I'm watching modern era Doctor Who (2005-present) for the second time. Doctor Who is a TV series that is dear to me but at the same time somewhat uneven so for the benefit of future me and hopefully others I'm writing a short episode guide this rewatch.

I try to avoid spoilers as far as possible except when needed to justify my verdict or when spoiler warnings are well past their due date, such which episodes have the Doctor reincarnate. Double episodes are combined into one review.

S05E01 The Eleventh Hour - Watch

Finally, my favourite Doctor and companion(s)! At least as I remember them, let's see if that changes upon rewatch.

Amy is off to a great start and already show that she won't be a bland companion. The villain is a bit silly and the introduction to this season's theme is somewhat monologue-like. It doesn't detract too much from the overall impression though, and I'm looking forward to (most of) the rest of this season.

S05E02 The Beast Below - Watch

Much better than I remember it. It's an incarnation of a classic theme about human choice, although I'm not sufficiently culturally versed to know what the original was. Great interaction between Amy and the Doctor and shows the importance of the companion to the Doctor.

S05E03 Victory of the Daleks - Skip

Not the worst Dalek episode I've seen, but still a fully forgettable story. It mostly serves to reset the stage between the Daleks and the Doctor, but we all knew that they were coming back. It's just that kind of TV series.

S05E04-E05 The Time of Angels & Flesh and Stone - Skip

Not terrible on their own but for the fact that in these episodes the writers simply ignore all previous rules set for weeping angels and make new ones up. I don't think it works at all. The illusion is broken when all I think about while watching is "but two seasons ago you said that their stone transformation was this quantum effect of being observed, not whether they think they are observed because they don't think while being stone, and how does that allow them to teleport through TV's?"

S05E06 The Vampires of Venice - N/A

Remember is as bad, so skipped it.

S05E07 Amy's Choice - Watch

A nice "what if?" interlude story with a few plot twists.

S05E08-E09 The Hungry Earth & Cold Blood - Skip

This would have worked as Doctor Who parody. Count the TV tropes if watching, it will be more entertaining than the episodes themselves. Everything is stupid, silly and the story is super shallow and meaningless. It does advance the series plot a little bit in the last scene of the second episode (because of course) but you'll probably get a recap in the next episode.

S05E10 Vincent and the Doctor - Watch

The monster is just an excuse to send the Doctor on another adventure, but the portrait of Vincent and the moral of brightening someone's day in this episode is actually beautiful.

S05E11 The Lodger - Watch

A standard issue Doctor Who interlude with an absolutely adorable little love story. Not the most memorable story, but it was a joy to watch.

S05E12-E13 The Pandorica Opens & The Big Bang - Ok

It's a mess. Much like some Nolan movies, you shouldn't try to think too hard about whether the plot makes sense. Just tag along for the ride and you'll have a better time. The ending is decent, much thanks to Amy & Rory, and brings to my mind the role of Martha in the final story of series 3 (The Sound of Drums & Last of the Time Lords).

Final words

Overall I now think this series is worse than I remember it, with only around half the episodes worth watching. The plot isn't really advancing at all between the first and the last episodes.