Doctor Who "The Legend of Ruby Sunday" Reaction

[@JustSoShayla]

Hello girl scouts, it’s time for “Pinned Comment Post Post Ramblings from Future Shayla” - As this episode has aired I know a bit more about Sutekh but not a whole lot, I am very intrigued how the immortal Time Lord will go up against the God of Death. Perhaps with his own God beside him…cough Ruby *cough* A few questions I have going into the finale: Is the “Nosy Neighbor” another Harbinger of Sutekh or is she someone else entirely, perhaps Susan, perhaps a viewer-proxy, or another God? She was able to break the fourth wall a bit more than normal… Who is “Ruby’s Mom” and will we, as viewers, recognize her? The camera at Ruby Road was 66 meters away which is just about 73 yards…could this tie back into episode 4 or maybe the one under the hood is Ruby… I’m sure I have many more questions and thoughts but I don’t want to watch the next episode with too much info- cause I’d like to go in with fresh eyes. Looking forward to it! 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.

[@bengregory1235]

People think Ruby’s “mum” is the trickster or Ruby herself

[@cid7016]

I REALLY thought I noticed everything, but I didn't catch that it was 66 meters away = 73 yards. Goddamn Shayla you're good.

[@RyanParker-kl6bg]

Listen all this leads me to think something to do with RIVER SONNNGGGGG

[@JoeThornhill]

Yeah, why *haven't* you watched any classic who and will you ever do so in the future? Even just a selection of the best episodes and companion/doctor changes?

[@MrMetallix]

The doctor explains that timelords regenerate to save their lives or to “hide themselves away”…. Two scenes later mrs flood said “I’m always… hiding myself away” I can’t help but wonder if that’s a little bit of foreshadowing 😅

[@TheMoonRover]

Fun fact: actor Gabriel Woolf voiced Sutekh in both 1975 and 2024, now aged 91.

[@AnotherScifiGuy]

He also voiced the beast in the impossible planet/the Satan pit.

[@timrob12]

So glad that they didn't recast the role.

[@AnotherScifiGuy]

@@timrob12I agree

[@timrob12]

@@AnotherScifiGuy I literally rewinded the credits and while I did I was like: "Please, let it be Gabriel Woolf."

[@AnotherScifiGuy]

@@timrob12 I did too!

[@dannyohare3645]

Sutekh is an old Doctor Who enemy from the 70s. And now he’s back.

[@paulflux5892]

And voiced by the same actor as 49 years ago!

[@dannyohare3645]

@@paulflux5892 He’s still got it

[@cutthr0atjake]

...and h's in his 90's now!

[@AnotherScifiGuy]

He voiced the beast in the Tennant era as well.

[@TheGamesTrain]

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

[@herbivarsawus4359]

Your evil is my good. I'm Sutekh the Destroyer. Where I tread, I leave nothing but dust and darkness. I find that good.

[@davidjrandall1979]

This was Doctor Who back to its absolute best. The writing, the heart breaking acting, the red herrings and misdirection. The hide behind your sofa scares. That reveal. Bring on next week!

[@jakesmith6669]

The soundtrack was spot on too!

[@Logicalleaping]

@@jakesmith6669 One of the few benefits of less episodes is the ability to make a unique and natural soundtrack for each episode. Thinking back I don't think I've heard a repeat track yet. only renditions of motifs. Murray Gold is killing it this season, to be honest probably the most impressive of the cast and writers.

[@HawkTeevs]

Ho-ly I have never been this early Sutekh the Destroyer is the head honcho of all gods, the god of death himself. He first appeared in "The Pyramids of Mars", hailed as one of the best 4th Doctor stories ever. He hasn't been in an episode since he first appeared in 1975, but now RTD has brought him back as the big bad of Ncuti's first season.

[@cutthr0atjake]

He's possibly got a some connection to the Beast from the Impossible Planet as he's voiced by the same actor.

[@christianschoff2490]

Not entirely accurate. He returned in the comics and Ten had to deal with him.

[@paulonius42]

​@@christianschoff2490 The OP said he hasn't been in an episode since 1975. Comics aren't episodes.

[@christianschoff2490]

@@paulonius42 That's fair about the fact he said "episode".

[@MrMetallix]

@@cutthr0atjakeI doubt it. It’s the same voice actor who voiced the original sutekh. He also voiced the beast as a Easter egg for classic who fans, but I doubt the two characters are connected

[@RopeDrink]

In terms of powerscaling, Sutekh is one of the top 10 most powerful entities across the combined Whoniverse (external media included), so even if people aren't familiar with his appearance in Classic Who, rest assured - the Doctor's "O" face of utter shock and disbelief is 500% justified.

[@AnotherScifiGuy]

Even the fourth Doctor was barely able to stop him.

[@RopeDrink]

@@AnotherScifiGuy To be fair, if you put any stock into powerscaling, the 4th Doctor is pretty middle-of-the-road, but yes, Sutekh was easily capable of breaking down and mind-controlling the Doctor with ease.

[@AnotherScifiGuy]

@@RopeDrink the fourth Doctor is the GOAT for me, but Sutekh is so powerful that he could control any Timelord with ease, as he explains to Sarah Jane in the story. The Doctor just gets lucky enough to out smart him in the end with that two minute window.

[@RopeDrink]

@@AnotherScifiGuy 4th Doctor is undoubtedly one of the more popular incarnations for many reasons. What I said is solely in terms of power scaling. We all have our favourites, but if you jot down and compare feats of each Doctor across all media to gauge their overall power, 4th Doctor is (surprisingly) not that high, despite having one of the longest running on-screen tenures and plenty of Big Finish content to chew on. Depending on what they do with Sutekh in this era, that might change things a little, because 4th Doctor has met Sutekh a few times now, not just Pyramids of Mars.

[@ihateunicorns867]

Sutekh is a villain from Classic Who. He’s basically the devil. The 4th Doctor trapped him in a time tunnel in Pyramids of Mars. Pyramids of Mars is set in 1911, and Sarah Jane insists that she knows the world didn’t end in 1911 because she’s from 1980. The Doctor takes her to a destroyed world in an alternate 1980 to show her. This scene is basically mirrored in The Devil’s Chord. Since that happened I’ve been suspicious of why RTD put that in. This has now been answered!

[@AnotherScifiGuy]

Pyramids of Mars is often called one of the best doctor who stories of all time, it’s from the legendary season 13, which is arguably the best season/series the show has ever done. They even brought back Gabriel Woolf to reprise his role as Sutekh as he played the character in Pyramids of Mars. He also voiced The Beast in the series 2 Tennant story The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit. He is 91 and still had that scary voice!

[@lizardkingsliwinski4031]

I admire so much how Doctor Who uses Classic Who characters/actors! I have never been a big fan of Mel in Classic Who but I like how proactive she's been in this new era and she even gets a moment to tell the Doctor to pick himself up and fix this problem. There's also an extra level of joy to be had with Mel because the actress is clearly having a blast being back here!

[@honesto4696]

She's also braver. Unlike her younger self, who was always screaming.

[@gwinnellheald8592]

​@@honesto4696 perks of modern writing. Not all companions have to be damsels in distress anymore 😂

[@highvoltage7797]

@@gwinnellheald8592This is a misconception about classic Who. Most of the companions weren’t damsels. It’s really only Victoria and Mel they are like that and sometimes Susan. I would never call Viki, Zoe, Liz, Jo, Sarah, Leela, Romana, Tegan, Ace etc damsels.

[@honesto4696]

@@highvoltage7797 Especially Ace. The most badass companion of all.

[@MichaelJohnson-kq7qg]

​@@highvoltage7797 there was still an awful lot of running down corridors.

[@slumbermeadow]

I've been going through Classic Who with my BF and we didn't know who Sutekh was (other than recognizing him as Set from Egyption mythology generally) so then we went back to our next Classic episode it was the Pyramids of Mars which is Sutekhs one and only canonnical appearance. The timing of it was wild.

[@MichaelJohnson-kq7qg]

It's a shame you didn't see that one just before this one. Old fans (like me) pinched the air as soon as they started the reveal.

[@ThePeaceableKingdom]

Congratulations on checking out the classic series. You're in a fun era, where Tom Baker had definitely found his feet and more than a few of the stories are DW takes on horror films. Happy watching!

[@rogueplanet7776]

All these kids that grew up on NuWho have no idea who Sutekh is, but those of us who grew up with original Doctor Who know how bad the situation is. The Doctor is TERRIFIED of Sutekh, he makes The Master look like a birthday party clown. The Doctor only defeated Sutekh by the skin of his teeth when Sutekh was trapped. At full power, Sutekh cannot be stopped. He is death, destruction and terror incarnate. Watch Doctor Who “The Pyramids of Mars” from 1975. One of Tom Baker’s best.

[@christianwise637]

If all goes to plan, a new generation of kids will have the opportunity to be sent scurrying behind the sofa by Sutekh

[@kerouac.jackson]

One of the interesting things was that UNIT HQ was supposed to have been built over a site where a priory had burned down, presumably the priory that burned down at the end of Pyramids of Mars. If the modern UNIT HQ was built over where the old one had been, then Sutekh is reappearing at the site where he was supposed to have appeared back in 1911. The time corridor or whatever that the Doctor trapped Sutekh in had been going from the pyramid on Mars to the priory, and the Doctor trapped him by extending the date when he would exit to near the end of time, beyond the lifespan of even Osirans, so that Sutekh would be dead by the time he reached his destination.

[@NathanJasper]

Cured by a little research which apparently only I do.

[@ThePeaceableKingdom]

I'm an oldster too, and I agree with much that you said, but give the kids a break. More than a few New Who fans have dived into Classic Who, especially during the long breaks between the next episode/series/season we often get. After next weekend we wont have anymore new ones till Christmas. So it's a great time to check out some of the early stories...

[@rogueplanet7776]

@@ThePeaceableKingdom I’ve watched a lot of reaction videos, and Millenials and younger are usually disappointed or confused by it being Sutekh. Not their fault, it’s just that Sutekh is from the 1970’s era, and was never mentioned in the main show again.

[@ianstopher9111]

Some points: Sutekh wears a ruby on its forehead We have been so focused on orphans and lost mothers this season. Will we get mummies next episode? In the Devil's Chord, they went from 1963 back to the present 51 years later to see the desolation (they unleashed the nukes). This scene is a homage to a similar scene in Pyramids of Mars where the impact of Sutekh's release is seen. 2004 was the year Ruby Sunday was born. 2004 was also the year that Whovians could replace their snowy VHS versions of Pyramids for the DVD version.

[@JeremyDuncan]

Hey! So Sutekh was the last of the osiarans (he killed his entire race, but they inprisoned him in the eye of horus). The 4th doctor and Sarah Jane encountered him back in 1911. Basically, the last time we saw him he was confined the whole time, and still almost ended the world. He was banished to the outside of the universe by the doctor. Some people assume that the Devil from the ood episode might also be Sutekh as it was the same voice actor. Sutekh might have piggy backed onto the Tardis during the events of Wild Blue Yonder, and even worse, this time, he is free.

[@kerouac.jackson]

I think they wanted the entity in the Satan Pit to have been another Osiran but couldn't get the rights from the family of the author who created them way back when. I guess they've worked that out now thanks to the Disney budget.

[@christianschoff2490]

You're missing information. Read the Tenth Doctor comics.

[@JeremyDuncan]

First off that's kind of rude. Secondly I have read them but I was just giving the cliff notes of Pyramids of Mars as I didn't want to overwhelm Shayla. Comics and audios can become irrelevant at any moment as well.

[@christianschoff2490]

@@JeremyDuncan I didn't say "Go read the fucking comics, you plebe." 😒 I just said that you should read the comics and learn more about Sutekh.

[@SlyAceZeta]

@@christianschoff2490 The comics are only ever tangentially related to the show, so whether that information is relevant or not is up to debate. After all, Meep was in a comic, but that comic isn't canon because it got adapted into its own TV story that essentially redid the story.

[@cairothetiefling_]

I really love how sometimes the tardis, the very thing the doctor assures us and the companions cannot be breached or tampered with, BECOMES part of the horror. There's no 'safe' place anymore when the tardis becomes part of it. It somehow builds the tension and fear even more.

[@Maxippo]

Sutekh has either been on the tardis since the start of wild blue yonder orrrr, hes been on the tardis since pyramids of mars (4th doctor story)

[@multiverseguy1239]

Their will be a special episode of Tales of the Tardis which comes out the 20th June which features 15 and Ruby talking about the Pyramids of Mars and Sutekh.

[@multiverseguy1239]

Tales shows the complete Old Who story edited together with new footage filmed at the beginning and end.

[@SpinX522]

I think Mrs Flood is actually one of the Fates from Greek mythology. According to tardis fandom they temporarily imprisoned the Olympian and Osirian gods. Sutekh is an Osirian god.

[@CreepyNoodles69]

I saw an awesome theory on Twitter (sorry I don't have the link) that thinks Sutekh didn't appear in the '73 Yards' timeline because the hiker was actually Susan Triad, and the old lady caused her to run away, essentially eliminating the Sutekh danger. In that case, maybe the purpose of the old lady in that timeline was actually to eliminate Sutekh rather than Roger ap Gwilliam?

[@shahanisalcedo9884]

Susan Triad and Mrs. Flood are TIME LORDS. The fob watch, the perception filter, the "who am i", the "hiding myself away", the DREAMS THAT SUSAN IS HAVING (tenth doctor in Family of Blood went through the same)

[@outlawedgiraffe]

In retrospect, the concept that the entire series Sutekh was just piggybacking on the tardis is axtuall really eerie. Like I love it, but it’s so eerie. Also when evil Susan Triad raises her head at the end that was terrifying.

[@kivimik]

At that point, I don't think Susan Triad existed anymore than Marcus Scarman did.

[@medafan53]

With hindsight, there was a key bit of foreshadowing to Sutekh, back in the Devil's Chord, when the Doctor took Ruby back to the present to see what would happen without them stopping Maestro, that directly calls back to the Pyramids of Mars, the story where Sutekh first appeared, where the Doctor did something similar to Sarah Jane.

[@VirtualQuarkInterface]

Well sorta, it’s nice to see Mell actually get to do computer stuff and have a character... cause all she really got to do in classic was scream in terror

[@cooluncle4242]

Exactly, she was horribly written like a few other classic companions, so it's great to see her getting a second chance.

[@SunniestAutumn]

Now, that's not really ALL she did. Like, she was badly written and she did do mostly that, but when they tried to give her some character she was someone who pushed the Doctor and was there to set him straight. They just kinda forgot to do that a lot of the time.

[@kivimik]

Mel had a good start in Terror of the Vervoids, when she actually did some computer stuff. However, the writing of her character was uneven. I don't fault Bonnie.

[@Midgo]

New Tales of the TARDIS releasing Thursday that looks like it's gonna be Pyramids of Mars which was the only story where Sutekh featured, I'd highly recommend watching this before the finale if you can.

[@s.k.6100]

My leading theory is still that any of the "beyond space-time entities" like the Pantheon of Discord is able to break the 4th wall. On a meta level, it makes complete sense. They have existed beyond space and time so it's naturally logical that they are aware of the 4th wall and are able to break it to address us. I think this even fits in with the Doctor being able to break the 4th wall to us and it still fits with the Timeless Child being from another universe, or dimension, or whatever. So I think Mrs. Flood is not one of Sutekh's followers or cultists, but she is aware of the Pantheon and these entities, hence her ability to predict the oncoming storm, if you will... In a similar vein, I think Susan Triad is the Master still. I'm not going to be unconvinced until the character is bodied and shelved and that's done 100%. I think they're still the Master, post-Missy who is actually trying to live up to the Doctor's "good" but chameleon circuited to human to avoid UNIT's intervention. As a way to demonstrate to the Doctor that I am good now and want to prove it by stripping away my privilege and power and using my intelligence for the betterment of a different species without witness or reward. And the Master would likely know about the Doctor's granddaughter too since they're essentially besties. I think in this case, Sutekh likely focused in on Susan/Master simply because of their relationship to the Doctor. It would just be a tragic part that in their attempt to be good, they were corrupted by Sutekh and made to be bad. One final side piece is that the music notes for when we see Susan's breakdown as Harriet is starting their proclamation is nearly identical to when Professor Yana started to remember being a Timelord and looking at the pocketwatch. I get that this is likely just a decision to feel "chaos" through the music, but I don't think it's a coincidence. I think Murray Gold is way more intelligent than that and has likely put that as an audible easter egg.

[@Logicalleaping]

Musically, I actually think it was a red herring as well. The Devils chord also had Maestro play Saxons theme as the TARDIS's resonant frequency. This also leads to the TARDIS making the groaning noise for the first time (though technically that happened in Wild Blue Yonder). In an episode all about twists having everyone think for a moment 'oh damn that's the Masters theme' and then not having him is another way of subverting expectations. In my opinion I think that the theme is just being changed from the Masters theme to a dangerous foe theme.

[@Jaeden_Phoenix]

If you're interested in how The Doctor beat Sutekh back in the 70s, he got lucky with a 2 minute window between Sutekh being freed from his prison on Mars and arriving on Earth and then "extended the time window" to the end of the universe, basically trapping him forever. The question now is, did that actually work, or has Sutekh been clinging to the TARDIS since the 1970s? As for an abridged history: Sutekh was basically banished by his species (the osirans) for being a bit goofy and wanting to kill everything in the universe. His species were what archeologists misinterpreted as the Egyptian Gods, and they were the ones who built the Pyramids on Earth and Mars (Hence Sutekh's appearance in Classic Who being in the story "Pyramids of Mars"). He is absolutely one of the most powerful entities ever encountered in the Doctor Who Universe, and is voiced by Gabriel Woolfe, who is reprising his role from 1970, and also was the primary voice of The Beast in the Series 2 Episodes The Impossible Planet and The Satan Pit. Pyramids of Mars is considered one of the best Classic Who Stories ever made (often given 9/10 - 10/10 ratings). I'd highly recommend you check it out if you have a way to watch classic who.

[@marcoschoenteich7957]

I think, He was captured in the Vortex of Time Window. But then came the Flux and destroys many Worlds (and time?) and so, the Flux destroys Sutekhs Prison. He landing and lost in the void and in Wild Blue Yonda, the 14. Doctor and Donna arrives in this ship in the void and then, Sutekh possesed the TARDIS. Fact is, this first goraning of the TARDIS was in the begin of Wild Blue Yonda. And Harriet (Harbinger) says, he came from the void. Thats my Theory of Sutekhs comeback.

[@AmyWarriorPrincess]

The last time they had a really huge reveal like this was when River said she was Amy and Rory's daughter. The one before that was when the Doctor was in the Pandorica, Rory killed Amy, and the universe just went dead.

[@Double0Inside]

When The Doctor explained regeneration to Ruby, he literally said "We can use it to change our face and hide ourselves away." Mrs Flood 10 minutes later - "Im always hiding myself away." She's a Timelord. They literally told us right to our face. How has every youtube reactor missed this 😂😂

[@RopeDrink]

Because it's a misdirect, to make people think she may have been the one who waits, hiding away. She could just as easily be one of the other gods, most of which have a knack for looking right into the camera, and all of them have signalled the arrival of the next god (or) have an idea what the others are up to. For all we know, it could be the Trickster, or lord-knows-who, but they are certainly not giving off "Time Lord" vibes, other than knowing what the TARDIS is, which most villains are aware of anyway.

[@JackBarrugon]

Yes, I saw that one and thought it was pretty blatant. But then a whole lot of other stuff happened, and I got swept up.

[@danielkiran8174]

@@RopeDrink I'm like 99% sure Flood is Susan. She didn't do anything evil and just watched over Ruby.

[@IceMetalPunk]

Because everyone also was sure Susan "Twist at the End" was the Doctor's Susan, because it was obvious... then it turned out that was an intentional misdirect both out of universe and in it. So "it's obvious" doesn't make it correct 😂

[@RopeDrink]

@@danielkiran8174 It could be - but again, the whole season is laced with red herrings and misdirects. You're meant to suspect these things. She could be one of the other gods - like Trickster - laying in wait. It could be the Rani. It could be Susan. Hell, they could have the "mother" in the VHS tape be The Doctor's Daughter, played by Georgia Tenant, and Flood could be Susan, looking out for the family. I wouldn't be shocked if Ruby herself is one of the pantheon. Or, it could also be something else entirely. To say that anything is "obvious" right now is sheer folly, other than the fact that Mrs. Flood is very suspicious, and that they made a blatant reference to face-hiding, which doesn't automatically mean "Time Lord".

[@hilzabub]

In the leadup to the 50th anniversary special they released a series called "The Doctors Revisited". Each episode discussed a story for a specific Doctor, including input from cast and those behind the scenes. It then finished off by showing the story in question. Each Doctor got this treatment. I highly recommend watching this series (it would be nice if you reacted to it, too). The Fourth Doctor story was "The Pyramids of Mars", so when Sutekh was revealed I could say to my daughter "I know that guy!"

[@TheMultiForge]

One of the names mentioned by the "Harbinger" avatar is the three fold deity....the three fold man is a name Dalek Caan referred to the Doctor back in Journeys End. The Doctor also has Three names now, Timeless Child, The Doctor, The Valeyard

[@tylerbailey9329]

I love that the modern effects are going to be able to portray the full capability of a villain like Sutekh. Pyramids of Mars kind of just showed a hypothetical wasteland and left it there, but the trailer for Empire of Death shows him totally leveling the planet in real time with his awesome dust powers. Can't wait to see the "god of death" in full-action!

[@Paris.mcdonough]

Pyramids of mars is the episode, tom baker's doctor were the suetekh appears from 1975

[@damienkakoschke3099]

yep, Sutekh was the villain in Pyramids of Mars. The biggest success of this new era is making us old Who fans like Mel & want to see her again (she was generally considered one of the worst companions back in the day).

[@MeidasWhovianAdvocate]

I think Ruby Sunday's mother was pointing at Suethk on the TARDIS.

[@darrenrichardson6146]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's what she was pointing at as well. Which if it is the case, then whatever she is, she's powerful enough to see other members of the "Pantheon" even when they're just barely in the universe........

[@AmyWarriorPrincess]

You should start watching classic Who. Sutekh is from a story called Pyramids of Mars. It has the 4th Doctor and Sarah Jane in it.

[@alacy52]

Seconded. I would love to see Shayla react to Classic Who. Especially with how many connections there have been in recent seasons.

[@DalekWindmill]

I really don't understand why she hasn't yet, especially with all the callbacks in the last few seasons. It's so much more enjoyable understanding the references!

[@highvoltage7797]

I honestly don’t think they will. There’s been a push to do so for a while and nothing has come of it. Which is fine btw.

[@Alfwin]

What a fantastic Part 1 to the finale! The building tension leading to the reveal and cliffhanger... RTD is really good at that! (Case in point: Army of Ghosts, as you mentioned). _Pyramids of Mars_ is the episode to watch, to get caught up on who/what Sutekh is. The TL;DR is that Sutekh was imprisoned millennia ago, and the Doctor barely managed to thwart his plan to escape. Fun fact: he's voiced by the same actor here - Gabriel Woolf - as played him back in the '70s. Woolf also provided the voice of The Beast in The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit.

[@Quixotic1018]

One of the first Doctor Who arcs I saw was Pyramids of Mars so to hear and see Sutekh return was AMAZING

[@Land967]

During the scene where Susan is on stage "why do I dream of planets with orange skies?" I fully expected another Utopia where she started to remember she was a Time Lord and we would end up with 2 villains to deal with in 1 episode (Rani and Sutekh)

[@christianwise637]

It's a great bait-and-switch moment, you've been conditioned to think of Gallifrey because of how common that description is, that you kind of forget that Mars has orange skies too

[@peterratter6603]

As ever, thank you for sharing, Shayla, and thank you for being JustSo you :)

[@alicec1533]

There's going to be an abridged version of the orignal story with Sutekh 'The Pyramids of Mars' with linking from Ruby and the Doctor coming to BBC iPlayer on Thursday, but i've also heard word they will put it on the Doctor Who KZbin channel, so I'd keep an eye out for that, would be awesome to see a reaction.

[@jpwphoenix1701]

Never mind feeling pumped about Mel being back in Who, I went freakin’ crazy when Sutekh turned up! “The Pyramids of Mars” is one of my all-time favourite classic stories because of how menacing Sutekh was. I love Gabriel Woolf’s voice (he also voiced The Beast in “The Impossible Planet” during Tennant’s original run!).😁😈👏

[@GamingGamer22]

When you know the episode is about to end but all you can say is "DONT!" 😂

[@rickkiricci784]

Sutekh is the main antagonist in the Fourth Doctor serial "Pyramid of Mars." At the end of the serial, Sutekh is tricked into returning to his sarcophagus, which is then launched into the Sun.. The Doctor finally triumphed by trapping Sutekh in a time corridor for 7000 years - ageing the evil Osiran 🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@GedUK]

That's not what happened. He was trapped in a time tunnel, going forwards in time forever. Seems somehow the tardis crossed this time tunnel and he latched on.

[@rickkiricci784]

@@GedUK Thank you forgot to add that part 🤗🤗🤗

[@hivolt_inc]

The other commentors have pointed out who Sutekh is but i just want to add: the way the Doctor defeated him originally was by shifting the other end of the time tunnel Sutekh was using to escape his tomb into the far future, causing Sutekh to supposedly die of old age before he got out of the tunnel. So I'm really interested in seeing how he was able to get out of there and hitch a ride inside the TARDIS.

[@rhaenatargaryen8061]

sutekh having a giant ruby on his forehead and ruby being ruby from ruby road is so crazy like whats going on there

[@phrophetsamgames]

2 things, I'm glad we got a Kate and the Doctor moment, she's met almost as many Doctors as the Brigadier. Really heartbreaking too when the next time she looks at him, one of her men is dead, and she looks at him with utter contempt because she knows he brings suffering where he goes. Next, Do you dream of being an ambulance is gonna be great in the out of context edits

[@alwillcox]

Sutekh, Schmootech. Don't give a flying fandango. I Want That Shirt.

[@selinaxXxXx]

The whole shebang was Epic! Im still shaking. Got my cinema tickets ready for Empire Of Death. 🥰🎬

[@JoeThornhill]

I just thought of 'Battle of Evermore' at 5:13. Why have I only just thought of that now?

[@EthanLewendon]

Basically Sutekh was the villain in the 4th Doctor story 'Pyramids Of Mars' with Sarah Jane. He is possibly the most powerful being the Doctor has ever faced. That is quite brief but yeah. He is a BIG deal and one of the few villains who made the Doctor his bitch and I think Ncuti really sold the urgency of that in his performance.

[@Ryysight]

Sutekh's return reminds me of The Master's return... At the time nobody knew who he was in Utopia, then in the next episode it was explained, so the confusion is understandable but these days we have social media

[@IsiahBradley]

WOO-WOO-WHO!!!! No offense to any era but I haven't been this excited since the Tennant seasons!!! THANKS for this!!!!!

[@seanred7681]

Glad you enjoyed the episode. For me, because I didn't recognise the Sutekh name, the ending didn't quite work in building suspense, I needed more context and I'm going to go back and watch the Classic Who episodes. I think Mrs. Flood may be a follower but not necessarily a Harbinger. And who knows if Ruby's Mum is connected - with everything we've seen with Ruby, it's possible.

[@Tommyboi01]

Oh god i have never been more worried for everyone in the show, and holy hell heart was pounding the whole time i watched it God thisbis gonna be a awsome final part

[@darkwillalex]

I'm sure it's been said somewhere, or that you've seen it already, but the next episode is technically the new Tale of the TARDIS, with 15 and Ruby! :D

[@glm3781]

"The Pyramids of Mars" - Check it out when you have a moment. It's a top-5 classic who episode.

[@dylerturden8018]

7:05 Mel was talking to 6 then

[@ethandoesguitar1019]

Fast explanation of who sutekh is: 4th doctor went to 1911 and found a guy trying to summon an Egyptian god called sutekh, (he's either brother or son of anubis, God of death) Doctor finds out sutekh is actually a god of the universes, not only that but he is the god of all gods Sutekh was trapped using eye of horus and the doctor managed to defeat him and get him stuck in time The actor who plays sutekh is Gabriel woolfe, which means that sutekh is also the beast from series 2 impossible planet and Satan pit

[@cybus69]

They're releasing an episode of Tales of the TARDIS this week with the 15th Doc and Ruby! It features the classic episode where he appeared - worth catching 🙌🏻

[@elliotmarlow6384]

Dont know if youll be able to watch it outside of the uk but on Thursdays theyre doing a tales of a tardis whichll probable be Ncuti and Millie talking about an abridged version of the episode sutekh was in

[@tardisglitch547]

My theory is mrs flood is another god entity because the only characters that have broken the fourth wall are the gods & the doctor but then again he's been doing that since the 70s

[@leilanyx_]

this reveal feels pretty similar to the master return in the utopia ep in season 3, anagrams and all. from my underatanding, a lot of ppl who only watched modern-who like me had no idea of the context behind the master or who he was, but we stil felt the urgency and tension behind the reveal. i had no clue who sutekh was beyond hearing whispers of him hear and there in the fandom and in the leadup several ppl were theorising this exact twist. i'm so curious to see how the finale turns out

[@successbaniya7784]

Heyyy id like to say that i have watched all your doc who reactions and I loveeee you.

[@successbaniya7784]

And I miss your shoulder length hair

[@highvoltage7797]

Would love Classic Doctor Who reactions.

[@TeeJayDesastron]

I think the one thing you need to know about Sutekh is that he's a god who just so happens to be convinced that ending all life in the entire universe is a super good idea, plus he also happens to have the means to do exactly that. The Doctor managed to trap him once and Sutekh was presumed dead. Very obviously that was a miscalculation. Also, if you happen to care for theories........ I have one that makes sense. T H E O R y Sutekh is pretty much identical with the old egyptian god Set. Now as far as I am aware Set isn't really a god of death, but among other things he is a god of the desert and storms. He also killed another god named Osiris. Osiris had a wife called Aset (Probably better known under her greek name Isis.). When Aset learned of her husbands death she cried causing an event that ended in the creation of life. And what she caused was..... the Nile FLOOD. Now, how does Ruby fit into this? My idea is that she could be the counterpart to Susan Triad. If Susan embodies the end of all hope maybe Ruby embodies the beginning with embodying Christmas.

[@IceMetalPunk]

Personally, my similar theory is that Mrs. Flood is Tefnut. Grandmother of Sutekh and goddess of rain, which makes floods. (Also, goddess of rain is as close as you get to a goddess of snow from a desert culture.)

[@AjayGrayson1986]

Sutekh was a villain that gave me nightmares when I was a kid

[@RevolutionaryGirlLexi]

I really do recommend checking out Pyramids of Mars from the Fourth Doctor's era, it's a great one. Sutekh was one of the coolest classic Who villains, so powerful and ominous, and only appeared in the one story- until now.

[@anniesharp4871]

I think Cherry is Susan and Mrs Flood is somehow her protector/companion. Cherry is always asking for tea. Rose Noble was asked to investigate "shoplifting in Catford." If you steal "t" away from Catford, you get C.A. Ford i.e. Carol Ann Ford. Even if this is incorrect, Cherry will play a significant role. Perhaps she's some kind of sun God with a name like "Sunday." While her one-liners have been brilliant, you don't get an actor as great as Angela Wynter for only a minor part. I found it interesting that Ruby stated it was her gran who requested and retrieved the CCTV footage rather than Carla.

[@Stephen-Fox]

Lenny Rush was apparently originally cast as a VA in Space Babies, before impressing RTD at the readthrough for that so much he was when an availability conflict opened up a part for this one (So, presumably, the original script for this one would have had Ruth Madeley's character in place of Lenny Rush's, but Ruth Madeley's availability prevented that) - I believe it's been confirmed that we'll see both Ruth Madeley and Lenny Rush's characters going forward. As a side note - I really enjoy the way you customize the intro to your reactions based on the content of the episodes.

[@JustRyalst]

There's two ways RTD could take Sutekh, either straight down existing canon, or (and this is a reach) but based on the mention of The Conquistador in episode 1 and Sutekh's involvement, he could be drawing on extended-lore of War in Heavens and Faction Paradox. The TARDIS Wiki pages for those are a rabbit whole, but worth the read.

[@ftumschk]

Shayla - if you can get access to a copy, check out the classic "Pyramids of Mars" before the next episode. It's a fantastic story, and I think you'll really enjoy it.

[@darkphoenix6807]

I think Flood is a Time Lord. The Doctor told Ruby they can change if they are dying or if they want to “hide away”. I thought that was weird wording. Then when Flood comes into the house and hangs up her coat she says she “hides away” too often.

[@raydenel]

after watching this episode i have 2 theories about ruby mom: 1) she is mrs flood somehow 2) she is ruby herself, i have this theory becouse thei said camera was 67m away from scene, 67m in yards is guess what....73 yards, so how they cant see nothing, like the old ruby in 73 yards, she may be herself somehow. BTW amazing episode, russell bringed back my joy to watch Doctor Who. cheers

[@Jamienomore]

Sutekh was another name for Set. In the Osiris myth, the most important Egyptian myth, Set is portrayed as the usurper who murdered and mutilated his own brother, Osiris. Osiris's sister-wife, Isis, reassembled his corpse and resurrected her dead brother-husband with the help of the goddess Nephthys. The resurrection lasted long enough to conceive his son and heir, Horus. Horus sought revenge upon Set and many of the ancient Egyptian myths describe their conflicts

[@corvus1970]

Thank you. So many responders are talking about the in-universe character without mentioning the fact that he's based off of the god from Egyptian Mythology.

[@tenmark7055]

Sutek was a cloaked figure with a full head mask that didnt move for most of the story except for glowing eyes and that wonderful/malevolent voice. Near the end his true face is revealed as a jackal. His people the Osirons were the influence for the ancient Egyptian deities and he was the god of death.

[@Domino2097]

time to get started on Classic you know you want too mwhahaha

[@TomGallagherSuperboyBeyond]

Worth watching Pyramids of Mars. There are other stories in extended media, but tbh Pyramids of Mars is probably the only one which is still canon. It's maybe Tom Baker's best story. So i think you'll like it.

[@ImDehydrate]

When the River overflows it becomes a Flood…

[@Faction.Paradox]

What an intense episode, I struggle to think of many stories that are just perpetually building suffocating tension like this. Maybe Inferno.

[@heigigames7993]

I think it's time for reaction of classic who

[@icarusandtherabbit]

Ok so find yourself a copy of Pyramids of Mars. Sit back and enjoy one of the best classic Doctor Who stories. Or it’s probably going to be on Tales from the TARDIS this weekend.

[@WiccanRai]

I think Ruby's mum/hooded woman may have known Sutekh was there. Maybe she's part of a group of beings who hunt these entities down but in this case warns the Doctor and gave up Ruby to set in motion the events that would eventually see Ruby in the right place and time, meaning present day.

[@IceMetalPunk]

I don't know if this will be the case, but I would love if Mrs. Flood is Tefnut. For a few reasons. Sutekh was only in one episode in the 70s, called Pyramids of Mars, but has a lot of his story expanded on in other official media (comics, audio dramas, novels, etc.). He's an Osiran, a super advanced, godlike species who inspired the Egyptian pantheon on Earth. He basically wanted to kill all life in the universe to ensure no one could fight against him, and also to "free them of the burden of choice by bringing them the certainty of death." With that in mind... Tefnut has never been in the Whoniverse. But in Egyptian mythology, she's Sutekh's grandmother. She's also the goddess of humidity and rain... which of course produces floods. And, for a somewhat more tenuous connection, the goddess of rain is the closest you get to a goddess of snow in a desert culture... Ruby, anyone?

[@SoTOreo]

you can also read up on how bad the writers of doctor who are at educational writing lol. Calling Sutekh the god of death when hes the god of violence and chaos basically. though i guess theres 3 gods closely related to death. anubis basically being like a guide or ferry man or grim reaper while osiris is the actual god of death and rebirth.... but yea egypt is cool. fun that this guy has always played the voice in every recurrence of the character

[@stewarthamill9930]

Suetek was a baddie for the fourth doctor in the episode the priymids of Mars

[@stewieDM]

Did you spot that Mrs Flood was wearing the same outfit that Clara was wearing in Face The Raven?

[@csmadisun]

There's a new Tales of the TARDIS episode that airs this Thursday - it's almost certainly going to be an abridged version of Pyramids of Mars, the Classic Who story that is Sutekh's previous appearance. It's a fantastic story, well worth watching. In short - Sutekh is a MAJOR threat. World ending. His return is a very big deal - expect a lot of death.

[@AnotherScifiGuy]

There is an omnibus version of pyramids that will be perfect for it!

[@Vichtyr09]

Paused the video right before ms. flood is extra suspicious lol

[@JackBarrugon]

Okay, so whoever bet on 4 silent WTFs please collect your winnings from the payment window! The over/under for next week is set at 7.5 WTFs - this time not silent!

[@backtoearth1983]

Short version.... Sutekh in terms of ability and power is Dr Who's version of Thanos + Infinity stones. Highly recommend watching Pyramids of Mars to get up to speed. It is a top 5 Tom Baker episode.

[@ryanager8029]

Yeah, there’s a real question mark over Sutekh and how much of their history is getting retconned here. Originally of a powerful alien race called the Osirans, he waged a civil war and got trapped in the Egyptian pyramids, sealed by a beam from a pyramid on Mars. Even sealed he was powerful enough to mind control the Doctor. His minions were reanimated corpses, and Osiran robots. The Pyramids of Mars ended with the Doctor tampering with Sutekh’s passage to England, making it so Sutekh wouldn’t be able to escape for several thousands of years, at which point he should have died of old age. All the references to the Pantheon and Harbingers are completely new. Don’t be surprised if there is a MAJOR retcon for Sutekh’s lore in Empire of Death.

[@ptolemyjeffrey3015]

Sutekh was from the antagonist from the 4th doctor story Pyramids of Mars. Evil af. everyone thinks the time war and the daleks were bad, this guy’s worse. The 4th doc was only able to defeat him because he was imprisoned and unable to exhibit his full power. Now he’s free. All is fucked

[@ptolemyjeffrey3015]

Head cannon: Sutekh also is satan (set, sados, the beast). The osirons imprisoned the beast (Sutekh) on Kroptor before the universe cause they’re gods, but the mind of Sutekh was imprisoned on mars in the eye of horus

[@DavieBoy1500]

Maybe rubys mother is the same person who abandoned the doctor in the timeless children making the doctor and ruby siblings. Hence why the hooded figure was pointing at the doctor maybe as she knew who he was and cast a spell of sorts to change his Memory from seeing her. Hmmm 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@Newbunkle]

The Doctor knows more about Ruby than he's letting on. He did that DNA scan way back when, but they never told us the results. There has to be a reason he ordered her to the time window at that moment, so I imagine Ruby's mother's identity will be part of the solution rather than another problem.

[@MartinB_Art_Design]

We didn't get to see who the hooded figure it ugggh. But I guess Mrs Flood did say "We can't always get what we want"

[@fallofcamelot]

Great episode but I do find it funny that Sutekh made a point of getting someone called Susan to run the company purely to make the anagram work...

[@garycullen7390]

BEST advice I can give you get hold of a DVD of the 4th DOCTOR (Tom Baker):story THE PYRAMIDS OF MARS to see the DOCTOR and Sarah Jane encounter SUTEKH

[@thedoctor4370]

Anubis…… the Egyptian god of death, versus the time, lord that cheats death….. the ultimate battle will come to pass.

[@flaggerify]

We hear the same music as when the Master returned.

[@DalekJr625]

Sutekh is basically Doctor Who's Thanos