Autumn [AUDIO/2007.1.20]

★★★★★

  I don't think it's hyperbole to state right here and now that this is one of the highest points Doctor Who has ever reached, at least for me. This always finds itself safely situated within my top 10 adventures ever, a triumph of everything it sets out to achieve. Paul Cornell has always been one of Who's standout writers, and his love for the Fifth Doctor and Nyssa bleed into the script to create something special. If you ever doubted that Doctor Who in a soap setting would work, think again -- this is proof beyond proof that a story in a sleepy village with the main characters playing cricket and falling in love can absolutely exceed all expectations. Autumn is something very special indeed.

  Peter Davison and Sarah Sutton on top form, with the former getting to show his Doctor's wicked sense of sarcasm in the face of casual xenophobia and toxic masculinity, and the latter displaying a wide array of complex emotions in the face of the one thing she (a genius) cannot comprehend: a boy. These very well-written and real hardships add to the unique strength of Autumn; both plot and character threads carry so much weight and depth. What I find most remarkable about this story is that it strips away practically everything otherworldly about the Doctor and Nyssa, leaving them to be real people for once and face real problems and emotions, but at the same time portrays them as timeless, godlike beings unable to fully emote and blend in with the world of mortals. I love that in my Doctor Who anyway, but when it's done exactly right... there's nothing quite like it. There's nothing quite like Autumn in all of Who, and it will always hold a special place in my heart.