The Church on Ruby Road - Doctor Who review

[@CouncilofGeeks]

My video on the issue of the BBC's support of Transphobia: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3-XppZmfb-ljac My video on the BBC's response to complaints of its reporting: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qZzLaWSEatGWj7s My short on why I'll continue to put up the note at the front of these: kzbin.infoHpwwzjzFXiE Shaun's 1st video, which includes some additional confirmed information: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mGXFpn2Dgs6qmck Shaun’s 2nd video, which follows how the BBC is trying to dodge accountability for all of this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p5fNhXpsiLudo7M Shaun’s 3rd video, following him escalating his complaints: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nIPRYoiQacubmqc Shaun's 4th video, covering the BBC's response: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aXeaeIpth9RnhbM Laura Kate Dale's protest speech outside the BBC offices: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nnPNeKGNoNx0oKs

[@stephaniepage4334]

This video is awesome

[@MorbidGod391]

20:37 wow… I totally got more Complexity from this story. At the end, when he realized that Ruby being gone meant that all these kids she touched had now lost that connection to this family. When he saw how it changed her. He was literally crying and the look on his face, seeing a blank fridge, was a look of horror. Coming from someone who just found out he was adopted… that meant something to him. And then when he saved Ruby and saw the mother. A part of him wanted to go see her. Wanted to find out who she is and why she left the baby. But I think because of what he’s dealing with he felt it best not to. Obviously that part is speculation on my part but you can tell he thought about going to her.

[@nailinthefashion]

And then coming off of the years and years of loss, the flux, to see now children lose their potential AND a mother who can't even grieve what she doesn't know she's lost. Okay, New Who, okay, making me cry on Christmas once again, I haven't since Smith

[@lcflngn]

I’d thought the early narration said the mother was never found, and I thought the Doctor was giving her the gift of anonymity. That was really caring to me. What hell is that woman going through, best to let her alone. But, if she’s a mystery for the show, best to let the story unfold. Can’t alter history, after all… (except when the story requires it!)

[@nailinthefashion]

​@@lcflngnit feels like he'll have to, to fix the crack. Can't let a draft freeze the planet.

[@lcflngn]

@@nailinthefashion or indeed the family, including Lulubelle!

[@nailinthefashion]

@@lcflngn you're right it's best not to freeze babies, they're way better fresh! (Goblin music plays)

[@literaltruth]

Davina McColl has been in Doctor Who before. She was the voice of Big Brother in the UK for over a decade and so she was the voiceover when the Doctor was trapped in the Big Brother House in "Bad Wolf" in series 1. She's not a newscaster - she's a TV presenter in a variety of kind of "light entertainment" shows.

[@CarysCreatesThings]

She voiced the Davinadroid in Doctor Who, but she wasn’t the voice of Big Brother UK, she was the host. Marcus Bentley was the narrator/voice of Big Brother and Davina McCall introduced the housemates and interviewed them when they were evicted.

[@robertscullin3824]

There was no davinadroid she has just a voice over a intercom

[@CarysCreatesThings]

@@robertscullin3824 I know it’s just a voice, but the voice says “this is Davinadroid”. She’s also credited as ‘Davinadroid’ on IMDB and the Tardis Wiki. It’s the character’s name, even though we don’t actually see the character.

[@jbillma]

Came here to say this. Even as an American, I'd heard the name before... although I misremembered her as being one of the presenters of the famous Ghostwatch program, rather than being the presenter of Big Brother UK. (Not sure how I confused her for Sarah Greene....) The US doesn't really have an equivalent to TV presenters in the UK, as most of our game show hosts and reality TV emcees are better known in-- or at least started out in-- other programs or fields of fame. (For example, Jerry Springer actually was a TV news anchor prior to reality show fame; he also was the mayor of Cincinnati.) However, two I can think of that would be roughly equivalent would be Ryan Seacrest and Mo Rocca.

[@robertscullin3824]

@@CarysCreatesThings I’d forgotten that I stand corrected hope you had a good 🎄

[@The_Ice_Cream_Police]

That moment where Ruby disappeared from the timeline, and we see an alternate version of Ruby's mom was pretty unsettling. It was like her soul had left her a long time ago in this timeline. This episode went into strange directions I never expected from an X-mas special, and for the most part I really enjoyed it. Ncuti was vibrant in this! Looking forward to seeing where he takes this character.

[@ftumschk]

I thought the actress playing Ruby's mother did an excellent job of portraying those two different versions of her character. Quite chilling, really.

[@paulhammond6978]

That was my favourite moment. I think the goblins were a low threat monster, and the main interest was introducing the new Doctor, and the new companion and her family. But the moment when the Doctor realised that the goblins had stolen Ruby was when everything got serious for me, a real chills down the spine moment.

[@Salvatore98B]

Love and Family proved that it makes everyone a better human being

[@obsidiancurse429]

It was like a Christmas carol in reverse, she became Scrooge without Ruby.

[@The_Ice_Cream_Police]

​@@Salvatore98Bbeautifully put!

[@bizarrebunny5579]

When I realised Ruby was disappeared when there was a crack I SCREAMED. Season 5 flashbacks and then the “why are you crying” such a throwback to Amy not knowing she was crying over Rory disappearing with a crack. RTD I love your writing Taking out the goblins and musical theatre moments- I really REALLY liked it. I feel like I know Ruby enough to love her already, there’s already so many depths and quirks to her character. Also “learning the language of rope” was so “Rose... I’m resonating concrete” and the idea the doctor wants to learn the language of how everything understands- love it. The reason Christmas specials are a bit silly is they tend to air on TV at a different time on Xmas day to fit the family friendly slot instead of the doctor who slot I don’t understand the critique of stuff about this episode not revolving the goblins- it was very warm, in depth, detailed

[@rebelprincess1164]

What I’m hoping happens with Ruby’s parents is that the answer is really anticlimactic. There’s no aliens, no time travel, Ruby’s mother abandoned her simply because she didn’t want her. The hardest and most interesting thing Ruby could hear is that no one is gonna turn up to give her a place in her own story and she’s gonna have to find that for herself.

[@jonni2317]

maybe it wasnt that she didnt want ruby but couldnt take care of her, maybe she died in child birth and that wasnt even her mom leaving her there, but yeah i want it to be mundane too

[@teowachowski1143]

I dont think that the answer of her mom not wanting her is anticlimatic, I think its really fucking depressing lol. A more mundane or realistic approach would be the mom not having enough money to take care of her. Most children in the foster system have family that wants them but is poor

[@JAM92]

It's going to be something convoluted and ridiculous involving aliens and time travel and all sorts of big, bombastic stuff and it'll be oh so dramatic.

[@TheCagedCorvid]

I somehow have a feeling that the woman at the end has something to do with it.

[@Logan_Irrelevant]

Right on the dot.

[@CarysCreatesThings]

Davina McCall is a real person but she’s a TV presenter, not a newscaster. I’d say she’s one of the most famous TV presenters in the UK. She hosted a show called Long Lost Family where she helped people track down relatives they’d either lost contact with or never met. However the show was produced by and aired on ITV, a rival channel of the BBC, so whilst this fictional show on Doctor Who is clearly a homage to LLF, even going so far as to have the same host, they couldn’t use the title.

[@menwithven2862]

Completely agree with your opinions on 15. The thing I’d add is he’s clever and very charismatic without being smug. He doesn’t gain his status from sucking out of other people in the room but rather by lifting them up in a genuinely earnest way. A very very rare quality that either you have or you don’t.

[@jbillma]

One thing I kinda focused on was how Ruby's world changed, "It's A Wonderful Life" style, when her existence was removed by the goblins. I think that went a long way into showing us the kind of companion Ruby will be. Is there mystery? Sure, but it wasn't the sort of mystery at the expense of character development we saw with Clara's Impossible Girl. With Clara, we couldn't even get a firm grip on who she was as a 21st century human... and that's even setting aside her other two supposed origins. Is she the daughter of a widower who opts to become a full-time nanny to two children who... just disappear after "A Nightmare In Silver"? Is she the daughter of two loving parents who regularly visits with her family as shown in "The Time of the Doctor", only for the family never to be mentioned again? Does she miss her late mother, and what is her relationship with her... step-mother, if that's whom Linda is to Clara? Did they ever meet Danny Pink? And just who was Orson Pink, anyway, considering the timeline leaves no room for either Clara or Danny to have offspring?? (Never mind with each other...) Oh, and why did Clara decide to run off with the woman [Ashildr] who essentially set up her own death, rather than returning to one of the MANY lives she left behind by traveling with the Doctor??? Ahem... yes, these are all problems with Clara, not Ruby, but it kinda goes to show just how badly Clara's arc had to go for her to be as unfocused a character as she was. We had 3 years to try to figure out who Clara was. (Or more to the point, Moffat had 3 years to tell us.) The fact that we don't know who Ruby is after one holiday is... fine, for now. But even so, as I said, we did get a glimpse. And what we got was a view of a foundling, like the Doctor themselves, whose sudden absence from the timeline left a pretty big hole, much as the Doctor's absence left a colossal hole in "Turn Left". What I really liked about Ruby, though, was that the hole she left was more human-sized, more realistic. No, it wasn't going to change the course of the universe, but it did clearly change the course of the life of one Carla Sunday... and, one imagines, the lives of others around her. That's what sets Ruby apart from Clara, whose worlds appear not to miss her, nor does she appear to miss any of the Clara Oswalds she left behind.

[@lcflngn]

Truly appreciate your take, feel the same about Clara, and hoping Ruby is more grounded. She has some great starting points, let’s hope! We certainly have to see more of her amazing family & also friends, love them all so much!

[@dutchman8887]

some very dumb takes there. clara was significantly better character than ruby is so far. all of your criticisms are just things you didn't understand but were obvious. it's literally stated clara is only doing the nanny stuff temporarily. if you find it difficult to see someone going from becoming a temporary nanny to a teacher then you're dumb. it's extremley obvious she misses her mother but it also happened a while ago. it's brought up several times with the leaf. it's clear she doesn't really care about her step mother but again clara is in her 20s at this point she doesn't need to have much of a relationship with her dads girlfriend. also rather easy to see that after the death of the mother the relationship with her father worsened. orson pink was a relative but either timelines changed with danny's death (heavily implied missy influences his death to lead them to her). clara runs off with ashildr because she's also running from the time lords. the entire fucking point of her arc is becoming more like the doctor and her addiction to that lifestyle. why would she go back to normal life??? you just so clearly didn't understand the character entirely due to your own fault rather than the writing. danny was all she had left to care about and he died and then she spirals into risk taking in series 9. clara has actual character depth unlike ruby. series 8 and 9 clara is unmatched in the entire show for character depth and development but even in the bells of st john there was a much stronger sense of clara's personality and why she wants to leave home and travel with the doctor and why the doctor wants to travel with her. if you can't tell who clara was after 3 years it is entirely your fault.

[@anerdyenby]

I can understand your concern about the Ruby mystery especially after the Clara mystery. One big difference between the two, I think, is that while Clara was a mystery to The Doctor but to herself was just a normal person, the mystery of Ruby is her own mystery. I think that gives her more agency and character than Clara did in 7B, at least so far. EDIT: Also, I wonder if there are maybe trademark issues with the Gremlins franchise and that's why they are called goblins.

[@nailinthefashion]

Since it's Disney, I wouldn't be shocked about the trademarking. People are so greedy, when that word isn't even exclusive to that film lol. And I can't agree with you more about the centering of the mystery. They get to unravel it together from a similar perspective as opposed to her being like a project 🩺

[@Sentientmatter8]

​@@nailinthefashionYES! Y hot on exactly what makes this better. Ruby has agency.

[@kingofnonation5843]

Goblins, Imps, are the folklore inspiration for gremlins. But yeah they can't use that term but goblin is public domain

[@hypnoamber3248]

Agreed. Ruby feels like she has agency. She's already looking for her parents. She's already going head first into adventure not being caught off guard in a situation.

[@philopharynx7910]

I agree with you. At this point, Ruby's mystery is on a human level. And While it's obviously disappointing to her, they do play up that Ruby has a wonderfully supportive mother. We see that they both changed each other's life for the better. It might end up that this mystery grows into something bigger, but that will probably be very organic and engage both characters. Clara was set up as a mystery box from the beginning. I didn't like that as much and felt that she did much better after this was resolved and she could just be a companion. At least until they pulled the "She is fated to die and we cannot change this until the final Deus Ex Machina" for the umpteenth time.

[@williampanic8292]

While I have no doubt the mystery of who Mrs Flood is will unveil itself over time - I am almost 100% sure that the delievery of the line - the post episode wink to the camera - is a riff on a 1st Doctor episode (The Feast of Stephen) in which the Doctor turns to camera, breaks the fourth wall and wishes the viewer a merry Christmas with a wink.

[@TheDanishGuyReviews]

"Incidentally, Merry Christmas to all of you at home!"

[@richards2936]

A light, fun story elevated by Ncuti and Millie's performances (and those of Ruby's family). I didn't find myself wondering where David Tenant was, something I had assumed would be on my mind going into the episode. I especially loved the misdirect where the Doctor tells the policeman she will say yes and I assumed Russell was resurrecting that thing McGann's Doctor did in the TV movie, where he would inexplicably tell people their future because that sounds like the kind of thing a Time Lord would do. I loved that instead of randomly knowing the future for no reason, Ncuti's Doctor was just using deductive reasoning to be nice. I think he's going to be phenomenal in the role.

[@eugenideddis]

There was only one moment where I thought about Tennant, and that was when he said he didn't have anyone. Where we left Tennant it felt like he would count Donna's family, if not all the companions, as his family. But he doesn't. Through me for a loop. But, Last of the Time lords, and Timeless Child, so I get where he was coming from

[@ApolloStarfall]

Precisely. I didn't think about DT once while watching, which is crazy now that I think about it

[@lcflngn]

Phenomenal for sure

[@jackskellingtonsora]

@@eugenideddis I loved that a lot. Because this Doctor shuffled all the emotional baggage onto his other self and said "You deal with it, I'm out." Which is SUCH a Doctor thing to do.

[@TheCagedCorvid]

I didn't think about him either, and I love that, because the reason is that I know he's (or at least he will be) OK. Also, I'm already fully on board with this incarnation, I adore his take on the Doctor so far and I'm really excited to see more.

[@DaeZey]

Favourite moment of charatisation for me with Ruby. Her working out the time travel at the end. Just pausing and going hang on I haven't thought through this. Oh. OH! Felt very interesting. She'll roll with things in the moment and reflect on it later. (Also they're clearly Goblins as a reference to Labyrinth.)

[@nailinthefashion]

That was so endearing, wasn't it? It was as if she didn't even realize magic does indeed exist, just focused on saving her sister. Now THAT is a companion worth keeping around!

[@b.l7491]

I loved this too! Felt very realistic; I think a lot of us would react simillarly, just rolling with the punches until you can breathe.

[@lcflngn]

@@b.l7491ok, felt a bit the opposite, like why didn’t she react more strongly, but hear you. That’s probably it.

[@ItsMeHarry]

Davina is a big presenter in the UK, she was the first host of Big Brother UK for years, even voicing the Davina-droid in Bad Wolf. She mostly is known nowadays for her show "Long Lost Family" where she helps people find lost relatives, hence the opening with Ruby. She isn't a global name so it's funny to me that Russell starts his new series thats going global with a direct reference to British TV, but as a Brit I appreciated it.

[@itisALWAYSR.A.]

I should have read the comments, you wrote the LLF thing way more concisely than I did!

[@stephjovi]

Not a Brit but 42 so Davina on MTV Europe was my early teens. Before they replaced it with mtv Germany and mtv started to suck. Watched her on diary of a ceo. Very Intersting life especially her youth

[@ibotmania4284]

Shame she’s a terrible actress

[@patrickchoque7720]

@@ibotmania4284yeah 😭

[@dancingman1983]

@@ibotmania4284 she's not an actress just a presenter of show Doctor Who makes references to

[@Para2normal]

Just a quick note, Anita Dobson (Mrs Flood) is an incredibly prolific and well liked British Actor and has appeared in one of the Big Finish Dr Who adventures.

[@intergalactic92]

It’s seemed such a tiny role for someone as prolific as her. Considering she was part of the promotional material she seemed weirdly underused, until the final scene, and everyone in the room went "Oooh!"

[@elysiumgallerytv2776]

and married to Queen guitarist Brian May!

[@chocobxl]

It’s obviously because she will be back. RTD calls her storylîne a slow burn.

[@ftumschk]

I wouldn't worry about the difference between a goblin and a gremlin. The latter were invented by RAF airmen in WWII as a whimsical "explanation" for why something had gone inexplicably wrong. Here's an early mention from 1942: _"And so, lacking a Devil, the young fliers invented a whole hierarchy of devils. They called them Gremlins [because] they were the goblins which [caused planes to malfunction]"_ (Source: Oxford English Dictionary). Gremlins were thus conceived as mischievous sprites who screwed around with things and caused "accidents". Of course, goblins have a much older folkloric heritage, and were often - guess what? - mischievous sprites who screwed around with things and caused accidents! The most famous goblin is probably Shakespeare's prankster Puck, who was specifically a hobgoblin, but a goblin nonetheless.

[@phoebe8579]

exactly!! goblins are so integral to british folklore and i feel like they acted exactly like goblins in the episode. definitely think it's a discrepancy across uk/us audiences.

[@apopheny]

A 'gremlin' is a 20th century invention originating in the RAF and used to explain malfunctions in machinery. The name is believed to perhaps be a portmanteau of 'goblin' and 'Fremlin' (a popular beer at the time). They have no folkloric history, and most people know the word from the American movies. A 'goblin' is a folkloric creature that dates back at least to the medieval British Isles and that probably has its roots in the Germanic 'kobold'. It was perceived as being a small, troublesome and somewhat monstrous faerie creature. Famously, they were (and still are in some places) believed to steal children.

[@unclegumbald989]

Someone get that poor woman a cuppa, for Christmas’ sakes!!

[@paulflint6254]

Ncuti feels like a brand new Doctor, he has his own style and really brings energy to the role. Really liked Ruby too, the adoption plot feels real to me as I was adopted. All in all i loved it 💙

[@SageWon-1aussie]

That Mrs Flood fourth wall break was Disney wanting Ncuti and Millie to bring their own audiences to Dr Who, which they will, but it feels very cynical. Even if RTD builds a neat story around it. The Goblins weren't called Gremlins because Disney didn't want to start a copyright suit for Christmas.

[@raininscotland]

I really enjoyed how they showed the impact Ruby had on her family and all the other children her mum helped. Even though the Doctor isn't personally invested in Ruby yet, just seeing all the lives affected by her not being there really got to him. This is a Doctor who cares about everyone, and not just the people he personally knows.

[@mutekrabby5039]

The scene between The Doctor and Ruby's mum and grandmother after the crack in the ceiling was really powerful.

[@Tototoo88]

The 4th wall break reminds me of the first Doctor breaking it and telling the audience to have a merry Christmas in the first doctor who Christmas thing.

[@octaviasaenz6666]

Gremlins = goblins. The word goblin used to be a lot more variable. Gollum, for example, is named after one such variation of these creatures.

[@octaviasaenz6666]

Also calling it here, Mrs. Flood is Ruby's birth mother. I can feel it in my sonic.

[@quintencrook6068]

Ncuti was a great casting for the Doctor. He seems to fit the role like it was made for him. The minute he takes on the role he fits it perfectly. He feels like a mix of 3, 10, and 6 (Big Finish), and I LOVE it. It works for me much better than a lot of first Doctor episodes.

[@teedee478]

I think so too. It brings back an exuberance that the Jodi Whitaker wasn't able to convey that was a remnant of Matt Smith and David Tennant.

[@23rdFoot]

I love his energy which is almost joyful, and his humor reminds me of Tom Baker, if lighter.

[@loftus4453]

Matt Smith tops my list of Doctors who immediately assume the role from the very first scene. Ncuti is pretty close though.

[@Xavier.living.life.]

He also gives off a bit of 8th doctor vibes with the "she says yes." scene.

[@teedee478]

@loftus4453 and Like Matt Smith he is keen on his environment. He adds an acceptance of environments that for once isn't only exhibited for aliens but for earth social environs too. They seem to shy away from these issues previously other than a cursory yeah...bias is wrong, now run!

[@dazartingstall6680]

Goblins are traditionally characterised by a blend of mischievousness and malevolence, so these are pretty much on the folkloric brand. If anything, gremlins are a Royal Air Force version of goblins.

[@eddhardy1054]

Spot on mate. The name is an amalgamation of Goblin & Fremlin's (a beer brewed in Kent where a lot of RAF squadrons were based). I've heard the word was invented by Roald Dahl(???).

[@CJFS00s]

( 6:43 ) The thing is she dropped her shopping and acted all surprised when the TARDIS dematerialised earlier in the episode and now is giving this bit of dialogue at the end of the episode, it doesn’t add up? 🤔

[@docksider]

The scene set with Ruby's band playing is set in the Golden Cross, Cardiff's longest running LGBT+ bar.....

[@sciencecafe1543]

I have a feeling that Mrs. Flood will be Susan and that she is connected to Ruby. I also think it was Ruby herself who dropped the baby Ruby off at the church. I have more faith in RTD sticking the landing when it comes to Ruby. Moffat was great at self-contained stories and setting things up but never gave satisfying solutions.

[@owenwildish331]

That scene with the Policeman reminded me of what the 8th Doctor was like in the TV Movie. I felt it was a nice call back to that. I do wish they kept Segun Akinola on as a Composer alongside Murray Gold, thus giving the music a bit more variety if that's the right word... I always felt Segun Akinola's music was much truer to the spirit of Doctor Who overall, but everyone seems to like Murray Gold's style. Why can't we have both composers working together..?

[@nailinthefashion]

Money lol. Contracting two doubles the budget so typically you'd save collabs for larger pieces like specials or whatever. However I personally believe sound design and vfx are where people should be investing even more than they do so I agree with you

[@jsnow7919]

Amazing review as always. I know you hate theories, but here is mine about Mrs Flood. I'm just spitballing a connection. In Water of Mars, we have the above quote about THE FLOOD: "Water is patient. Water just waits" The Toymaker then references "The one who waits" We now have Mrs Flood who sits waiting outside her house.

[@kismete6921]

The thing that bug me the most is ruby didn’t say goodbye to her family or tell where she was going.

[@obsidiancurse429]

I guess once you realise you have a time travelling friend, you also realise you can be back before anyone notices you are gone.

[@HiperPivociarz]

Messing with stuff around the house and causing general misfortune is a classic fae trait, it is not exclusive to gremlins, in fact, gremlins are a relatively recent invention, from around 1920s, while goblins have been around for far longer.

[@strataseeker2981]

I found this episode the pallet cleanser I needed after how ambivalent the 60th Specials left me. Millie and Ncuti were both amazing and felt very real to me from the word go. Obviously lots of places to grow into, and yea, RTD gonna mystery box as always. We'll see how that works out.

[@teedee478]

I dud find it more in line w dr who and refreshing vs the specials. I think they they worked really hard to fix the idea that the doctor would never just leave someone's life in limbo. But in so doing it was more for the Fandom than anything else. This was a stand alone show...whew!

[@calebleland8390]

I absolutely loved this special. Ncuti is killing it so far as The Doctor, and I really like Millie as Ruby. I'm really getting some Ace vibes from her, not just in her dress sense but her fearlessness. She is obviously terrified of being on that rooftop, but she runs and jumps onto a ladder because the baby needs her. And that exchange between her and The Doctor while he's running to catch up is great. I also love when he's talking with the cop. "The Doctor, not a doctor..." That just made me laugh the way he delivered that bit. Overall, this and the trailer just makes me that much more excited for what's coming.

[@bradugar]

Find it funny whenever people say the Doctor should of tried to reason with the Goblin King, they mean the same Goblin King who eats Babies , 100 golden Puppies & Orphans with jet black hair. Like thank heck 15 killed them they literally went back in time to eat his new best friend Ruby

[@one_smol_duck]

I'm rarely a fan of christmas specials but this was one of my least favorites. The tonal dissonance of "newborn baby is about to be gruesomely murdered" and "here are some silly mischievous goblins singing a badly written song" doesn't work for me at all. It just made me uncomfortable. I disagree about Ruby being under characterized, though. Yes, we know that she wants to know her bio parents, which is a little bland for an orphaned character. But we also know that she cares for her grandmother and that she cares for the children her mom fosters. When Lulubelle arrived, Ruby slipped right into baby mode. She knew exactly what supplies were needed, exactly how to work that baby monitor, exactly what to do when left alone with the baby. And when she's ripped out of the timeline, all of her foster siblings fall off the fridge, and her grandmother's health is visibly worse. Carla is bitter and lonely, still caring for Lulu but only for the check. That tells me more about Ruby than most companions get in their introduction story tbh.

[@Tymbus]

I'm not so keen on the Christmas Special either. That said, I disagree with you on the use of the word 'Goblins'. They are mythological creatures who are "usually mischievous but often malicious". Goblins supposedly "attach themselves to households, where they are believed to bang upon pots and pans, snatch nightclothes off the bodies of sleeping people, move furniture at night, and flee after rapping on walls and doors...The word goblin derives from the Greek kobalos (“rogue”). " - Encyclopedia Britiannica. Gremlins are of more recent invention ie WWII as mainly messing with aircraft and machinery. Gremlins, don't have a King but in various mythologies, goblins do.

[@Kriese-The-Broken]

I do think one big difference between how the Clara and Ruby character puzzle boxes are presented is who the puzzle box is for in the story. For Clara, she was a puzzle for the Doctor to solve. He spent the series trying to figure out what was special about her and why she kept appearing. For Ruby, the puzzle box is for herself. Only she cares about her family history to the point that, when the Doctor had the chance to chase after the person who dropped off newborn Ruby at the church, he chose not to. My hope (and this might be wishful thinking) is that by changing who has this specific motivation to solve a "character puzzle box" over a series it will improve characterization of the main characters. We'll have to wait and see.

[@yuvalne]

your take about the soundtrack was spot on and thank you for saying it because I haven't heard anyone else say it so far.

[@tmage23]

They spent a lot of time with Mrs Flood. She's important somehow (my guess - Pond/River/Flood). I'm not too worried about Ruby being another Clara. Ruby's had more character development in one episode than Clara had in one season. I liked that we see the Doctor dancing his ass off in a club. Previous Doctors brooded in their spare time, this one has fun. I really liked the scenes where the Doctor is puzzling out the rules of this new reality (the shift from scif-fi to fantasy)

[@battlegirldeb]

I didn't put that together until just now. Thanks, it could be a new River. A lot of people think Mrs. Flood could finally be Jenny or Susan.

[@adelucas4824]

It has to be someone new or they'd have recognised the Tardis. She only knew it was a Tardis after she saw it dematerialise

[@Siennarchist]

Pond-river-flood is actually a really good theory, thats probably it

[@Mohsen.Eladl20]

@@battlegirldeb I don't think so she was worked up for having the tardis blocking the side road at first didn't even know what its

[@CarysCreatesThings]

Another theory is that she may be The Rani. Rain causes floods, and ‘Rani’ is an anagram of ‘rain’.

[@hypnoamber3248]

I really liked this special. A couple of things I loved about it: Ncuti as the new doctor has me 100% in vested all ready and that's not normal for me. I love his energy. I really liked that he saw a problem (hanging off things all the time) and decided hey this can be different so invented gloves! If he invents a bunch of things I'm going to be so happy because it gives me tinkering to problem solve and that's right up my alley. I also loved the rope part and how he was in awe of the way the goblins communicate. I liked how he went back to save baby ruby because it not only affected her but everyone in the house. I liked that he talked about being adopted and abandoned and it sounds like he's going to work through that in the future. Ruby was awesome and I was so worried about her just being a copy of Rose. Ruby seems like someone who is brave and will leap to save people she loves. She seems like a bright young woman who is happy even with her circumstances and has strong family bonds. She has had bad luck but she's still happy go lucky and enjoying life. Rose seemed sad with everything and caught up in the emergency instead of running towards it. Rose joined the doctor for the escape from her life where it feels like Ruby is joining the doctor because she's curious and wants to jump into adventure. At the same time yes I feel we need to learn more about her but I feel like I have a good handle on her core. I really like the new look of the show. I was worried that it would just be RTD again but this felt intimate and fun. Other videos have said that this feels like RTDs other shows in its feel that came after DW so maybe it just him growing as an artist but I definitely like the feel so far. Rtd hit us with a couple of mystery box type things but it didn't feel over the head like before. I can also see the threads of a greater story being woven, much like the ropes, that I really look forward to. I'm still not sold on the goblins and agree that gremlins would have been a better choice but maybe they had problems with the gremlins theme at Christmas. Now after all that Vera you prove again why you are one of the best DW reviewers on KZbin and I hope you have an excellent new Year

[@samanthareninger4667]

I haven't liked a new Dr so fast since Matt's first episode!

[@CulturePhilter]

I suspect avoiding Gremlins might be more to do with avoiding association with the film “Gremlins”. I would have thought people our age would hear Gremlins and think of Gizmo and his kind (I know I do)

[@youareherediversity7321]

There were so many little Labyrinth nods! I almost expected David Bowie to step in!

[@tomleonard830]

Goblins stealing children is an existing fantasy trope. It is pretty much the plot of Labyrinth.

[@elphive42]

I kind of like that they directly addressed the camera at the end of the special on Christmas. That’s a direct reference to The Feast of Steven, where William Hartnell directly addressed the audience and wished them a Merry Christmas at the end of the episode.

[@mad_the_monk]

The best Christmas present I could ask for! Wow, what an episode! Combining flourishes from Labyrinth, Goblins ripped right out of the Gremlins playbook, and a fantastic musical number; it all just screams to me that I’m gonna absolutely adore this new era! I thought the David Tennant specials were good, but Russell T Davies has already blown them out of the water for me by just casually dropping one of the most fun Doctor Who episodes yet! 15 and Ruby Sunday are also already iconic so yeah, it’s safe to say that I cannot wait for May and the new season! In the meantime though, MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

[@TonksMoriarty]

Fun fact, Gremlins only date back to the 1920s with the dawn of aviation. Yeah, I was surprised too...

[@Synthpopper]

So the thing with Miss Flood is that she saw the TARDIS dematerealise early in the episode and she acted shocked. Then suddenly, WHAM, cracks, Ruby is gone, timeline change, and Flood knows the name of the TARDIS

[@salvadorlloret-farina8767]

Because she thought it was just a wooden box. Police boxes were once common place she hasn't seen one since the 60's. She thought her neighbour had put a replica police box in her line of sight to mock/taunt her. The same colour as her front door, the same colour as a family heirloom such as a diary perhaps? The character knows what a TARDIS is Did she ask 'Who are you?' or 'Who, are you?' Unless the door is open and you can see that its smaller on the outside then its by observing the (de)materialisation that ID's a TARDIS. The sound is related to the breaks being on assuming that the explanation given by River remains the case. If i saw what i had assumed was just a wooden box dematerialise it doesn't matter that I have theoretical knowledge of what a TARDIS is or even what that one type 40 Tardis piloted by that once (in)famous renegade former President of the High Council and all round good egg The Dr looks like (whether because the TARDIS wants to look like that or because of the chameleon circuit being broken) id drop my shopping too. And if under the effects of a chameleon arch be unable to resist going to grab and open my fob watch. Ive the Theory that Ruby is Susan's Daughter and Mrs Flood may be River and the Dr's Daughter Ruby's biological half aunt. The family he has but doesnt know he has putting together the jigsaw puzzle that the Toymaker has made of the Dr's past. Filling in the blanks and making sure that they don't configure it wrong - so that you match the finished article with the picture on the box. The oncoming storm is a thing we have heard about before, Pond, River, Flood - excess water and the passage of time, which like water, flows. (Just because you smell petrichor doesn't mean its going to Rani (Who left auto-correct off?) Like the 33 family members on the fridge, i think we may well see that there is a support group coalescing in time and space safeguarding the various puzzle pieces of the Dr's puzzle, whilst also being pieces themselves. made up of both biological and chosen family, who adapt and adopt whatever peripheral roles needed to safe guard the puzzle. Either Ruby left Ruby or Rose did. He didn't pursue it because he didn't want to create a quantum locked event that might need the Heisenberg Uncertainly Principle to untangle later on. Like Amy reading on ahead in the Melody Malone Mystery novel (Which has one called the Ruby's Curse where fiction is becoming reality or is reality becoming fiction)

[@SmashYamato]

IIRC Warner Brothers sued a company wanting to name itself Tiny Gremlin. So they may have gone with goblin so as to not get sued. It wasn’t a deep or heavy episode but was a good introduction.

[@nailinthefashion]

In my head canon, goblins are the tinkerers who evolved to have more culture. Gremlins are more feral generally speaking, don't form communities. Goblins learn to speak, come up with new sciences like rope. Gremlins would be naked and not understand how they magically fly around, but do it anyway. That kinda vibe. So both can be mischievous in their own ways.

[@ohwow1626]

Actually in myth goblins are pretty much as presented in this episode (generally speaking) they are small fae creatures that are usually invisible and like to cause mischief wherever they go. Gremlins are a fairly recent invention and we're created as far as I know to explain the malfunction of machinery after the industrial revolution. These goblins sure do that too in a way (really they're just unplugging for the most part when it comes to messing with tech but sure) but I still feel like that fits the job description of a good goblin, gremlins wouldn't be doing the kidnapping babies or dropping gin tonics bit :)

[@irrelevantonyt]

My biggest issue was just how casually Ncuti killing the Goblin King was treated. I get they are baby eating creatures who had done something very evil, however The Doctor usually at least takes some consideration before murder. If it was an accident, I think they should have at least had Ncuti comment remorse afterwards or put some level of focus on it.

[@voltijuice8576]

Ncuti wasn't able to see the goblin king being impaled, he was busy struggling with trying to pull the ship down, and was shown having difficulty with controlling that. And once he was impaled, the goblins and ship quickly disappeared. IMO he wasn't trying to kill the king, and was perhaps not even aware that he had done so.

[@molly221.b]

I am glad that someone finally said that. When Ruby disappears we expect it to be a much bigger problem than the disappearance of the baby. Doctor fixes that so easily and in such a short time it hardly creates any impact on the audience.

[@b.l7491]

​@@voltijuice8576 You make a good point, but I think the issue arises because WE see the goblin king killed. Creates this dissonance in the audience's mind, because now The Doctor either looks cruel or careless depending on your school of thought.

[@markpostgate2551]

​@@voltijuice8576 Would the ship have faded out of existence if he hadn't killed the king? I didn't feel it really made much sense as a resolution; if the Doctor had to impale the goblin king to destroy the goblin then how did he aim? He can't see into the ship from underneath it.

[@Maybeitsmerlin]

I really really hope that Ncuti’s doctor gets a bit of an edge to him during his run. I’m biased because my favourite doctors are Eccleston and Capaldi, but I really want him to be very happy and curious and excited- until he’s not. Until the situation is dire enough where he has to be cut throat. Ncuti could play that so well. I want to see this man get angry and flip just like in “Dalek” in the first season of new who. If that happens, he may become my favourite doctor.

[@grandsome1]

There was a bit of that in his determination to save Ruby, while he was bringing the whole ship down at the end of the episode.

[@rosejones8058]

Goblin is, if anything can be called 'accurate' in relation to folklore, as or more accurate than gremlin. Gremlin was RAF slang about mechanical problems in the 1920s, and 30s. Goblin is a much older word for small, grotesque creatures that range from mischievous and trouble-making to malicious thieves all the way to vicious, depending on the country and story. They can shapeshift; they can use magic. The more mischievous and less nasty are sometimes called hobgoblins; Tolkien changed his nasty goblins in the hobbit into the even nastier orcs in TLTR. An enormous goblin king is a regular in folklore and appears in the hobbit too, but isn't part of the 'gremlin' story. These, as baby-eaters with a king are definitely goblins.

[@allyson87]

Imho this episode blew it out of the water. Idk what more you could ask for in a new doctor & companion’s 1st episode and a Christmas special. It did ever it needed to and definitely exceeded my expectations: -showed who these characters are, and didn’t lean on monologues and exposition. -I have to disagree with your reading of Ruby. We know a lot about her. She’s kind, creative, resourceful, impulsive, bubbly… You can’t easily rattle off clearly defined interests because she can’t either. She doesn’t have a strong sense of self and desperately looking to others to give her such answers. That’s why she was doing the interview, but we also see this in how she interacts with everyone and how she jumps into the TARDIS at the end. She cares deeply about people broadly to the point of self sacrifice, literally and metaphorically. It’s not a lack of character development but a character who lacks personal identity development (guessing this will be a key part of her arc as she tries to find out where she came from… but the answer will be in how she handles the journey) -well paced and didn’t feel terribly predictable, at least for a family show (I didn’t go in with spoilers) -had things for long time fans but you could watch this if it was the first episode of Doctor Who you ever saw -setup for an overarching plot in the new season, maybe 2: Ruby’s origin story and the neighbor -they dealt with serious topics, foster care and child abandonment, but in a light approachable way that wasn’t disrespectful. -And then to top it off, they had tons of casual diversity that felt true to life. I was very pleasantly surprised with how good this episode was! I don’t remember any other doctor’s first episode being this well done!

[@Merdragoon]

Fun fact, Goblins (and Kolbolds) were actually more gremlin like in actual Fae Lore. Especually in Irish and Scottish. They used to be the same being that were known as house spirits. Brownies came from the same fae as well. They would used to help around the house in cleaning and all that, but if you A) disrespected them or B) did not thank them, they would cause mischift and steal things from you. There used to be even Christmas Goblins (which I'm guessing is actually what they're based these goblins off of, and the Victorians LOVED the Christmas Goblins as a concept) where they were warning to people who were bad during the christmas season (both children and adults), but also would cause havoic if you didn't take down your christmas tree before Febuary 2 after the 12 days of christmas (which started with the 25th and continued on after). >_> Goblins were menices in the folklore of the Fae to the common people with even the simpliest of things.

[@ludone8067]

to beat you at your own nitpicking game, goblins in folklore are known to cause general mischief, as well as kidnapping and eating babies so their inclusion makes sense with all elements of this story. gremlins are a much more recent invention (20th century) and would not make sense here, as they are not connected with stealing children or known to have a king etc. they are not at all interchangeable and this choice was definitely not just for that one joke. it makes me sad to see someone being a confident pedant while being entirely wrong.

[@SageWon-1aussie]

It makes me sad to see there are people who think they can "beat" people at comments. Or with them.

[@ludone8067]

@@SageWon-1aussie it is merely an expression, but if someone is going to pointlessly nitpick something, and still be wrong in their complaint, I see no problem with correcting them

[@SageWon-1aussie]

@@ludone8067 Still, sad.

[@R.senals_Arsenal]

Ncuti really makes the character his own. The writing for almost every Doctor is transferable to them all with changes of inflection and emphasis, perhaps phrasing choices, but words are always lifted off the page by the acting, and Ncuti does that really well. Really really well! I got real 8th Doctor vibes from him, which from me is a real compliment, because he's probably my favorite if I was forced to pick. I've been re-listening to all of 8 recently, and I'm up to Ravenous box 1 and so the parallels with 15's style of sarcasm and heroism are really synchronizing for me.

[@phoenixheart79]

With Ruby, I think they struck a good balance with her characterisation in this special. Remember, they're essentially introducing two characters and I think RTD reversed Rose - we learned far more about Rose than the Doctor in that episode, with the Doctor's character being revealed gradually. Even so, it establishes that Ruby is a deeply caring individual who is a natural big sister (the photos on the fridge are all Family, not just foster kids - some who only stayed for a few days), that she is adaptive and hopeful - despite all the shenanigans and bad luck she doesn't become despondent and she adapts with ease, like being thrown into a musical number randomly set up by being in a band); she doesn't let bad things affect her too much - the bad luck again; she is comfortable meeting people (a trait far too many dismiss). These are all core character traits that can be built on and some are strong motivational goals too - especially the natural sibling thing. I hope they build on that in her relationship with the Doctor, not romantic but family, two found-family siblings caring for each other.

[@mxrichardsonsneighbourhood5402]

Oh, I almost forgot, the Goblins very much gave me a fae vibe. They felt Celtic to me.

[@gozerthegozarian9500]

Well, I'd expected that you'd really like the line about learning the vocabulary of rope....😉🤭🤫

[@CouncilofGeeks]

Ok, LISTEN!

[@voltijuice8576]

Knotty by nature!

[@Sky-pg8jm]

I didn't particularly enjoy the episode myself, mostly because it just kinda felt a bit boring? but Ncuti Gatwa's great performance kept me from turning it off

[@MichaelJohnson-kq7qg]

The 'nitpick' about gremlins was a stretch, and fundamentally wrong. Not just because there are other fairy mythology types that fit much better (pixies would have been the obvious choice), and not even because 'gremlins' were a recent (rioughly WW2) invention - but because gremlins are specifically linked to industrial combustion-engine era technology. These goblins use ships with rope technology.

[@Azphreal]

I took it that another reason he cared was the other children who had never been fostered and 33 lives that had been changed.

[@genevac2185]

i think they call them goblins to draw on British/Irish folk law the goblins and the whole situation generally kind of reminded me of changelings .which were shape shifting creatures who kidnapped baby to replace the baby with there own.

[@eddhardy1054]

No mate, changelings are the creatures that are left in a human baby's place. The creatures who take the babies are just fairies.

[@MydieLy]

yeah, storywise it was really just a fun ridealong! But I hands down love Ncuti as the Doctor already. He is just so... *kind*! And not in that tired, half-desillusioned way that Twelve was, he's bubbly again, like you said, with that twinkle in his eyes. And yet, he's also firm in talking back and takes no nonsense. Really enjoying it so far. Oh, and... mavity is still a thing :D Oh dear Lord...

[@PatriciaCross]

Baby stealing is Goblins. UK popular Faerie culture is a lot different from ours. In the 1800s, there was a pretty large surge in popularity of faerie stories in the UK. There was a pretty concise work written on Faerie's and faerie stories (I'm blanking on dates and names) and it defined the folklore for everyone. It also greatly inspired Tolkien, who even wrote his own Essay "On Fairie Stoies." In children's books, Goblins are mischief makers. This is also true of a lot of folklore, if you read a lot of old faerie tale books from the UK. There is also a lot of overlap from creature to creature, as many were just regional variations of the same thing and then filtered into Celtic and British folklore. (Fun fact; Troll, Trow and Drow are all the same thing, just regionally different pronunciations.) Gremlin's specifically were a creature invented by the aviation industry in the early 20th century, and is a portmanteau of Fremlin (the beer) and Grimm's Faerie Tales (or from the German word gremian (To Vex.) A gremlin is basically a goblin, and not something we would call a creature of old folklore. I cringed at The Doctor's explanation of the origin of the name...Goblin/goblinus (and various variations), cabalus (Kobold) all seem to date back to before the 1100s. Just a mischievous devil. I saw the hands and mischief and that a baby on a church doorstep was involved, and pointed at the screen and said "Goblins!"

[@flexorlamonticus]

I also fell in love with Ncuti as the Doctor right around that same moment. To me, that curiosity is the driving character of the Doctor ... from the very first episode of Classic Who, or at least from the first episode that counts when he meets the Daleks, you see a person who basically is driven to see, experience, and know knew things. He's the Einstein of his own world, and he's learned everything he can from the Time Lord caste and has to get out there into the universe to learn more. So much so that he even steals a TARDIS. He's the ultimate combination of a thrill seeker and a library nerd. And Ncuti takes that vibe and runs with it. Then, as you said, with Ncuti, there is a very human warmth interwoven within the intellectual explorer core. It is a wonderful juxtaposition, and he captures it beautifully. I've loved pretty much every Doctor for their own personal quirkiness, but Ncuti is the first Doctor since Capaldi that I just fell head over heels in love with immediately for such a beautifully saturated display of everything I love about the Doctor. I am so, so, so excited to see more!!! Gibson was also great, and I did not even notice the potential lack of characterization until you brought it up. I completely see how you felt that way, especially after Clara, BUT, I for whatever reason have absolutely no fear that she will be left under characterized. The general flow just seems to point in the direction of really getting to know her well over the course of however many seasons she is allowed to shine. And I already sense a level of warmth that I unfortunately did not from Clara, even from her very first performance. As you said, the chemistry was awesome! I hope this team gets a lot of seasons to shine together! After this I am so, so, so excited for their first season!!!! (Yes, I also felt the story was frivolous, but I'm also okay with that, and fully expect there to be more dramatic meat once the show starts anew. And who knows, sometimes the lighthearted nature of a special is what makes it so rewatchable in years to come...) Wow, that was long. Sorry!!

[@UnfoundFilms]

The song was released in advance to get into the Uk Christmas charts cause it was made for charity so the point was to hype it up and raise money

[@CouncilofGeeks]

I get that. Doesn’t change the fact that it hurt the viewing experience for me. And no, that’s not me saying “my entertainment matters more than charity,” it’s just why I bring it up. Because the video’s about my viewing experience.

[@sadfaery]

Regarding Mrs. Flood, honestly as a massive Queen fan, I was most excited about the fact that the actress is married to Dr. Brian May, but given how much her personality changed from the first half of the episode to the second half, and her knowledge of the TARDIS, I am very curious to get to the mystery of who she is. I was on the platform formerly known as Twitter earlier and "Mrs. Flood" was actually trending. So I think it will be interesting to see what the show does with her.

[@Tejiknasten]

As always, a lovely review. I really liked this episode, thought the chemistry were nice between the 15th Doctor and Ruby. Agreed about that we didn't get to know Ruby, but we didn't do that with Donna either, in her first outing. And that ending; we have a Pond, a River and now a Flood. Are they connected? Perhaps... ⭐

[@kemmdog4444]

As long as it isn’t the Flood from Waters of Mars.🤣

[@mainstreetsaint36]

​@@kemmdog4444😮

[@rngwrldngnr]

I suspect that if the bit at the end was _just_ meant to be a tongue in cheek nod to the original Christmas special, the character would have been named something more on the nose and less sinister than "Mrs. Flood".

[@cutelilscrafty]

As someone who went into the episode completely blind, the surprise of the song really added to the scene, so I agree it would have been better if they'd waited to release it on youtube until after the episode premiered. Also, the singer is Christina Rotondo.

[@mrcritical6751]

I honestly kinda love how 15 and Ruby have the chaotic friends relationship where they just do crazy shit together and enhance each other’s insanity

[@gregm766]

YES! On gremlins vs. goblins. I mean, their behavior is literally that of a gremlin.

[@toddashi]

Yes! And it made me think of "Gremlins," which is a Christmas movie.

[@ericwood9096]

Goblins are common in English, Scottish, and Irish folklore, serving as a blanket term for all sorts of evil or mischievous spirits.

[@mhollis1989]

Him taking out the Goblin King seemed like a happy accident than an intentional thing. Like a few throwaway lines of the Chungus being the ship's anchor (Not intentional but I'm keeping it) to this reality and the Doctor muttering about doing math right as he pulled the ship down could have fixed that right up. Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[@Cornwall1298]

This hasn't been touched on much, but something I find really important. Ruby is a white girl who was adopted and raised by a black family. First of all, that's a really nice switch on the stereotype of a white family adopting a child of color. It's common and in many portrayals....can be iffy. But as well, it'll likely give her a very important view of how people of color face racism and that's gonna be really interesting given that she is traveling with the first black doctor (mainline, not counting Jo Martin's fugitive doctor) who will almost certainly face some racism esp in the past. I think that sets us up for a potentially fantastic dynamic and portrayals of racism.

[@nady2296]

I didn't think about it but you're right! I'm interested to see how they will handle this

[@harrietamidala1691]

Yeah, it is an interesting role reversal of the usual adoptive/ foster child situation

[@markpostgate2551]

​@@harrietamidala1691 It's not entirely a reversal because of the whole history of wet nurses, and the "black mama" stereotype. Trouble is if you worry about replicating stereotypes the whole time you will wind up not being able to write anything, since there are numerous examples of almost every iteration of human interaction.

[@moondancerdrake5028]

To be honest I can't remember the last time I was so excited for a new doctor's run. I was lucky to have avoided any clips before seeing Ruby Road so the song and the Doctor singing was a grand surprise. I begin as a Tom Baker gal from way back and while Ive really liked a few of the new Doctors (Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant especially) Ncuti Gatwa has breathed a life into this character I never imagined possible. The Doctor has shaken off a lot of old baggage weighting their soul down and Im 100% here for it. May can't come soon enough.

[@TheDopekitty]

I love Ncuti's STYLE as the Doctor. The gremlin/goblins thing bugged me too, lol. As did the paradoxical ending I wasn't aware of the goblin song beforehand, so that part was fun for me.

[@TheIndieOcean]

One of the things I appreciated about this episode was that they didn't do the "confused new Doctor" thing that they often do. Both in his first tiny appearance and here, Gatwa's Doctor was just straight into being the Doctor. I share your trepidation about Ruby's Clara-ness. Might be nothing to worry about but I did get a twinge of concern every time it seemed like she was meant to be a mystery to some extent.

[@jamesshaw1621]

Thank you! I have seen several reviews and reactions now, and you are the ONLY KZbinr who mentioned the Goblin v Gremlin issue. I had exactly the same reaction when watching the episode myself. I do suspect, however, that this is largely a comment on ourselves rather than on the writers.

[@maddenedgeek7726]

As a Gen-Z Australian, I totally get what Vera means about gremlins. I was obsessed with the Wiggles as a kid and during that interview between Davina and Ruby, the whole time, I was thinking of the classic VHS tape “Whoo Hoo! Wiggly Gremlins!” 😂 Where gremlins keep causing problems in the studio, preventing the Wiggles from filming their latest show. 😂🤣

[@soundgal_sine_qua_non]

I get the concerns with Ruby's characterization. It has potential Rose issues (time travel parent issues), potential Clara issues (mystery box instead of personality), and potential Yaz issues (first episode sets up what she does but that's never utilized in an obvious way afterwards). I'm also quite nervous about how much Russell has to explain and tease in interviews. Interviews are not canon. Just let the show speak for itself.

[@TaraBryn]

I think the idea of calling them goblins was that the beginning of this episode is a nod to The Labyrinth. That's at least the vibe I was getting up to and inclusion the song.

[@EricBohner]

My big problem with the episode was the motivations at the end... The Doctor says he's the bad luck, seems to resign himself that maybe he shouldn't take a companion right now went into his Tardis... But just stayed there. He never asked her to join him. He didn't overtly say he wanted someone to travel with him, kinda reinforcing that he didn't. And she just dropped everything and without invitation said goodbye like she assumed she would be taken by a time traveler away. This is a normal scene but it always follows the doctor asking them to come along. So runs to find him. Enters the Tardis as if she belongs and the Doctor is standing there like he had been expecting her to drop everything without an invitation to climb into a little box with a stranger. What are the motivations?

[@SageWon-1aussie]

The Doctor is telepathic, you know. Peope are open books to the Doctor. The Doctor can, if they want, kill you with their mind. Effectively just shout you to death. It's why they use telepathic paper. I always thought that's why Hartnell had a granddaughter to start with. They got angry with Susan's parents and made them vegetables, so had to look after her from guilt. Being constantly reminded of that was why that Doctor was always grumpy.

[@0h_hey944]

I didn't like that the goblins had regular human voices, I would have liked if they had some other kind of voice, because the musical number just sounded really cheesy and stupid.

[@Missiletainn]

They are behaving exactly like Goblins from folkelore.

[@evanlinden4410]

I’m a musical theater fan and performer, and I HATED the musical number. Completely out of place Also, I agree the goblins should have been gremlins

[@花乃きのこ]

Right? It’s way too poppy and the lyrics are bad.

[@peppered-ronis]

I can only assume that the reason they used Real Life TV Presenter Davina McCall instead of a fictional character, which would have been less confusing to non-UK viewers, is just bc it was so damn funny to fake-out death Davina McCall on christmas. I thought it was hysterical that they would just have her be canonically dead in the Whoniverse. If they've changed mavity, why not?

[@lonewander912]

That scene with the cop felt very Holmesian, the way the Doctor explained his deduction. It made me start looking for things that could translate to him acting at least somewhat as a detective, which led me to hope he'll reconnect with the Paternoster Gang and solve a case with them (and Ruby, of course).

[@jameshumphreys9715]

Harry Houdini gets mentioned which isn't the first time in Doctor who.

[@chrisperry5365]

The worst thing about the goblins is the blatant antisemitism mixed in the writing. There's a lot of blood libel, especially in the song (goblins eating babies and drinking their blood? c'mon now), and also the fact that their king gets killed off by the spire of a church. On Christmas day. I'm quite shocked so many people have missed all the red flags and how nobody's talking about it.

[@jbillma]

Ooof. Yes, this is cringe... sorry I missed that the first time through.

[@voltijuice8576]

While claims of blood libel against actual people or groups are indeed a problem, the lore of monsters eating children predates and is broader than the (alas, quite real) antisemitic tropes. Folklore often includes creatures who eat children, because they were used as cautionary tools to teach children that there was an actual risk of being eaten. There are goblins, bugbears, bogeymen, and countless others. While in contemporary popular media people use "fairy tale" as a euphemism for something twee and harmless, the original stories were stark and often ended with death and/or disappearance. I've noticed that the few I've encountered who did associate this episode with blood libel (as Jessie Gender did) are younger people who had an uncomfortable association with -Rowling's- use of goblins which I'd agree were problematic.

[@obsidiancurse429]

Hopefully this is unintentional? I know the BBC and the political left have a history with that sort of thing but I don’t think RTD is like that. I think recent event have us all fearing the worst. Afterwards I was worried the media would react to the Doctor killing the Goblin as a comment on a proportional response to eating babies.

[@NicoleM_radiantbaby]

Yeah, was definitely disappointed by the fact that RTD seems to be going so hard on the progressive side of things (with queer representation and such), but seemed to have a total blind spot on the whole blood libel antisemeitism thing. It sucked.

[@chrisperry5365]

@@obsidiancurse429 I never give writers or anyone else in big media the benefit of doubt when it comes to racism, homophobia, transphobia, queerphobia, islamophobia and other similar things. I don't see any reason as to why antisemitism should be the exception.

[@IzzyTheDyspraxicArtist]

Gremlins aren't fey, they are a modern invention, created and used by pilots to explain when things went wrong in their planes. The gremlins movie has the gremlins act more like goblins. The gremlins movie doesn't understand that gremlins are just bugs in tech not mischievous creatures.

[@chwilhogyn]

Mrs Flood is played by Anita Dobson, wife of Queen guitarist Brian May. Anita is well known for playing Angie Watts from BBC One's soap opera EastEnders, where on Christmas Day 1986, 31.8 Million people tuned in to watch. The UK only had 4 TV channels, and the population at the time was 53.5 Million!!

[@NeilCWCampbell]

And!??

[@chwilhogyn]

Fun Fact?? Also, she has appeared in the radio Doctor Who serial Blood of the Daleks.@@NeilCWCampbell

[@NeilCWCampbell]

@@chwilhogyn and?

[@guyoninternet261]

did anyone notice the timeless child reference with the doctor also saying that he is a foundling which means both the doctor and the companion share a character trait i bet that will be the on going story and i bet that Ms.Flood is actually rubys mom and that ruby and the doctor will meet a younger version of her and thats how she knows about the tardis also a mavity reference too how that fits in who knows

[@Elwaves2925]

My first thought was that Mrs Flood is Ruby's 'mother', as she took interest in her and was nice to her. Later though, we saw a longer shot of the figure walking away and the footwear was very similar to what Ruby was wearing. So she could have dropped herself off, which would play into the no parents thing. RTD has touched on this area before.

[@guyoninternet261]

did not think about that ruby dropping herself off i like that idea @@Elwaves2925

[@brewster_4]

4:23 I think they chose to call them Goblins because there is a common link between Christmas and Goblins in folklore.

[@blablah6958]

The story wasn‘t my cub of tea. Plus the christmas Specials are Hit or Miss for me. But i love Gatwa as the Doctor. And i like Ruby. So i would give it a 6/10.

[@edwarddavies1119]

Pretty sure that American Gremlin = British Goblin... at least in some cases. Clara was a complete hash job caused by the BBC. She wasn't supposed to die in "The Snowmen" and Victorian Clara was supposed to be the companion. This explains why her backstory was such a nightmare. It was only when the BBC dropped the heretofore unknown mandate that the companion be from contemporary Earth, that Moffett had to scramble to fix her story. (Hence why she's a technophobe to start with.) I know they can't leave things alone, but I really DON'T want to explore Ruby's parentage. I think it's far, far superior just having it be left alone and unknown. I loved how the Doctor didn't go running after the mother because to do so would have potentially wrecked the Sunday family... as Ruby never being given to them clearly already did... Just so much better to have her character be important only because she is instead of by whatever "mystery" surrounds her parentage.

[@TenCapQuesada]

Anita Dobson, who played Mrs Flood, is in real life, married to Sir Brian May of Queen.

[@nailinthefashion]

No wonder I could tell she has good taste. What a spark, she has