My Favorite Fictional Couples

I am really sorry for not posting in such a long time.  The last time I posted anything was in December, and now it's February.  It bothers me that this blog has been left abandoned for so long.  From now on, I will try to post more frequently.

Anyway, since it was Valentine's Day yesterday, I made a list of my favorite fictional couples (they are not listed in any particular order).  Since there are so many, I tried to narrow it down.  Even so, it's still really long.  I have left out any couples from Period Dramas, to help shorten the list.  I am going to make a separate list on my Period Drama blog for all of my favorite Period couples.

Feel free to agree or disagree with any of my choices and express why in the comments.  I am very interested in other people's opinions, so you're more than welcome to share your thoughts.  I listed every couple by their ship name, or the pairing if there isn't a ship name for them (or I was just not aware of one).

- Everlark (Katniss and Peeta)

I read The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins a few years ago.  I remember from the very first instance Katniss and Peeta interacted, I shipped them.  I thought the romance between them was done pretty well in the books, but not quite as well in the movies (however I think it improved in Catching Fire).  I still like the movies a lot too, though.  I thought the first movie was pretty good, but Catching Fire was a major improvement in many areas.

I really love the relationship that develops between these two.  They balance each other out - Katniss is strong in some ways, and Peeta is strong in others.  They build a strong emotional bond and trust each other.  They help each other heal from the damage they experience.  I think Katniss needs Peeta.  One of my favorite quotes from Mockingjay expresses this perfectly:  "That what I need to survive is not Gale's fire, kindled with rage and hatred.  I have plenty of fire myself.  What I need is the dandelion in the spring.  The bright yellow that means rebirth instead of destruction.  The promise that life can go on, no matter how bad our losses.  That it can be good again.  And only Peeta can give me that."

- Captain Swan (Hook and Emma)

I didn't ship Captain Swan right away, in fact I don't remember when I started shipping them.  It was a gradual process.  I don't recall exactly which episode, but early on in season three, I realized I had shipped them all along and it was too late to turn back.  Whether I liked it or not I had become a hardcore CS shipper.  I never thought Captain Swan would actually happen, but so far, in season three, things are definitely looking up.  The fact this ship is developing so well makes me so happy.  It's like a dream come true, especially considering I never thought this ship would have a chance.

I could write a whole essay on why this pairing is so great, but I'll leave all that for another day.  Instead, have this video showing all the awesome parallels between Captain Swan and Snowing (Snow and Charming):

Knowing two of my OTPs parallel each other this well makes me very very very happy. :D

- Eleven and River Song

I don't know why, but there's just something about River Song and the eleventh Doctor's relationship that I absolutely love.  River seems to love the Doctor so much, it breaks my heart to think about it sometimes.  I don't even know what to say about Eleven and River, I just really love them together.

- Rogue and Gambit

Gambit (left) and Rogue (right) from X-Men (1992 - 1997).

Rogue (left) and Gambit (right) from X-Men:  Evolution.

Rogue and Gambit are my favorite couple from The X-Men.  My favorite version of these characters are from the T.V. series X-Men (1992 - 1997).  Although I also love Gambit and Rogue in X-Men:  Evolution, one of my favorite animated T.V. shows, they never got a chance to develop their relationship very much, since the show never continued after season four.  X-Men:  Evolution had so much potential for a fifth season.  I am very disappointed they didn't continue.

- Sherlolly  (Sherlock and Molly)

Molly and Sherlock talking in The Empty Hearse.

Although I also ship Adlock (Sherlock and Irene Adler), I ship Sherlolly the most.  It is my favorite pairing in Sherlock.  I can't really explain why, they just feel right together.  Molly humanizes Sherlock and keeps him in check.  I don't think she will ever get over him, no matter how hard she tries.  Both characters have grown so much in series three.  After watching His Last Vow, I ship them even more than before.

- Iris and Gilbert

Iris and Gilbert are from my favorite Alfred Hitchcock movie, The Lady Vanishes.  They had great chemistry and their bantering back and forth was hilarious.  I watched The Lady Vanishes (it was one of my first Alfred Hitchcock movies, along with The 39 Steps) when I was little, and I'm pretty sure I shipped them without even knowing it.

- Belle and the Beast

I love a lot of Disney characters, but I've realized that when I was little, the only Disney characters I loved together, that made me care whether they ended up together or not, were Belle and Adam/the Beast.  For example, I love Aladdin, but I never really cared if he and Jasmine got together (although A Whole New World was a great song).  Belle and Adam are definitely my favorite Disney couple, and were the only ones I truly shipped, at least before Tangled and Frozen came along...

- Amy Pond and Rory Williams

The boy and girl who waited...they waited a lot.

Amy and Rory are my favorite companions in Doctor Who.  I loved their relationship, and shipped them from the very start.  There seemed to be some sort of attraction on Amy's part towards the Doctor , but I never bought it.  Rory was always the one for her.  Honestly I hated the idea of Amy and Eleven being romantically involved, and found it rather strange and unnecessary.  Thankfully that whole thing didn't last for too long.  Rory loved Amy no matter what.  I mean, he waited two thousand years for her.  They loved each other no matter how long they had to wait.

- Snowing (Snow and Charming)

Snowing was my OTP when I first started watching Once Upon a Time, and it still is.  No matter what happens, they will always find each other.  I don't have much else to say.  This couple is simply perfection.

- Goliath and Elisa

Gargoyles (1994 - 1996) is one of my favorite animated shows.  One thing about it that makes it so great is the relationship between Goliath and Elisa.  Both characters have a deep respect for the other and seem to have an understanding of one another.  Their relationship grows beautifully throughout the show.

- Rumbelle (Rumplestiltskin and Belle)

Rumbelle, like Snowing, is another one of my OTPs from Once Upon a Time.  I loved their relationship from the start, and loved watching them grow together and learn from each other.  Belle brings out the best in Rumpel, and loves him despite his dark side, something Rumpel has not found in anyone before.

- Chihiro and Haku

Spirited Away was my second Studio Ghibli film (Kiki's Delivery Service was my first).  The first time I watched it I was pretty young.  My grandma had bought it for me, unaware of the frightening scenes in it and not knowing it would scare me.  I made it up to the scene that the parents turned into pigs.  When I saw that, I turned the T.V. off.  For that whole day I was too afraid to eat anything, because I thought it would turn me into a pig.  When I was older, I tried watching it again, this time making it to the end.  I loved it.  Spirited Away has been one of my favorite movies ever since.  I have always loved Chihiro and Haku, and the bond they have.  They definitely deserve a spot on this list.

- Rapunzel and Eugene

Words cannot express the extent to which I love Tangled.  This film is perfect in every way, and so is the romance between Rapunzel and Eugene.  In my opinion, it is the most romantic romance Disney has ever done.  Well, along with a certain other Disney couple from a movie that starts with F...

- Kristanna (Kristoff and Anna)

AAAAAHHHHH.  I.  Love.  Frozen.  So.  So.  So.  Soooo much.  Everything about it is refreshing, including the romance.  I love that they crushed the idea of falling in love at first sight with the perfect prince, and took a more realistic and refreshing route.

- Sean Thornton and Mary Kate

This couple is from one of my favorite Irish movies, The Quiet Man.  John Wayne had great chemistry with Maureen O'Hara, and they made an unforgettable pair as Thornton and Mary Kate.  What I love most about their relationship is how they are completely equal with one another (which is why they remind me of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice).  Equality between romantic partners is a quality I especially appreciate, since this movie was made in the 1950's, a time that was not very equal in all sorts of socio-economic areas. 

- Kataang (Katara and Aang)

Kataang is my favorite ship from Avatar:  The Last Airbender.  Both Katara and Aang understand each other deeply and share an unbreakable connection.  From the very beginning, it was meant to be.  Katara brought Aang back to life when she found him in the iceberg, and from then on, Aang grew to love her more and more.  I think it took Katara longer to become fully aware of her love for Aang in return, but it was always there.

- Irohsami (Iroh II and Asami Sato)

Yeah, I know Irohsami isn't canon.  I shall cry internally for all time because of this.  The potential the Legend of Korra writers are missing by not making this ship canon just hurts me to think about.  However, I still hold onto hope that some day, perhaps in book three or four, Irohsami's ship will sail.  And it will sail beautifully.

I know I sound really over-dramatic right now but it honestly hurts that this ship is not canon.  They would be the most classy couple to ever walk the earth.  Trust me.

- Tonraq and Senna

I have always liked the relationship between Korra's parents in The Legend of Korra.  They seem to love each other a lot.  It makes me so happy that they were featured more in book two. 


- Fiolee  (Fionna and Marshall Lee)

I was very wary of watching Adventure Time, since it seemed like such a weird and crazy show.  But over time, it has definitely grown on me.  My favorite pairing from this show is Fionna and Marshall Lee.  They feel very natural together and I can't help but love them to bits. 

- Jelsa (Jack Frost and Elsa)

I rarely ship crossover couples, but Jelsa is definitely one of my OTPs.  The reason I ship Elsa (from Frozen by Disney) and Jack Frost (from Rise of the Guardians by Dreamworks) is not because they share similar powers, although that is a bonus.  I can easily see them getting along and their personalities just really seem to compliment each other.  I can easily imagine them interacting in my head.  My headcanon is that Jack would encourage Elsa's powers.  Even if she wasn't romantically interested in him, she would definitely find a friend in him.

- Linzin (Tenzin and Lin Beifong)

I've always shipped Tenzin with Lin, from The Legend of Korra.  Despite their claims of having moved on, I think they still have feelings for one another.  They seem to fit each other perfectly.

- Armin and Annie

"Do I look like such a good person to you?" 

The only thing I don't like about Attack on Titan, something which frustrates me a lot, is how some pairings are hinted at or start being established, then are completely ignored afterwards, for example Mikasa and Jean.  In my opinion, the only relationship that gets some thorough development is the one between Eren and Mikasa, and their friend, Armin.  Eren and Mikasa have a really well developed brother and sister relationship, although some fans ship them romantically.  Out of the romantic pairings I like (Mikasa and Jean, Levi and Hanji, and Armin and Annie), Armin and Annie seem to have the most development.  Annie seems concerned with how Armin thinks of her, and in one scene asks what being a good person meant to him.  Their relationship interests me a lot, and I hope it continues to develop in the future, although the ending of season one left a lot of questions and I am unsure of what will happen next. 

- Amorra (Amon and Korra)

Amorra is one of my top OTPs.  Although it never had a chance of becoming canon, I will ship it till the end of time (and then keep on shipping it after that).  Other than being enemies, Korra and Amon have a very intriguing relationship, that leads to a lot of potential.  Both have different political views, but underneath their differences, they are actually similar in many ways.  Although Korra at first fears Amon, she later grows stronger and finds her bravery.  Both have their strengths and meet each other on an equal playing field.  They test each other to see what the other will do.  In addition to all of this, Amon and Korra seem to have a subtle attraction towards each other and a chemistry that can't be denied, whether you interpret it romantically or not.  There were more Amorra shippers during book 1 of The Legend of Korra, but some have hung on and continued to ship it, including me. 

The Time of the Doctor

So I recently watched the Doctor Who Christmas special, "The Time of the Doctor".  And I've got to say, it left me pretty confused.

Oh, as a side note:  I love gifs, and I finally found out how to make them, so beware, my posts will probably have a lot of gifs from now on.  Many of them will most likely be of the Nostalgia Critic's many priceless reactions, like the one above.  Why, you may ask?  Because I've been a fan of him for about four years, he's my favorite comedian and my favorite film critic besides Roger Ebert, plus he makes the most hilarious facial expressions ever.

Anyway, back to Doctor Who.

I'm not a Steven Moffat hater.  In fact, I love nearly every episode he's written in the past.  Every time someone bashes every single thing he's ever contributed to Doctor Who, I have to resist the urge to roll my eyes.  I'm tired of fans hating on whatever he does.  And I think a lot of those same haters probably love the episode "Blink", the tenth episode of series three (from David Tennant's era), which was written by Steven Moffat.

But The Time of the Doctor is very confusing.  I've been caught up for a while now - I've watched all of season five, six, and seven, but I could hardly understand what I was watching.  Warning:  there are spoilers ahead, so if you haven't seen the Christmas special yet, I suggest you don't read anything of what I've written below.

I don't mind the story in this episode.  I find the idea of the Doctor growing old in a town called Christmas to be interesting and heart wrenching.  For me, heart wrenching is good.  Intense stuff is the stuff I like best.  I want a story to make me feel, and to leave an impact on me.  Comedy is great and always helps to lighten the mood, but I need substance.  And for me, drama has substance, it's what makes a story stick with me.

I mean, it bothered me a little bit that the Doctor spent three hundred years of his life in one location (it seemed a little wasteful in my opinion, and frankly, very hard to believe), but overall, I was okay with it.  However, the whole episode (or special, whatever you want to call it) seemed messy and confusing.  I think Moffat is a good writer.  He has a lot of talent.  But sometimes his episodes seem a little messy, and they leave me with more questions than before.

Unfortunately, accidentally going on Tumblr kind of ruined the special for me.  It's silly, I know, but it's true.  One day I went on Tumblr and saw a picture or gif (I can't remember which) from the special before I had seen it.  It didn't ruin anything for me, but it reminded me that I would have to avoid Tumblr, and probably the internet all together, if I didn't want the special to be spoiled for me before I got the chance to watch it.  And, naturally, the next day I completely forgot that I should be avoiding Tumblr and carelessly logged in.  And there, the first thing to appear on my dash, was an entire set of gifs of a scene from the special, in which Amy tells the Doctor, "Raggedy Man, good night".

I've stated a few times on my blogs that I am not a crier, that I don't cry easily.  And yes, that's usually true.  I get it from my dad.  We're as cold as ice sometimes.  But it's not that I don't feel or am not emotionally affected by things, I'm just good at keeping it in.  I could cry if I felt like it, but for some reason I hold it in.  There's not really a reason, I'm just naturally like that.  I deal with my emotions by keeping them in.  I guess it probably has to do with my introverted and reserved personality.

It also depends on the day.  Sometimes I'm emotionally invested and cry easily when I watch a sad scene in a movie or T.V. show, then other times I find it hard to get emotionally invested.  Sometimes things just don't affect me very easily.  Only things that are incredibly powerful to me, like the ending of the Pixar film Wall - e (which makes me cry every time by the way, I don't know why) can penetrate the wall I sometimes put up and make me cry on the spot, whether I was invested before or not.  But I have to see the story from beginning to end for the sad scene to make an impact.  Maybe it's like that for everyone, I don't know.  If I watched a random sad scene from a movie, I wouldn't cry at all, because I did not watch it from the beginning.  I have to be invested; I have to see the story build up to that moment in order for it to make me cry.  So, seeing the scene with Amelia and Amy Pond before I saw the special from the beginning, lessened the emotional impact it could have had on me considerably.

I think the best scene was when Amy Pond said goodnight to the Doctor.  It was like the ending of a bedtime story, which reminds me of this quote:  "I'll be a story in your head.  But that's okay, we're all stories in the end."  That may be my favorite Eleventh Doctor quote of all.  Then, there was this moment, when Eleven dropped his bow tie.  It was quite a powerful scene, one that seemed to carry a lot of emotional weight.

The reason I am bringing all of this up is because I did not cry during "The Time of the Doctor" like I thought I would, and I'm trying to figure out why.  I have come to the conclusion that I am in denial.  I often go into denial when I try to deal with emotional stuff, or rather, not deal with it.  It's my natural coping mechanism.  I don't want to believe Matt Smith's left, and I don't feel like dealing with it.  It hasn't really sunk in.  Originally I predicted that it would not sink in until Eleven actually regenerated, but he has regenerated, and it still isn't sinking in.

Eleven's regeneration scene, or the scene right before he regenerated, was very touching, but his actual regeneration was far too fast.  He regenerated into Peter Capaldi so quickly that there was no time for it to leave an impact on me.  I'm looking forward to seeing Capaldi as the Doctor in series eight, but to me Matt Smith will always be the Doctor, and he will always be my favorite.  To say I am sad that he is gone is an understatement.

Doctor Who Tag - Day Six

Favorite Doctors

I listed who my favorite Doctors are in this post, although truthfully I love every one of the eleven Doctors (soon to be twelve).  The Doctors I listed were the ones I knew most about.  The reason I did not include Two, Three, Six, Seven, and Eight as my favorite Doctors, was not because I didn't like them, but because I was less familiar with them.  Every actor who has played the Doctor has contributed to Doctor Who in their own way, and has made their role as the Doctor their own.  They all deserve recognition.


Even so, I will admit that I do in fact have a favorite Doctor.  And that is Matt Smith's Doctor, Eleven.  Matt Smith is my Doctor.  His episodes weren't the first I watched, but in a way he is the reason I am a Doctor Who fan now.  I became interested in Doctor Who through his popularity.  Matt Smith's era was what made Doctor Who as popular as it is today.  Of course, David Tennant's era helped the show gain popularity as well, but Matt Smith made the show unavoidable; he drew attention to it.  At least, that is what I have observed.

The fact that Matt Smith is the youngest actor to play the Doctor is very interesting, because his Doctor is the oldest so far.  He is playing an old man in a young man's body, and that concept has always fascinated me.  He presents a profound performance, that allows us to see the ancient soul within the childlike exterior.  He is both innocent and light-hearted, yet burdened with memories of a "dark and dangerous past".  It's as though Ten regenerated into Eleven because he wanted to lighten his burden by turning into someone childish and light-hearted, although in the end, loneliness and heart-break were inescapable.  He may have realized this when he lost Amy and Rory.  That's how I view it.

I love when he twirls around in his TARDIS and when he makes humorous remarks, like when he said, "You swallowed a planet!", to Amy in the episode, "Amy's Choice".  Matt's such an emotional, heart-felt, and funny Doctor, and his bright personality clearly shows.  Not to mention that his connection with young Doctor Who fans and his understanding of children are irreplaceable.

I love 11 and Amy's friendship.

"Yowza!"

I also love that he's a very modern Doctor, yet old-fashioned at the same time, which is reflected in his clothing.  Sometimes he seems like a grandpa deep inside (well, he is a grandpa, actually - Susan Foreman's grandpa to be precise).  He especially reminds me of a grandpa in the episode, "The Angels Take Manhattan", in which he wears very old-fashioned glasses (that is, they seem old-fashioned to me).

What is so cool about Matt Smith's Doctor is that he is the most modern and young of all the Doctors, yet he maintains many characteristics of the Doctors from the Classic Who era.  For example, Matt Smith's favorite Doctor is Patrick Troughton, the second Doctor, and I can see how he has influenced him.  For one thing, Patrick Troughton wore bow ties, and now Matt has brought them back, cooler than ever.

So, thank you Matt for being my Doctor.  I love all of the Doctors, but Matt will always be my absolute favorite.

Doctor Who Tag - Day Five

Least favorite episodes

Series six had some strange episodes, like "Night Terrors" and "The God Complex".  I didn't exactly dislike them, but they seemed unnecessary to me.

"Night Terrors", for one, had an interesting premise, but the mystery didn't lead up to very much.  The climax left me feeling unimpressed.  It was meant to be creepy, and I did find it to be creepy sometimes.  The dolls had a very frightening design, with their large ghost-white heads and sunken, black, empty eyes.  But Amy being turned into one verged on ridiculous, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"The God Complex" was also a creepy and strange episode.  It felt a bit out-of-place to me.  Each writer of Doctor Who has their own style, so I understand that not every episode will feel the same.  That's one of the cool things about Doctor Who, that it experiments and is willing to take risks.  I still thought this episode was a bit too weird.  I also felt like it may have been some sort of commentary on religion or faith, or maybe just faith in general, which I don't have a problem with at all.  I was just not expecting it; it caught me off guard.  Overall, I thought "The God Complex" was an incredibly interesting and complex episode, but it was too strange, even for Doctor Who.  So strange that I think I actually liked it.  Yeah, I've changed my mind!  I like this episode.  But it was very strange.

The only episode of Doctor Who that I actually disliked was "Love and Monsters", the tenth episode of series two.  I believe "Love and Monsters" was Doctor Who's lowest point.  I also felt like it didn't belong with Doctor Who.  I try to pretend it doesn't exist.

Doctor Who Tag - Day Four

Favorite episodes and scenes/moments

My favorite episodes (from least recent to most recent):

1)  The End of the World

Series 1 Episode 2

 

I enjoyed "The End of the World" from beginning to end!  It was impressively creative, as Doctor Who usually is, and full of atmosphere.  I don't really know why, but something about this episode struck me as rather beautiful.  It resonated with me after watching it.  It dealt with a couple of themes like the cycle of birth and death, with Cassandra's unwillingness to let go of life, and with Rose Tyler watching the earth die.

Thought-provoking quotes from this episode:

Rose:  "The end of the earth.  It's gone...we were too busy saving ourselves, no one saw  it go.  All those years, all that history and no one was even looking."

The Doctor:  "You think it'll last forever, the people and cars and concrete.  But it won't.  One day it's all gone, even the sky.  My planet's gone.  It's dead.  It burned like the earth.  It's rocks and dust before its time."

Rose:  "What happened?"
The Doctor:  "There was a war, and we lost."

The Doctor:  "Everything has its time and everything dies."

2)  Doomsday

Series 2 Episode 13

"Doomsday" was a heart-wrenching episode to watch, but it was beautifully done.  It was one of the most memorable Doctor Who episodes for me and will always hold a place in my heart.  It was heart-breaking that he never finished his sentence:  "Rose Tyler, I - "

3)  The Runaway Bride
2006 Christmas Special

"The Runaway Bride" introduced the 10th Doctor's new companion, Donna Noble.  And it was brilliant.  Donna and the Doctor's bantering back and forth was hilarious and I loved the friendship that began to grow between them.  Donna immediately became a favorite companion of mine.

4)  Human Nature

Series 3 Episode 8

John Smith's 'Journal of Impossible Things'.  One of my
favorite scenes in Doctor Who.

I loved this episode.  It did such a wonderful job of creating atmosphere and mystery.  "Human Nature" made me feel like I had actually gone back in time to 1913, in England.  The concept of the Doctor experiencing being an ordinary man, without remembering who he was before, was intriguing and revealed that despite the fact the Doctor is not human, he resembles the common man who must rise up and fulfill his destiny, even when he doesn't want it.  There were several themes in "Human Nature" and "The Family of Blood", like sacrifice for a greater cause - in "The Family of Blood" John Smith had to sacrifice his life and himself for the Doctor to return.  He had to sacrifice himself so that others could be saved.  The young boys would have to make sacrifices in WWI, which was beginning to rear its head at that time.

5)  The Family of Blood

Series 3 Episode 9

The scarecrows brought a dark and frightening aspect to
"Human Nature" and "The Family of Blood".  They gave
me the creeps.  They are now among my favorite villains.

"The Family of Blood" was the second episode of the two-part story ("Human Nature" being the first), and proved to be an exciting climax.  The ending was incredibly sad - it broke my heart that the Doctor could never walk the long path, be happy and content, and experience life as humans do.

I've heard that some people didn't like the romance between John Smith and Joan Redfern, but I liked it, and it didn't bother me at all.

John Smith and Joan Redfern go on a walk.

6)  Blink

Series 3 Episode 10

"Don't blink.  Blink and you're dead.  They are fast.  Faster than you can believe.  Don't turn your back, don't look away, and don't blink.  Good luck."

"Blink" brought to life my second-favorite Doctor Who villains, the Weeping Angels.  The Weeping Angels are villains that can send you back in time with a single touch, and curse you to live out the rest of your days in the past until your death.  This episode was bursting with suspense and atmosphere from start to finish.  It was engaging and never left me bored for one instant.  I was left in awe after watching it.  Yet another reason to love this episode was Carey Mulligan as Sally Sparrow.

7)  The Eleventh Hour

Series 5 Episode 1

"You're Scottish, fry something." - Eleven

"The Eleven Hour" was a perfect introduction to Matt Smith's Doctor.  It was exciting and fast-paced, and didn't fail to impress me.  I think each Doctor's debut episode should assure the viewers that the new Doctor will be just as great as the last, and that they are in good hands.  I believe "The Eleventh Hour" accomplished both.  I fell in love with the 11th Doctor right away for his humor and bright personality.  Geronimo!

8)  Vincent and the Doctor

Series 5 Episode 10

"Vincent and the Doctor" was very moving and one of two Doctor Who episodes that made me cry.  The ending scene is one of my most favorite moments in Doctor Who, ever.  I could go on and on about how meaningful and heart-felt this episode was, but I won't.  I'll simply leave it at this:  it was a work of art.

9)  The Pandorica Opens

Series 5 Episode 12

"The Pandorica Opens" was amazing - full to the brim with adventure, mystery, excitement, and a whirlwind of emotion.  I don't know what else to say about it, except that in my opinion, it's one of Doctor Who's best episodes.

10)  The Big Bang
Series 5 Episode 13

This was an overwhelming series finale, but in a good way.  It was extremely tense, and it built up to an exciting climax, with unexpected plot twists along the way.  I loved every minute of it.  And, as usual, it was very emotional.  Episodes with the Ponds tend to leave an emotional impact on me...

11)  Let's Kill Hitler

Series 6 Episode 8

This episode was filled with a lot of memorable moments.  It remains one of my favorite episodes with River Song (well, let's be honest here...I like all episodes with River Song...).  And since I am a fan of River Song (which you may have guessed by now...), I obviously enjoyed "Let's Kill Hitler" quite a lot.  This episode had a lot of funny scenes, like when the Doctor told Rory to put Hitler in the cupboard:

12)  The Girl Who Waited

Series 6 Episode 10

One of my top favorite episodes.  If I were to narrow down my list of favorite Doctor Who episodes, "The Girl Who Waited" would be somewhere among the top five, along with "Vincent and the Doctor".

13)  The Wedding of River Song

Series 6 Episode 13

This was my favorite episode with River Song.  So many great scenes, so many great moments.

14)  Angels Take Manhattan

Series 7 Episode 5

This was an emotionally stressful episode, but I loved it to bits.  I felt it was a well-done farewell to the characters of Amy Pond, Rory Williams, and their friendship with the Doctor.  But sometimes I wish their adventures together could have lasted longer, because I miss them, a lot.  I still miss them a lot, so it's hard for me to warm up to Eleven's new companion, Clara Oswald.

Moments (also listed from least recent to most recent):

1)  School Reunion
Sarah Jane Smith

Series 2 Episode 4

I didn't think much of "School Reunion".  The bad guys were computer animated, and poorly animated at that.  Well, I can't really blame the show - after all, Doctor Who has never been known for having a very large budget or having convincing special effects.  That's why it requires suspension of disbelief, imagination, and pretending - it's all pretend.  That's why at times I feel like a little kid again while watching it.  That may be one of the reasons I love it so much.  But one of the things I admire most about Doctor Who is that they make do with what they have, and come up with creative costumes and make-up.  I had hoped they wouldn't resort to computer animation, but even so I wasn't surprised they used it in some episodes, "School Reunion" being one of them.  So needless to say, I wasn't really a fan of this episode.  I didn't hate it; I enjoyed it, but it didn't really stand out for me.  The only part that stood out and made this episode special, was Elisabeth Sladen's return as Sarah Jane Smith, with the Doctor's robot dog, K-9 as well!  Sarah Jane is the best companion ever and I was delighted to see her return.  David Tennant was a big fan of her, so when he saw her for the first time you could really see his childlike excitement at seeing Sarah Jane.

I liked Sarah Jane with the tenth Doctor, but nothing beats her friendship with the fourth Doctor.  Sarah Jane and the fourth Doctor made a great pair.

Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane and Tom Baker as the fourth Doctor.

  2)  Journey's End
Series 4 Episode 13

I'll simply leave these two really good scenes from "Journey's End" here:

3)  Amy's Choice
Amy realizes how much she needs Rory

Series 5 Episode 7

This was an important moment to me.  As a shipper of Amy and Rory (even though I don't have to ship them; they're already married for most of the time, after all), I was pretty happy when Amy realized just how much Rory meant to her.  Really, though, she knew how much he meant to her all along, but in this moment she was fully conscious of it.

4)  Vincent and the Doctor
The museum scene

Series 5 Episode 10

My favorite moment of "Vincent and the Doctor" was the ending, or the museum scene, when Amy and the Doctor take Vincent van Gogh to the art museum.  I don't cry very easily, but I was crying during this scene.  I could feel all of the emotion mounting up until Vincent entered the section of the museum where his art was displayed, and I had to let it all go and cry, because the meaning of it all was so strong.  A mad man with a blue box showed another mad man, in some ways quite similar to himself, how much he was worth to the world, and how his art had gone on to be valued by other generations, and how he had left his mark, and had reached countless people through his art.  In my view this particular moment was one of the best moments ever in television.

5)  The Big Bang
Amy remembers the Doctor
Series 5 Episode 13

Amy:  "Raggedy man, I remember you, and you are late for my wedding!!  I found you; I found you in words like you knew I would; that's why you told me the story, the brand new, ancient blue box.  Oh clever, very clever."
Rory:  "Amy, what is it?"
Amy:  "Something old, something new.  Something borrowed - and something blue."

All I can say is, this scene was beyond epic.  One of my most favorite moments in Doctor Who ever!

6)  The Almost People
The twist ending
Series 6 Episode 6

If you have seen this episode, you know what I am referring to when I say "the twist ending".  I was left speechless.  I wasn't much of a fan of "The Almost People", but the ending made me realize that it was in fact a vital episode.  I still think the ending was superior to the rest of the episode, though.

7)  Asylum of the Daleks
Run you clever boy, and remember
Series 7 Episode 1

"Eggs...ter...min...ate.  Exterminate..."

I have always found the transition between the word "eggs" to "exterminate" to be a clever idea.  The first time I saw the scene above, I got chills.  Clara showed that human feelings make one stronger, not weaker.  She kept in touch with her humanity even when she was forced to become a Dalek, which is usually devoid of love and empathy.  Below is the second scene from "Asylum of the Daleks", which had an impact on me.  I loved how all of the Daleks asked, "Doctor who?", in unison at the end.  It was truly an epic moment.

8)  Angels Take Manhattan
The last page
Series 7 Episode 5

"There's a little girl waiting in a garden.  She's going to wait a long while, so she's going to need a lot of hope.  Go to her.  Tell her a story.  Tell her that if she's patient, the days are coming that she'll never forget.  Tell her she'll go to see and fight pirates.  She'll fall in love with a man who'll wait two thousand years to keep her safe.  Tell her she'll give hope to the greatest painter who ever lived.  And save a whale in outer space.  Tell her, this is the story of Amelia Pond.  And this is how it ends."

I don't know why the ending of Amy Pond's story didn't bother me, because it wasn't exactly a happy ending.  It was a bitter-sweet ending, even a tragic ending, from the perspective of the Doctor.  But oddly, I felt very satisfied with Amy's ending.  I felt that the ending of her story completed her journey.

9)  The Snowmen
There is a TARDIS on a cloud, I like to go there in my sleep, aren't any floors for me to sweep, not in my TARDIS on a cloud...
2012 Christmas Special

I vastly enjoyed "The Snowmen".  It might even be my favorite Doctor Who Christmas special, although I have yet to see "A Christmas Carol".  I loved Vastra and Strax, and the Victorian setting, and the Doctor's top hat...basically everything about this Christmas special was great.  But my favorite moment by far, was when Clara climbed up the ladder and found the TARDIS on a cloud.  It was a magical scene (not to mention Clara's theme was playing in the background, which was a nice accompaniment).  I wish I could climb up a ladder and walk on a cloud.

10)  The Rings of Akhaten
The Doctor's speech

Series 7 Episode 7

This was a really impressive scene.  I was impressed with Matt Smith as an actor.  He channeled a lot of emotion in this speech, so I could really feel what he was feeling, and I really believed that he had gone through all of this.  I could see the pain in his eyes and I could feel it in his voice.  The Doctor's Speech was an excellent scene and I will never forget it.  I also really liked the song playing the background, "Wake Up."  This speech reminded me of the weight the Doctor has carried on his shoulders.  It is the curse of the time lords.  Below is a fan video showing the speech with clips of the earlier Doctors of the Doctor Who revival in black and white, accompanied by the song, "Wake Up".

Those are my favorite episodes, scenes, and moments of Doctor Who.  They are all from the revival of Doctor Who, because I have not watched enough of the classic era to create a list of favorite episodes and scenes/moments.  I love Classic Who (as I call it) just as much, but I'm still catching up, and I am finding that to be difficult as Classic Who episodes seem harder to come by.