Summary

• Matt Smith had a bumpy start as the Eleventh Doctor, with some episodes receiving criticism for lackluster plots and out-of-character choices.
• The episodes "The Beast Below" and "Victory of the Daleks" were particularly criticized for their execution and design choices.
• Despite the early setbacks, the introduction of new companions and higher stakes in the stories quickly helped improve the consistency and quality of Matt Smith's Doctor Who era.

Matt Smith had a bumpy start to his run on all the actors to play the Doctor. While some of his episodes are ed as some of the best in Doctor Who history, others are criticized for factors such as lackluster plots and strange character choices.

Smith served as the Eleventh Doctor from 2010 to 2013. He was the show's leading man during several iconic stories, such as finding the answer to the first question. His Doctor is ed for his youthful exuberance as well as his ability to switch to a shockingly darker tone. Eleven had various companions during his time on the show but is most closely associated with Karen Gillan's Amy Pond and Jenna Coleman's Clara Oswald. However, it was his early travels with Amy that most came under fire, and they led to some of Smith's worst Doctor Who episodes.

"The Beast Below" Was An Underwhelming Episode For Matt Smith

Smith's second Doctor Who episode didn't live up to his first

Matt Smith's first full appearance was in Doctor Who season 5, episode 1, "The Eleventh Hour." Despite having big shoes to fill in the wake of David Tennant's departure, Smith hit the ground running and made the character of the Doctor his own. The episode was also the first with Steven Moffat in the showrunner's chair, leading to an overall change in tone for the show that was largely well-received. For all the success of "The Eleventh Hour," the quality of the following episode nosedived.

Doctor Who season 5, episode 2, "The Beast Below" had a compelling story that was poorly executed. The narrative focused on a starship that was home to the whole of the United Kingdom following the evacuation of Earth. The overall themes and feel of the episode were very Doctor Who, but the Doctor made some choices that were very out of character. When the ship is revealed to be propelled by a trapped Star Whale, Matt Smith's Doctor makes the knee-jerk decision to initiate brain death in the indentured creature to prevent its suffering while keeping the ship active.

The Doctor has proven to be a comionate and resourceful character on multiple occasions. This moment goes against what the Time Lord would usually do. If Amy Pond hadn't been there to point out the fact that the Star Whale was providing the service out of choice, the Doctor's actions would have been unusually horrific. While good Doctor Who episodes can contain a moral dilemma, jumping to the worst possible option happens too soon in "The Beast Below."

"Victory Of The Daleks" Nearly Ruined Doctor Who's Most Iconic Enemy

The redesign of the famous Doctor Who villain removed some of the fear

It's difficult to imagine Doctor Who as a franchise without the presence of the Daleks. With one of the most recognizable silhouettes in science-fiction, the Daleks are essential iconography for the BBC show. Spanning back to Doctor Who's classic era, the Daleks have always looked largely similar. Although their design was refined and modernized ever so slightly for the show's revival in 2005, the differences were subtle and consistent with their traditional aesthetic. Doctor Who season 5, episode 3, "Victory of the Daleks," attempted an overhaul of the famous villains and added to the Daleks' timeline within the show's canon.

As with "The Beast Below," the overall premise of "Victory of the Daleks" is sound, and even begins with a more recognizable form of the Doctor's sworn enemy. The issues arise during the episode's crescendo when a new "Dalek Paradigm" is introduced. The set of five Daleks consists of brightly-colored versions of the villains, and are contained in much larger casings. Despite being an even further "updated" version of the Daleks, their overall image takes on much more of a retro feel. This goes against the actual intention of attempting to make them more imposing.

The new Daleks have barely been used since "Victory of the Daleks," perhaps suggesting they were poorly received by fans.

"Flesh And Stone" Ended With Amy Kissing The Doctor

Amy's feelings for the Doctor were complicated

Doctor Who season 5, episode 5, "Flesh and Stone," is another early Matt Smith episode that throws in an unnecessary, rogue element near the end. Following a close encounter with the Weeping Angels, Amy invites the Doctor to her bedroom to inform him of her pending engagement. The encounter turns out to be something of a seduction attempt on Amy's behalf that feels very forced. As well as damaging the relationship between Amy and Rory, it also puts the Doctor in the uncomfortable position of rejecting the advances of someone he has essentially watched grow from a small child.

This addition to "Flesh and Stone" isn't necessary, and the Doctor's revelation that Amy is central to recent events doesn't seem related to what's happening at the time. Although the Tenth Doctor and Rose's relationship is heavily suggested to be romantic, the dynamic developed organically as the show progressed. The moment between Amy and Eleven comes out of nowhere, adds nothing to the plot, and contradicts their existing connection.

How Matt Smith's Doctor Who Era Recovered After Its Early Setbacks

The introduction of new companions led to some of the best Matt Smith episodes of Doctor Who

Matt Smith's time as the Doctor may have had rocky beginnings, but it settled into a much more effective formula within a relatively short space of time. Part of the inconsistency came from the unusual writing choices for the interactions between Amy and the Doctor, and the introduction of additional companions leveled things out. For instance, Amy's romantic feelings for the Doctor evaporated once her fiancée, Rory, ed their travels. In addition, the return of Alex Kingston as River Song, the Doctor's wife, helped build on the lore regarding her marriage to the Doctor.

As Matt Smith's time as the Doctor increased, the stories started to have much higher stakes and focused on who could be lost at any given moment. Various stories were also split into two episodes rather than trying to rush through a particularly dense narrative. By the time Amy and Rory left the show, Doctor Who had dialed in on how best to use Matt Smith's versatile acting style. As a result, Clara's episodes with Eleven ended up being much more consistent than the installments that had preceded her time as the companion in Doctor Who.

All of Matt Smith's Doctor Who episodes are available to stream on Max.