Doctor Who: Fugitive of the Judoon

Doctor: 'You don't know me. Not a little bit.'

Okay, that the show is currently in the process of a savage course-correction, at this point seems irrefutable. This is not the show of last season, nor is it Chibnall's Who from eight years ago, this is now a full-on greatest hits show... and is both better and worse for it.

Doctor Who: Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror

 Doctor: 'I've seen more than you can possibly imagine.'

It may have taken fifteen months to get here, but this is the first episode of the Chibnall era that I've liked. It wasn't of 'Listen' or 'Hell Bent' quality—I'm not sure such greatness is even possible under the current creative team—but it told a solid, simple story, the companions were utilised sensibly, and not only were its guest actors given compelling stories, they also turned in good performances. Best of all: the companions finally got to dress up in period costume. Yay!

Doctor Who: Orphan 55

Vilma: 'Benni!'

After a moderate upturn in quality last week, tonight was business as usual. The sad thing about Doctor Who these days is that an episode can contain great ideas, look superb, be full of agreeable political commentary, and yet still be utter shite. Tonight's story had a solid if well-worn story at heart, but was let down by mad pacing, underdeveloped characters, and an environmental message so clumsily delivered that it left me winded.

Doctor Who: Spyfall (2)

Doctor: 'These are the dark times. But they don't sustain. Darkness never sustains, even though sometimes it feels like it might.'

I expected to lose many things during Chris Chibnall's tenure—plot complexity, writing talent, story continuity, humour, my mind—what I didn't expect was for the show to feel nothing like Doctor Who. Tonight's episode took a tentative step towards at least acknowledging some of the problems. That's not to say it was a great episode—in fact, it was downright awful in places—but it did some things right, and for the first time since Chibnall took over, it felt like Doctor Who again.

Doctor Who: Spyfall (1)

Doctor: 'I've had an upgrade. Hi.'

This felt like an average opener. It did little to resolve the problems of season eleven—they're still there, front and centre—but at least some of Chibnall's worst excesses were toned down. Whether it stays that way remains to be seen, but the plot was serviceable if a little silly, the guest actors a welcome distraction, and mercifully there were no talking amphibians. At least, not yet.