The Legend of Ruby Sunday/Empire of Death Review

The Legend of Ruby Sunday/Empire of Death

The big for real this time

Story 310, Season 1 Episode 7-8

Doctor: The Fifteenth Doctor

Companions: Mel Bush, Kate Stewart, Ruby Sunday

The big finale for Season 1 has some epic reveals, and delivers a solid if not all-timer of a conclusion.

The Review

Susan Triad

This story absolutely wastes no time, with the Doctor and Ruby screaming into UNIT trying to solve two mysteries: Ruby’s mother and why someone who looks like Susan Twist keeps appearing everywhere. Turns out the actor Susan Twist is playing tech billionaire Susan Triad, who’s about to have a big rollout of some tech. There’s a very impressive sequence where 2004 Ruby Road is recreated from an old VHS tape in a ‘time window’ in UNIT. Kate Stewart gets a lot to do in the first episode, including a touching conversation where the Doctor wonders if Susan Triad is really his granddaughter. The Doctor eventually departs and leaves to meet Susan Triad, but doesn’t recognize her. Meanwhile the TARDIS at UNIT gets super ominous and then we get an incredible speech about all of the gods culminating in the reveal of Sutekh: the God of Death himself returned in a dramatic cliffhanger. The episode was mainly all hype obscuring some wonkiness, but still fun.

Sutekh’s new angry dog face

Sutekh’s return is so fun because of how iconic Pyramids of Mars is, so much so we even get in-episode flashbacks to it. The idea that he has been hiding on the TARDIS seeing his plan for who knows how long is quite fun. I don’t think he’s quite wasted, turning all of creation into dust is an impressive even temporary win, but in some ways the titles could be reversed as the finale is all about Ruby. The Doctor, Ruby, and Mel escape in a Memory TARDIS formed from the time window, and the immense importance she placed on finding her mom had elevated her to near God-like status. The mystery of 73 Yards comes into play as compulsory DNA testing in 2046 allows them to find the answer. Ruby tricks Sutekh and he is dragged back through the vortex, bringing death to death, which means the Doctor returns the universe to life before Sutekh is burned in the vortex.

Quite badass looks for Ruby and the Doctor here

I’d be remiss not to mention Bonnie Langford, who is a great tertiary protagonist here. Who would’ve guessed Mel would be fighting Sutekh in 2024? The ending works well, though I wasn’t completely impressed by the resolution. It came off as by the book finale, nothing bonkers for good or bad in the episode. Ruby has a tearful goodbye to the Doctor, but with Mrs. Flood unresolved, we all know we’re going to see her again. Still, Ruby reuniting with her mother was so beautiful and emotional, and I did love how Gatwa seemed a bit saddened that can’t happen for himself. I’m not quite sold on his big dramatic speechmaking so far, but the fun and energy is absolutely there. Excited to see Gatwa continue to grow in the role. Still to come: Susan, more Mrs. Flood reveals?

A big ol solid but not spectacular season finale still brought us the return of a classic villain, and broadened the mythology of the show. Still, it didn’t have that bite to it that I felt only only 73 Yards and (at the end) Dot and Bubble had. More thoughts on the season review post!

8/10: We’ve had better finales, we’ve had worse finales. For now, I’m celebrating an RTD finale that didn’t lose its mind.

Mrs. Flood, what are you up to?

Rogue Review

Rogue

The big three

Story 309, Season 1 Episode 6

Doctor: The Fifteenth Doctor

Companions: Ruby Sunday

Fresh writers Kate Herron and Briony Rodman deliver an absolutely delightful episode with some incredible chemistry between Groff and Gatwa.

The Review

The Chuldur Shapeshifters

One of the biggest things missing from the Chibnall/Whittaker era were fun romps. Almost every episode felt so serious. Rogue is an absolute blast of a good time as the Doctor and Ruby uncover an alien conspiracy in 1813 England. The Chuldur shapeshifters are weird bird people who love literally cosplaying as people. (Honestly the Doctor explaining cosplay was a little meta). They’re unique weird looking aliens, with a penchant for murder. Just when we thought we knew all four of them, it turns out that there was a fifth one the whole time. The set is perfectly designed, and the costuming work was fabulous. Ruby is slightly sidelined as the third lead behind Gatwa and Goff, but I don’t see that as an issue as 73 Yards was a full on Ruby episode. Millie Gibson looks fantastic, but the story is also a good reminder that she is still a teenager. The Lady Gaga battle scene was pretty funny.

Bring Rogue back immediately

From the first scene even with Groff as the bounty hunter Rogue not speaking much, the chemistry between him and the Doctor was off the charts. This might be the best chemistry the Doctor has ever had with anyone. The Doctor plays music in his ship messing with them, then gets one of those “I’m the Doctor” speeches with faces of previous Doctors (including Jo Martin!) everyone was clamoring for. Even fifteen minutes in I was ready for them to just kiss already, and boy did they. Rogue ends up taking a hit for the Doctor but saving Ruby from getting shunted to another dimension and tells the Doctor to find him, leaving him his ring. This is one of the strongest guest performances the show has ever had, Jonathan Groff absolutely must be a recurring character.

Yeah, I’m the guy who loves Tooth and Claw, the historical romps are a favorite of mine. While nowhere near as clever as Dot and Bubble, this story is a much more fun watch. That’s one of the great things about Doctor Who: you don’t like an episode, give it a week. This is one I’m definitely going to be revisiting.

10/10: This is Doctor Who! Great fun messing around in in 1813 fighting shapeshifting aliens and kissing Jonathan Groff, what more could you want?

Apparently the Shalka Doctor was in the floating Doctor Who heads. RTD never fails to troll

Dot and Bubble Review

Dot and Bubble

Don’t swipe left on the Doctor

Story 309, Season 1 Episode 5

Doctor: The Fifteenth Doctor

Companions: Ruby Sunday

Pretty pastels and bright colors abound in Dot and Bubble, which is all about how we can get less screen time.

The Review

Lindy and the Monsters

Lindy is an ordinary girl living an ordinary life in ‘Finetime’, which is basically the dumbest future society to ever live. I have never indulged in Black Mirror, but it’s my understanding that a lot of episodes are like this was the social commentary. Basically a bunch of rich kids are sent to the planet where they live in a ‘bubble’ that tells them where to walk and where to go absolutely everywhere. They supposedly do a lot of partying too, whatever that looks like. The Doctor and Ruby contact Lindy on her bubble which is where they stay most of the story trying to get this basically incompetent woman to safety. The design of the giant people-eating slugs is pretty great, and they somehow fit right into this pastel world. Lindy ends up sacrificing singer Ricky September to escape…and all of these idiots go off into the woods to surely die, ignoring the Doctor’s protests. And here’s where my idealistic white self gets exposed: I noticed early on everyone was white, but still wasn’t processing that everybody were racists at the ending, initially thinking it was just idiotic xenophobia.

The most unrealistic part: someone would swipe left on Ncuti Gatwa (well, unless you’re a racist prick)

Really, the whole thing kind of fell flat for me. I know Space Babies has drawn a lot of ire, but I thought it had a lot of propulsive energy and some genuinely touching moments. Nothing in this story is bad at all, and I appreciate how weird and outlandish it is. I’m all for the show taking swings, but while 73 Yards was a masterpiece, this was largely the miss. The true villain is the technology that wants to kill its impotent human masters…by devouring them with giant slugs? I suppose the message is to not fall out of touch with the real world, and not spend all of your time on screens. Then there’s the racism angle, which is a hell of a gut punch ending but there’s more of the Doctor being furious than many repercussions. The Doctor specifically called out Susan Twist though!

In some ways, Dot and Bubble is just as bold as 73 Yards, and after reflecting with it for a day, the insidiousness of the racism of Finetime and how Lindy’s racism is foreshadowed is quite clever. My initial read on this episode was wrong, but ultimately I think Lindy was a bit too exhausting to be spending time with.

8.25/10: The racism twist at the end does not come out nowhere, but at least for me it was a bit too subtle that it threw me off-guard. I’m glad this one is resonating for so many people though.

Incredible monster design though. They already killed everyone on the homeward!

73 Yards Review

73 Yards

Don’t you see her?

Story 308, Season 1 Episode 4

Doctor: The Fifteenth Doctor

Companions: Ruby Sunday

Russell T Davies goes full experimental in the astonishing 73 Yards. Almost no-Doctor required.

The Review

The old woman on the hill

It’s quite simple. Ruby and the Doctor land on a cliff in Wales and disturb a fairy circle, and soon the Doctor vanishes. A mysterious woman starts ‘following’ Ruby, but really always appears just 73 yards away from her doing some incantation. Ruby rushes to a pub where we think we’re going to get a pub under siege story…but it doesn’t happen. Gradually we see Ruby’s life deteriorate, she loses her mother forever when she speaks to the woman. A year later Kate and UNIT come to help her, but it has the same effect: they abandon her forever. It’s honestly completely chilling. Millie Gibson is unbelievable in this episode, she’s thrown off the deep end, there’s no Doctor, and she absolutely carries this story. Still only a teenager, it’s incredible: she’s such a star. Over time Ruby comes to live with the weird old lady, which is really all she can do.

World supervillain Roger ap Gwilliam

The circle mentioned Mad Jack, and in 2046, Ruby realizes it was warning her about Roger ap Gwilliam, a crazy man who the Doctor mentioned almost started a nuclear war. Millie Gibson (doing her absolute best playing 40 year old Ruby), chillingly watches the future unfold until she is able to execute her plan to get the creepy old woman to drive Roger mad too. Then we jump to a Ruby on her deathbed in hospice, and as I sort of guessed but was shocked to see happen…the old woman was Ruby. She’s sent back to 2024 where her presence distracts Ruby enough to get the Doctor to not step on the circle, and all is well. Some will decry this story’s lack of explanation, but it’s supposed to feel unknowable. Ruby finds herself caught in something beyond understanding, but something that saves the whole planet.

73 Yards is a bold, beautiful mystery, the kind of experimental story Doctor Who had been crying out for since Extremis. In 60 years of thousands of Doctor Who stories, there has never been anything quite as bizarre as 73 Yards. For that: it’s beautiful.

10/10: Long after the first watch, I think 73 Yards‘ haunting beauty will stick with me. Embrace the unknowable, and oppose fascist politicians who want nuclear armageddon

Millie Gibson is a teenager and one of the strongest actors in show history

Boom Review

Boom

Whatever you do…don’t move

Story 307, Season 1 Episode 3

Doctor: The Fifteenth Doctor

Companions: Ruby Sunday

The return of Steven Moffat gives us a good episode putting the Doctor in an unfamiliar situation with some great social commentary that I wish had a bit more juice behind it.

The Review

The return of the Space Anglicans

Boom takes away the one thing the Doctor does more than anything else: run. Gatwa’s Doctor is stuck on a landmine in a war zone. For as brutal as this episode is, I thought it might be even more so. The thrust of the story is a commentary on capitalism, algorithms, and faith. Bringing back the Villengard weapon factory, the twist on this planet is that there is a war with no one. The algorithm is keeping just enough soldiers dying that the war continues to increase their profits. It’s a bleak future, but the criticism of algorithms is very prescient. We see a much earlier version of the church soldiers from Series 5 and 6, with people having different divinity ratings. The Doctor cuttingly attacks faith saying it stops you from thinking for yourself, a very surprisingly blatant anti-religion line, but by the end of the story admits that even he needs faith from time to time. At any rate, it’s the blind trust/faith that stops soldiers from questioning the algorithm.

Ruby talking to the Doctor

The problems arise in that I feel there were just a few too many characters here. We have two Anglican soldiers, one Monday who is the lead while all the men get ‘smelted’ by the ambulances. There’s her love interest, then the father of a young girl Splice who is killed in the cold open and becomes an AI. By the end with Ruby (who doesn’t get to do much after a great early moment 1 on 1 with the Doctor), the Doctor, two marines, a hologram, the girl Splice, it all felt a little jammed. The narrative decide of the lights on the landmine reporting how much time was left before it went off killing everyone was excellent. Ultimately the AI dad saves the day shutting down the algorithm. There were some classic Moffat-type lines that were excellent too.

Boom certainly ends the hand-wringing over the season being too childish, giving us a dark story set in a minefield. It doesn’t reach the operatic heights we’ve seen before from Moffat, but definitely gives a lot to think over.

8.65/10: This story doesn’t have a huge bang, but it’s cutting criticism and rare vulnerability given to the Doctor make it a success.

Look how happy he is! Steven Moffat is welcome back any time

The Devil’s Chord Review

The Devil’s Chord

Music? Not on my watch!

Story 305, Season 1 Episode 2

Doctor: The Fifteenth Doctor

Companions: Ruby Sunday

The confidence of the Fifteenth Doctor’s era continues with an incredibly inventive episode that succeeds despite some shaky pacing.

The Review

Dancing across Abbey Road

Doctor Who hasn’t gone 60 years being the same thing. I can only imagine the uproar once the Third Doctor era ditched even traveling in the TARDIS. This new era is lighter, bouncier, and has a clearly different energy to the past. After an unexplained six month gap, Ruby is ready to go where she wants to and see…the Beatles record their first album! The Doctor can’t believe how good an idea this is, and in 60s fashion they arrive at Abbey Road and find the Beatles making intentionally horrible music. The Doctor and Ruby talk to Paul McCartney and John Lennon, who let’s be honest, look nothing like the real thing, but it still somehow works. The idea that a world without music would eventually crumble to dust is a compelling one, as 2024 has long turned into a nuclear wasteland. Still, the episode felt a bit disjointed to me, great scenes but the actual direction of the episode seemed quite obtuse for a while.

The Beatles singing a terrible song about liking dogs was very funny

Joining our main duo in absolutely bringing the energy is drag legend Jinkx Monsoon as the Toymaker’s daughter: Maestro. It’s an incredibly chaotic performance starting from the cold open emerging from a piano, killing a guy, and starting to play the theme music. A scene where the Doctor creates a blanket of silence and they try to stalk him was very innovative, and the final musical battle was a lot of fun. The day gets saved by the genius of the Beatles, and the Maestro is sent packing, but hopefully not for good. Then we get a big musical dance number to top it all off, which was just a good bit of fun. If that annoyed you, please lighten up, this is Doctor Who. Other odds and ends: Christmas music is in Ruby’s soul apparently, the first time Susan’s name has spoken out loud since Attack of the Cybermen (are we finally doing this?), and ‘the one who waits’ is coming. Also the Doctor thinking music that attacked Ruby was ‘non-diegetic’ was a really funny line.

The confidence continued with this story, and I appreciate how boldly this era is charting a course. Maybe 40 years from now people will be trying to emulate a Gatwa era story with this tone. I wish it all hung together better, but this is certainly one people will remember from this season much more than Space Babies.

8.75/10: Some bonus points for inventiveness from last episode. Seriously, that was a very lengthy explanation of Susan!

This guy in 1925 was very pleased the music god recognized his talents (until they killed him)

Space Babies Review

Space Babies

You’re doing great babies

Story 305, Season 1 Episode 1

Doctor: The Fifteenth Doctor

Companions: Ruby Sunday

Space Babies finally kicks off the first new Doctor Who season in two and a half years, and it’s clear that Ncuti Gatwa is here to stay.

The Review

The Doctor doing some examining

One thing I think we learned in the Chibnall/Whittaker era is how fine a line it can be often be between a mediocre bad and a mediocre good episode. The premise for Space Babies is a bunch of intelligent babies are on a ‘birthing station’, because babies are forced to be born even if no one cares for them. Yes, the metaphor is clearly spelled out, but it avoids feeling like preaching. There’s a monster on the station, the ‘Bogeyman’, who turns out to be made out of boogers from the babies. On the whole, this is sounds like a ridiculous premise, but the episode carries itself extremely confidently, all stemming from Gatwa and Gibson. They have dynamite chemistry together, infectious energy, and are just constantly a joy to watch on the screen. I’m reminded of how brutal The Tsuranga Conundrum was, and how that era would’ve botched the execution here. Instead, it’s a fun little romp of a story. Also, I do love babies, so I thought they were pretty funny.

The big climax is the Doctor risks his life to save a booger monster’s, and I couldn’t believe it was working. The Murray Gold theme helped.

A lot of this episode did feel like RTD playing the show greatest hits, he completely replicates the Rose phone call from The End of the World, and there’s some basic explanations of time travel rules. This story went deeper into the Ruby mystery than I thought we’d get, with her somehow generating snow. At the end of the episode the Doctor and Ruby return to her flat, but the Doctor stays behind for a moment to scan her DNA in a very Series 6-move. A lot of these moves would feel going over all ground, but it doesn’t feel that way at all because of how fresh Gatwa’s energy is. That DNA scan and us seeing the Doctor’s true seriousness when the companion isn’t around absolutely sold me on the range he can provide. There’s a very silly opening where Ruby goes back in time and steps on a butterfly and turns into a butterfly-type creature herself until the Doctor saves the butterfly. Oftentimes, the actor for the Doctor has to sell us on ridiculousness, and thankfully Gatwa has that skill.

Starting the new season with this episode takes some guts, and although it wasn’t the best, it was incredibly confident. It certainly convinced me that the show is in the right hands for this brand new era.

8/10: Under lesser stewardship, this story could’ve landed with a clunk, but infectious energy is a great solve to any and all problems.

Impressive amounts of make-up for a throwaway gag

The Church on Ruby Road Review

The Church on Ruby Road

It’s a brand new era

Story 304, 2023 Christmas Special

Doctor: The Fifteenth Doctor

Companions: Ruby Sunday

The Church on Ruby Road gives us a very fun intro to a brand new era with just as much mysteries to keep us hooked as we finally get the Gatwa era underway.

The Review

Goblins!

RTD’s companion introduction episodes, and his one new Doctor episode in The Christmas Invasion are episodes I’ve always loved more than most. I just am a massive fan of episodes bursting with excitement and energy, and seeing two characters become quick friends and traveling companions. I may be a bit biased as she reminds me of a close friend of mine, but Millie’s Ruby Sunday was just a delight. Adventurous and confident, but still with insecurities about her background and mysterious adoption. The Doctor admitting he was adopted too after the Timeless Child situation provided a surprisingly sweet moment. From the jump, the chemistry between Gibson and Gatwa was just superb, and this is shaping up to be a classic pairing even one episode one. Gatwa brought effortless energy, charm, and emotion, and by the end I was sold that he was indeed the Doctor. By the end of his first season it’ll be hard to imagine the Doctor being anyone else.

Goblins: they eat babies

The plotline is pretty simple, these adorable goblins are causing lots of accidents because they dine on coincidences and happenstance in what the Doctor calls their own breed of physics. They have a very funny musical number salting the Sundays’ poor new foster newborn. The Doctor and Ruby even join in, which was unexpected and amusing. There’s a funny scene when Ruby’s mom keeps bringing up coincidences fracturing their flat, then we see how sad her life would’ve been without Ruby in it. The Doctor goes back to 2004, sorts out the goblins, and despite wondering if he was bad luck lets Ruby travel along with him. However, Ruby’s neighbor Mrs. Flood, is shocked to see the TARDIS dematerialize, and despite apparently not recognizing the police box is apparently very much aware what the TARDIS is. With a lot of mysteries in the hopper, it feels like we have the ingredients for a new era.

I’m not sure there was much I would change in this episode, it mainly exists as a vehicle to see the beginning of what is always a love story (even if not a romantic one) between the Doctor and his new companion. After the misfire of having far too many companions in the Whittaker era, we’re back to the Doctor and a companion. Can’t wait.

8.75/10: Okay fine, probably not a perfect ten, but it was so refreshing and fun. Let’s move on from the complications of Flux and The Giggle and just do some Doctor Who!

The Fifteenth Doctor at last!

60th Anniversary Special Review

60th Anniversary Specials

60th Anniversary Specials

Doctor: Fourteenth Doctor, Fifteenth Doctor

Companions: Melanie Bush, Donna Noble, Wilfred Mott, Kate Stewart

Quality always helps win out, and the 60th anniversary delivers well enough there, but you still can’t shake the feeling of wondering what we’re all doing here.

The Review

Here’s the scores for the stories:

Wild Blue Yonder: 10/10

The Star Beast: 8/10

The Giggle: 10/10

There will be a lot of overlap with the Fourteenth Doctor review, so let’s stay focused on the tv stories for this post. The Star Beast was fun enough, and the Meep brings his iconic comic-villain status to the screen, but ultimately got bogged down with some weird dialogue that got a bit too heavy-handed. Then we got our first out and out classic in years with Wild Blue Yonder, an absolutely terrific terrifying story that reminded us what we love so much about this show. Finally, The Giggle starts with some great satire, and then left us with a resolution that left us with more questions than answers. For people who wanted classic series fan-service, they were at least covered by The Power of the Doctor. Now, we wonder what the future holds.

8.667/10 The 60th anniversary definitely feels more in line with Series 1-10 than the Chibnall era did, but hardly surprising with all the same people coming back. The real question is what will the bold new future have in store for us?

The Giggle Episode

The Giggle

Dancing with the Toymaker

Story 303, 60th Anniversary Special 3

Doctor: The Fourteenth Doctor, the Fifteenth Doctor

Companions: Melanie Bush, Donna Noble, Wilfred Mott, Kate Stewart

The Giggle brings the 60th anniversary festivities to a close with a very fun episode that just ends with a bit of whimper while introducing some major lore changes that feel a little more half-baked than game-breaking.

The Review

David Tennant gives it his all, as usual

The first two-thirds of this story are a lot of fun. In what I was unaware of was a very true story, the first television image was of a creepy puppet. It turns out none other than the Toymaker supplied this puppet, and its evil giggle has been embedded into every television screen, getting stuck in people’s brains. Now in the 21st century, all of the world is turned online, and guess what: the Toymaker is making everybody think they’re right and everyone else is wrong, the modus operandi of the 21st century. This is all great social satire, but they don’t do much with it in the second half of the episode to my disappointment. Neil Patrick Harris is a ton of fun as the Toymaker, the sequence of him lip-syncing Spice Girls and terrorizing UNIT is sensational (including turning two soldiers into bouncy balls). UNIT has a full team with Kate, Shirley, this alien called the Vlinx, and Mel! Mel explains she got a lift back to Earth after Glitz died, and found a home in UNIT. Bonnie Langford does a great job in this episode. I like this new UNIT team here, but I do need to hear from Osgood, even Chibnall at least shouted her out in Flux. Then we get the final third of the story…

The first every bi-generation

The Toymaker eventually shoots a big ‘ol laser at the Doctor, and he bi-generates, with Gatwa basically spawning out of Tennant. This is the big thing that caused endless controversy, and honestly…I don’t mind weird stuff like this. What matters is how it gets used. The Toymaker’s defeat is a game of catch which has some fun scenes, but eventually he just misses and gets stuck in a box. It’s a bit of a whimper, and the shock of the bi-generation really steals the Toymaker’s thunder away. Secondly, there’s a lot of confusion about what exactly is going on here. Gatwa seems a lot more with it than Tennant, and basically says he needs therapy and to settle down with the Nobles while Gatwa heads out of there. He even hits the TARDIS with a mallet and creates a duplicate Tennant gets to keep. Honestly, my main question is just: why? Was it worth it to risk overshadowing Gatwa and still keep the specter of Tennant out there? It’s such a kind ending for the Tennant Doctor, but it also has made it feel like everything we saw in-between The End of Time and now and the three Doctors we had was really stealthily character development just for Tennant. Hopefully the unfolding of the RTD era will ease my concerns, but it’s a change I’m going to see RTD need to put more leg-work in to justify. At least we’ve mentioned the Flux.

The Giggle starts off as potentially a potent satire of 21st century outrage culture, and ends up getting bogged down by some lore that leaves us all with more questions than answers. I’m just glad we’re finally going to see Gatwa in action. (And I didn’t even mention, the new Master is all but confirmed to be coming).

8/10: The first part of the episode saves this from the 7 range, but the ending kind of falls apart in a RTD-way reminiscent of old.

The Fifteenth Doctor!