Doctor Who "Empire of Death" Reaction

Question of the day:
What did you think of the Ruby reveal?
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I do reactions to things I enjoy kinda sporadically.
Hope you enjoy :)
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[@JustSoShayla]

Hello girl scouts, it’s time for “Pinned Comment Post Post Ramblings from Future Shayla” - It’s the season finale! And I had a lot of thoughts. But here’s an update on Rambling and Reaction Shayla’s complicated feelings- I think Ruby's mom stuff is best summed up like this: I have no issue with the ordinary becoming extraordinary and special because we make it so. I think the sentiment and message is quite sweet. But for me, in this specific case of one Ruby Sunday…I don’t like it. Which is quite rare for me with Doctor Who haha! I will be curious if this is the end of it or there’s more awaiting us in the next series. Overall, I quite enjoyed this season and am looking forward to more Doctor Who. (Because when am I not?) Edit: No plans to watch Classic Who as of now, because I am sure that will be asked. Thanks for your interest, but for now, no plans. Again, I have had zero copyright issues and I waited a few days before publishing so if this video goes down I will do my best to get it back ASAP, thank you for your potential patience.

[@StevenHouse1980]

In Hollywood you get dusted, in Wales you get Sanded. Oh and Shayla that was Not "Ra-moan-a" her name was/is "Ro-man-a" it's short for her full Time Lord name of "Romanadvoratrelundar"

[@JACK305]

Firstly a massive thank you for your reviews to Doctor Who. Always something to look forward to and roll on the Christmas episode. I personally was pleased that Ruby's mum was a normal person and not some mysterious entity. I didn't want another Impossible Girl mystery. Perhaps I am lucky enough to have never seen the Last Jedi, so that wasn't a spoiler. I do agree though that with everyone being turned to dust at the start of the episode, it was obvious there would be a massive reset before the end of the episode.

[@lucasdolding6924]

@@JACK305 Did you... not understand the Impossible Girl mystery was exactly the same as this but just much better? The whole point was the Doctor was obsessed and fixated with Clara when she herself and every character they met in 7B was just telling him she's an ordinary person, which is exactly what she turned out to be. She only showed up as echoes throughout the Doctor's past because she chose to jump into his timestream to save him, she became that through her actions and choices because of the time they spent together.

[@Jamienomore]

Believe it or not, but, two Girlfriends ago her name was Ruby Tuesday.🧸

[@user-tc6tu6ni8m]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I am seeing more and more haters of the show. That’s pity. Please keep watching and reacting to DW. All your videos make my day 😊

[@davidjrandall1979]

"So I'm going to find the naughty doggo and tell him off" - Eric, Space Babies.

[@seamusburke639]

OMFG xd

[@zoe_blackmore]

Eric has a mighty wooden sword, oh noess he dropped it

[@jeckjeck3119]

Now that's a foreshadowing.

[@anonagain]

"My dog is alive, he's not dead'. -- The Beatles (The Devil's Chord)

[@jonesnori]

Oh, heavens! He does scatter clues, doesn't he?

[@ugolomb]

I think you're right: the snow and the music were not resolved. The resolution I would have preferred is -- yes, Ruby is just human, and so are both of her parents; *but* the reason Ruby's birth mother pointed at the sign/Doctor is that... she didn't. It only happened the way the Doctor remembered it on "The Church on Ruby Road": the mother just walked away, didn't turn back, didn't point at anything. But now, the Doctor and the Time Window both remember her as turning and pointing, which means that someone tampered with the memory. An entity meddled in the events around Ruby's placing on that church door, and the same entity is also responsible for the snow and music. This would have left just enough dangling threads for next season

[@FromRussiaWithLuv007]

Agree especially about Ruby’s mom not pointing originally

[@MrStephenLodge]

I agree some parts of the story is finished but some explanations will undoubtedly roll over. I feel Mrs Flood is an indication of that.

[@kaihinata5214]

In relation to the song, I can understand that having to do with the power of memory. BUT having control over the physical weather... that's NOT normal. I think the Doctor is going to think about it, think something is still amiss, and that's why Ruby is coming back. Also, the pointing bothers me too, there was no one on the road barring the Doctor, so either she knew the Doctor and knew he would eventually intervene, or, she was literally running on autopilot. OR RTD messed up somewhere. The biggest thing, I would say is this.... this time, the Doctor's Biggest threat wasn't Sutekh, it was time.

[@roborob4296]

yea its one of those issues where we need to explain it ourselves.... could have just added a line saying that due to the remembered tardis being there at ruby road it had a strong psychic link to ruby so it would manifest snow and music around her in times of strong emotions..... simple. not a hard cheap excuse to have added in.. but someone who writes tv for a living couldnt come up with that?

[@asthargf]

I like that!

[@kerouac.jackson]

What's interesting about how Sutekh came back is that it happened at the beginning of Pyramids of Mars. At the start of the classic story, you see the TARDIS hit some kind of turbulence and start to shake before the image of Sutekh's head appears inside the TARDIS, but only Sarah Jane sees it. Sutekh somehow escapes the time corridor that the Doctor trapped him in at the end of the episode to latch onto the TARDIS at the beginning of the episode before the Doctor ever saw, encountered, or defeated him, and as a result, he never noticed that it happened. How very timey wimey and clever as can only happen in Doctor Who.

[@jamsea389]

STFU

[@Newt.--.Jaeden]

My main issue with this finale is that each episode should've been 1 Hour. Put the first 10 minutes of this episode onto the end of the last one and have the cliffhanger be The Doctor yelling out of the TARDIS. Then that gives this episode 20 more minutes to actually flesh out the solution to the problems without spending half the runtime on an epilogue. The entire finale to me felt like "this makes sense but we're doing it really quick".

[@Faction.Paradox]

Completely agree, it was would've also solved the issue for viewers unfamiliar with Sutekh, killing the entire Earth would've shown what he's about

[@Domihork]

Agreed! But one thing that could have made it a bit make a bit more sense would be the Doctor explaining that travelling in the Vortex without a TARDIS is deadly. I think we haven't heard that since Time of the Doctor.

[@Bonehead777]

Funny, thats exactly what I thought. You are spot on. But there is some nonsensical stuff like Rubys mum, her pointing (to whom? There was literally no one there!), why did Ruby make it snow, the song and so on. RTD’s usual lazy ‘it’s fantasy, innit’ get out clause as Tharries pointed out, instead of actually thinking resolutions through. That said, hopefully the production team here our thoughts and fix a few of the problems for future seasons.

[@Jimmy_Jones]

Yep. That was my main complaint. They almost needed another episode to make him seem even more dangerous.

[@jamesbutlerpoetry]

Yea. Would have also been very infinity war. Then second would be end game

[@RaineMarostica31]

It’s like RTD made the mom plot line, wrote the finale and was like “Oh yea, I have to wrap up that plot thread. Uhhh… she was completely human and ordinary and that’s what makes her special, the end😇” and I don’t think I like that I feel that way

[@spikedblade]

He said he wrote the whole thing after Star Wars. Shayla was completely right.

[@MichaelJohnson-kq7qg]

Making Ruby into another Impossible Girl or Bad Wolf type was obviously an option, but I don't feel like it was the necessary intention. It feels like the intention was that Ruby was just an ordinary girl, and things started happening around her. The reason this feels like a rug-pull is that you WANTED there to be some big secret.

[@LauraM-kr9wv]

Why on earth do people think this when RTD has banged on about how important normal people are since he was showrunning New Who in the 2000s? This is literally his thing. I swear people have just forgotten how this guy writes.

[@RaineMarostica31]

@@LauraM-kr9wv I know that but the way he went about this time was borderline terrible writing and just really forced

[@SlyAceZeta]

The problem isn't that Ruby is ordinary. The problem is that she's literally not. SHE CAN MANIFEST SNOW AND MUSIC. The question of who her mother is didn't have to be combined with these bizarre abilities that never go answered, even by the episode's own explanation.

[@DAVIDELLIOTT]

RTD has confirmed that Ruby will be back next season, and that her story still has a lot in store.

[@Mowingthefrontlawn]

Let’s hope the snow is explained. Because right now it doesn’t make much sense.

[@Victvfreak09]

As a Supernatural (TV) fan what I got from the finale was that Sutekh's obsession made the "magical" things happen. He became obsessed with the answer/identity of Ruby's mom because it was important to the Doctor.

[@MultiTarantula1]

Ruby will appear in episodes but she’s not going to regular character. As Monday Flynn takes over as new companion

[@alacy52]

Next season we'll find out Ruby is a Palpatine

[@SuperAlexPerry]

I wonder if the 14th Doctor invoking superstition at the edge of the universe not only created magical creatures, like Maestro, but also brought magic into the lives of some 'ordinary' people. Ruby's story has a magical Charles Dickens element to it - perhaps a touch of magic was conveyed upon her then, hence the magic snow.

[@kassidyj97]

Oh I like that!

[@nunbxtch]

This! I don’t think rtd has deployed 14’s story arc to its fullest

[@aliwantizu]

As for Millie and Ruby: Russell T Davies has now additionally explained that this marks a “pause” for the character. Varadu Sethu (previously seen in Doctor Who as Mundy in “Boom”) will join the TARDIS next year as the 15th Doctor’s newest companion. Speaking to Doctor Who Unleashed, Davies said: “So that’s goodbye to Millie Gibson, except it’s not! You’d have to be mad to say goodbye to talent and a character like that!” He added: “This is a pause. I genuinely felt Ruby’s story paused there. She couldn’t get all that information about her family, all that emotional overload, and run off in the TARDIS. It pauses there. She’s coming back. “A new companion is coming in, but you’ll see the three of them together. Three people in this TARDIS fighting evil. There’s good stuff to come. There are really crucial stories for Ruby to come, and her family - the story of that family hasn’t finished yet - that will all make sense when you see it. So more to come.” So for Ruby and The Doctor and in both of their minds it was goodbye in this episode, and she'll be out for some of the next series before coming back (Originally it was announced that she was gone and RTD was only going to have her for a few episodes to complete her story, ) but now it appears that she'll be back at some point and for some amount of time...will it be just the few episodes previously mentioned, or for more?

[@Herebegiantclams]

I got the impression the very final scene was suggesting Mrs Flood was the one causing the snow but it's definitely not something attention is drawn to if that's the case

[@tattieverb265]

that line about how ir's like the last jedi is dead on because, in the commentary for this episode, RTD said that this was basically his reaction to rey becoming a palpatine. he preferred the route that rey was just someone ordinary so this was him exploring that. granted, it then leaves a lot to be explained because, for all that ordinary-ness, a lot of extraordinary stuff happened and odd things that make no sense but it is what it is

[@torchwood00]

What happens to that mysterious traveler in time and space known as the Doctor? I'm sorry to say his story ends in absolute terror. Night-night!

[@MichaelJohnson-kq7qg]

"That mysterious adventurer in all of time and space, known only as Doctor Who".

[@Aldebaron-fp3ef]

I’m thinking the “little” loose threads of Ruby’s story will come back next season and be the reason the Doctor returns to Ruby. Mrs Flood’s saying “you clever boy” does remind me of Clara. But her personality reminds me of Missy.

[@jaybennet4491]

Exactly my thoughts. Her personality fits missy in my opinion, but all the red herrings point at her being clara

[@MatthewCYN15]

Could be the Rani, cause it's an anagram for Rain, and rain makes floods. Or the White Guardian, a neutral deity.

[@SlyAceZeta]

If we're looking at elements of Missy and elements of Clara, I'd lean towards Missy because she intentionally matched Clara and the Doctor.

[@PrincessKagayaki]

@@MatthewCYN15 There is also an anagram with her full name M fools Dr. 👀

[@aliwantizu]

When Ruby's birth mother said, "My Baby," it was OVER! 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 Dammit Doctor Who, Ya Got Me...AGAIN!

[@ihateunicorns867]

It’s not an RTD season finale if you don’t cry like a baby.

[@DrKnockers05]

This finale really was all over the place in terms of quality but holy hell, Ncuti and Millie were consistently brilliant throughout, and Murray Gold absolutely killed it with that beautiful score in that goodbye scene. Considering how much shorter this season was, I still found myself getting emotional at the end there, a huge testament to how likeable they both are as actors and people. On to Christmas with the return of the Moff!

[@kingkelevra4545]

I had so much fun watching this whole season. Can’t wait to see what comes in the future!

[@cairothetiefling_]

Ncuti's phenomenal emotional acting and his screams- god, I cried. The doctor screaming into an empty, lifeless universe. Edit: I haven't seen anyone talk about this yet- but the switch in expression from Millie as Ruby drops the screen- it goes from wide eyed hope, to cold and dead. It's incredible. A split second performance but an incredible one.

[@roborob4296]

i feel like his damning of Sutekh was poorly done though. that needed another take or even just some audio work. added a bit of bass or something it didnt have the weight of some of his other stuff like even in Dot and Bubble when he was trying to save all the racists. here hes reacting to the death of all existence... also his physical acting seems a bit lacking but hey i couldnt do a better job so who the hell am i? lol but yea when he was on the ground before the leash moment him struggling to push himself off the floor just seemed believable like there wasnt any real weight or struggle to it. maybe cause hes too young and his body isnt all old and stiff? i dunno.

[@TotherKoala]

The scream was really well done, especially since the other two ran forward and put their arms around him as if worried he'd just jump out of the Tardis then and there

[@jonlottgaming]

Nice weeping angel reference in the pause commentary :)

[@artemisSystem]

oh that is SUBTLE. didn't realize until i went back for it

[@Skinnylandia]

Your mixed reaction to the ending is exactly how I have been feeling and so many others haha

[@flaggerify]

Disappointment?

[@Skinnylandia]

@@flaggerify at the ending yeah, but more of let down

[@robmissen]

I quite liked the reveal that Ruby's mother is ordinary. I was a bit tired of the Doctor's companion always being the most important person in the universe. Rose was Bad Wolf, Martha travelled the world like Jesus, spreading word of the Doctor, Donna was the Doctor/Donna, Amy was River Song's mother and Clara was The Impossible Girl. As for the snow and music that followed Ruby, I didn't think that SHE was generating it... It just thought Sutekh was so focussed on the mystery of Ruby's mother, it kept creating a gateway to that event around Ruby. (Maybe I'll be proven wrong in Season Two.)

[@roborob4296]

i would have been fine with it if RTD even attempted the laziest effort of explaining it away as some tardis shenanigans with the snow and the music. but we did the same crap here that we did with Donna and the fortune teller in Turn left "what are you?!?! what will you become?!?!" pretty much exactly what the Maestro said in reaction to ruby with the music and snow... and yet no explanation as to her seemingly super natural abilities. like english was my worst class in school and i could write it better than he did by just adding a sloppy line about how the tardis forms a psychic bond with people who travel on it so the memory tardis being present at such a pivotal point in Rubys past was linking her to that moment her whole life so every moment of extreme emotion stuff from that day would bleed through... easy...

[@robmissen]

@@roborob4296 I agree that there were too many things going on and not enough time to explain them satisfactorily. I feel like the whole Ruby Sunday arc should have gone over the TWO seasons with a "mid-season" climax at this point instead of a big-bad villain. The whole season felt rushed.

[@adamcarlson2192]

Ruby's mother is so beautiful, and she actually looks so much like Ruby! Excellent casting.

[@TheJayFoxx]

I've watched a few reactions to this episode now, and nobody has pointed out that the remembered tardis interior is litterally the set from the Tales of the Tardis episode intros. Which is why that "campfire" they were talking around looked like Jodies tardis interior, is that it actually was.

[@jkpole]

I am soooo OLD that I have seen every episode of DR WHO since the FIRST one.... (I remember as a little child The First Dr Who Changning into the 2nd Dr Who and saying to my dad that I don't want that to happen...Dad said "son life moves on" .. My DAD passed just a few years later) I've seen and lived all the stories and monsters but Your are so correct in you thinking ....I am so with you.... so much makes no sense after this series ... We need a glimmer of info to keep our understanding and expectation of what lies ahead... YES next episode is CHRISTMAS

[@bobsherwood3542]

Love your reactions and that's a super cool T-shirt! :)

[@IsiahBradley]

THANKS for this!!!!! Love that you are still long-distance Who running!

[@DFQreacts]

man, I never get nice and thoughtful Doctor Who comments like yours! Most of my comments just complain about the show! hahaha As always, LOVE your DW reactions, Shayla!

[@TheManInTheLongBlackCoat]

One day, Shayla, you’ll have to make a video talking us through your tattoos.

[@Schnoodles46]

I will miss all this. You have been fabulous.

[@paulflux5892]

So from Season 1 finale 'Bad Wolf' to Season 5 finale 'Bad Dog'!

[@user-gc8mp8vf3z]

You're brilliant, Shayla.Another fantastic reaction, but i had to scrape this season of Dr who off my shoe,before I went in the house.❤ from England.

[@CatDuckChu]

i feel like im the only person who thought that rubys mother being a normal person was perfect

[@ihateunicorns867]

This episode has really divided fans. I absolutely loved this. I loved the resolution of Ruby’s mum. I thought it was clever writing. But I think I’m in the minority.

[@astrowebs410]

Theories aside, I kinda just hope that Mrs. Flood turns out to be Susan. I have absolutely no reason to suspect that she might be, I just want it.

[@tylerbailey9329]

I initially didn't like the Ruby's mum reveal but they ended up selling me with the way they portrayed the reunion and I think they gave it the gravity it deserved.

[@andrewb7581]

What's gravity? Is that like mavity or something?

[@tylerbailey9329]

@andrewb7581 no it's a sandwich

[@MatgoStyles]

I thought the snow around Ruby came from Sutekh as he'd been attached to the TARDIS all this time and was desperate to know the answer to who Ruby's mother was.

[@bobdodd3270]

Mrs. Flood. Who knows what RTD will do with her going forward but this season she has the role of a Greek Chorus. In Ancient Greek plays, the Chrorus' job was to interact with the audience to talk about the play and move the story forward through fourth wall breaks. Exactly what she does at the end here. Traditionally, it's done more through song and dance, which is what we got at the end of Maestro with the Doctor doing the fourth wall bit. So, basically RTD has bought himself a book on ancient drama I think. Ancient dramas often about the interaction of gods and humans btw.

[@DragonSpinner61]

The Legend of Ruby Sunday was given power by the belief of The Doctor, Ruby, Mel and all the ancillary character, and Sutekh himself, to echo across time. That includes the memory, the snow, and the song, that's given the power to rival Sutekh. That memory, the time window, was the lynchpin for Sutekh's return, and Ruby's tether to that night while Time itself was dying gave that memory a mythic power than Sutekh could not ignore. The power of myth, that raises human stories up to the level of magic and myth, that was let in with the Toymaker remains it seems. I suspect Mrs Flood is the culprit. Ruby's mother was shadowed to hide her from Sutekh, which is why her face cannot be seen in the Time Window. Only after Sutekh is dead are they really able to track her down.

[@youknow227]

Does this mean that in the day of the doctor when there were 3 Tardises in the gallery, there were 3 Sutekh's?

[@Quirderph]

Yes.

[@nathandts3401]

Yeah, but only one of them would've remembered it.

[@sahinnmaral]

This is why I hate writing types such as Chibnall style. This show has been running since 1963 and all of events has to be connected with previous events. Chibnall added an event that doesn't have any support from previous stories which is TIMELESS CHILD. All of things we have been watched was a lie with this idiot's writing. And by this episode, this idiot also did that same thing which is SUTEKH has been hiding on the TARDIS since third doctor. And this also brings too many questions that cannot be answered precisely.

[@nathandts3401]

@@sahinnmaral You're thinking too much about the 60 year old science fiction show.

[@wolfiebassache4146]

They were probably winking at each other and whispering "Long game lads. Long game."

[@16Ezalb]

RTD has already confirmed that there's still questions to answer about Ruby and her family in the next series. So I think some questions were intentionally left unanswered.

[@tenmark7055]

Its easy Shayla, The White Guardian is cosplaying Mary Poppins

[@wesleyrumbelow5251]

I don’t understand the people saying this episode was "underwhelming,” I thought it was brilliant. Ruby’s family being “normal" was a highlight for me. Not to get too personal, but I am also adopted. I know nothing of my biological family, not even a name. My situation is actually remarkably similar to Ruby's. So, as someone who was once an orphan, I find the whole "orphan grows up and discovers themself to be related to someone spectacular" trope to be a bit dull and tired. The fact that anyone ordinary can ALSO be someone spectacular was a brilliant and refreshing take. Russell T Davies handled Ruby's adoption plot thread incredibly well. Yes, there was build up with Ruby making it snow and “having a song within her,” but it wasn’t misleading us. This is a story of the power of manifestation and belief. Ruby's mother was special because she was special to Ruby. RTD is saying "this person doesn’t have to be IMPORTANT to be important." I found that very beautiful and creative. Again, i thought he handled the adoption plot line brilliantly. It’s akin to the Rey reveal in The Last Jedi (stay with me), when we find out that Rey's parents were no one “special.” Rise of Skywalker retcons aside, I love the idea that a character can come from nothing and become something great. So, circling back to Doctor Who, would you rather Ruby have been “related to Palpatine," so to speak? I would argue that would have been more of a let down. Instead, what we got was so much more profound and beautiful. That’s why i really loved how Ruby and her mother were handled. Also… The Doctor saving all of time and space from death itself... using just a spoon and a whistle… FANTASTIC. It doesn't get more Doctor Who than that.

[@joshlammaslehto6603]

They clearly left the 73 yards time loop stuff unresolved. They even added to it at least twice in the two-part finale: the camera being 73 yards away, and finding out a Tardis perception filter is also 73 yards. In the time window, I felt like the time shifting and the Doctor saying his memories were changing was (in my opinion) because the woman in the hood was Ruby, not her mother, and she was 73 yards looping and updating that moment in time over and over again. Or... totally normal human, the end.

[@joshlammaslehto6603]

Like Sutekh probably won a lot, and Ruby just kept looping back to her birth, trying to deliver her infant self into the Doctor's path in just the right way with only minor changes to her intuition or memory (like don't step on the fairy circle, and I've been to Wales 3 times), or other little adjustments to events until an outcome came up that would defeat Sutekh. It just happens that the audience and the characters and the camera POV are all set in the final-ish narrative timeline, and can't see what she's going through in her 73 yards loops. Or... it was her mom, and totally normal human, the end.

[@richardvannoy1198]

I didn’t know if Ruby was returning, so of course I was crying thinking she was leaving the Doctor.

[@MultiTarantula1]

Ruby is returning but not as a regular. As Monday Flynn the vicar marine returns to be the new companion

[@catlover0160]

I don’t know if someone has mentioned this but in ‘ Doctor Who unleashed’ Millie said that she didn’t rehearse saying ‘I love you’ to Ncuti because she wanted the raw emotion to show in the scene 🇬🇧

[@Andy-wl6xy]

She was pointing at the street sign so the CCTV camera would see it.

[@seamusburke639]

Yeah that was my impression. She picked a spot where she knew the camera would be, so Ruby would be safe.

[@jdgjagerbomber9430]

@@seamusburke639in 2004? Absolutely fucking not 😂, Camera quality back then was awful specially CCTV and it was pouring with snow 😂, it was dumb please stop defending it.

[@alexandertheprotogen6180]

@@jdgjagerbomber9430 no

[@lucasdolding6924]

But we saw that you could barely see anything on that footage anyway, plus nobody would think to do that back in 2004, camera quality was so shit.

[@alexandertheprotogen6180]

@@lucasdolding6924 she was just a drama queen

[@adultishgambino1]

Only RTD would make the big mystery box for the season mean nothing to then end the season by teasing another big mystery box and hope it means something.

[@barryhomeowner9293]

RTD finales: "This is so stupid and the plot makes no sense" I say, through tears at the emotional ending

[@houseofsledge6891]

I don't know that it would work for u or ur channel, but I just wanna say it'd be a blast to ride along as you react to all the fourth Doctor's adventures. Just putting that out there. :) Thank u for what u do here.

[@deltawho8002]

Mrs Flood had Missy's umbrella!

[@DotDotDott]

So the ONLY awnser to all the stuff Ruby can do is because they made it important by wondering who she is making it a fixed point. That's literally it, and it's a real quick line last episode Also, the last jedi comparisons are apt because Russell did literally say this is his response to RoS walking back the Last Jedi reveal and as someone that likes the Last Jedi reveal I feel like Russell really missed the actual point of that reveal

[@sighberspook2021]

Okay so I think I can try to answer some questions just based on what people have been saying and what Russell has said and when it comes to Q1 it is purely a guess on my part but it's the best I can come up with but I warn you, while there are genuine answers to a lot of the questions raised in this episode and throughout the season, most fans feel they aren't good answers and aren't satisfying at all Q1) how could Ruby's mom have named her if no one was around to see her pointing at the lamp post? A1) I would assume the social worker is actually the one who officially named her Ruby (also as a reference to the road) completely unprompted by the mother pointing at the sign, I think it's just meant to be a moment of catharsis for Ruby because she realises now that the name she has lived with all her life is the one her biological mom would have chosen for her, all that being said it's still dumb and there was never a moment in the season where Ruby was shown to wonder about what her birth mother might have named her and she never seemed to have any identity issues relating to her name so it doesn't really work if that's what they were going for Q2) why did it snow? Why was there a song in Ruby? A2) okay this one is actually kind of answered in "the legend of ruby Sunday", the doctor says that the night Ruby was placed on the church step is a point in time that is "so fresh and so open" (I think those are his exact words) that things from that night are slipping through to present day. Like I said, this isn't a very satisfying answer but this is all we've really been given Q3) why is ruby so powerful? A3) the doctor explains it by saying her mysterious origins lead everyone to believe she's special and must be important and thus they give her power by simply believing she should have this level of power due to her mysterious origins, again I'd like to reiterate, most of these answers are unsatisfying but most of them are in the show so technically we do have answers at least Q4) why couldn't we see the mother's face? A4) Davies explained this as her being shrouded by time, again it's the same kind of thing as the previous answer, she's a mysterious person and people assume she's more than a normal person and so that made her invisible to anyone who tried to find her identity, she was shrouded in the memory room and from sutekh and from the doctor by magic I guess Q5) why was she wearing that weird jedi robe thing if she was just a normal person? A5) RTD admitted in commentary that it just looked more mysterious and worked better for the story (not kidding)

[@billizetti]

Since so many important questions about Ruby weren’t answered, and we know she is coming back for season two, I think we’ll get those answers yet. 😃

[@Newbunkle]

I want to believe they accidentally rebooted Gallifrey while bringing everyone else back to life.

[@JoeThornhill]

I think it's safe to say, it bloody hard to wrap up an entire series. Especially if you have to make time for a 5-10 minute companion/Doctor exit (which is more than 10% of the entire episode, don't forget).

[@TastySalamanders]

One the whole snow/music/shadowing stuff, there was a comment I saw I really liked that someone made on Late to the Party's reaction so just gonna repost it here because I think it's a very good take: > I feel like 73 Yards was a prelude to this finale, in that both stories explore how powerful it can be to attribute our own beliefs to something we don't understand - in 73 Yards, the episode asks us to accept the unknowable as just that, whereas this episode examines what it means to mythologize the mundane. Ruby's mother was always a scared 15 year old girl when she left her daughter at the church, and yet through a desire to understand the truth, both Ruby and the Doctor conceived of something greater, something that scared even the likes of Maestro and Sutekh. They made a myth of Ruby's origins. The snow, the Christmas carol, Ruby's mother pointing to the signpost - it was all a manifestation of that myth taking place in a universe still shaped by the presence of the Pantheon.

[@Johno3998]

RTD said in the commentary that Ruby's parentage is a direct response to Last Jedi

[@zoe_blackmore]

Great reaction, agree about Sutekh. I am happy for Ruby to be with her ordinary mum. But ...the hooded cloak ... the hard menancing pointing, ... her naming ruby ... mysterious choral singing... the unexplained snow... her memory having the power to create a time machine full of things she has never seen... and the god of death being so wrapped up in not not knowing Ruby's mum's identity all failed to make sense to me and sadly to me it badly dented the finale. RTD sadly dropped the show runner plot ball on this one. I also agree with others that this season was too short, it needed either longer episodes or a few more to establish Ruby and Doctor's relationship and characters further. Oh seperately regarding your wriiten comments on the screen, apart from one, they are not on screen long enough to read, they flash by (annoyingly) super fast and are near impossible to find to read. To me they interupt the flow of your very enjoyable reactions. Please leave them up a little longer.

[@HawkTeevs]

I loved everything about this episode except for Ruby’s mother. All this supernatural stuff and all this buildup, only for it to be literally just the power of belief????? What a lame way to tie up the mystery. But Sutekh, holy crap man. Sutekh has to be one of the most terrifying monsters I’ve ever seen in Doctor Who. That shot of the Doctor screaming into the vastness of space as the planets and stars around him turn to dust sent actual chills down my spine. RTD handled Sutekh incredibly well in my opinion.

[@ugolomb]

It would've been better if the mystery were half-solved. Ruby's birth parents turn out to be just ordinary humans, but something is amiss with the events of the night of her birth. For instance, the Doctor asks the mother about her pointing at the sign and she, confused, says, "I don't remember doing that. I just walked away". Which is how the Doctor also remembered it, in Episode 1. Which raises the very real possibility that someone tampered with the memory -- and perhaps that someone is also responsible for the snow and the music, which were never properly explained

[@lostwizard]

I think the important thing is that Ruby's *mother* is ordinary. That doesn't mean that Ruby herself actually is just an ordinary human, whatever happened in this episode.

[@dancingmonkey08]

12:53 I let out a LOUD...."GODDAMIT" but in the happiest way possible, that only this damn show can do to me for the last 19 years

[@thedoctor4370]

Just so Shayla, I know you’re not going to respond to this, but remember the first episode? The very first one. When Rose found that person on the Internet” the doctor and his traveling companion….. death” also I like the touch with the recording thing on the loop like flash and stone.

[@Domino2097]

My main complaint about this season is WE NEED MORE EPISODES like Ruby saying buy after what is basically 8 episodes with the doctor (since 73 Yards basically doesn't count) it just doesn't hit at all that's 5 less than Donna and Martha and look how they hit us. But overall i liked this episode for the Sutekh stuff and the rest just left me feeling underwhelmed which sucks but Steven will get us excited for Christmas

[@JACK305]

Totally agree that 8 episodes wasn't enough. It does seem so quick to be saying goodbye to Ruby. I did like that 73 yards had some payoff and that the main Ruby arc has been concluded mostly at least.

[@BlazertronGames]

Ruby's mum pointing was definitely a bit silly. If she wanted to name her, she could've just written her name on a bit of paper and left it with ruby, that would be much more likely to work than pointing at a sign and hoping that by chance they look at CCTV and figure it out. Feels like a bit of patchwork that they did last minute trying to fill the plot hole. Who knows, though? They might elaborate on it more in the next season, maybe it's not as it seems.

[@airwolf36]

If you look at the outfit Mrs. Flood wears in this episode, it is the EXACT same one Clara used to wear. Just a thought....

[@donaldduck1860]

Just putting it out there, you could react to The Sarah Jane Adventures if yo ever get bored, because I loved your reactions to this season as always and a little bit more Doctor Who is always fun

[@raydenel]

ok, i rewatched and watched some more reactions, i can say now im fine with the ruby mom`s reveal(they probably had an alternative script for that if she was here for the entire next season too), but i still cant accept how easy they tricked sutekh, i mean he killed the entire universe, u know, like reality bomb never stopped by donna, but he get tricked with a rope, no reaction at all...really ? btw we have so many unit staff involved in doctor who that is clear to me we will have a Unit spinoff soon, cant wait for that too! :)

[@theoledicktwist6247]

Ncuti is so good. I love him as the doctor so much

[@TeeJayDesastron]

I don't think this is all there is to Ruby. There are still too many things unclear about her so..... I guess we will have to wait and see. Also the Tardis got split so I see a very high potential that Sutekh isn't done for either. There may be a copy of him still out there. I would imagine that, if he is meant to come back once more it may be when Rubys' story comes to full circle as well. That and Maestro called Ruby a very wrong creature. Why should they care about something Sutekh is concerned about? Maestro didn't know about Rubys' Mom so why was Ruby problematic for them? Oh, and Maestros' harbinger survived as well. In other words: I don't think we are already done here. Anyways, we will have to wait and see. What I am really wondering about is what the Christmas special will be about. I am looking forward to it.

[@markfuston2714]

I think with Mrs. Flood they're just doing all of this stuff to drive us crazy, the Clara connection would be too easy..lol

[@cargo71]

What if Mrs. Flood is already another regeneration of the Doctor, like the Curator?

[@WiccanRai]

I liked the finale overall, though The Legend of Ruby Sunday was the stronger half. My one nit pick is why would Sutekh care who Ruby's mum is? He's a god/like figure, I kinda feel that he would know she was just a human, right? Oh and I agree with you, there's still too many unanswered qyestions about Ruby. As for the series overall, it was a solid season. I do wish we had been shown more of the Doctor and Ruby's relationship growth. We kept on being told hints of their strong friendship but in reality, we don't really see them together enough to see their bond grow. I guess that's the downside of having fewer episodes.

[@bobfather7355]

Hi, future editor Shayla I love the joy you bring to your reactions, but could you please keep your subtitles on the screen a bit longer. I am but a mere mortal and can not read that fast. No timey wimpy for me. Thanks😊

[@kivimik]

I'm not sure that I want to speculate on Mrs. Flood, but I'm open to Romana more so than the Rani. While she's very enigmatic, her reaction to coming back was too joyful for someone like the Rani.

[@viddysgamingviddyos4710]

I have to join in the mixed reactions here, especially when Shayla is like 'Uh, I don't know' or 'That seemed underwhelming'. It probably didn't help that when I was watching the episode, real life was stressing me out. I'd watch it again, but I have to drop my Disney+ subscription - I don't necessarily like the service and still don't like Dr Who not having a more traditional broadcast like it used to. I did like Gabriel Woolf as Sutekh, there were a few nice emotional moments, and the music was generally good, but! Completely foreshadowing a reset button with the big dusting at first [it'd have been kinda cool if Kate and the others helped the Doctor or something], the revelation of how and how long Sutekh has been there, some of the exposition, the 'spoon scene' going on for way too long, the silliness [even by Dr Who standards] behind Sutekh's defeat, and the underwhelming Ruby reveal. I can appreciate the 'ordinary being extraordinary' theme, but that was executed far better with Donna and maybe even Clara. The snow and Mrs. Flood may be for next season, but [real life stress or no], my patience for Dr Who mystery boxes is wearing way too thin now. Part 1 was better, sorry for those who liked this episode. But Shayla and the Girl Scouts are entertaining here as always, and the Sutekh discussion on Discord is making me chortle so much.

[@houseofsledge6891]

My reaction to the episode is largely similar to yours, I think. I thought the Ruby's mom reveal as someone of no significance narratively aside from the significance projected onto her by Ruby and company (and us in the audience) was a let down (and very the Last Jedi, as you noted) but I didn't hate it. It was just sort of blah to me. Like, "I get it... I get the meta-commentary going on here but it feels like an intentional manipulate for which we didn't receive a payoff but... okay." And I cried when Ruby and her mom were reunited (on the original watch and during reaction watches) so it didn't ruin the emotion connection. However, the "she wasn't pointing at me, she was naming you by pointing at the sign" I don't think makes any sense at all. Like... let's put ourselves in the shoes of the person we now know to just be a regular person who has no knowledge of the Doctor or the Tardis or anything more than mundane in her worldview. How is pointing to the sign with only one complete stranger (the Doctor) as a witness who you have ZERO expectation is or will ever be involved with your child at any stage in their life "naming" the kid you left outside a church?!? That's bonkers. Like... it feels like something from a first draft where you go "I'll fill that in later with something substantial when I go in for my edits and additional passes on the writing" but then they didn't at all and just left it. I've watched about 6 or 8 reactions so far (and had my own at home alone) and folks feel variously about this issue but, so far, no one seems to be buying the "she was naming you" nonsense about the pointing. That said... sometimes writers write themselves into a corner and end up with elements of their story that don't entirely connect. It happens. The pointing was at the center of the narrative to me - it was a key feature attached to things hovering around the season's center, but it wasn't itself THE center, by my judgment - so, I can live with it and still enjoy the season. But I do think after they solve the Sutek stuff, the episode kind of falls asleep on itself as a result of all the hand waving in relation to Ruby's birth mother. Anyhow... that's my wordy 2 cents.

[@provisionalhypothesis]

I know what you mean about doctor who. the ending was a bit anti-climactic. However, I really enjoyed this episode. I don't like everything RTD does, and sometimes I don't like the tone of the show when he runs it, but I have to admit he's an excellent writer, cares about the lore and history, and he cast an incredible doctor who in gatwa. It is refreshing, even if I could do without some elements of the show I don't like, I won't go into them because there's already absurd discourse about it online and it's divisive. But yeah doctor who is a show with a diverse fanbase, not everyone likes the same thing, but the general premise is incredible and I hope to enjoy it many more years to come.

[@Iwillone]

Well, my goddess Ruby theory sucked but I can't be mad at the reunion with her mother (- ^ ) I'm just gonna put the whole snow and Christmas carol effect on Mrs Flood for whatever reasons she may have.

[@skyesmith5683]

When I watched this I just knew you would cry so much

[@johnpaullogan1365]

i have a thought about mrs. fludd. her tendency to wear past character outfits. she's cosplaying. just like the chuldr in rogue

[@AWeekLastTuesday]

Loved the episode, loved the season, and feel and wish Jodies Era was this great, though did enjoy her last series. I didn't see tales of the Sardis so have no connections.. only watched Pyramids of Mars 4 part episode. I am the same, I could never hate watch a show or movie, causing rather watch something to enjoy not to feel angry and upset. I didn't mind the reveal of her mom,, and honestly, just thought was neat. Was not even disappointed she was normal, just glad she found her mom, and I was so emotional for that moment. Great episode.

[@kathywinn2617]

I'm with you. What about the DAMNED SNOW?!!! and of course 'Carol of the Bells'...

[@psychoticpenguin6694]

I feel like my opinion differs greatly from the rest of the fandom because I love how Ruby’s story was resolved but didn’t like the Sutekh stuff. I can understand why people think differently though as we do leave a lot of unanswered questions concerning Ruby. But I feel like Sutekh was defeated way too easily and in the same way as in Pyramids of Mars so why can’t he just attach himself to the TARDIS again? Also, bringing death to death doesn’t work for me at all because it opens up so many problems (and just put me in mind of Torchwood S4 for anyone who’s seen that). RTD always had a problem with resolutions and this unfortunately continues that for me. Despite all my gripes, I really enjoyed this and the emotional beats in the ending made all of it worth it

[@Jimmy_Jones]

The only episodes that have appealed to me have been: Boom, The legend of Ruby Sunday, The devil's chord, and Empire of death. The rest I could easily leave. I think a lot of "haters" of Doctor Who are just long-time fans that keep watching in the hopes that things will improve as it has gone on so long. I know I have certainly been more critical on the show since Chibnall's run. I kept thinking I'm going to drop it. But never did. Space babies really had me. But I'm glad I stuck with it. I'm still not 100% on board. I would say my love for the show has dropped to 70%. I guess others are just super vocal about their opinions and find any sort of "news" to fit their dislike as well.

[@lucasdolding6924]

I pretty much agree with your thoughts, the reveal would be really sweet and nice if literally all the build up to it didn't indicate that it was going to be something supernatural. It's like the exact opposite how you should do a plot twist reveal because there's nothing in the series to indicate she's going to be ordinary and now all the supernatural build up doesn't make any sense in-universe and there's been no explanation for it. I don't like The Last Jedi but the reveal that Rey comes from nowhere wasn't something I hated about it and it was done a lot better there. The Sutekh stuff I enjoyed though I've seen a lot of people complain about that too, maybe I just had lower expectations since I don't expect a good finale out of RTD anyway so it didn't bother me, but I loved the idea of taking the Doctor's love of adventure and fun and turning it against him by having himself planted everywhere he's visited. It reminded me a lot of It's a Sin and I thought that was a really interesting idea, so it was a shame it isn't really explored at all.

[@Mr_Ubloo]

3:00 best face of someone that don't worried

[@TheCertifiedHotdog]

Shayla is a Time Lord confirmed

[@rickkiricci784]

Mrs Flood could also be RIVER SONG 🤗🤗🤗🤗We shall see the answers perhaps IN the Christmas Special 2024 🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@terrysilverthorn4582]

i still think Miss Flood is The Rani (Flood-Water-Rain (Rani) , "I Had Such Plans" when she was Infinity war'd she'll be a slow burner like Missy was being seen in several episodes then the bomb will drop. i think the lamp post could be a different Tardis (Rani's) its been a pink./grey small, pyramid and a dark coloured wardrobe looking box its Chameleon circuit isn't broken so can be anything. im thinking possibly its Miss Flood under that hood and she's pointing at her tardis :D

[@BGSmedia123]

3:05 had me in stitches hahahah

[@DontPanic42Towel]

Here's a question I don't see being mentioned much. When the Doctor dragged Sutekh through the time vortex and brought everyone back to life, did that undo the Flux as well?

[@jonesnori]

Ooh! Let us hope so.

[@lowkeyz99]

So Ruby's mom is the friend we made along the way

[@adamcarlson2192]

Yeah, I'm not sure what's up with the confirmation. She's supposed to be in the next series, apparently, but we won't learn how or why until the Christmas special.

[@MultiTarantula1]

Ruby isn’t regular in next season she’s have apearences on some episodes. But Ruby is not a companion anymore her saying good bye and love u meant she couldn’t come with. Will see Monday Flynn the vicar marine returns as new campanion another foundling

[@WastedPo]

17:50: A lot of the people who "hate watch" a show they clearly don't like do so because it's part of their identity. They find solace and community in being outraged over specific properties that have been deemed "woke." It's really a bad faith thing, because even though they're pretending to give honest assessments of things, there is zero chance they will ever say anything positive about Doctor Who, or Star Wars, or Marvel. It was never about honest critique for them, but piling on. Add to that the fact that "anti-woke" has become its own cottage industry. Entire channels have "reviews" of Doctor Who where each video is titled, "73 Yards Sucks..." "Dot and Bubble Sucks..." etc. They pretend to be objective reviewers, but they're really just pandering to a certain audience for ad-money.

[@HenryDorset]

I agree with your thoughts. I also have mixed feelings about this finale and in fact a little bit about this series and it feels really odd to say that. We'll see what RTD has planned for us. I am still full of hope but we have to wait so long now. Again. I guess I'm enjoying classic Who until then …😀

[@mattcase5346]

Love your reactions! Can I ask, what’s your nationality? I always assumed American for some reason but now I’m not sure aha Just curious

[@broganscovers4455]

Regarding the snow and music, I think this is to do with mrs flood. Her name is literally flood, she could sense a storm coming, and she was on the roof also making it snow herself. I think Ruby's "powers" are coming from living next to mrs flood, or she is influencing her

[@smudger2001]

i watched a group called type 40 Tardis and they took this episode apart , and they did have many great points . I was a pretty good discussion , you may want to see why this was not liked , and though it was very much not liked the reasons given were pretty fair not all but mostly.

[@SmazSolaire]

8:28 may be my new favourite Shayla moment, haha.

[@bugsby4663]

Surely everyone names their children by pointing dramatically at a road sign where no one can see them?

[@todemko]

Isn’t Ruby’s dad William, whose son becomes Roger “son of William” the most dangerous prime minister in history? She even wanted to know about her family and the TV showed her Roger App William.