Doctor Who is easily one of the most popular and successful science fiction TV series of all time. It's been airing since 1963. And even though the show took a break for a few years, the fandom never stopped being active thanks to audio plays as well as books from the Doctor Who universe. The show caught a new lease on life in 2005 thanks to the modern series, and it hasn't stopped since.
Currently, the Fourteenth Doctor is due to make his appearance in the future seasons, but before he does, it's as good a time as any to catch up with the older episodes. However, not all episodes of the modern Doctor Who series got positive reviews from the audience, so the viewers should be careful which one they watch. Just like in every series, even Doctor Who has its worst episodes, at least according to the fans.
5 The Timeless Children (Season 12, Episode 10)
Considering Doctor Who's popularity, the viewers eagerly anticipated each episode. Yet the season's finale always had an extra edge and also usually good ratings from the audience. That's not the case for the twelfth season's final episode. The Doctor faces one of her most iconic enemies - the Cybermen - and winning might prove impossible even for her.
While the return of the Cybermen who are fan-favorite villains pleased many, the fans weren't so excited about the fact that the story rewrote the classic Doctor Who and altered the canon. Retconning a beloved franchise is always a dangerous step and those who decide to do so risk that the long-time fans won't accept it, as this episode's ratings and reviews prove.
4 Arachnids In The UK (Season 11, Episode 4)
Despite the fact that the Doctor is an alien, she likes to regularly return to Earth and the United Kingdom is her favorite place. However, one such trip to Yorkshire proves to be challenging when the Doctor and her companions realize there's something wrong with the local spiders. People are often afraid of spiders and the episode uses it to its advantage.
But while the appearance of giant spiders could have led to a strong horror story, the fans didn't like the fact that the plot had logical holes. A common critical point was that the dialogue was badly written according to some fans and that the finale was disappointing. In addition, people believed that the Doctor should have come up with a way to save the spiders.
3 The Tsuranga Conundrum (Season 11, Episode 5)
Following closely behind its predecessor, the fifth episode of the eleventh season didn't score high ratings either, just like the previous one. This time, the Doctor and her companions are stranded in an unknown place, and they have to cooperate with strangers in order to survive and stop the creatures that present a threat to them all. An interesting thing that some fans pointed out is that the Thirteenth Doctor has too many companions, which makes it difficult to properly characterize them and start caring for them, becoming invested in their destinies.
Others like Jodie Whittaker's Doctor but aren't happy about the story that's too descriptive and not exciting enough. Whatever the case, the episode at the very least showed that the new Doctor is capable of working with other people, besides her companions, if the circumstances require it. That is a useful trait for a space adventurer such as the Doctor.
2 Legends Of The Sea Devils (Season 13, Episode 8)
Unfortunately for all the fans of Jodie Whittaker's Doctor, one of the lowest-ranked episodes of the modern Doctor Who is also currently the last one released. This time, the Doctor and her companions travel back in time, to 19th century China, and they face the titular sea devils. The viewers criticized multiple things about the episode, most importantly the script that has the Doctor explaining things that are obvious to everyone.
Others didn't like the quality of the CGI and compared it unfavorably to much older shows. Fans of the classic Doctor Who series were originally looking forward to the return of the sea devils who were prominent monsters in the classic Doctor Who series, but according to the episode's overall ratings online, their return left a lot to be desired.
1 Orphan 55 (Season 12, Episode 3)
It seems that the latest seasons didn't hit the right spot with the general audience. Orphan 55 is the lowest-ranked modern Doctor Who episode right now. Even though it uses a tried-out concept where the Doctor and the companions go somewhere to enjoy a peaceful vacation but instead end up getting into trouble and facing monsters, it didn't seem to work in this episode. The fans were quick to point out that the episode lacked the charm and humor that was once present in the show.
According to them, the idea of the episode sounded good on paper, but the finished result failed to deliver. The plot didn't always make sense and once again, the design of the monsters didn't impress the viewers. They had issues with how the characters were written as well and that they acted differently from how they were characterized in some previous episodes. Another repeated comment was that the episode and the show overall are becoming too political, more drama than science fiction, which isn't the reason why the Doctor Who fans grew to like the series in the first place.