Doctor ... uh ... who?

September 13, 2015 9:03 PM

Which episode of Dr. Who should a total newbie see?

Boyfriend wants to go to a celebration of the new Dr. Who series at a geek bar next weekend. I've never seen the show, don't know much about it. I have time to watch one, maybe two episodes before the event. What would you guys recommend?

posted by phoenix_rising to Grab Bag (36 answers total)

Can't go wrong going with the standby answer for this question: Blink
posted by CrystalDave at 9:11 PM on September 13, 2015 [20 favorites]

I'd say Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead. I'm not a massive fan but I think that's the show at its best, and I love it. It's a two-parter though, so a bigger time commitment than Blink. (The thing about Blink though is that the Doctor is barely in it -- if I recall correctly, they would sometimes film multiple episodes at once so they needed some that required less screen time from the leads? -- so if you're looking for something that captures the character, that's not going to be it.)
posted by babelfish at 9:26 PM on September 13, 2015 [3 favorites]

Yeah, "Blink" is the standard answer, though I've never been sure that it makes sense as an entry point (however, I know people who fell in love with the show through this episode, so clearly it works for some people). Give it a try, though; it is indeed famous! But you'll have to keep in mind that since part of the Doctor Who thing is that the Doctor--the main character--changes bodies sometimes, you won't be seeing the same actor playing him next weekend. If you want to see an episode with the current lead actor, Peter Capaldi, I'd recommend "Mummy on the Orient Express" or "Robot of Sherwood." A lot of people hated that one, but I thought it was fun, and it doesn't require tons of backstory knowledge.

Second caveat: Doctor Who is a lot like Buffy or Steven Universe in that if you try a random episode, it may seem a bit confusing or pointless--things are being woven together, characters are being developed, distant threats are slowly being revealed.

Third caveat: Someone once described the Doctor's famous space-and-time machine, the TARDIS, as really being a genre machine. It takes the Doctor, his companions, and the audience to deep space hard sci fi one week, psychological horror the next, historical fiction the following week, and so on. I think there's something to that, and it's one of the things I now love about the show, but it can be really jarring at first.

(It might be interesting to ask your bf, too--if he's a fan, he'd probably be thrilled, and you'd learn more about why he likes the show.)
posted by wintersweet at 9:27 PM on September 13, 2015 [3 favorites]

I *really* love Blink, but it's really untypical of Dr. Who. So, I say Don't Blink, at least not as a first experience.

I'd recommend the two-parter: The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances. They're written by Steven Moffat (as is Blink) who is among the superior writers of the show (and in general), they follow the typical layout of "Doctor and Companion go to a place and time, uncover a supernatural mystery, encounter a helpful stranger or two, ten-year-old-me hides behind the couch in terror as various named and unnamed characters face mortal peril, the doctor solves the mystery in his doctorly way, and they depart."

To that, I would add that it's very possible that to Doctor you see here and the Doctor you see on the weekend could be played by different actors. In the show, these are different regenerations (reincarnations) of the same Doctor (such is the odd nature of his race's immortality), but while they have slightly different personalities; they are nonetheless the same person. We're now, today, on the 4th doctor since the show returned in 2005, and 12th (ish) since the show started in 1963. "Blink" and the two-parter feature the 10th (David Tennant) and 9th (Christopher Eccleston) doctors, respectively.
posted by Sunburnt at 9:27 PM on September 13, 2015 [8 favorites]

Seconding everything Sunburnt said. The Empty Child & The Doctor Dances are fantastic first episodes, and even after watching them you still might not recognized any of the people in whatever episodes is aired at the bar.
posted by Tentacle of Trust at 9:50 PM on September 13, 2015 [4 favorites]

"Blink" is a bit of an unusual episode, actually, and not one I'd recommend to start off on. You cannot go wrong with starting with the Eccleston episodes (Ninth Doctor, 2005): this was the reboot series and as good an introduction as you'll get. Select any from the Ninth Doctor's run. (Sunburnt's selections are great.)
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 10:06 PM on September 13, 2015 [2 favorites]

I had no interest at all in Dr Who after watching bits and pieces of episodes from 2009-2012-ish. The first episode I saw that was accessible and interesting to me was "Vincent and the Doctor". It works on a bunch of levels and tells you about who the Doctor is without the harsh and cheap production values of the earlier seasons.
posted by bleep at 10:27 PM on September 13, 2015 [4 favorites]

But, you know, that being said, most of the episodes don't require a huge amount of back-knowledge to understand. If you showed up the event having watched nothing, you will be ok. Just take what you're seeing as a given, like a movie, and it'll be fine. Usually if there's something you need to know to understand what's going on they'll have a character mention it. It's not like a soap opera.
posted by bleep at 10:34 PM on September 13, 2015

The Girl in the Fireplace is a good one too, and gives a nod to how complicated the Doctor is/can be.
posted by elendil71 at 1:55 AM on September 14, 2015 [13 favorites]

My general take on this is that people who are fans of Dr Who often become acclimatised to how madcap and shifting and generally unhinged the world of the Doctor is, and to how much (so much!) back story there is. Therefore one commonly sees recommendations for episodes that while spectacular and satisfying to fans, leaving newbies saying "wait, what?" and trying to figure out how an alien eats with fins or a man can appear in a fireplace or something while the plot hurtles on without them.

For this reason I second bleep's recommendation of Vincent and the Doctor. It may not be a fan favourite but it's a very easy to follow, accessible introduction to the world of Dr Who because it's not grounded in science fiction. It is funny and witty and fabulous, and delivers the emotional connection people have with the larger cannon.
posted by DarlingBri at 2:38 AM on September 14, 2015

I would recommend The Eleventh Hour. This was effectively the first refresh of the show since the reboot in 2005, so it's very much set up to be accessible for new viewers.

You may also find it helpful to watch Emergency Awesome's Beginners Guide.
posted by Juso No Thankyou at 2:54 AM on September 14, 2015 [2 favorites]

Just one note - be it the "The Empty Child & The Doctor Dances" or "Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead" (please, not Blink. Not for your first episode) - Either of these two pairs are excellent, excellent choices. Yes, commit to seeing these two and you'll have a blast.

But, It's a different actor playing the Doctor in those pairs - and a different actor than today.

I'm assuming you know this - that the main character changes. It's just that each interpretation of the character changes with his face. Those episodes will give you a feel for the show - but part of the quirky experience is the main character changes.
posted by filmgeek at 3:50 AM on September 14, 2015 [1 favorite]

Just another voice saying, please don't start with "Blink" because although it's amazing, it's not typical of the show. If you want to see light-hearted/life-affirming/emo Who at its best, start with "The Eleventh Hour." If you want to see scary and exciting sci-fi Who at its best, I'd recommend "The Waters of Mars."

Come back to "Blink" later for sure, but don't start there.
posted by jbickers at 3:55 AM on September 14, 2015 [2 favorites]

I was also going to say "Vincent And The Doctor", actually - especially if you're an art lover (and EVEN MORE especially if you're fond of the Impressionists).
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:13 AM on September 14, 2015 [1 favorite]

Oh man, "The Day of the Doctor" is probably the best 75 minute indoctrination. Yes, it's full of references and callbacks that you won't get, but those will actually kind of help you be more aware of those same references at the event.
posted by 256 at 5:03 AM on September 14, 2015 [1 favorite]

I've used "The Impossible Planet" & "The Satan Pit" as a intro to DW and it's worked really well both times.
posted by kariebookish at 6:26 AM on September 14, 2015

The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances is the best two hours of television I've ever experienced.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 7:03 AM on September 14, 2015

One more vote each for The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances and The Girl in the Fireplace.
posted by Devoidoid at 7:19 AM on September 14, 2015 [1 favorite]

I love Gridlock. It's one of the ones my bf showed me to get me into the show. The others he showed me that I think were also great starters are:

Fires of Pompeii
Blink
Girl in the Fireplace

Blink is good, but Carey Mulligan really takes over the episode instead of the doctor or companion, so I don't know if it's a good intro. I also really like Last Christmas with Peter Capaldi, but I think christmas episodes are kind of a bonus so maybe you want to save it for later.
posted by monologish at 8:13 AM on September 14, 2015

I would start with the first episode of the Eccleston run (Rose), because it's a pretty good capsule of the whole show and doesn't lay on the mythology too thick. It's not in any way the "best" or even "the most Doctor Who-esque" episode, but if you don't like it at all, then you're not going to like the show generally, and if you do like it, you'll probably keep liking it.
posted by Etrigan at 9:04 AM on September 14, 2015 [3 favorites]

Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead

With respect, you can only understand how important this is after seeing the majority of the Matt Smith run. It's an amazing bit of storytelling in context, and better on a rewatch, but the mythology is everything for these two episodes. It would be a complicated place to start.

My vote is for "Girl in the Fireplace". It encapsulates much of the tone into a single episode, and is quite apart from the big stories.
posted by bonehead at 9:07 AM on September 14, 2015 [1 favorite]

Re: Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead
> With respect, you can only understand how important this is after seeing the majority of the Matt Smith run.

I got confused there, I thought you were saying that you had to see the Matt Smith (11th Doctor) run before watching these 10th Doctor eps. That'd be a good trick, heh.

Also, as it happened, I stopped watching the show about 5 episodes into Matt Smith, so I don't know what's important about Silence/Forest. I can say that the import of those episodes doesn't matter to a new viewer. It was a terrific double-episode in 2008, well before it was important.
posted by Sunburnt at 9:30 AM on September 14, 2015

All of the above answers are the correct answers and I would have said them if no one had already, but a suggestion, if you have the time, you could try watching

Rose, then
The Christmas Invasion, then
Eleventh Hour

each of them are the first episodes of the Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh doctors.
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 9:39 AM on September 14, 2015 [1 favorite]

If you want to get a taste of the Doctor as played by Peter Capaldi I'd recommend either "Flatline" or "Mummy on the Orient Express". "Last Christmas" is also good in that is the most recent episode. There are some relationship scenes with Clara that might not make total sense but the episode does leave off sort of where this next series begins.

Oh, the BBC released a prologue to the upcoming series last week (it's only two minutes) and is expected to release a short prequel called "The Doctor's Meditation" later this week. Both of those will provide context to Saturday's episode.
posted by plastic_animals at 9:43 AM on September 14, 2015

I second the vote for Eleventh Hour. New (as he can be) Doctor, new companion. It may not be the best episode, but it's one of the best jumping on points. Then you can go back and watch earlier Doctors like nearly everyone else has for the past 40+ years.
posted by dances with hamsters at 9:44 AM on September 14, 2015

I suggest, as others have, "The Empty Child" and "The Doctor Dances."

It encapsulates a lot of the overall flavors of "Doctor Who." "The Empty Child" in particular is what made me want to go back and catch the entire series. I had no idea what I was watching until the first commercial break and it hooked me hard.

The thing that's important is that Capaldi is the most different of all the doctors in the reboot that it's going to be okay if you haven't seen much of the series. Capaldi is still pretty new to most viewers, so in that regard, you won't really be left too far behind.
posted by zizzle at 10:35 AM on September 14, 2015

If I were introducing someone to Doctor Who I think I might start with "The Beast Below" (Series 5, Episode 2). It's got everything I love most about Doctor Who: some scary creepy stuff, and a mystery (in space!), and aliens, and social commentary. It's stuck with me for a really long time.
posted by the turtle's teeth at 11:16 AM on September 14, 2015

My wife enjoyed the "Smith and Jones"-episode immensely as a first taste of Doctor Who. It's fairly straight forward and with a new companion a lot of explaining gets done on screen.

Flipping another two cents into the pond: "Blink" is a great episode, but does not really introduce Doctor Who.

I've had great success with the "Empty Child", which is a two part episode technically speaking. But the mood, the story and the climax are pretty good.

Also the Silence in the "Library/Forest of the Dead" has been hailed by non-Whovian friends of mine as a good introduction. Sure, the ending does spoil the story arch a bit - but you can do what I did: Just turn of the telly before that bit....
posted by Rabarberofficer at 11:42 AM on September 14, 2015

I'll give you a couple that haven't been mentioned yet:

'Dalek' and 'The Unquiet Dead' (both with Christopher Eccleston as the Doctor) and 'Midnight' (with David Tennant as the Doctor).

'Dalek' takes a Doctor Who monster that has been around since the early 1960s and gives it a new twist.

'The Unquiet Dead' is a Victorian horror story with [mild spoiler ahead] a science-fiction story lurking underneath. Doctor Who has done this kind of story since the 1970s.

'Midnight' is just a personal favourite of mine.
posted by rjs at 12:04 PM on September 14, 2015 [2 favorites]

Seconding "Midnight". It was the first episode that I saw and I thought it was a good introduction because the episode stands on its own. The episode is not part of a larger story arc.

I also enjoy "Love and Monsters", but that's just me.
posted by cleverevans at 3:12 PM on September 14, 2015

I vote for "Rose" or "The Eleventh Hour." If you're sensitive to shitty production values, try "The Eleventh Hour" first. I still love "Rose," but it comes off as distinctly low-budget compared to anything you'd watch on US network TV now. I think that's part of its charm, but ymmv.

For what it's worth, the first episode I watched was "The Christmas Invasion," which hooked me despite it being a little difficult to follow if you hadn't watched the previous season's finale.
posted by yasaman at 5:41 PM on September 14, 2015

I would not suggest "Rose". The first season of the Doctor Who reboot starts rough and is wildly uneven. I think it didn't become consistently good until a ways in to David Tennant's run. (In some ways, I felt like Russell Davies had finally cracked how to make really great Doctor Who right around the time he announced he was leaving!)

I think the Eleventh Hour makes a lot of sense for this. All you need to know is that the Doctor is an alien traveler in time and space, he's just regenerated into a new body and he's still kind of figuring out how the new him works. That's pretty much it. Ecceleston and Tennant's first episodes were bumpy rides, but this one is pretty solid. The Doctor is "new" and he's kind of introducing Amy Pond to his world, so this could be a very good place to jump on. The next few episodes have that "new show feel" too.

Don't be too put off by the 50 years of continuity. I think they take great pains not to get too convoluted and exposition-heavy. It's more like when they need a monster, sometimes they'll grab one from 1972, dust it off and do it with CGI instead of a cheap rubber suit. The Doctor is ALWAYS saying, "Ah, yes, I've dealt with these fiends before," whether we ever saw it on the show or not, so it doesn't matter much if you've seen the old stories. The characters don't sit around discussing the details of an episode from 1966. FWIW, Stephen Moffat has said he writes episodes with the idea that any one of them could be somebody's first time watching. So if you jump on anywhere during his run, he is at least keeping folks like you in mind!
posted by Ursula Hitler at 2:32 AM on September 15, 2015

I also think Midnight could be very good... And I really liked Love and Monsters too, but I am DEFINITELY in the minority on that one! If nothing else, it is very, very Russell Davies.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 2:37 AM on September 15, 2015

I hate Dr. Who.

But I ran out of tv, so I challenged myself to see if I could like Dr. Who. So I searched AskMe and read through this thread, and downloaded a few of the suggested episodes. In my opinion, "Rose" is terrible, and Christopher Eccleston is terrible (sorry!) It feels too dated, and his face bothers me a lot. "Eleventh Hour" and Matt Smith are great, though, and I'm definitely hooked, at least through the end of Series 5.
posted by unknowncommand at 7:24 PM on November 6, 2015

Note: I never made it to "Blink".
posted by unknowncommand at 7:27 PM on November 6, 2015

"Blink" was part of David Tennant's tenure, not Christopher Eccleston's; so to re-direct for the OP, you may still want to sample "Blink" because it will include the actor who took over for Christopher Eccleston and was recently voted "best Doctor ever".

okay maybe i have a bias because i think he's cute shut up
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:10 AM on November 9, 2015