Worst Episode Ever?

[andraste]

Glancing at the Outpost Gallifrey forums before bed, I noticed that someone had finally posted the combined results of the last round of cross-medium 'what's your favourite story?' voting. The answer is still Spare Parts, while The Talons of Weng-Chiang is the top story most people have actually heard of.

The bottom story, on the other hand, was the book version of The Ghosts of N-Space. While this is a legendarily bad story, I don't think I'd say it was the worst Doctor Who in all its occasionally glorious badness has to offer. Even given the Elvis impersonator. My nominations?

If I have to stick to TV stories, Time-Flight gets the wooden spoon. Pointless, annoying, boring tripe that looks like it was made for approximately $1.50.

My least favourite of all, though? The Unbound audio Exile, one of the few Doctor Who stories that personally offends me [1]. It's is disgustingly sexist without the excuse of having been made in the last century, but far worse, it's not funny. "The Doctor regenerates into a woman and promptly becomes an incompetent drunk" is probably the least good idea for a story in the history of anything ever. Offensive on every possible level, and made me think less of everyone involved.

So, what's your most hated Doctor Who?


[1] As opposed to the absolute legion that are offensive in the more general sense. To give you an idea how hard I am to offend, I am the card-carrying feminist who owns Sin City on DVD.

Comments

[doyle_sb4.livejournal.com]

Completely agreed about Exile. The female Doctor's suddenly incompetent, knows nothing about Earth (she's never heard of vodka or Princess Anne? What?) and even when it looks like she's finally getting back to being the Doctor... she loses. The Time Lords outsmart her. And there's no reason for her being the only portrayed-as-being-crap Doctor they've ever done other than "she's a gurl, lol"

[kerravonsen]

I'd only heard good reports of "Exile" before I listened to it, and I found it deeply, deeply dissappointing -- for all of the reasons you mention. But I didn't dare complain, or I'd be stomped on for "not having a sense of humour". Look, I don't find character assassination amusing. 8-(

[andraste]

But I didn't dare complain, or I'd be stomped on for "not having a sense of humour". Look, I don't find character assassination amusing. 8-(

Exactly! I'm all in favour of Doctor Who that is actually funny, but Exile is most assuredly not.

[andraste]

The female Doctor's suddenly incompetent, knows nothing about Earth (she's never heard of vodka or Princess Anne? What?) and even when it looks like she's finally getting back to being the Doctor... she loses. The Time Lords outsmart her.

I loathed the entire thing, but the ending left a really bad taste in my mouth. At least if she'd survived they could have partially redeemed themselves by doing a sequel in which she had a proper adventure. I think '... and then the Doctor loses irrevocably' would be a potentially interesting end for an AU story, but Exile is not that story.

And there's no reason for her being the only portrayed-as-being-crap Doctor they've ever done other than "she's a gurl, lol"

Precisely. Additionally offensive: her previous (male) incarnation constantly lecturing her about what a terrible Doctor she is.

[kerravonsen]

I think '... and then the Doctor loses irrevocably' would be a potentially interesting end for an AU story, but Exile is not that story.

No, "Full Fathom Five" is that story.

[andraste]

No, "Full Fathom Five" is that story.

True! It has David Collings into the bargain.