#Absorbaloff

[ectomoog]

How to Get Your Friends into Doctor Who (2005) - A Guide

Ok I really like Doctor Who, and of course I like introducing people to it, but oh my god do you forget how randomly terrible and/or cringy and/or uncomfortably Moffat-esque some of the episodes are, *especially* when you're watching it with someone who has no idea what to expect.

SO I made a list of ten episodes that I think would be the best loose sequence of episodes for a causal introduction to the show...

But first, some requirements:

It has to be a one-off (NO TWO-PARTERS), low commitment, etc

It can't require watching previous OR following episodes to be enjoyable

It needs to actually be good

It needs to represent Doctor Who well

In a social setting where you're showing a group of people an episode, most of these would be fine. Watching consistently with one person however, loosely follow this order, and if your person decides at any point that they want to commit to actually watching the show, skip straight back to The End of The World and watch Series 1. Ok list time...

1. Rose (S1, E01)

I think Rose is the perfect episode of Doctor Who to start on. It's campy, it's fun and weird and it sets up almost everything you need to know for the Revival Era. You get the companion, the Doctor, regular Doctor Who tropes and themes, etc. Plus, if they can't get past the Mickey bin scene, this show probably isn't for them anyway.

2. Dalek (S1, E06)

Skipping a few episodes into Series 1, Dalek is a great way to get a feel for the format of the show, and also a great and intentional introduction to the Daleks. The Doctor and the companion turn up in a mysterious place and have to battle an alien force and really unlikeable one-off side characters, the works basically. It's a fun monster-movie of an episode.

3. Vincent and The Doctor (S5,E10)

Jumping a whole five series forward, Vincent and The Doctor is a notoriously heart-wrenching historical that I think is a classic (if a little indulgent) example of Doctor-meets-famous-historical-figure. It's nice to jump to a different Doctor and a different era of the show, to get a feel for its' diversity. Although there's a few moments relevant to the greater series plot, it's contained, very pretty, very sweet, and easy to understand.

4. Midnight (S4, E10)

Midnight just feels like an essential episode to be honest. A fantastic one-off sci-fi horror/thriller, with one of David Tennant's best performances, a great introduction to the 10th Doctor. It's a shame you don't get more Donna, but I think this one would be my go-to if someone asked for the best episode to watch stand-alone, just based on how genuinely great it is.

5. Heaven Sent (S9, E11)

Jumping to Series 9 with another critically-acclaimed episode, but also one that I think is an amazing introduction to the 12th Doctor. Heaven Sent is a little unconventional, and I'm not 100% sure it should be here, but it does give Capaldi a whole episode to just act his ass off, and he completely delivers. It's artsy, mysterious and dramatic, very much the high concept sci-fi style of Moffat's later scripts, so I think an appropriate watch.

6. The Voyage of The Damned (2007 Special)

If you're not in a festive mood, try The Lodger or Demons of the Punjab instead

The Christmas episodes are too iconic not to show, and as far as Christmassy vibes, celebrity cameos and whimsical concepts go, this one is a fun one. This is David Tennant in his prime, with Kylie Minogue, a massive budget and a romp of a script.

6. Blink (S3, E10)

I mean, duh, but genuinely I think Blink is just *too good* not to include. A tense, creepy, tightly-written piece of horror TV with twists and turns and drama, it's considered the best episode of Doctor Who for a reason, and along with Midnight is an amazing stand-alone episode. It's not super conventional, but all the timey-wimey stuff is very Doctor Who.

6. The Mummy on The Orient Express (S8, E08)

If you're a Tennant stan you could swap this out for The Planet of the Dead

This one is just a fun one really. The Mummy on The Orient Express is stylish and fun, with a cool concept and a little peek into a more complex Doctor-companion relationship. With a short explanation you can get the context pretty easily, and it's a good example of your typical episode anyway.

HOWEVER if you have time, there's a bunch of two-parters you should watch instead, like The Family of Blood, The Empty Child, Silence in the Library, even Extremis.

9. The Haunting of Villa Diodati (S12, E10)

Finally some 13th Doctor rep! This one has some of the strongest writing in the Chibnall era, and is a fun horror mystery that serves as a fun introduction to Jodie Whittaker as the 13th Doctor. It has a little bit of series-wide arc, but that's okay.

10. The Church on Ruby Road (2023 Special 4)

If your person liked all those episodes but still doesn't want to watch 13 seasons of TV, just abandon ship and watch the 2023 Christmas special in preparation for Series 14 (or Season 1) in Spring 2024. The Church on Ruby Road is the beginning of the latest soft reboot of the show and has been explicitly created as a jumping on point for new fans. Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson absolutely shine in this special, it's fun and silly and in my opinion bodes very well for the next season of Doctor Who...

"in 900 years of time and space, I've never met anyone who wasn't important" - Bannakaffalatta

I hope that was a success! After all those episodes hopefully you either had a good time with whoever you were watching it with, or you've already moved onto Series 1! I'll be trying this out the best I can with my girlfriend this year, so look out, because I may be back with adjustments later...

#Doctor Who #Ncuti Gatwa #Matt Smith #David Tennant #Peter Capaldi #10th Doctor #14th Doctor #Russel T Davies #Steven Moffat #Daleks #Absorbaloff #Christopher Eccleston #Jodie Whittaker #Thasmin #Chris Chibnall #Weeping Angels #Doctor Who memes #dwtwt #Tharries #hi tharries

[andthentheywilleatthestars]

RTD should put the Absorbaloff in the 60th just to fuck with people.

#original #doctor who #rtd2 #doctor who 60th anniversary #absorbaloff

[megafighter343]

Doctor Who: Love and Monsters was RTD saying "obsessive and parasocial fandom is bad, actually" and people just were not wanting to hear that.

#doctor who #love and monsters #Wade Watts is the Absorbaloff. #I'm using this post to also shit on Ready Player One

[ask-spotter]

cursed spotter conversation

#sobbing #mun speaks #he just got compared to the absorbaloff from dr who 😭 😭 😭

[evil-bean]

Bit of a controversial opinion: I actually like "Love and Monsters"

#Doctor Who #love and monsters #I mean #I obviously do not love the absorbaloff #that thing is ridiculous #but also was designed by a child who won a competition so there's that #I don't like the crude jokes either #but it's not a boring episode at all #and the worst DW episodes are the boring ones imo #it's fascinating to see Rose and especially The Doctor from the pov of “those who are left behind” #Jackie gained a lot of respect from me after that ep #from an outsider PoV #The Doctor and Rose look completely mental #that's the point of that ep #it's also showing us why it can't last #how dangerous it is #because we're usually looking at things from the companion PoV #admiring the Doctor mainly #finding everything exciting and brilliant #but if we shift the pov like in this ep #we can see the madness and the danger and why it can never lasts #it's a brilliant idea

[thebreadmundfitzgerald]

Okay but like Orzhov Daleks when?

#mtg commander #mtg #doctor who #why is this release specifically tailored to my interests #will the absorbaloff be a viable commander

[sacha-da-1]

Full offense but I think the chocolate scene from the last episode of flux has to be the “cringiest” DW scene.

#simm!master yelling dinnertime then hopping ten feet in the air and the absorbaloff have got nothing on this scene #doctor who #dw #i don’t like using the word cringe to often but it seemed suitable #the scenes that make you laugh uncomfortably or just go what the absolute hell am I watching #or worse make you just squirm

[thecubes]

i recently decided within my (very distant bc i dont Really care) lgbt crisis. that i am just gonna be all of the letters At once. and then my soul ascended out of my body and i became free

#what if im really just (thing) issue resolved. peace and love on planet earth #absorbing all of the sexualities into my being. like a sexuality absorbaloff #ppl talk about being like all genders. what about rep for people who are all sexualities #'pansexual' no because it has to include contradictions and gendered ones #like aro ace and lesbian and gay (man) #etc etc etc. ALL of them #nom nom nom (eats your sexuality)

[l00r0ll]

Love and Monsters is the best episode of Doctor Who and the best comedy-tragedy ever made and I’m not even jokiiinnggg!!

#elton and ursula my otp #absorbaloff my goat #the narrative structure so fun and different #makes me laugh makes me want to cry aaaaa

[companion-showdown]

Which villain would you most like to see as a companion?

TOURNAMENT MASTERPOST

#anti-villainous: round 2

[fanonical]

#Doctor Who #Classic Who

[actual-changeling]

oh. oh no. oh no. wait a minute is "love and monsters" the absorbaloff episode????? oh gods no

#alex rewatches doctor who

[dw-creature-showdown]

DOCTOR WHO CREATURE/ALIEN/MONSTER SHOWDOWN MASTERPOST

64 species, 5 rounds, 1 winner. Who will be the Creature Of All Time?

Voting for Red Group Round 1 starts Feb 16, noon EST.

Qualifying criteria:

must be a species, not an individual. Species of which only one remain are okay, but this is judging the Creature Factor of the species as a whole, not how much you like that specific individual. ie. it's not about how much you like the Star Whale in The Beast Below, but rather Star Whales as a general concept

cannot be a human OR a mostly-human-looking alien. exceptions include the Carrionites and the Midnight Entity, because I love them.

must appear at least once on either Doctor Who (1963) or Doctor Who (2005). No EU creatures, sorry. No, not even from Torchwood or Sarah Jane Adventures. We have to cut it off somewhere. Also, Beep the Meep isn't on the show *yet*, so we're holding off until next year.

Groups and schedule below the cut

ROUND 1: GROUP STAGE

RED GROUP: noon EST Feb 16 - noon EST Feb 17

Dalek vs Zocci

Foamasi vs Haemovore

Ogron vs Whisper Man

Macra vs Saturnyn

The Silence vs Tractator

Absorbaloff vs Mentor (TIE)

Star Whale vs Minotaur

Ood vs Tritovore

YELLOW GROUP: noon EST Feb 17 - noon EST Feb 18

Silurian vs Voord

Sensorite vs Krillitane

Stenza vs Racnoss

Sea Devil vs Tetrap

Slitheen vs Tharil

Vashta Nerada vs Pyrovile

Dæmon vs Kroton

Sontaran vs Vinvocci

GREEN GROUP: noon EST Feb 18 - noon EST Feb 19

Cybermen vs Zarbi

Fendahl vs Hath

Midnight Entity vs Rutan

Adipose vs Skithra

Zygon vs Tivolian

The Flood vs Nimon

Carrionite vs Menoptra

Nestene vs Vervoid

BLUE GROUP: noon EST Feb 19 - noon EST Feb 20

Ice Warrior vs Wirrn

Draconian vs Headless Monk

P'ting vs Reaper

Catkind vs Sycorax

Judoon vs Time Beetle

Monk vs Optera

Cryon vs Krynoid

Weeping Angel vs Vespiform

ROUND 2

ORANGE GROUP: noon EST Feb 20 - noon EST Feb 21

Dalek vs Haemovore

Whisper Man vs Macra

Silence vs Abzorbaloff vs Mentor (TIEBREAKER)

Star Whale vs Ood

Silurian vs Sensorite

Racnoss vs Sea Devil

Slitheen vs Vashta Nerada

Dæmon vs Sontaran

TEAL GROUP: noon EST Feb 21 - noon EST Feb 22

Cybermen vs Hath

Midnight Entity vs Adipose

Zygon vs Nimon

Menoptra vs Nestene

Ice Warrior vs Draconian

Reaper vs Catkind

Judoon vs Optera

Krynoid vs Weeping Angel

ROUND 3

12:15 PM EST Feb 22 - 12:15 PM EST Feb 23

Dalek vs Macra

Silence vs Ood

Silurian vs Sea Devil

Vashta Nerada vs Sontaran

Cyberman vs Midnight Entity

Zygon vs Nestene

Ice Warrior vs Catkind

Judoon vs Weeping Angel

ROUND 4

12:30 PM EST Feb 23 - 12:30 PM EST Feb 24

contests TBD

SEMIFINALS

12:45 PM EST Feb 24 - 12:45 PM EST Feb 25

contests TBD

FINALS

1:00 PM EST Feb 25 - 1:00 PM Feb 26

contest TBD

#bracket #polls #doctor who #doctor who creature showdown

[master-missysversion]

The goblings are the worst looking things since the absorbaloff but I'll let it go bc the rest of the episode is good 😭

#oh my god the doctor is singing now 😭 #again. bit corny but i'll let it go #doctor who #liveblo

[doctorwhoisadhd]

fr though it BAFFLES me that nobody talks about rtds fatphobia at all. like the slitheen??? the adipose??? the absorbaloff??? like FREQUENTLY fat people are depicted as evil and gross and comic relief in rtds era. FREQUENTLY. even those who arent straight up villains, there's the couple from voyage of the damned who are treated as silly and poor, and the lady from partners in crime who gets turned into adipose was dumping someone because now that shes less fat shes too good for him. please tell me that im not the only one who this pattern SERIOUSLY jumps out to me as SO gross and fatphobic

#ari opinion hour #dw negativity

[gothwizardmagic]

I'm sorry, tennant's first season is flop after flop? you're talking about the christmas invasion. SCHOOL REUNION where sarah jane and K-9 come back. the satan pit where he is met with the actual tangible devil. new earth with the one and only lady cassandra. the girl in the fireplace (iconic). the one with the wire which still creeps me out to this day and then DOOMSDAY one of the most acclaimed episodes of nuwho. taste is entirely subjective and I will respect your opinions but the hate bait is working on me

hgfjl it wasnt hate bait honestly it was shock bc ive always thought of this as one of my favourite seasons but coming back to it as an adult none of it is hitting even tho i did love them at the time they came out... im not finished the season yet (just started the olympics one) and i do remember how good doomsday was but yea like... idk a lot of these episodes had interesting ideas but the execution doesnt work for me, the satan one had me so annoyed i kept almost closing out of it because they just tried to cram way too many ideas into one story and even with a two parter the pacing didnt work for me at all. there were def some highlights - the wire ep still slaps, so does new earth and girl in the fireplace but this is also the season with fuckin. absorbaloff and AU Where Rose's Parents Are Rich And Shitty which basically tries to tread the same territory as family reunion but fumbles it so hard and . man i remember really liking this olympics one but its not well regarded so im scared itll be bad haha

but yeah like. art is subjective etc but im not hate baiting or whatever im just shocked at how much my taste has changed & disappointed its not rly living up to my rewatch of series 1 or my memories of loving it as a teenager 🤷‍♂️

#albertmasonry #this is BY NO MEANS me being a ten hater hes my third fave doctor after 9 and 3 #just shocked that this series really is Not hitting the way i remembered