All 13 modern Doctor Who seasons ranked from worst to best
10. Series 7
Series 7 is the only season in modern Doctor Who where the companions completely change in the middle of a season, and that makes for a deeply mixed bag. The Ponds get a strong conclusion and Clara gets an interesting introduction, but the season as a whole lacks an overarching plotline or even theme.
Episodes one through five show Amy and Rory after years of being companions, and it has put some cracks in their dynamic. Their relationship is struggling to overcome the trauma inflicted in season 6, and it feels like the Doctor is getting bored by them as they work toward creating a normal life for themselves.
That being said, all five episodes are enjoyable. However, they feel more like vignettes than an ongoing story, which makes it so the powerhouse that is "The Angels Take Manhattan" feels more like a continuation of Series 6 than a conclusion to their Series 7 arc.
Turning to Clara's arc, its success depends on how much the audience likes having a mystery to solve. Her status as the Impossible Girl is interesting, but it feels like Moffat trying to one-up Amy's "the girl who waited" and Donna's "the most important woman in the universe." It performs best when watched outside of the context of the previous eight years.
Despite that problem, Jenna Coleman has great chemistry with Matt Smith, and Clara's sacrifice in "The Name of the Doctor" provided a decent answer to why she kept reappearing. Clara's arc also helped prepare the Doctor for the 50th anniversary special and the much-awaited appearance of Trenzalore.
Series 7 wasn't a bad season, but it was characterized by several stand-out episodes, rather than any particular story arc. The episodes between them tended to feel like filler.