Retrospective reviews of the season were positive. In The Television Companion (1998), David J. Howe and Stephen James Walker found the plot of Planet of Giants to be "one of the weakest" in the series so far; they praised Hill's performance, and enjoyed Hartnell and Russell, though noted that Ford was "rather less impressive". Dave Golder of SFX (2012) described the serial as "undeniably slow, talky and lacking in excitement", particularly criticising Barbara's characterisation. Howe and Walker described The Dalek Invasion of Earth as "one of the series' all-time greats", praising the "poignant and moving" final scene and impressive location filming despite some clumsy direction; in A Critical History of Doctor Who (1999), John Kenneth Muir found the serial to be one of Doctor Who darkest, and praised the location shooting and the characterisation of Susan, though noted some sexism in the Doctor's final remarks and criticised the special effects. Howe and Walker described The Rescue as "one of the best examples of character-driven drama from this period of the series' history", praising the character of Vicki, though noting that some parts of the plot remained unexplained; Cliff Chapman of Den of Geek (2009) found the serial "charming" and praised the performances, writing that the serial was only let down by its resolution. In The Discontinuity Guide (1995), Paul Cornell, Martin Day, and Keith Topping wrote that, in The Romans, "Hartnell shows the talent that got him the part", and praised the serial's atmosphere and comedy; Chapman found that the serial "does comedy well" with "witty dialogue, character moments, slapstick, and drama".
