cleese-portrayed equivalent from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
The Star Beast clearly takes it because it has to balance the difficult task of re-introducing David Tennant while establishing him as post-Whitaker and resolving, and IMO very well, the series 4 finale some 14 years ago, and wholly watchable on its own.
Duh. The Chibnall one has literally solved my insomnia (one of solid five episodes that share this notorious distinction).
Rosa is highly overrated. Its heart is in the right place, but its a true historical that chickens out being a true historical by having a random asshole racist who wants to change history in this moment in time....because. Weak. Whereas the Giggle has to handle a lot of balls (no pun intended) being flown at the same time - including introducing a flawlessly realized Ncuti Gatwa, reintroducing a perfect modernization of the Toymaker (complete with random racism), a new UNIT post-Flux, and the interesting and frankly inviting lore reveal of the bi-regeneration, a concept that is new but, unlike a certain other lore reveal of recent year, its not intrusive and doesn't distinctly insult the intelligence or tests the patience of the audience. I only wish the games portion was a little lengthier, but to frame it as if Rosa is just barely better...madness.
RTD2 is superior because this one actually introduces a bold new era - the post RTD RTD era - no typo, this is the Doctor who has dealt with the emotional baggage, or has attempted to do so at least, of the Time War, and this bold new era is wilder, more fantastical and clearly influenced by Moffat, including this wild Christmas Special, which is frequently mad, pompous like RTD but introspective like Moffat and emotional like both.
Church on Ruby Road, by far.
The Tsuranga Conundrum is the worst episode of series 11, and has potentially the worst guest performances in all of Who. Period. Space Babies is silly, and without a doubt its the weakest one of this era, but Gatwa and Gibson click so well, and move so well together, I am obliged to spend the hour with them for them, much like it'd happen with Smith and any of his companions.
Space Babies, but I'll grant its close. Closest that its been yet.
Demons is the second best episode of Chibnall, so I totally get the sentiment. But its extremely overrated, as I think (a)the time aliens are basically the same exact concept as from Twice Upon a Time and it just seems like a lame similarity to not exploit that connection, and (b) the Doctor and gang's walking away at the end really, really ruins the end for me. Whereas Devil's Chord is at best an incredibly exciting episode, with cool references to the Beatles lore and all.
Ah, well. A tie, I'll be honest with you. Just.
Funny thing is, Kerblam! would've been fine if the climax was so unashamedly pro-bourgeoisie. But yeah, Boom is amazing, and Ncuti's best performance thus far.
The Witchfinders is my third fave of the Whittaker era, and that's not because of the story (its basically a bit shit), but solely because of Alan Cumming, who really shines on Who and needs to come back every season from now on and forever. But yeah, 73 Yards.
Ditto, but here's the clinker: It Takes You Away is without a doubt the best episode, and story, of the entire Chibnall era. Bar none. That a Doctor-lite episode is better than it, says a lot about why the episode falls short (spoiler alert: its the boring-ass companions)
Rogue, and its not even close. The Doctor in a romantic sub-plot that doesn't involve River Song is actually a refreshing change of pace.
They're close, because while the latter is much better written technically and directed and edited with real tension, the former at least has the only believable character arc in the entire Chibnall series, and ironically with the single worst companion of the entire NuWho (MAYBE of all of Who, but that's arguable) and in the latter, not much happens. But the latter is engaging, and the former meanders a lot. A. Lot.
The RTD2 is a lame, lazily written, clearly in need of a rewrite, and the resoltution of the plot takes place way sooner than should've been. THAT BEING SAID, its tons more fun and actually functional than Spyfall, which fails from the minute we see the title (Spyfall? As in, Skyfall but its about spies? But... Skyfall was a spy movie, about the location of a spy's origin...ah, fuck it!), with a plot that never works and actually never truly makes sense untilt the second part, and above all, the worst sin of all...wasting the great, fantastic, incredible Stephen Fry on what basically constitutes as a cameo only to be killed off immediately after meeitng with him. Aslo, this epispode compounds and never really escapes Chibnall's central problem of having to deal with companions who have no agencies, no arcs to fullfill and no function to perform as part of a TARDIS "fam".
Empire of Death, and I say this as someone who was profoundly disappointed by it, but still appreciates what it was trying to do. It just didn't do as well as it could. But Spyfall? It didn't even try.
I guess one would choose Spyfall depending on how much they enjoy Dhawan's performance in it. I don't. And the story's shit throughout, and another one where the companions aimlessly go around achieving nothing. Meanwhile, Joy to the World is a Steven Moffat Christmas Special. Nuff said.
Yep.
Lux because it is The Greatest Show in the Galaxy for StreamingWho. But, the Tesla episode was a series 12 highlight, flaws and all.
The Well, while lesser to Midnight, is still gripping, exciting and involving, and can be enjoyed even without the reference to Midnight (probably more so, I'd argue). Meanwhile, half of Fugitive is, again and again, the companions wandering around aimlessly achieving nothing. And the Jo Martin reveal, as well as she might as the Doctor, simply muddles the waters for the reveal that is to come.
Also, highly problematic a guest no-Doctor is better at being the Doctor for five minutes than Jodie Whittaker has been for more than 15 episodes by this point. Terrible writing does that.
Praxeaus is awful.
The Story & the Engine, and its not even close. The former is another one of those "Chibnall episodes that cured my insomnia" ones, and in this case ironically too.
So yeah, I just don't see how Chibnall era even comes close except rare cases and its only after positing after direct opposites. If we rank best-to-worst in terms of actual quality, RTD2 blows it off the chart, no question.
