10 Favorite Characters Tag

I was tagged by Sarah at How to Watch a Movie. Thanks for tagging me! Sorry this is so late, by the way.

Sarah made an awesome list for this tag, by the way, so go check it out if you haven't!

Instructions: For this quick, fun blog hop, you just name your 10 favorite characters from movies or TV, then tag 10 friends (if you can) to do the same!

I've decided to list my favorite characters in no particular order, to make it easier for myself.

1)  Elizabeth Bennet

I'm going to start with Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice.  I have always admired Elizabeth's fiery personality.  I love that she speaks her mind and expresses her opinions.  She doesn't let the limitations placed on women in the Regency Era get her down.  I love her intelligence and her witty comments and observations.

2)  Zuko

Hello, Zuko here.

Avatar the Last Airbender is my favorite animated TV show, and if I had to pick a favorite character, it would be Zuko.  Zuko undergoes an incredible amount of growth as a character.  If I were to use a character for an example of amazing character development, it would be Zuko.  His character development is the best I've ever seen.  I could write a 30 page essay on it.  If you've seen Avatar the Last Airbender, you'll know what I mean.

Character development aside, Zuko is absolutely adorable.  He has so much personality.  At first, he comes off as intimidating and hot tempered, but throughout the show, other sides to him are revealed, and you grow to love him more and more.

3)  Wonder Woman

Not from a particular film or TV show, but I just really love Wonder Woman in general.  I've loved her since I was little.  Female super heroes seem far too rare, or at least, they don't get represented very much in film.  I have been hoping for years that she would get a proper movie, and recently, I've heard she is getting one.  I just hope it's good.  It worries me, however, that the director was changed, because I can't help but feel that's a sign the film making isn't going very smoothly.  I remember the new director is female, which makes me happy.

4)  Gandalf

I love Ian McKellen.  He's one of my favorite actors.  I think Gandalf was the first role I saw him in, and he did an amazing job of playing that character.  He captured the charm of Gandalf's character, and he quickly became my favorite character in the Lord of the Rings series, although Sam would be a close second.  I remember loving Gandalf as a kid, and my love for his character was revived when I went to see The Hobbit.

5)  Violet (Dowager Countess of Grantham)

I used to love Downton Abbey, but sadly I don't really watch it anymore.  I stopped enjoying it as much when both of my OTPs were ruined.  *glares at season 3*

However, I will always love Violet's character.  I absolutely adore Maggie Smith, and she does a fantastic job of making Violet snarky, lovable, and hilarious.

I'm just going to leave this video here because why not.

6)  Haku (spoilers for Spirited Away)

Spirited Away is my favorite Studio Ghibli film.  I love many of the characters in Spirited Away, and Haku is quite possibly my favorite.

Haku is a River Spirit that is able to transform into a dragon, although, this is not revealed right away.  He seems to be shrouded in mystery throughout the movie, and at first, you might not be sure you can trust him.  Chihiro, the main character, becomes doubtful of Haku, but she puts her trust in him and he helps her find her way home in the end.  And in return, Chihiro helps Haku find himself, and gives him his identity and freedom back by telling him his name and reminding him who he really is.  I like characters that are mysterious and questionable, and characters that are trustworthy, caring, and protective.  Haku is all of these things and more, and proves to be an intriguing and memorable character.  Plus he's really cool.  So there's that.

7)  Mulan

Let's get down to business, to defeat, the Huns!

Mulan was my favorite movie as a kid for a lot of reasons, one of them being Mulan's character.  I will admit I looked up to Mulan quite a lot, and I wanted to be like her.  It was inspiring for me to see a female character be capable of fighting and saving the world.  I loved, and still love, her personality as well.  She is definitely one of my most favorite female Disney characters.

8)  Levi Ackerman

Levi is my favorite character in the anime Attack on Titan.  When I first began to love his character, it was mostly for his personality.  Some fans of Attack on Titan view him as cold and gruff, and perhaps he is a little gruff.  But there are so many more sides to him than that.  He tends to express himself through body language rather than words, and although he may seem impassive, it's clear through his actions that he cares deeply for other people.

In the latest manga updates for Attack on Titan, more of Levi's backstory was revealed, to do with his childhood, and what happened to his mother.  It was heartbreaking and provided a lot of insight for his character, but I'll leave it at that.

9)  Marceline

There are a lot of things I like about Marceline from Adventure Time.  I love her singing voice and her personality.

I enjoy episodes with Marceline the most, and my favorite Adventure Time episodes are both to do with her backstory.  I'll admit, those episodes got me a little emotional.

10)  Roy Mustang

There are so many great characters in Fullmetal Alchemist:  Brotherhood, and so many to choose from, but I think I'm going to go with Roy Mustang for this list.  One of the things I love about Roy is how he can be light hearted and humorous one moment, and serious the next.

He can be very intimidating when he wants to be, and he's not above getting revenge for the sake of a friend.  Oh, and he's a flame alchemist, which is pretty cool.

And that's my list!  This was fun to do. :D

Sunflower Blogger Award

I've been nominated for the Sunflower Blogger Award by Lizzie at His Redeemed Child.  Thanks so much for nominating me!

The rules:

- Share eleven facts
- Answer the nominator's questions
- Set your own questions
- Nominate eleven more bloggers

Eleven facts about me:

1)  I am very close (finally) to getting my Irish passport and citizenship that I talked about in a post a while ago.  I'm so happy about this!

Korra gets how I feel

2)  I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but I do not like Emma 2009.  I am in the minority on this, but I actually prefer the 1996 version.  I don't think the 1996 version is perfect either, but I like it more than 2009.

Emma 2009 (left) and Emma 1996 (right)

3)  I think I've mentioned this before, but I am politically liberal, although I don't agree with everything, for example I am against abortion.

4)  I am also a feminist.

5)  I love the BBC shows Downton Abbey, Sherlock, Merlin, and Doctor Who.

6)  I love the show Once Upon a Time and am a hardcore Captain Swan shipper.

7)  I used to not like Anime, but now I love it and am beginning to watch more of it.

8)  I am introverted, often shy, and socially awkward (more so when I was a kid, but I still am very shy around people sometimes).  I'm also kind of an airhead.  I have a big imagination and sometimes I block out the world around me and get lost in my thoughts, which is why I relate to Anne Shirley from Anne of Green Gables.

9)  Speaking of Anne of Green Gables, it is my favorite book.  I am a huge L. M. Montgomery fan.  She is definitely my favorite writer, and one of the most inspirational people for me, besides my great grandmother.

10)  I have twelve cousins in all, but only two of them are my first cousins.

11)  I plan on moving to Ireland at some point in my life.  My Irish heritage is a huge part of my identity, even though my Irish cousins make fun of the fact that I was born in America and am probably very Americanized.

Eleven questions:

1)  What name would you choose if you could or had to change your name?

I wouldn't change my name, but there are a lot of other names I like.  I would probably choose an Irish name, like Aoife or Deirdre.  I also like Dallas (although that is not an Irish name).  But then my name's already Irish, and like I said before, I'd never want to change it.  When I was little, though, I wanted to change my name to Kelly, but I have long since changed my mind, and I am now very satisfied and happy with my name.

2)  What place in the world (time travel included) would you most like to visit? e. g. Paris in the 1920's, Egypt, 1500 B. C., etc.

That's a really hard question.  There are so many time periods and places I'd want to go to.  I think I'd most like to visit the Regency Era in England, the Edwardian era on Prince Edward Island, or the 1930's or 1940's so I could see how my great grandparents were doing during the Great Depression and during the war.  Now that I think of it, I'd also like to go to the 1960's and 1970's for the great music and the Hippie vibe.  Or maybe I could go to the 1530's and try to meet Anne Boleyn.  I can't decide, there are too many cool options!  Although time traveling would be very dangerous...I might be thinking about this question too much. XD

3)  How would you choose to spend a lovely, sunny spring day?

It would depend on how sunny.  If it were mildly sunny, I might walk my dogs and go to a park.  If it were really sunny I'd probably stay indoors and read, write, listen to music, or sketch.  I'm not really a fan of warm weather.  I'd want to go outside more if it rained, as I prefer cold or rainy weather.

4)  What are three of your favorite books?  Three favorite movies?  Books that were made into movies?

My favorite books are Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery, any one of the Emily series by L. M. Montgomery, and North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell.  Books I love that were made, or are still being made into movies are the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling, and The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins.  Three of my favorite movies (I have way too many favorite movies...too many to count, to be honest) are Pride and Prejudice 1995, North and South 2004, and Frozen by Disney. :D

5)  Do you play an instrument?  If so, which one? If not, is there an instrument you would like to learn?

Well, I played the recorder in fourth grade, if that counts.  I played piano for a while, and was able to play a few Christmas carols on it, but gradually I stopped playing and forgot how.  I played the violin for five years.  Now, I just play the guitar (steel-stringed), but I'm still a beginner.  I used to want to play the cello, and sometimes I wish I had played it instead of the violin.  I'm interested in learning how to play the harp, but I don't think it's likely I will, at least not in the near future.  I'd also like to play the electric guitar.

6)  What kind of pets/animals do you have, if any?  If none, would you like to have?

I used to have goldfish when I was little, but I was always scared they were hungry so I would over feed them.  My brother still blames me for killing them, but I honestly didn't mean to.  When I was older, I had a golden retriever, but my family had to give her away when we moved.  I've always felt very sad about that.  A few years ago, my family got two rough collies, because as a kid I always wanted a dog like Lassie.

Lassie (1943)

The questions I came up with:

- If you could go into any fictional world and meet your favorite character, what world would that be and who is the character?
- What is your ethnic heritage and/or cultural identity?
- Top favorite movies you had when you were little?  Do you still love them as much as you did then?
- What are some of your favorite singers and/or bands?
- Do you have a favorite fairy tale, myth, or legend?
- Name a genre of music you absolutely love, and one you can't stand.

You know what?  I'm just going to nominate everyone (sorry if that's breaking the rules).  So anyone who wants to participate in the tag, go ahead! :D

Celebrate Musicals Week - Tag

I have decided to participate in Celebrate Musicals Week, the blog party Miss Dashwood is hosting at Yet Another Period Drama Blog!  Go here if you want to participate, too, and would like to know the details.  The blog party is starting off with a tag, so here are my answers to the tag questions.

1)  What musical did you pick to "spotlight" this week and why?

I chose to spotlight The Phantom of the Opera.  I was already planning to write about it, so I thought Celebrate Musicals Week was a great opportunity to do so.

2)  How did you discover the musical you picked (hereinafter referred to as "your musical")?

I was ten years old when I was introduced to The Phantom of the Opera.  I watched the 2004 movie with my cousins during my visit with my relatives in Ireland.  My cousins loved watching movies, so we ended up watching a lot of movies together, and the 2004 adaptation of Phantom was one of them.

3)  If you had to pick three favorite songs from your musical, which ones would they be?

I love so many songs from Phantom, but I think my three favorites would be "The Phantom of the Opera", "The Music of the Night", and "Think of Me".

4)  What's your least favorite song from your musical?

Maybe "Prima Donna".  I always skip it when I'm listening to Phantom songs.  In the 2004 movie, I can't stand Andre and Firmin's singing.  They don't really sing, especially Ciarán Hinds, who plays Firmin - they kind of talk-sing.  Talk-singing grates on my nerves.  I prefer the song Prima Donna to whenever Andre and Firmin sing by far, but if I had to choose a specific song I disliked, I think it would be Prima Donna.

5)  Who are your favorite characters (choose up to three)?

Christine, the Phantom (also known as Erik), and Madame Giry are my favorite characters.  I have heard that some people dislike Christine, but I think she is a well developed character.  Erik is a very interesting and complex character, which I love.  Madame Giry is mysterious and I like her personality.  She seems like a smart person who knows what she's doing.

6)  Which versions of your musical have you seen/listened to, and which is your favorite?

The first version of this musical that I ever knew, was the 2004 movie, which I watched when I was ten years old.  When I was fourteen, I rediscovered the movie and loved it.  Then, I discovered the original broadway version with Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman, and fell in love with that.  I now prefer the version with Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman to the 2004 movie.  I thought the movie was good, but when I discovered the original musical, it seemed faded in comparison.  Since then I have listened to other versions, with John Owen-Jones and Gina Beck, for example.  When I was fifteen, I discovered The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall, and I absolutely loved it.

7)  Is this your favorite musical of all time?  If not, what is?

Yes, even more than Les Mis, which is in second place.  I love The Phantom of the Opera for the gothic story, complex characters, dark themes, strong emotions, and the beautiful sets, costumes, and music.  It is definitely my favorite musical of all time.

8)  Which cast album/musical soundtrack in your collection do you listen to the most?

The original Broadway version of Phantom with Michael Crawford, and the 10th Anniversary Concert of Les Mis.  I don't like the 25th Anniversary (cough Nick Jonas cough cough) of Les Mis as much as the 10th Anniversary.

9)  What is your favorite costume from your musical?

That's a hard question!  There are so many amazing costumes in Phantom.  Well, I really like the dress and hooded cape Christine wears during her song, "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again".

Sierra Boggess as Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera at The Royal Albert Hall.

10)  If you could change anything about your musical, what would you change?

I wouldn't want to change anything, since it's Andrew Lloyd Webber's work of art, not mine.  I want it to be exactly as Andrew Lloyd Webber intended it to be.  Then, on the other hand, I think the song "Prima Donna" could be taken out, though it isn't that bad of a song, really.  I just don't see how it's necessary.

11)  Which role(s) would you most like to play in any musical, if you had the opportunity to do so on stage?

I would like to play Fantine or Eponine in Les Mis, or Christine in Phantom...that is, if I could sing really really really well...

12)  If you could choose one performer to play any part in your musical, who would you choose and which part would you have them play?

Perhaps Sutton Foster as Christine Daaé?  I don't think the role is suited for her, but Sutton has a beautiful voice and I'm curious as to what she would do with the part.  I'm a big fan of Sutton Foster, so it would be cool to see her play a major role in my favorite musical.

13)  Do you consider yourself a musical theatre fan in general or do you just like a few musicals?

I am a musical theatre fan, without a doubt!

14)  Are you tired of the word "musical" yet?

Never!

15)  Turn your music playing device on shuffle (or utilize Pandora if you don't have one) and tell us the names of the first three show tunes that come up-- no cheating!  How do these rank on your favorites/most-listened-to list?

 - "Memory" from Cats.  I'm not a big fan of Cats, but I love this song very much.
 - "Agony" from Into the Woods.  This is a memorable song from Into the Woods, and absolutely hilarious.
 - "More to the Story" from Shrek the Musical.  "More to the Story" is one of my favorite songs from this musical, along with "I Know It's Today".

Best Commenter Award

Note:  Now that summer has ended, I find that there isn't as much time to blog.  I will try to blog whenever I have time, as I love blogging and I have a lot to say that I want to express.  This means I will most likely be blogging on the weekends, but even so, I will not have time every weekend.  Even though I will not be posting as much on my blogs, I will continue to comment and read the posts of other bloggers.

I have been awarded the Best Commenter Award by Magdalen Aithne Arkwright at Marcmire!  This is my first blog award, so I'm very excited and happy about it!  Thank you Magdalen for bestowing it on me.

These are the rules:

- Should you choose to accept the award, you will always have the power to pass it on to other outstanding commenters like yourself.
- In addition, at the beginning of next month, evaluate the comments of this current month and graciously present the Best Commenter Award to the person that commented the most often.  Give a testimony of their greatness and, if they are also a blogger, link to their blog.  (This is a one time obligation and you will not be expected to repeat this every month for the rest of your blogging career.)
- Optional:  give an acceptance speech on your own blog and leave a link in the comments below!

I am going to bestow the Best Commenter Award on Elizabeth at The Endless Road and James The Movie Reviewer at J and J Productions, who both left the most comments for the past month.

Elizabeth was the first friend I ever made on Blogger.  I found her blog in the early days of blogging, when I had just recently begun both of my blogs.  I stumbled upon her blog through her post about Anne Boleyn.  This all happened roughly about a year ago, which means I have been blogging for about a year!  Ever since then, Elizabeth has left many comments on my bog, sharing many interesting points of knowledge and also sharing about herself.

James The Movie Reviewer is one of the writers at J and J Productions, a blog full to the brim with great movie reviews.  James has kindly left many relatable comments and always has something interesting to say.  I'm glad to have found a blogger who is also a Star Wars, Sherlock, and Doctor Who fan!

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.