73 YARDS REVIEW | Doctor Who Season 1

THIS WEEK we're reviewing Doctor Who Season One Episode Four - 73 Yards! Is it a banger or a flop???
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[@LeviPennington-vv2kq]

A yard is three feet, and a foot is twelve inches

[@holyome]

For anyone confused about this brilliant episode: The lady in black was Ruby herself. She dies of old age at the end of the episode, but once she dies her ghost starts moving backwards through time (kinda like Tenet) staying at 73 yards from herself, up to the point she first arrives on the cliff with the Doctor. A recurrent theme throughout this season is how many superstitions have been given real power ever since 14 used the salt trick at the edge of creation. In the beginning of the episode, while speaking about a terrible prime minister from the future, the Doctor steps on a fairy circle which was apparently binding "Mad Jack", causing the Doctor to disappear. And Ruby begins to be haunted by her ghost which always keeps a distance of 73 yards from her but other people can approach but when they talk to her they begin to fear Ruby and retreat from her but also from the world. It is later revealed that this prime minister the Doctor was talking about goes by the nickname Mad Jack and is hell bent on launching nukes (whether the pm himself is Mad Jack itself or Mad Jack is acting through the prime minister is up to debate I think). Ruby realises she has to stop him and she does by placing her ghost next to him (by standing at 73 yards from him, the exact distance she was about to get shot by the PMs security), causing him to resign retreat from the world. In the end Ruby dies, but her spirit goes backwards through time, keeping the same distance from Ruby up to the point where she arrives on the cliff with the Doctor, and she makes her past self stop the Doctor from stepping on the circle, never releasing Mad Jack and stopping this whole alternate timeline from happening, in turn stopping her ghost from ever existing, causing it to disappear.

[@charg1nmalaz0r51]

And yet that makes no sense because Ncuti mentions the evil pm in both versions of the start with and without him breaking the circle so this mad jack theory is completely nonsense.

[@3wheelyboy]

33:35 14 Talks also talks about it in Wild Blue Yonder when Donna asks where the TARDIS went

[@speeeee35]

TL;DR: What is Ruby? Why was she elderly & able to survive an entire second lifetime following herself?! (My most important point hahahaha) I’m just hoping that all the things I have questions about will be answered and were for a reason as opposed to all just being one-off bits of magic that tied into the fairy circle. Like what I mean is… Why 73 yards? Why that number? Was the lady that was following Ruby (old Ruby) another version of Ruby, that somehow watched her her entire life, never aging herself? Or was it supposed to be like the old Ruby in the bed somehow magically became that lady and was sent back in time? And how was she seen by Ruby after the doctor disappeared the first time but then in time to stop her the second time? Obviously, I could go on and on, but basically what I’m saying is are these things all gonna be for a reason and pay off in the end or is it just gonna be like “oh that’s the magic that the circle made!” Assuming the former… What is Ruby? Why was she like 80 years old and then able to live the length of entire lifetime following her herself?

[@charg1nmalaz0r51]

Sorry RTD already said hes not going to clarify it lol

[@CalWareing]

Love the intro

[@whocatalogue]

The questions this episode left me with: why did the Doctor disappear? What did Ruby whisper to make people run away? Why did the paradox suddenly fulfill itself ans start anew?

[@SweptDust5340]

doctor disappeared: soul for a soul, the doctor was bound in his place. What did she whisper: i don’t think she whispered anything of words, it was a curse as far as my understanding. How did the loop happen: soul for a soul, old Ruby took the doctors place, satisfying the curse and freeing her past self and the doctor. Those are my theories

[@richardlambert1256]

Only thing I'd say is that was a black cab not an Uber she deffo could've got that in the time otherwise love the content and loved this episode

[@mr.scarlo2234]

I loved 73 Yards but to me it felt like two episodes stuffed into one, and that made other parts of the episode suffer. It should've been a two parter to flesh out everything better. Despite that, Millie and Aneurin were great in the episode. Favourite episode of the series so far, 9/10

[@Aneurin_Hunt]

Really? (Seeing my named used without being about me is weird since I have never met someone with my name).

[@boomerdoug4242]

Nice cold open guys....I see what you did there👌😘 I've just watched "73 Yards". I did enjoy it, but it was more Black Mirror than Doctor Who. Is it wrong to say I didn't miss Ncuti? As a standalone episode I really enjoyed this, but I have minor gripes . Despite looking great, and atmospheric the spooky Pub and the characters in it were kind of wasted ( except maybe for some exposition). Maybe I'm thick but I have no idea why everyone was so terrified when they spoke to Mysterious Figure AKA Old Lady Ruby. Or even why or how she pursued Young Ruby. Time Travel,Fairies? The episode looked great filmed in the land of my birth. Aneurin Barnard as Roger Ap Gwilliam made a great villain. If the rumours that HE was the actor cast as The Doctor ( before Ncuti auditioned) I can see why. He had a mysterious presence and commanded every scene he was in.

[@chriss5461]

Yeyyyyy boiiiii this episode was insane.

[@natoriousyes3773]

this episode was an interesting one for sure. i did not care about it whatsoever at first watch. I didn't get what was going on. i felt like trying to catch a train if that makes sense. loved it at second watch. i had the same experience back wheb heaven sent came out cuz my attention span just wasn't there and i couldnt comprehend what i was watching. and now it's top 5 (i also love love and monsters btw lol)

[@purpledoge1488]

ok i have to say this. im concerned about Ncuti's run as the doctor. i like his version, and the writing but we are 4 out of 8 episodes in and his version of the doctor hasnt saved the day once yet, its mostly been him getting in danger and him needing to be rescued. why is RTD sideling the doctor? its an interesting take that is good for 1 or 2 episodes but i dont want it to be the entire series. when it comes to doctor who as a whole one thing people notice is the doctor is front and center but so far the season has made him more of a back character or on the same level as a companion.

[@nikdenver8512]

Lol what? Many Doctor Who episodes have been Doctor lite too. That means nothing. Last episode, it was way too Ruby lite. It's for the storytelling. This episode needed that for Ruby. Gosh, these people are such idiots.

[@whocatalogue]

You didn't 'have' to say that at all. Happy to invalidate your fears as another Who fan!

[@joshuadownes9449]

I think it has to do with Ncuti’s unavailability during the shooting for this first season. He had to film both S4 of Sex Education and scenes from the Barbie movie. he’ll be more prominent in s15

[@rsienicki]

I think he did solved the problem in "Church" (he was the one who saved Ruby and destroyed Goblins), "Space Babies" (he solved the problem with the Bogeyman and fixed the ship so they could get help) and in "Boom" (even though he needed some help he was the one who pretty much stopped the war, by using everything he could). He didn't really saved the day in "Chord" but was really close and well, here.

[@speeeee35]

@@nikdenver8512No I honestly know what he means- in the first episode he was literally running and screaming (which was for a reason but adds up lol), the second episode he *literally would have lost if two musical geniuses didn’t happen to walk down the hall at the right moment*, the third he was on a landmine- whatever- and was saved by a father’s love for his daughter being strong enough to bypass AI… I don’t need a “heavy is the head that wears the crown” action-hero tenth doctor type, and I love the way he’s playing the character otherwise, with such charisma and charm and humor… but I noticed that too, that he hasn’t really…. Done much that wouldn’t have been able to happen whether or not he was there. Though I will give him being the one to point out to the soldiers and boom that they were fighting themselves… They wouldn’t of realize that on their own and I’m sure the people who did would’ve been thought as crazy people lol