5 Favorite Two-Part Doctor Who Episodes: Countdown to the 50th Anniversary 3...

Last month I started a countdown to the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who with a post counting down my five favorite stand-alone episodes. Today I bring you the second installment of the countdown, this one counting down my favorite two-part episodes. I made sure it spans all three of the modern Doctors because, despite what some people think, they all have their merits and really were all great. In fact, I think my #1 might just surprise you...

5. The Stolen Earth/Journey's End (Series 4)

 

Yeah, that's pretty much every character from the first four series all partying in the TARDIS. The two-part finale of series four brings them all together under the massive threat of the Daleks and their creator, Davros, and that's why this story makes the list. For me, the awesome stops there tho; I'm not a big fan of the story itself, or the whole Doctor-Donna thing. Still, it was a pretty pulse-pounding story and that, added with the nostalgia factor, earned it a spot on the list.

4. The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang (Series 5)
This two-part fifth series finale has a whole lot going for it. The Doctor. Amy Pond bringing a second meaning to being "the girl who waited." Rory Williams becoming The Last Centurion. River Song as Cleopatra. A time paradox... or two. An exploding TARDIS. A fez. Fezzes are cool. It even has something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and every one of the Doctor's enemies all in one place... and his epic response to them.

3. Human Nature/The Family of Blood (Series 3)

The Doctor forgets who he is and lives life as a human with companion Martha pretending to be a maid in order to help him remember himself as he falls in love. Meanwhile, there's an evil alien family pretending to be human. It doesn't sound all that amazing just from the description, but it gives Eleven a chance to get all emo about his existence, which is something Tennant always excelled at... and then it gives him a chance to be truly terrifying in his vengeance on the Family of Blood, and the Doctor without mercy is always something to behold.

2. The Impossible Astronaut/The Day of the Moon (Series 6)

There are a whole lot of great things that could be said about the series six premiere two-parter and everything that happens in it and everything it sets up for later, but really, all you need to know is: The Silents.

1. The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances (Series 1)

I bet you wouldn't have thought the Ninth Doctor would win this round, huh? This two-parter is easily the pinnacle of the first series of the revival. It features a truly creepy "monster"... a little kid wearing a gas mask asking "Are you my mummy?" over and over again and turning anyone he touches into a copy of him. It has a twist origin and resolution that makes perfect sense and is absolutely brilliant. And, on top of all that, it introduced Captain Jack Harkness, who would go on to not just be one of the Doctor's most popular companions but would go on to anchor the show's spin-off, Torchwood.

So there's my list. Next month I'll be back with the list of my favorite specials as the 50th anniversary special gets closer. In the meantime, do you have any favorites you'd like to share?