Behind the Scenes | Empire of Death | Doctor Who

The end is here! Go behind the scenes, visit the Remembered TARDIS and see how Sutekh was reimagined for EMPIRE OF DEATH... 🎬
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[@sakatsuki8580]

12th doctor yapping about why do we talk out loud when we are alone must´ve shocked Sutekh so much xD

[@joonamato]

I was thinking the same :D Wish we had more dialogue between the Doctor and Sutekh...

[@stephenmurphy2212]

It was Sutekh who picked up the chalk. It was Sutekh who made the Tardis explode in The Pandorica Opens as a first attempt to destroy the universe.

[@craytherlaygaming2852]

Sutekh: My name, could you just SHUUUT UUUUUUP

[@PerovNigma]

​@@stephenmurphy2212 It was mentioned in _The Time of the Doctor_ that the Silence were responsible for that.

[@stephenmurphy2212]

@@PerovNigma but it was never directly explained.

[@MrMarsFargo]

1:43 - "then that gets generated as Key Art" Uh... Russell... please tell me you didn't use AI instead of hiring actual concept artists

[@59rlmccormack]

Russel’s crew did not let anyone down, Sutehk was an alpha threat IMO. -James M

[@jamiesworld1690]

Good to ser making of anubis

[@jarednewman7823]

You mfs brought back Sutekh. Now bring back more baddies.

[@bryanstombaugh2000]

"The Doctor is a legend woven throughout history. When disaster comes, he's there. He brings the storm in his wake and he has one constant companion." "Who's that?" "Death."

[@abhisheksahfrendo]

RTD PLANNED IT ALL ALONG 😂. Like Sutekh, he played the long game. RTD truly is the one who waits. R.I.P Clive 😢

[@jeckjeck3119]

He didn't know how literal he was being.

[@craytherlaygaming2852]

Imagine that dude's reaction when he finds out death LITERALLY WAS his constatn companion

[@TobiasSchulz1]

More like a stowaway, not a companion :D

[@stephenmurphy2212]

🤯🤯🤯

[@lbricks7631]

Love that the Memory Tardis had the "Carol Singers will be Criticised" sign in it.

[@janussimonsen24]

Any chance there’s a one-on-one with Gabriel Woolf, Sutekh’s actor? He came back after almost fifty years and played the Beast in The Satan Pit. I’d love to hear his thoughts on the character and Who in general

[@michaelliggett1622]

Their is a video regarding that on the BBC channel

[@oldmomj5088]

Please bring back more episodes. 8 is way too few.

[@whereami2477]

PLEASE. At least 10

[@modboyhenry1]

As much as I’d like more episodes season 2 is already being filmed and they might still be doing 8 again hope I’m wrong.

[@dedbatt8869]

We technically got 12 episodes this year tbf. I do wish Ncuti and Millie got longer together.

[@matheusflores619]

​@@modboyhenry1It is 8 yeah, plus a Christmas special. Sadly 13 episodes is impossible in this day and age

[@t.j.armendariz354]

I think they indicated they’re working toward it but with how far Chibnal had cut it back it takes work to build it back up to the 13 it was before, so they could only manage upping it to 8 regular episodes and the Christmas Special for this year but next year will likely be more

[@benwasserman8223]

A little disappointed we never saw Sutekh’s classic mask. That was always an underrated Doctor Who villain design.

[@NeroSparda99]

That was a mask he was trapped in, it wasn’t his

[@LordOfRibena]

I'm like 90% sure that mask was put there by Horus to seal him because once he was free, it disappeared.

[@GreaterGrievobeast55]

@@LordOfRibenais that why he's still not at full powers on all his Big finish stories? More often than not Sutekh's still wearing the mask.

[@chazo1367]

@@GreaterGrievobeast55 Yeah the mask is what prevents him being so powerful.

[@SutraRein-xy4qr]

Agreed

[@heartofdawn2341]

It really was a hit-and-miss episode. While it was mostly good, the ending felt like they had written them into a corner and struggled to find a way out. For all the mystery about Ruby , her name, and her Mum- surely she could have just left a note "call her Ruby"

[@kyrauniversal]

Ruby Road though.

[@heartofdawn2341]

@@kyrauniversal yes, but pointing at a signpost while cloaked in the hopes that someone would see her on the security camera footage decades later with technology that could extrapolate that far and figure out what she meant- that feels a _tad_ more convoluted than just eaving a note

[@KingkuntaGG]

@@heartofdawn2341plus she didn’t point at all before history started changing

[@DocVerdant]

@@heartofdawn2341I think it helps that your explanation wasn't why she pointed at the sign; there were nuns at the church that picked up Ruby and saw her mom dressed in a big dang cloak (which, as I think about it, a teenager in the early 2000s having a costume cloak like a Ringwraith really isn't that impossible), so she probably was pointing really big so the nuns could see from a distance. Like, it's silly and melodramatic, but also it's Doctor Who and that's just par for the course. I don't have a good explanation for the footage changing after the Doctor played it in the window, though it may be possible that it would've been there if the original footage hadn't cut out, and the main change to the footage that the characters seemed to note was the cloud appearing around the Tardis. Either way, I can forgive a couple of small plotholes easier than a big lazy one ("surprise Ruby! Your mom's the Rani and your dad's the Dalek Emperor bc screw it we gotta boost the Disney ratings!" *end credit music plays on kazoo*)

[@mredbadger]

RTD has a bad habit of raising the stakes too high, to the point where there’s no satisfying way to win. The second I saw Kate die, I knew we were heading for a deus ex machina reset lol

[@misssupercookie2011]

Ncuti saying "my wife" in reference to river gave me serotonin I didn't know I was missing. Also 110% on board with the headcanon that the Doctor stole River's shoes.

[@gkcn9688]

WE NEED 15 RIVER ASAP

[@MarcosSantos-dj6lk]

disappointing finale but a good season

[@charliechar__]

agreed

[@enanan4]

agreed

[@paularc1899]

Yuppers! A god destroyed by a bungie cord... everything returned to normal but memory is time travel?

[@Tenabrum]

I love the tiny 13th doctor console that’s just kinda on the floor of the remembered Tardis. It’s so cute. I want one.

[@NightRaiderTea]

I have never heard of people using vr to sketch a creature design before and that’s so cool honeslty

[@PallysCafe]

I mean i have seen an australian youtuber artist who did that by the name of jazza.

[@csblakeley]

I played with a VR drawing app once and it was so weird! The fact that you could draw _into_ the sketch was surreal... but it became kind of sort of intuitive after a while?

[@PallysCafe]

@@csblakeley thats vr for ya

[@MrMarsFargo]

I've thought about using this for production design for my movies, since some of my "surrealist environment" type ideas are... let's just say physiologically unhinged, but on a galactic scale, lmao (but then I remember Meta/Facebook owns VR, and I suddenly lose interest in doing that).

[@ChilaAuroraVT]

​@csblakeley ive always found it a bit awkward but im working on doing it

[@radish_dash4155]

Coming up next, The Doctor's other greatest enemy woven throughout history... Christmas

[@MrFancyDragon]

CGI Doggo went from menace to goofy in the span of 2 minutes all because of a leash XD

[@NeroSparda99]

I mean it’s literally the myth of fenrir tbh, same idea lol

[@mayotango1317]

Watch Series 3 finale.

[@sarahclapp505]

Soooooo Doctor who

[@craytherlaygaming2852]

So its doctor who?

[@Vin_Venture896]

@@sarahclapp505There has never been a bigger fanbase to celebrate and defend mediocrity than Doctor Who fans.

[@loganwalks]

I love being able to say “the Doctor dragged a puppy deity of death through the time vortex with a bungee cord attached to a telephone box” my friends think I’ve gone mad when I recap the show, and they’re right, I’ve gone wibbly

[@oliverknagg5109]

So all throughout the Time War and what not, he was just hanging out? That time the TARDIS exploded and destroyed the universe or whatever Moffat was up to, that must have been a rough day for him.

[@Dark_Ronius]

Head canon is that line "I chopped and changed your history" from The Toymaker. I.e. he wasn't there throughout the previous series we watched, but the Toymaker literally retconned him in (think RTD really should rely on that more, I don't think it's a bad thing in such a long running show to have an explanation like that.

[@oliverknagg5109]

@@Dark_Ronius yeah, similar ideas have allowed me to not worry about continuity before. Up until now if something seemed contradictory I’d just blame the Time War and move on. I just think it’s a funny image to imagine him there in old stories.

[@alastormedial]

@@Dark_Ronius I don't think the Toymaker retcon works here though, since he also said he didn't dare approach The One Who Waits.

[@mystic-malevolence]

That got timey-wimey undone anyways, Sutekh probably didn't even notice.

[@apersonwhomayormaynotexist9868]

@@alastormedial I mean just because he wouldn't challenge him to a game doesn't mean that when he messed with the doctor it couldn't have given sutekh a stepping stone to jump on

[@ZDProds-c8p]

My biggest questions: - Why didn't they just go to 2046 right at the start of the series? - Why did it actually snow? - Why bother pointing at the sign? Nuns didn't see her so no one would know she was naming her - What happened to Sutekh when the TARDIS was split? - What happened to the memory TARDIS? - 14 and Donna must have been turned to dust, wonder what he thought of that lol - Sutekh was mystified by this random woman even though he could see ALL of time and space. Why couldn't he see 2046 when the mum took the DNA test? Surely he could find out who she was -If the Toymaker was outside the universe until WBY with the Salt, when did he ever have chance to 'play a game' with Sutekh? He didn't want to go up against the one who waits, who “was there in the dark”, but Sutekh wasn't in the dark, he was on the TARDIS lol It was all very meh tbh We NEED a Susan cameo this era, surely!

[@MochaE44449]

And also when the TARDIS fell into the Dalek Ship core of Z-Neutrino energy in Stolen Earth was Sutekh just chilling in there as well? And when Capaldis TARDIS exploded on Skaro was Sutekh just exploding too or standing in a room full of Daleks?

[@Barisso2]

My dear there are 100 more questions and none of them has any answers. This series are not written with any care.

[@zanite8650]

@@Barisso2 The thing is, some of it 'was' written with care, that's what's annoying. Fumbling the end like that is just disappointing.

[@Barisso2]

​@@zanite8650 I mean it's very very easy to write an interesting secret if you don't care about writing an equally interesting reveal for it. When I look back I don't remember anything written with care from this series.

[@cindytartt4048]

Agreed. But I think this is Russell writing with conciseness. We know why the Carol was there & why it snowed -during Wild Blue Yonder we learned that a mere wish and myth was enough to create things like snow. We had goblins, remember and mavity.

[@Kustonius]

One question though, Sutekh was clinging to the Tardis and the Tardis was cloned/ split in two when the new Doctor arrived, does that mean there might still be a Sutekh clinging to the original tardis that Tennant's Doctor has sitting in Donna's yard? Allowing him to come back again at some point

[@markposthuma2000]

It's still the same TARDIS just from a different point in time. Just like the doctor is still the same person.

[@realmaximouse]

That would be a very clever way of bringing him back again honestly. I want more Sutekh and I’ll take it where I get it

[@93Chowo]

I really liked this version of Sutekh which is why I´m a bit dissapointed that the didn´t have more screen-time. Like in his first story his presence was terrifying but it was also funny how they essentially put him on a leash and dragged him of the TARDIS like a misbehaving dog.

[@katokianimation]

the good think about practical when the prop is done you can shoot as much footage with it as you wish, unlike vfx. every second that has to be rendered will add to the cost

[@93Chowo]

@@katokianimation True but with VFX you can create scenes with wouldn´t be able with practical things alone. Both have their advantages and disadvantages.

[@cindytartt4048]

Which he was. But on a big scale.

[@paularc1899]

He destroyed a MAJOR god with a bungie cord. Give me a break man.

[@Notallowed101]

Lynched you mean?

[@owenharrison761]

Good episode, it could have been better with more time, but I enjoyed it. Overall I loved this season, even though there are things that need to be improved. I especially liked the relationship between Ruby and the doctor, as well as the new and different ideas they showed. Thank you for your hard work. See you until next season.

[@ListenToTheLand]

That "real mum" line about Louise to the Doctor by Ruby is one of the cruelest and worst lines of dialogue I've ever seen on this show and I'm a) still hung up on it, and b) not likely to ever forgive it easily. Carla's been there for twenty years. In the main timeline, never ever left. (IT was literally a plot point regarding Carla/Ruby at the start of the season that Ruby was the kid who'd stayed and Carla had never left her). Absolute galling that this show resolved Ruby's story (for at least six months, possibly for a year, possibly forever) with THAT.

[@aidanperforms13]

I believe Russell talks about this in the commentary video on iplayer

[@mystic-malevolence]

@@aidanperforms13 It would be nice if he could talk about this somewhere that is more broadly accessible and doesn't leave a ton of the audience hanging.

[@aidanperforms13]

@@mystic-malevolence Yeah I get that but to paraphrase, he said that he continuously thought about the line and ummmed and Ahhhhed about whether he should include it

[@apersonwhomayormaynotexist9868]

@@aidanperforms13 Living for your spelling of hemmed and hawed

[@hotelmario510]

​@@apersonwhomayormaynotexist9868 That's the British spelling. Know your place, Yank

[@czerwonykwadrat6843]

Two thoughts: - I love Bonnie in this one. I would literally drink carrot juice if she asked me to, she’s amazing - An „I love you too” was deserved, really

[@Time4Breakfast]

Carrot juice is ok but I prefer it together with apple, celery and ginger.👌👍 try it.

[@leif1075]

Was the carrot juice commemt a joke because you happen to hate carrot juice orna refence I don't get? I really enjoyed Bonnie too..PLEASE is she coming BACK?? And Millie was great too.

[@hotdog1214]

@@leif1075 Its a joke, Mel used to pester the Sixth Doctor about drinking carrot juice. 😁😁

[@boiwifeyasmr4U]

CARROT JUICE CARROT JUICE CARROT JUICE

[@MegaSherlockian]

So, Just a question. When the 15th created a new Tardis, did that also create a new Sutekh? Or did he hop onto the 15th since the 14th retired?

[@christophcookit6334]

Sutekh will be back! 😂

[@Pixe_GUM]

The two Sutekhs looking at each other like "just roll with it".

[@inquerion8867]

@@Pixe_GUM Sutekh 1: "I bring you Sutekh's Gift of Death!" Sutekh 2: "Hey, that's my line!".

[@tulliusexmisc2191]

Good question, and I'm kicking myself for not thinking of it. I was wondering how Sutekh could have hung on during the infinite recursion of Tardises in Logopolis, the jettisoning in Castrovalva, the incarnation of the Doctor's Wife, and that time when Captain Jack was also riding it.

[@christophcookit6334]

@@tulliusexmisc2191 also was he Mini in that one capaldi episode? Or extrem big on trenzalore? Did he explode with the TARDIS?

[@conwarlock3537]

The only thing more evil than Sutekh is you making us wait another 6 months for more Doctor Who!

[@mortal6134]

Well before this was 13 months so I'm not upset.

[@DaveLynchWriter]

Yeah, I'd prefer if it was just cancelled and we had to wait till Generation Woke dies out before a proper reboot.

[@conwarlock3537]

@@DaveLynchWriter I mean, Doctor Who was always woke. The first episode was directed by a gay black man, we've had a pansexual character since 2005, and a gay showrunner since 2005.

[@CeceSaysHi_950]

@DaveLynchWriter it’s always been like this n if you don’t believe me you can go watch council of geeks most recent video. Also I’m sick of people coming into comments section to complain about the show, like you clicked you knew what this was???

[@conwarlock3537]

@@CeceSaysHi_950 Dude, I'm not complaining. I'm literally saying I want to watch more of the show, and saying via a joke.

[@ChaseGames12]

You mean to tell me I have to wait until Christmas

[@xedalpha1]

Up until now the Juggernauts was my favourite Mel story. But damn did Bonnnie pull off a heck of a performance. Hats off to her.

[@JuanSanson73]

I think it's wonderful the show is aware of its history and makes use of it, the show has weight to it!

[@Idez15]

I loved the Juggernauts too

[@timlemmens1087]

Sutekh was a nice change from the usual villains of The Master, the Daleks, etc...

[@Tyrdormu]

Shame he barely had screen time and didnt last the length of a whole episode.

[@timlemmens1087]

@@Tyrdormu He had enough screentime for me.

[@marklenton1977]

He's in the Unleashed

[@jaydenyamada2916]

The memory tardis is gorgeous, I need a 360 video of that interior. It felt so cramped and so full of love and history. I don't hate 15s wallpaper, but it is rather empty feeling at times.

[@Callithyia]

Absolutely LOVED the number of interesting, fun, juicy roles for women over 50. I hit the end tableau and realized I hadn't actually seen that before in an adventure show, and especially as so many fans are aging ourselves, it was really really cool. Cheers!

[@skallywalla502]

Yes, it seems RTD is really making sure there are LOTS of interesting and dynamic women characters who are 50+. I'm guessing it's to make up for how he treated them in his first run. Regardless, I love it when folks learn from their mistakes and we get to reap the rewards!

[@minicle426]

​@@skallywalla502He hasn't learnt how to write a decent finale yet, unfortunately...

[@doppelganger3992]

Bonnie wants to do her own stunts.😆

[@sarahclapp505]

Mel got to play a baddie ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@DonnaLang42rockglobally]

Bonnie was brilliant as possessed Mel - her performance gave me chills.

[@hotdog1214]

Funny when she was announced some of the fandom had a big question mark. Of all the companions you brought back Melanie "screaming carrot juice" Bush? But damn she was great in these two episodes. Questions no more. What a good choice for a returning classic companion. I loved her moments with Six and Seven's costumes and telling the Doctor to stop grizzling and fix it last week. Possessed Mel was yikes! but in a good way.

[@Oh-hi-their-have-a-cookie]

Hope rogue returns

[@El_ssss]

No

[@Leonardo_Rizzo]

YES PLEASE

[@skallywalla502]

Sounds like he will!!

[@DeusLucifer]

NO

[@paularc1899]

Nooooo. Nope. Dont need M kissing M.

[@aerelyamirart]

Can we please have a plushy of doggo Sutekh or a mini figure of him clinging onto the TARDIS? 🥺❤️❤️

[@Silver_Sand]

I just realized that this TARDIS has a different bottom, most of the other TARDIS exteriors have been flat on the bottom! (apart from the 50th anniversary TARDIS which had handles on the bottom)

[@seamusburke639]

That might be where the wheelchair ramp is tucked now?

[@craytherlaygaming2852]

I mean considering how often people end up dangling outside the tardis its a needed addition

[@Silver_Sand]

@@seamusburke639 Maybe but in the Time Vortex bit it looked like it was concaved instead of having anything tucked in it. I think the ramp is *inside* the TARDIS doors rather than part of the outside.

[@danielnokes9146]

Nice season, But 9 episodes!!! come on!!! Give us the old 13 episodes back!

[@librarysong8617]

There is the Toymaker, the god of games There is Trickster, the god of traps There is Maestro, the god of music There is Reprobate, the god of spite There is Mara, the god of beasts And the threefold deity of Malice and mischief and Misery There are gods of skin and shame and secrets There is Incensor, the god of disaster and her children called Doubt and Dread And standing on high is the mother and father and other of them all For the god of all gods has returned. And his names are many. His name has been Set. And Seth. And Sithifer. And his one true name for evermore is... Sutekh

[@lrrroftheplanetomicronpersei8]

Love how they're all really ominous except 'god of music'

[@al56890]

Just remember the doctor defeated the god of death with a whistle and rope…… peak television

[@paularc1899]

Yeah real thought went into that. 🙄

[@Mr_Bunk]

You could trivialise anything with that logic. How’d he beat him last time? Oh, the ancient, all-powerful Sutekh just forgot about the time difference between Earth and Mars, and the doctor pressed fast forward on his only space bridge. _rEaL tHoUgHt wEnT iNtO tHaT_

[@wyrdvora]

​@@Mr_Bunkwell yeah the resolution for Pyramids of Mars is *also* a bit shit. Something having been done before doesn't make it not bad

[@AxelaxiB]

My headcannon is that when the 14th doctor sprinkled the salt and it allowed gods and myths to come through it also allowed belief to become powerful. The audience believing ruby’s mom was important and mythical is what made her so; our belief gave her the power. She became the most powerful myth able to rival a god’s power. It makes sense since the 11th Doctor goes to a planet where memories are held as currency and emotions are powerful enough to defeat gods just saying.

[@emmeeemm]

I am loving Bonnie Langford in the 2020s! She seems like an absolute joy for the new DW kids to work with. I thought she was actually getting emotional when she saw the Sixth and Seventh Doctor costumes in the Memory TARDIS. And she absolutely nailed her possessed-by-Sutekh part of "Empire of Death". That "wet hair look", as Ncuti Gatwa drew attention to, worked really well for her undead image. Generally, Mel is providing a different but still entirely valid look at meeting the Doctor again decades later in her own life, compared to Elisabeth Sladen's Sarah Jane Smith. I'm here for it. I wonder what it'd be like to bring back a classic male Companion slightly younger than Ian, such as Steven or Turlough. That should be an even more different perspective Bringing some characters back would be difficult due to character death (e.g.: Adric), actor death (e.g.: Barbara and now also Ian), or other shenanigans (e.g.: Jamie and Zoe), but there's still options for further exploration. Please bring back Carole Ann Ford as Susan Foreman, even just to have her regenerate. Work with her to give her the DW story experience she wants to have and be known for. All this "Susan" and "get the help of a kind woman" and "the Doctor thinking about his family more than usual" teasing is playing so much with my extremely human heart. The VR sketch work looks like an awesome tool. My guess is that that environment really lets the artist step into their own mind space and just freely create what they see. Sutekh looked amazing in modern rendition! Great job keeping him wrapped around the police box due to the extended lore that Davies wrote!

[@BlackCatMargie]

So, one of the oldest and greatest enemies the doctor has ever faced, a god, omnipotent, fair enough, but he wont kill the doctor or Ruby because he needs to know her mother's name? Then her mum turns out to be an ordinary person? Am I missing something?

[@Rajclaw]

Love this show, just wish the audio mixing was better as it’s sometimes hard to hear lines over the amazing music lol

[@Time4Breakfast]

I agree. My solution is to switch on subtitles. Works great to overcome those unintelligible mumbled lines.👍

[@justcallme_al6106]

The only thing I was disappointed about was what the mom was pointing at because how was she naming ruby. Just didn't make any sense was really goofy.

[@gwres]

the only thing?, most of the episode made no sense.

[@askungusamongus]

I overall really liked this episode. It may be flawed but i had a great time watching it

[@PokeRedstone]

Don’t forget to click below to subscribe to the official Doctor Who KZbin channel.

[@eow4317]

I didn’t like it. It felt like they hyped Sutekh up to be the biggest bad ever and then he was dead eared in a half hour. This really needed to be a season long arc. Also when everyone died it had no impact because you knew it would be undone somehow

[@FailedNoName]

Yea my mom the whole time went "so it's gonna end with everything being reversed huh" Sutek just sucked. Homie got defeated by a leash

[@craytherlaygaming2852]

Blame the lack of episodes... if they had more time no doubt this would have been stolen earth levels of story writing

[@DeusLucifer]

​@@craytherlaygaming2852well comparing to past episode this season and the way they answer question it wouldn't matter if they had more episodes

[@craytherlaygaming2852]

@@DeusLucifer As someone who actually writes, uuhh yes it would more episodes =more time = more chance to build up and set up = more planning able to be put in to give a satisfying conclusion. In this case, Quantity *is* quality, as you need *time* to write a good story, and they *only* had the 8 episodes which even most disney plus shows get at least 12. And if you noticed those getting less than that are the ones with the janky stories and rushed conclusions.

[@Mr_Bunk]

@@craytherlaygaming2852 Oh yes, the famed ‘Stolen Earth levels of story writing’. Tell me, how well received was the villain-defeating on that one? Because as someone who was there when it was broadcast in 2008, I can tell you straight that ‘pressing a couple of buttons to instakill every Dalek and their big bad superweapon’ was not a popular conclusion for most fans after one hell of a build-up. Makes Sutekh’s ‘death by vortex-walkies’ look downright flattering by comparison.

[@larsg.2492]

Can we please stopt with the two parter series finale? One episode for the setup and the other for the consequences as well as the resolution is just so unsatisfying when you rush the last part. Just don't try to juggle so many plates, it's no use if you break most of them along the way.

[@terminatrix92]

I love the idea of gods in Doctor Who but the execution in this season has felt off... RTD just doesn't go dark and weird enough. Didnt Doctor Who used to scare kids?? Maybe the episodes are just too short and too few to create tension or atmosphere?

[@Rainbow-h2u]

So happy for ruby that she finally found her birth mother cant wait to see more of ruby next year

[@elizawulf8180]

A Sutekh model wrapped around a TARDIS would be a great collector's item... That and a Meep plush... ...Just saying >.>

[@Tejiknasten]

Thanks to all of them who brings this marvelous universe to life year after year. I've been watching this since I was a kid and now the kids in my house are watching it with me. Thanks! You're fantastic 🫶

[@R_SENAL]

Here's a thought - That ship in Wild Blue Yonder... was it Osirian? The alien had an equine head, but the Osirians were not uniform in Egyptian mythology, they had all sorts of heads, like they were into human 30th century Body-beepling or something (read DW novel Original Sin). In fact Egyptologists aren't even sure what animal Sutekh was, they call it a Sha, but the jury is still out on if it was a dog with weird ears, an aardvark, a giraffe, a desert antelope, or a jerboa rat.

[@kaitlynrowena5463]

1975 terrifying green eyes 2024 now has red eyes smh

[@FailedNoName]

This season hyped up ruby mom so much that i thought it was goimg to be this amazimg cool twist....And its just some regular lady who likes pointing. Like that moment ruined the season for me. Also annoyed thst sutek is hyped up as the god of death and the toy maker was scarier then him😂 I really loved this season minus one episode but that ending was horrible 😭

[@somerandomyoutubeaccount5895]

I actually like the fact that ruby’s mom really just is a normal person, Ruby is just a normal human being so why should her mom be anything different, I think the presentation could have been better, but overall the episode was OK in my opinion.

[@enanan4]

​@@somerandomyoutubeaccount5895still doesn't explain why it kept snowing everywhere bc of Ruby, why couldn't they just go to 2046 from the start, why there was 0 information abt Ruby's mother if she was so ordinary, and more. not saying Ruby's mother being ordinary was a bad thing in itself- it just didn't explain many of the mysteries

[@somerandomyoutubeaccount5895]

@@enanan4 the ending of empire of death implied that it was actually her neighbor who was causing the snow to fall and not ruby herself.

[@nukrimatiashvili3886]

Spoiler alert . . . > 1. like how many times did Sutekh created Susan on Gallifrey and how many times Have Gallifrey been destroyed by dust ? 2. we know what consequences are from destroying Tardis , and we know that Tardis is a living machine , so what happened to 14th Doctor ? was he travelling at that time with Donna , or did Sutekh killed 14th , Donna and Tardis too ( without consequences ) and if so , then how ? 3. Basically , if Sutekh was always here after his defeat , when did Toymaker meet him ? How he knows about the one who waits ? and how in the hell he was not able to notice Sutekh around the Tardis

[@veturwinter]

This episode was just.. horrible

[@inquerion8867]

4. So now we have ~10 Sutekh's running around? Because Toymaker's magical hammer and that biregeneration thing replicated EACH Tardis and EACH Doctor...So 1 Sutekh is still sitting on Earth on the Tennant's 2.0 TARDIS...

[@DeusLucifer]

There is no point asking obvious question as rtd isn't capable of answering them

[@NightShinerStudio]

​@@inquerion8867all doctors bigenerating was just a joke

[@THESHORTBOXFULL]

Sutekh being wrapped around the TARDIS since The Pyramids Of Mars, gives a new meaning to the phrase "The Oncoming Storm" Yup the "sand" Storm!

[@craytherlaygaming2852]

Why do I hear a screaming angry anxty teen who killed not just the men, but the woman and children too

[@bluevortexpng1211]

i know everyone hates this episode but god i love it so much

[@ironicanimations]

Me too! I really love it-

[@themonado5030]

Can I ask what you liked? I'm genuinely curious.

[@martinauld670]

Seriously? What did you like about it? I thought it was abysmal

[@rammy3879]

You're a bot

[@Maxwellchaos7439]

I loved it so much the passion into it! you could tell they put their whole budget and hearts into it I LOVED IT!!! idk why people dislikes it, as an artist myself its a fantastic episode

[@allenhowell1574]

Sorry but original 1974 Sutekh was waaay creepier. And the story makes no sense. He's been hanging onto the Tardis since the Pyramids of Mars? In a Peter Davidson serial "Frontios" the Tardis becomes deconstructed/scattered into millions of parts. The Tardis literally exploded on a Matt Smith story "The Big Bang" (kzbin.info/www/bejne/g4OVXp14mb98eas). And what about when it was doubled after the Toymaker? Are there now two Sutekhs?

[@ellsrider]

Really enjoyed the use if 11’s ‘Never tell me the rules’ music from his last episode. Missed Murray.

[@dem_bears]

I was disappointed in the fight scene with Sutekh. I thought there was going to be a fight scene at least with people who became his harbingers

[@TehWhiteTiger]

This had to be the worst writing to date for Doctor Who. Tons of unanswered questions, an insultingly stupid way to defeat what was suppose to be the most powerful entity The Doctor had ever faced and then to rub it all in they try to add some cringy morals like 'being normal is what makes us special' and 'life beats death' neither of which made any sense. I felt the writing for Doctor Who fell off hard after RTD left and always wished he stayed on. To think he wrote this finale makes me realize how wrong I was...

[@kuggacouragegx6093]

Ok u are reaching

[@Powerslave62]

Not as good as Legend, but this was still a very good, solid finale. 8/10 for me

[@wyrdvora]

ngl my least favourite episode of the season fenric would've worked much better

[@ReversedPolarity]

It's been a while and was a real challenge to gather my thoughts on the whole season after episode 2... probably forgot something. BOOM ✅ PROS: The Moff was back to torment us with another existential crisis and it was an interesting concept too. There's also a curious point about faith and love. Great capital critique. And possibly some classic references like "dad to dad, dust to dust"? ❓ ODDS: The music and acting felt a bit too eccentric towards the end. A grim situation became trivial. ❌ CONS: Shouldn't the kid know about holograms, especially after the first glitches? Her society is clearly aware of modern tech after all. Also, why would the machine preserve the memory of a dead patient and how was that memory somehow capable of overwriting the AI system? What was special about the girl's dad and not the other guy that would create such a bug? Lots of vague questions... 73 YARDS ✅ PROS: Mysterious dark setting in the Welsh countryside, sold. Strange timeline concept, sold. Ghost vibes, sold. Its use in the finale was intriguing too. ❓ ODDS: Weird paradox event, especially when you account for the ending. It's just strange how that loop was untangled. ❌ CONS: Mostly small execution issues, I know I wouldn't set foot in that tavern again... DOT AND BUBBLE ✅ PROS: Interesting premise and social critique, lots of Black Mirror vibes, and an organic villain created by... AI? Is it "Green Death" I smell? ❓ ODDS: The Doctor and Ruby acted like they knew the crime Pepper-Bean committed. Super tense scene, but very odd in retrospect. And while I found the social critique interesting, those people really need to rest from social media. I wonder what that does to the brain if they're connected 24/7... ❌ CONS: We finally got the sequel to EVERYBODY LIVES, but where's the consequence? Did they really die? Was the Doctor right? I do understand why he broke the "never give up" rule though... well, sometimes you just don't know but I felt invested. Also, losing basic motor coordination is possible (not like this though), but losing our survival impulses too? Even hypnotists can't do that, but social media is ahead of them apparently. Also, why did the robot eye thing poke the girl before deciding to kill her after it was known she would be next, and yet the guy wasn't spared on a first strike? That's some thick plot armor she got. ROGUE ✅ PROS: Fun historical setting, exploration of different social roles, and a new mysterious time traveler? Also, the twists at the end... chef's kiss. The comedy made me chuckle a few times too. ❓ ODDS: Blue lightning and Ruby's scream were in the scene where Ruby apparently died, but weren't there in the fight, or was it just me? But I get it, it's for dramatic effect. And I wonder if archaeologists will find the trap pieces the Doctor left on the floor at the end... ❌ CONS: The premise of trying different social roles is interesting, but somehow got put to second plane. We know the Doctor changes a lot, that's no mystery (and nor is kissing another man), but now we get a new Captain Jack and the Doctor somehow decides to go easy on him and stay out of character? I wouldn't want to be in Jack's shoes now. And, the Doctor only knew him for a FEW MINUTES! Either something's shaky there or someone moves fast... THE LEGEND OF RUBY SUNDAY ✅ PROS: Sutekh is back!!! And tripled the fright! Big win in my book. We get some lore about the Who Pantheon and a few obscure mentions. The Time Windows are also back, UNIT is getting fancy. Kate's silent treatment was acting at its best, Mel was done full justice (finally some classic companion love) and the Doctor needed Doctoring. And that ending and the twist were very creative (the Harbinger one was a stretch of the imagination though). The story was firing on all cylinders. Even the TARDIS was scary for once. ❓ ODDS: Where was the wheelchair girl in this? Also, why is a 13yo boy working for UNIT? Is he from Zoe Heriot's timeline or what's happening there? And what is Vlinx? I'm wondering what Rose is also doing for the team. The execution of some of these pieces also fell a bit flat for me at times. Just accept it or sleep on it I guess. ❌ CONS: Once again, I wanted to believe a character would return and then it didn't, she even had Susan's mannerisms and voice. It's not a true con, but I suspected it was too good to be true. I've been there before, so no surprises. EMPIRE OF DEATH ✅ PROS: Once again, Sutekh stole all the scenes and his voice is music to Whovian ears. The Doctor had solid speeches and moments about his moral stance, the ending was also very solid apart from a few logical hitches. And there is some mysticism left for season 2 (not classic season 2). Nice use of the spin-off with the remembered TARDIS. I also didn't know I needed Mel as a villain before. ❓ ODDS: For such a long well-thought-out plan, that "Empire" didn't last very long... back in the box with you, Seth old boy. And who is that old neighbor woman? She had plans... for what? ❌ CONS: I still can't believe Sutekh in his true form let a girl and the Doctor pull him by the rope like a puppy with ease (I saw what they did there, but that's one big dog and that's a rope). Also, if he was there in the TARDIS all this time, how didn't his plan account for the Doctor first? And most of the season's mysticism was lost to (less-than) ordinary explanations - What about the snow and the secret Sutekh desperately wanted? Nothing about that whole deal is ordinary but her mom suddenly is? Sounds a bit odd... Also, when I knew Sutekh's intentions were not to kill the Doctor, the stakes were practically lost. I mean, what was the point of the chase? Or is there something beyond Sutekh's power that requires the Doctor to stay alive? Was it the screen? Did I miss something?

[@LunaFlynn-vj6qr]

I know he's not a cat but the way he sits on the tardis reminds me of my cat on his cat tree

[@aredblip1315]

Sutekh's original (unmasked) design looked more menacing to me because he looked closer to a human than animal. It passed that uncanny valley. Humanoid body, two green eyes (instead of four) with a malicious stare, a face that resembled a canine but with rectangular ears (instead of triangular) so you knew it was something unearthly. Very sapient. The new Sutekh just growls like a mindless animal. Speaks very occasionally and in the climax he's just on all four legs "running" in the vortex like a dog. Mutated CGI Scooby Doo on a leash. Quite the "evolution".

[@esecallum]

i totally agree...a horsehead from the rentaghost comedy series...or a comical dog... AWFUL

[@katokianimation]

skubi-tech

[@darkacadpresenceinblood]

100% sometimes less is more, old designs and effects can be a bit goofy or simple but i'd have that over today's over the top cgi any day (it's a minor complaint i really enjoyed the episode otherwise but i just watched pyramids of mars before i watched empire of death and i like the old design much more too)

[@jvictor001]

It really does give Scooby Doo 😭😭😭

[@FlagadossSupreme]

Are you stupid or something ? Human is a animal species like every other species

[@Pr1ya-Night]

Still can't get over that there's a goblin song now.

[@lilkris3008]

So sad ruby is leaving already. Idk if we would have loved rose or Clara like we do if they hadn’t gotten to spend time a while with the dr after their arc ended

[@kateglew580]

She'll be back next season don't worry! Russell has confirmed this

[@lilkris3008]

@@kateglew580 that honestly brings down an already weak finale tbh. First they tell us the season long mystery was a nothing burger and now the heartfelt goodbye was a red herring

[@chazo1367]

@@lilkris3008 How does it bring it down? Some companions come and go. Martha left and came back next season and it wasn't an issue. It's goodbye for now, but not forever and that's always sad. Especially because it means The Doctor is alone again which isn't good for him.

[@DanyTheMe]

​@@lilkris3008how is it a red herring when the characters literally say ruby is leaving but that the doctor will definitely see her again?

[@lilkris3008]

@@DanyTheMe to me spending 8 episodes building up the mystery of her mom and then finding out she’s normal and she even wants Rudy in her life. Martha came back when the dr was with Donna and she was happy as a dr with no need to start traveling again. Ruby is probably going to come back ep 1 as a main again which makes this goodbye feel less important.

[@thomasworthy8255]

I think sutekh's design was amazing in this episode but the only thing i thought was a missed opportunity was not making his eyes green to link back to pyramids of Mars.

[@björkmou5e]

I adore hearing these performers talk shop about the realities of what they do. It in no way breaks the fantasy for me and if anything, enhances it. Their jobs of actors and writers and directors like these are a crossroads between hard-earned vocational skills, practical tradecraft and passionate creativity and even if every iteration of the Doctor doesn't always speak to me personally, I'm always able to love this thing all the same. That said, Cutie--I mean Ncuti only took about 2 episodes to grow on me so I'm glad I didn't put it off just because I naturally gravitate the salty Scottish physicist.

[@jeremythomaswebb1485]

I really want Bonnie to do a season run with Ncuti! She's really great in this and the big finish audios. She can totally do another season of Doctor Who. I really want to see that happen. I feel like there's so much that can still be done with Mel in regards to her origins, what happened with her family and where she is now with her life.

[@JoanneRachel-m6j]

❤❤❤❤ loved it can’t wait for the next season and the Christmas episode ❤❤❤❤❤

[@valentinadevogueofficialx]

The criticism that annoys me the most is “Ruby’s mum was ordinary.” She doesn’t NEED to be extraordinary, just because you think EVERY mystery should end up in a dramatic reveal like at the end of Legend of Ruby Sunday doesn’t mean it will.

[@veheeo720]

Simply Splendid !! Luv all the shows so GLAD The Doctor is back ! 😎❤💯👀 All the performers are perfect ! 🕺🌹🌹🥨🔥🎯🪅🎩💎

[@soloflight75]

Spoiler Alert: I loved the reunion of Ruby and her mother.

[@Concreteowl]

Belonged in Constipation Street. Doctor Who isn't a soap opera.

[@chazo1367]

@@Concreteowl Guess you missed RTD's first run...one of the things he was always praised for was the character interactions like that.

[@amqru]

good for you nb cares

[@berke_karaca]

Maybe I could've appreciate it more if I wasn't dead by then. Towards the End I rolled my eyes so high because of stupid concepts and inconstancies, I stopped caring by then.

[@xedalpha1]

Very raw scene. Loved it

[@jamesnelson6656]

I need to build a lego MOC of the Memory TARDIS immediately to add to my 18 console and 45 minifigure Doctor Who display💙

[@dknight1130]

Is Clara Oswald returning? for the Christmas special? That "You clever boy" line got me thinking if the old lady was Clara.

[@redacted7127]

Same

[@modboyhenry1]

Not sure if Mrs flood whoever she is is manifesting old companions because her outfit at the end was very similar to romana 1’s outfit she wore and earlier Mrs flood wore a Clara outfit. She also wore similar clothes to Rory earlier on this season but might be a stretch.

[@Silent002]

She's addressed the audience directly multiple times, which tells me she's seen the same stories that we have. My guess is that she's not even part of the pantheon, but the manifestation of the story itself within the world the story is set.

[@AndresRodriguez-y6s]

No Clara is not returning

[@AndresRodriguez-y6s]

But Ruby will still be in season 2 along with Mundy

[@gkcn9688]

Ncuti calling River's shoes ''my wife's shoes '' and millie admiringamy pond suitcase my11 stan team I love themm

[@mathewdewsbury9456]

That new Sutekh looks awesome.

[@bbartukoglu]

I am sorry but the sutekh design did not work for me at all, not menacing or creepy, too “dog-like”. Chibnall was actually better at creating truly scary looking villains

[@lykan2]

I'll take Suuty if you don't want him, maybe he just needs someone who gives him bellyrubs and pats?

[@darkacadpresenceinblood]

my sister relates to this comment sm she was saying how cute Sutekh looked all the way through lmao

[@squatmasterproductions2973]

That looks so much like my Dog ! Shes a black thai ridgeback , the sphinx is a Thai ridgeback , thats what i believe .

[@PalmsWarrior]

Don’t you know what a jackal is? It’s meant to be Anubis.

[@squatmasterproductions2973]

@@PalmsWarrior I am well aware of what people think it is

[@eoghanjones9042]

I hated this new sutekh Russel says he’s evolved but this sutekh was the least terrifying and honestly seemed weaker if anything else, in his first appearance a sutekh who was sealed away literally trapped took complete control over the doctors mind with a stare, the thing with sutekh was he was so powerful every osiran had to team up to just trap sutekh and even then sutekh still ended up killing them all in the comics sutekh bargained with other gods to get him out of the place the doctor trapped him (Russel seems to of now retconned this) and as soon as sutekh escaped he ended up betraying those other gods which led to sutekh fighting all those other gods alone at once and not some nameless gods one of the gods of ragnarok was their and what happened to them? Sutekh one shot them all whilst at the same time calling them incompetent amateurs in an audio book he stated he could destroy entire planets with a singular thought this sutekh planted multiple people in order to destroy earth and everywhere anyone who knew sutekh should be embarrassed at the pitiful attempt made by Russel’s soft writing

[@roguephoenix]

ruby's reveal was the worst reveal i've ever seen in tv and i've seen a lot of tv. i hope this is just the mid point and that was a fake reveal concocted by mrs flood to lul the doctor in a false sense of finality to ruby's story.

[@gkcn9688]

River Song's sonic and 11's sonic is there too and oh how I missed 11's tardis yowzahhh

[@johnclay7644]

good behind the scenes,

[@Sam4e82]

Must admit this was by far my best episode this season. With that in mind, it would be great if Dr Who had more than 8 episodes per season.

[@sb308]

Right? The pacing of this season was a bit off for me especially because I really liked Ruby Sunday. Could have benefitted from another 4-5 episodes

[@lesigh1749]

They cant do that. The audience fall off over a 13 episode season would sink it below 2 million overnights and below 3 million consolidated by the end. This show is so unliked now they have to do a short burst to not absolutely humiliate themselves in the ratings.

[@paulhall9811]

I missed the Servitors (Mummies) they scared the cr@p out of me as a kid.

[@SarcyBoi41]

I watched that story last week and I'm sorry but the mummies were awful lol, the chase scene made me laugh so hard with them waddling around

[@VisiblyLogan]

The resolution of Sutekh was a little rushed but I loved Rubys ending. I feel like if they spent more time on Kate and Mel’s deaths and also sutekh in general would have been so much better. Honestly the episodes need to be just that much longer.

[@herschell64]

Saw it in the cinema and loved it, bring on the next season

[@rich1701]

What a awful reimagining. Ruined a great villain.

[@DeadlyTinyOrc]

I'm not excited for anything after dragging that mystery along for nothing

[@alexfletcher5192]

I think some people were expecting to see the mask and the mummies. Well, we had that. It was 50 years ago. You have to present something else for another audience. They always had to do that with, say, the Cybermen. Perhaps the sheer level of domination would have benefited from being played out longer - something akin to 'Flux' - but with other stories to tell that wasn't really an option.

[@cubdukat]

The only thing that I was disappointed with this season about was that they never solved the mystery of who Mrs. Flood was. Other than that, I just ignored the fansites and made up my own mind about what I thought of Ncuti Gatwa’s first season. That’s really the only way you can get through anything these days, sadly.

[@barrymills1999]

One off the Greatest villains, get put on a leash and taken for a walk through the time vortex

[@CraftedTomLion]

Sutekh would make a crazy Soulsbourne boss

[@berke_karaca]

I wish Sutekh had more role in the story, I know CGI costs but there were his servants. Bro legit had 3 to 5 lines then was "leashed" (The God of Death I mind you) and got put back in the Time Vortex again. And When The Doctor said he has to become a monster I was like "Dude overdramatic much?". After everything he has been through he still blames himself when he told 14 that he couldn't have done anything is bugging me. I don't wanna say it but it was kinda bad writing. And Don't let me start at Time is memory and Ruby's mom nonsense. I liked The Last Episode as much as I don't like this episode. The set up was great, they were shutting down every theory in a logical manner but this was like Moffat's finales. If you believe hard enough you can will the universe to your wishes type writing. There is more things I don't dislike but I'm tired just by writing this. I love this show and it has a special place within my heart. Overall a mixed bag season some good, some mediocre and some really bad episodes. And also almost forgot RTD's worst finale so far. Sorry had to get that in there I'm a little frustrated.

[@LordVanOskuro]

Still looks more Anubis than Set.