Top 15 worst rated episodes of Doctor Who
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My personal takes on some of the best and worst episodes of Doctor Who.
Since Doctor Who rebooted in 2005, 188 episodes have aired. Some were good, some…were not. While the fanbase can agree on which episodes fall into which category sometimes, I can’t say I always share the collective opinion. Excluding any episodes from the seasons I have not seen, here are the top 15 worst episodes of Doctor Who according to IMDB, and whether or not I think they belong on this list.
“Arachnids in the UK” (2018) 5.1/10
I would rather be hunted down by a hoard of cybermen than ever watch this episode again in my entire life. I agree that this episode belongs on the list. I do not ever need to see spiders that large on my television.
“The Tsuranga Conundrum” (2018) 5.1/10
While some of the details of this episode make it a little strange (male pregnancy), it is not necessarily a bad story. It is just a little forgettable.
“Space Babies” (2024) 5.2/10
Well, it wasn’t great. Futuristic space abortion policies are interesting, but CGI-talking babies are something else. I do not think this episode added much to the season.
“The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos” (2018) 5.3/10
My main issue with this season finale is that it was not very memorable. If you asked me what happened in this episode, I could not tell you one detail, and I have rewatched it very recently.
“Fear Her” (2006) 5.8/10
This deserves to be on this list. This episode is widely hated by many Doctor Who fans due to its unsettling and undeveloped plot.
“Sleep No More” (2015) 5.8/10
This episode was a little lackluster, I guess. It includes some lazy writing, but I never hated it. I will give points off for the “Mr. Sandman” earworm.
“The Witchfinders” (2018) 5.8/10
I was surprised to see this episode on the list. While I personally enjoy it, I do have to mention the off-puttingly suggestive tentacle imagery. I will give points to Alan Cumming as King James.
“In the Forest of the Night” (2014) 6.0/10
Do you hate joy, magic, and fun? Some plot resolutions made no sense, but I think it’s an interesting character development episode. I do not accept series eight slander.
“Resolution” (2019) 6.0/10
“Festive Special.” They took away my Christmas special because of woke or whatever.
“The Ghost Monument” (2018) 6.1/10
Boooooooringggggggg! Absolute snooze-fest.
“The Devil’s Chord” (2024) 6.2/10
This episode sort of broke the mold, so I understand why some fans didn’t enjoy it. I also think some of them just hate drag queens. It was super funny to do a Beatles episode and not pay for a single Beatles song to be in the episode.
“Love & Monsters” (2006) 6.2/10
DO YOU HATE JOY MAGIC AND FUN? Just kidding. I understand why this is here. Sometimes, the practical effects are too much. A man has sexual relations with a brick of concrete, played by Shirley Henderson.
“Kerblam!” (2018) 6.3/10
Not a great look for Doctor Who, considering the entire rest of the show is an anti-capitalism/anti-corporation critique. They just didn’t pull off whatever messaging was intended here. They killed off Claudia Jessie from Bridgerton.
“It Takes You Away” (2018) 6.3/10
I hate this episode because it’s SAD. It's definitely not the worst from the season. I am taking points off due to the weird alien guy and giant killer moths. I am returning points for the frog that is also God—in a way.
“The Lazarus Experiment” (2007) 6.5/10
I don’t know man. I don’t hate it. It's just weird. I had nightmares about this episode when I was a kid. Know your CGI limits, Doctor Who.
In my opinion, some of these episodes do not deserve to be on this list, and some definitely deserve to be re-ordered. An honorary mention to the runner-ups, “Empire of Death” (2024) at 6.5/10, “Victory of the Daleks” (2010) at 6.6/10, and “The Curse of the Black Spot” (2011) at 6.6/10. While some of these episodes are objectively bad, they are still fun to watch, which means they get five stars out of five from me.