Why Ncuti Gatwa’s Two Doctor Who Seasons Are Severely Underrated

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There’s a lot of negativity surrounding Doctor Who right now. Fans are worried about the show’s future after the deal with Disney fell through and with ongoing uncertainty at the BBC, fearing a repeat of past difficulties. One former writer bluntly stated the show is “as dead as it’s ever been,” while a director involved during the Disney discussions said “something went wrong.” Even Peter Capaldi, a former Doctor, suggested the show has become a “victim of its own success.”

After seeing that, you might get the impression that the last two seasons of Doctor Who were strangely grounded and comedic, or even just stretched out scenes of Ncuti Gatwa simply reading a fast-food menu. It felt like a big departure from the usual sci-fi adventures.

Looking back at the first two seasons of the revived Doctor Who (originally seasons 14 and 15), the show consistently achieved a surprisingly high level of quality, arguably better than many people remember.

Doctor Who Season 14 Was A Solid Start For Ncuti Gatwa’s Era

“The Legend of Ruby Sunday” was a middle-of-the-road Christmas special in the history of Doctor Who. However, these holiday episodes are unique and don’t necessarily reflect how good the rest of the season is.

Ncuti Gatwa’s first official episode as the Doctor, “Space Babies,” wasn’t a strong start. It was a fairly weak story, notable mostly for the strange premise of babies speaking like adults.

Doctor Who quickly recovered with “The Devil’s Chord,” an episode that, despite being wonderfully over-the-top and silly, worked thanks to its bold musical concept and compelling villain. This signaled that Russell T Davies’ return (RTD2) was truly underway, and the show kept up that energy with “Boom.” While reminiscent of Steven Moffat’s style, “Boom” was also excellent. The episode’s setting – the Doctor stuck on Kastarion 3 – was a stark contrast to what came before, demonstrating a new level of flexibility for Doctor Who.

The episode “73 Yards” quickly became a fan favorite, cementing its place among the best Doctor Who episodes ever – and it wasn’t the first time an episode focusing on companions rather than the Doctor achieved such success. Inspired by a truly frightening idea, this solo adventure for Ruby Sunday was the most memorable part of season 14, and its sequel, “Dot and Bubble,” was also quite good. While “Dot and Bubble” didn’t quite reach the heights of Black Mirror, it was a clever and engaging story that put a unique Doctor Who spin on that style of storytelling.

While “Rogue” openly paid homage to Bridgerton (a nod even made within the episode!), even a less-than-impressive villain couldn’t overshadow the stunning visuals, the powerful connection between Ncuti Gatwa and Jonathan Groff, and the incredibly moving ending. The montage of holographic Doctors was a perfect finishing touch.

Okay, so the two-part finale started with “The Legend of Ruby Sunday,” and honestly, I was so excited. Sutekh coming back? A proper UNIT showing up? Loads of intriguing stuff, and Melanie Bush! I was thinking, “Wow, Doctor Who has a lot on its plate!” Sadly, it just didn’t deliver. “Empire of Death” left season 14 feeling really flat. There were so many loose ends, obvious plot holes, way too much CGI, and the big reveals just weren’t satisfying. It was a bit of a letdown, to be honest.

Doctor Who Season 15 Was Just As Good, If Not Better

Following a successful Christmas special featuring “Joy to the World,” the Fifteenth Doctor returned looking a bit older and more experienced, and with a new friend joining the adventure. While new seasons of Doctor Who don’t always start with a strong episode, “The Robot Revolution” was a clear improvement over “Space Babies.”

The show really hit its stride in episode 2. “Lux” cleverly combined a beautiful historical setting with a unique animation style and funny, self-aware humor, offering a fresh take on the classic monster chase. What made it even better was that the monster itself was genuinely frightening at times.

“The Well” was a standout episode. As a surprising follow-up to the Tenth Doctor story “Midnight,” Doctor Who delivered another thrilling horror experience. Many viewers considered this tense, clever, and imaginative episode to be the highlight of season 15.

While not as impressive as “73 Yards,” “Lucky Day” was a solid story with a powerful core message and exciting teamwork from the UNIT organization.

As a huge Doctor Who fan, I honestly think “The Story & the Engine” is seriously underrated. It’s a bit tricky to get into at first – the villain’s plan is pretty complex – but trust me, it pays off. The visuals are stunning and there’s so much hidden in the details that it’s quickly become my favorite episode with Ncuti Gatwa at the helm of the TARDIS. I find myself wanting to watch it again and again!

“The Interstellar Song Contest” was everything its fun title promised, and more. While it offered plenty of lighthearted entertainment, the episode also explored deeper themes with the emergence of Susan, the Rani, and a more troubled side of the Doctor.

The two-part finale began well, much like season 14 of Doctor Who. The alternate dystopian world introduced in “Wish World” was captivating, and Archie Panjabi’s character, Rani, was a delightful addition. It seemed like the show’s numerous storylines were finally coming together. However, as with previous finales, Doctor Who stumbled at the last moment. “The Reality War” disregarded important plot details, underutilized its villains, and ultimately felt confusing and disjointed.

With So Many Good Episodes, Why Isn’t Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor Who Era More Popular?

Looking at the episodes from Doctor Who seasons 14 and 15, most of them were quite strong – twelve out of the sixteen that aired. “The Robot Revolution” was okay, but “Space Babies” and the two season finales were the only truly weak episodes.

That’s a pretty good showing, especially when you look at past seasons of Doctor Who. Episodes like “Boom” and “Lux” would have been huge hits if they’d aired when Russell T Davies was first running the show.

I think one reason why Ncuti Gatwa’s time as the Doctor isn’t getting all the love it deserves is that things are just different now. Expectations for the show are way higher than they were 20 years ago, and honestly, every move is being watched closely. Plus, Doctor Who has to really push itself to stay fresh and avoid feeling repetitive – it can’t just rely on old tricks anymore.

However, Doctor Who hasn’t done itself any favors. A key reason viewers haven’t fully embraced Ncuti Gatwa’s seasons is that both season finales were disappointing. The show invested heavily in ongoing storylines – like the mystery of Ruby Sunday’s mother, the return of Susan, and getting Belinda home – and failing to deliver on those promises significantly hurt the season’s impact. Game of Thrones experienced this firsthand – the show was a television phenomenon for years, but a poorly received final season damaged its reputation permanently.

Viewers might have been more accepting of the recent season if Doctor Who hadn’t just gone through some major, and divisive, changes with storylines like the Timeless Child and bi-generation. The show had already been building a reputation for weak season finales and relying too much on mysteries that didn’t deliver satisfying answers.

While Ncuti Gatwa’s time on Doctor Who didn’t quite work as one long, connected story, the individual episodes were some of the best the show has produced in recent years. Looking at each episode separately, those sixteen installments represent a remarkably strong period for the modern series.

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2026-02-05 17:05