Empire Of Death Doctor Who Review | 2024 Series 1 Reaction

[@Quod_Matter]

If I'm gonna be honest, I was expecting some version of Sutekh's classic design to appear in the episode just for a proper callback to Pyramids Of Mars, and it kinda disappointed me that it didn't

[@rupertbath2748]

I was hoping we'd see the famous mask but great to hear Gabriel Woolf's menacing voice again.

[@BeyondTheSofa]

Yeah, I agree, I was kind of hoping to see that.

[@LOTLore]

I know the general opinion is that is was just okay, but I really enjoyed it and it made me cry at the end. I love this episode, and this whole season

[@DBProductions12345-m]

- 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 It was all very meh tbh We NEED a Susan cameo this era, surely!

[@BeyondTheSofa]

So many things unresolved and not in an interesting way that will pull you back into the series. It’s disappointing, to be honest.

[@stephenbarney6776]

Ha Exactly how did she end up with the name Ruby as no one saw her mum point that was all I could think about once it was revealed

[@nikonbear7882]

100% agree with your review. I found it difficult to get into the whole ‘who is Ruby and why does it snow?’ arc because I’m over mystery box companions. The way RTD established the arc only to dismantle it in the final episode took away from the revelation that Ruby and her mother are ordinary people. Was ‘the power of memory’ supposedly the cause of the recurring snowfall? And if it was, what was the point apart from creating a mystery around Ruby, a mystery that had no pay off?

[@BeyondTheSofa]

Yes, it was very much like the ending of lost. Very unsatisfying.

[@mayotango1317]

At least Ruby wasn't the Deus Ex Machina that RTD always uses in their finales.

[@BeyondTheSofa]

With Sutekh being dragged through the time vortex, this episode was literally god outside the machine… Deus extra machina, if you will.

[@mayotango1317]

@@BeyondTheSofa Like the last time with the time tunnel.

[@polgarauk5606]

I need to rewatch as watching at midnight exhausted I was left at the end of the episode confused as to what just happened. Underwhelmed is the best description at this point in time.

[@BeyondTheSofa]

Underwhelmed is how a lot of people seem to be feeling.

[@benjames9158]

yh I don't think a second watch is gonna do much

[@RickReasonnz]

If you're aware of the Flash and his arch nemesis the Reverse Flash, you'll know that RF cannot kill the Flash because his existence was bound to RF's. THAT'S what I thought RTD was going to go for when the Doctor asked WHY haven't you killed me? Because Sutehk had been travelling around the TARDIS, if he were to kill the Doctor he would thus be unmade, and that's they key of how to defeat Sutehk. Alas, this did not come about. Also, the Toymaker revealed that a whole lot of gods were coming, backed up by Maestro.... but now, Sutehk has ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with those shows. So why even bring that up in the first place? You also brought up Donald Sutherland, who we just lost a few days ago. RIP.

[@BeyondTheSofa]

I think that Donald Sutherland’s death was on my mind when I saw this, hence linking it to the Bodysnatchers scene. I think there was an awful lot of missed potential here and a lot of setup that doesn't get payoff.

[@robtron89]

Great Review! I was underwhelmed by the ease of the defeat of sutek. At first I was surprised at the power of the villain as it killed off Kate, but the second it killed the planet all the stakes dropped for me as it was clear no one would actually die. Whereas killing off just Kate and some UNIT soldiers, while others perhaps bowed down to Sutek would have really helped to create more dread around the villain. The show also has not benefited from the 8 episode format as the fact the whole universe turned to dust wasn’t felt as it amounted to one scene and 10 minutes screen time. When the master destroyed half the earth in the series 3 finale we got another episode to see the gravity of this on characters, which leads to a greater payoff when he is defeated. Loved the performances of Ncuti and Millie once again but slightly underwhelming payoff to a solid set up.

[@RickReasonnz]

Can't disagree with any of this. Really did need something more, or just to dwell on to it a bit. When Sutehk said that he infected every world the Doctor had visited, I was hoping that maybe the Doctor would lead a resistance from a planet he had not yet been to. Then I was reminded that this was going to be wrapped up really, really fast.

[@BeyondTheSofa]

Yes, I think you're right here. It needed more weight. Ironically, it kind of needed to start this off at the beginning of the series and then have the rest of the series showing the effects in some way… which is kind of what Flux tried, but that didnt work for me either.

[@beejamjam]

I think I did really love it. Watched it in the cinema. Sutekh felt like a massive threat and the way they defeated him was hilarious, and it actually worked well that way imo. The contrast of that with the soap-like highly emotional character beats late in the episode was really compelling. I think you might have the wrong idea around Chekhov's gun, because it did go off. It not going off would mean they would have dropped the entire question of who Ruby's mother was, but they didn't. The pointing at the sign was stupid though, I'll definitely give you that! I don't think I'm gonna persuade anyone round on this, but this finale was an incredible moment for me as a fan personally. It feels strange to see people dislike it, but i do understand. I just can't find it in me to care about the issues that are there because the parts that mattered to me were so well done.

[@BeyondTheSofa]

You’re the one person so far who has said they loved it. I’m glad it’s found a home, at least with one person… I just don’t agree with you. After all, how is Sutekh a threat when he’s already killed everything? At least with the Master in Sound of Drums/Last of the Time Lords, there is more damage he can do. I haven’t got the wrong idea about Chekhov’s gun. The concept is that if you show someone a gun, that gun must be used by the end of the play. With Ruby, we were shown a mysterious companion who we are told “there’s a hidden song deep inside her” only to then be told… No, sorry, none of that was true, it was only important because you wanted it to be. And we never got an explanation of who “the oldest one” was, whose power was meant to be within the song inside Ruby. It’s not the one who waits because Maestro mentions him before being trapped in the piano… There’s no causal link. There is no reason for Maestro to be worried about Ruby because there is no in-universe explanation for it.

[@nonyabusiness9682]

​@BeyondTheSofa I was working the cinema shift for it and caught a good chunk of it, and watched it after. There where actually quite a few happy fans. We had around 160 people over 2 showings. Which wasnt fantastic but pretty decent for my small cinema. I think the cutest sight was a grandfather with his young granddaughter who was in a tom baker scarf, during the interval I caught him eagerly explaining the pyramids of mars to her. The episode itself is definatly very flawed but I think a thing alot of people are taking for granted is the level of energy and life that is back in the series. I know its not a substitute for good writing but after so many years of a very dry series under Chris chibnal. To see the show be so alive again, even if it is silly and nonsensical. Is a real a treat to me. Additionally as someone who's studying concept art and character design suthks new design is absolutely delightful to me. I k own alot of people want the old design back. But as this concept of him ascending to actual godhood through the Tim vortex its actually a very secussfull redesign to me and the special effects for it where fantastic to me.

[@oathy03]

Because my software writes what I speak sometimes it comes horrendous, What I say now isn't meant to be insulting of RTD, He's back but does he really want to be back? He always throws in a red herring and sadly Ruby was the fish, Many suspected Mrs Flood would either be kept for the Christmas Special or season 2. He does this EVERY single finale he kills everyone off knowing a massive reset is incoming this is why I would love at least one finale off World. The Doctor doesn't need to win every time. Episodes like this remind me of someone who decides to make a simple sponge cake use every single kitchen utensil then get distracted and burn the cake. I've held fire till the last episode but given we are only getting 8 episodes his writing feels rusty. Last weeks episode I've watched many times sadly this episode I wont be watching again. Bad Wolf Studios is huge is providing a much needed boost to many sectors where its located and I just feel at the moment RTD is going through the motions.

[@BeyondTheSofa]

I totally understand when you say that it feels like he's going through the motions. I kind of feel the same, at least if you're looking at the series as an overall arc.

[@snakebabyfc]

Couldn't agree more, this whole series finale felt lackluster. Ruby's mum's pointing is strange when the actual reason is given. It all just feels rushed and more about character building outweighing the plot, instead of it being a healthier balance. If you build characters and then resolve things poorly / unsatisfying, then what's the point at all.

[@BeyondTheSofa]

I'm not even sure the characters were built particularly well. There needs to be a balance in these things and there are too many characters we haven't seen enough of. Ruby’s adopted mother, for example. There's nowhere near the same level of development as Jackie in RTD1.

[@ob372]

I'm hoping that ruby's mum has actually been given a second chance by the trickster, and is the perfect trap.. maybe shed originally died at 15 and it was the trickster that dropped ruby off, but once Sutekh failed he then changed time by bringing her mum back like he does in the Sarah jane adventures - could explain why the doctors memory of it hanged and it fits with how the trickster works. Also on the official doctor who FB, they put an image of some of the gods, and the trickster was below Sutekh but above the toymaker, perhaps a hierarchy?

[@BeyondTheSofa]

After what RTD said in the in-vision commentary, I don't think she will be anything other than normal.

[@ob372]

I agree:) all the people the trickster helps bring back to life in tbe Sarah jane adventures are completely normal but was meant to die, and the act of bringing them back changes events in a small way that adds up. Perhaps it's as simple as Ruby wouldn't have left the doctor at this point and doesn't save him or stop him from going to far in a bad situation, the mother is completely normal, and probably doesn't remember the deal as the trickster can make them forget. But it does separate the doctor and Ruby, and I am interested in any thoughts or opinions:)

[@oathy03]

Something just struck me, have we just seen RTD undo all the Chibnall changes in such a subtle we we missed it because it was done taking the Dog for a walk? gallifrey the damage from the flux all can be explained away in one sentence now we had another reset of the Universe. Whilst the story of the timeless child is left hanging the destruction of gallifrey for no reason in theory has been undone. Given the increased budget it would give them huge amounts of new stories to cover. How Ruby is going to fit into series 2 because so far all the location shots have had the new companion.

[@BeyondTheSofa]

It’s possible, but we won’t properly know unless it’s actually mentioned. If that was the intent, to put all of the toys back in the box so we can play with the, again later, then it wasn’t a bad thing. But that doesn’t excuse the other issues, of course.

[@Domgo-d1w]

What a load of complete bollocks! If we are to believe that Sutekh was hiding in the TARDIS since 1975, does that mean there's another Sutekh in a garden in North London with Doctor 14? That's after all is the original TARDIS? If Ruby's mum is a nobody and Ruby is a human, why the snow and the music and all the mysterious garbage we've had to endure. This rubbish is an insult to people who trusted in RTD to deliver something better than an episode of EastEnders. Count me out for next season.

[@BeyondTheSofa]

I don't think your alone in thinking that. There's a good chance this will turn people off.

[@Drekal684]

My current hypothesis is that we are, collectively, done with mystery boxes. The answer is never as satisfying as the buildup. I really, really hope that RTD has already stepped away from this sort of storytelling for season 2. I did think it was a mistake to write it out before the first one even aired! No feedback, no way to course correct.

[@BeyondTheSofa]

I’m not sure that’s quite true, but I do think the people are more aware of them now and are a little wary of them.

[@jakejancook]

I feel like they forgot to take the doctor to anywhere other than earth. It doesn't have to be a big expensive aliens, CGI, huge sets... But aren't I right in saying Ruby literally only left earth once?

[@BeyondTheSofa]

No, not quite. Finetime wasn’t Earth and the space station wasn’t either, but they could have done more planets.

[@stevealdous2043]

Great review. Once again you perfectly mirrored my own thoughts on the episode and the two-part finale. Great set-up, a disappointing pay-off. Lost of individual scenes to like, but messy writing as a whole, and too many plot conveniences. The "reset button" has been used before and is a lazy way to resolve the Sutekh plot.... in the end, it seemed that the Sutekh plot took second place to the non-event of the who is Ruby Sunday's mother arc.

[@BeyondTheSofa]

Yes, I agree with that.

[@nuttyknatty]

Great review - really enjoyed following your insights and opinions on this series.👍👍

[@ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΑ-ε1ω]

It was meh really

[@lozD83]

< meh, I'd say

[@kevinblower3426]

Would have preferred more Sutekh, and perhaps defeated in a more cunning way. The spoon lady was irrelevant, there were metal things in the memory TARDIS. However, all the performances were magnificent . It didn't quite work but still found it more satisfying than most Moff finales!

[@Face2East]

My shoulders are aching from all the shrugs of indifference they endured during this episode. It will take quite an effort to draw me back in the way its going. Maybe hiring a proper team of legitimate scifi writers would be a start.

[@BeyondTheSofa]

I think a lot of people are feeling the same.

[@RickReasonnz]

Feel like saying something about the season as a whole. Given I've only watched New Who seasons, and didn't watch 14's seasons at all (not because of Whitaker, more because that was the time Netflix stopped showing Doctor Who and I couldn't be bothered trying to find a legit way to view it in my country), this was the worst season I have seen. It's definitely not terrible, and there have been some good moments, but on the whole it has been inconsistent with the use of Gatwa (I still cannot truly say anything about Gatwa's Doctor, ie what his character is like), too many half ideas, and an annoyingly short run time. Hoping they get better with another season.

[@AlmostYearly]

Which episode(s) represented a "pinnacle of the show"?

[@BeyondTheSofa]

I think Boom will end up being quite high up the list in the fan rankings. I think 73 yards will end up being one of those slow-burn episodes that fans will come to in the long run. I think Dot And Bubble could well win awards beyond Welsh Bafta.

[@rupertbath2748]

Also there is major sporting event and yes you can llike Doctor Who and football so I tend to to catch up on the show later and I know people who didn't watch the show because they wanted to know whether it was worth like my best friend Allison who said she most enjoyed what she watched apart from a couple of episodes she couldn't believe someone green lit. Now the series is over with a two parter which frankly that should have been 60th, people who tuned out may go back in tune in and clearly this season is part of a large arc which the next one as still questions to be answered and unlike Moffat RTD does tie up all lose threads at the end.

[@BeyondTheSofa]

Summer is a bad time for TV anyway… I think people who tune in now are more likely to come to the series through word-of-mouth. I’m not sure that the word of mouth is going to be particularly good after that last episode. Yes, stuff might get resolved at a later date, but that doesn’t actually resolve the promises that were made to the audience at the start of the series.

[@rupertbath2748]

@@BeyondTheSofa I'm always interested by the counter programming so during football you'll see films and stuff on other channels that cater for those who aren't interested. RTD talks about the 28 day window which I assume means from series ending as to whether people decide to watch the whole lotm which given that the terrible choice of opening two first episodes is a gamble as I think people dropped out which is a pity as I thought Boom, whilst not his finest, was a good Moffat episode and very much his think of putting the Doctor in a interesting dilema of not being able to move move for most the episode.

[@cjward_24]

Sutekh working through his minions and not actually doing anything is exactly what happened in Pyramids too

[@BeyondTheSofa]

But there was an in-universe reason for it, he couldn't get off his seat. That's the point I made in the video.

[@purplecelery7380]

I've really enjoyed your reviews, and hope you keep doing more videos this year. Also like your running commentary on the viewing figures. I also found this episode underwhelming. I was ok with Ruby's mum being an ordinary woman, but the dramatic pointing definitely annoyed me (granted, she was only a 15 year old kid, and the mid-2000s were infamous for being the 'emo' era!). Also not a fan of Mrs Flood breaking the fourth wall. It felt a bit twee.

[@BeyondTheSofa]

Thank you for the kind words. I will keep going, I have season 2 to start on, so there's still plenty to re-watch. Pyramids next, though.

[@ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΑ-ε1ω]

All and All Pyramids of Mars were better

[@BeyondTheSofa]

Pyramids is one of my favourites, probably because I had it on VHS before most of the others, so I watched it a lot.

[@TheGreatFish23]

I agree with everything you said this episode just made me never want to watch dr who again it made me feel sad becuase of what there doing with something i fell in love with as a child

[@BeyondTheSofa]

That's a real shame. I thought they had done a good job getting people back on board with the 60th.

[@petebellamy1962]

I liked it.

[@BeyondTheSofa]

I’m glad it has an audience somewhere.

[@OnlineFanBoy]

Sutekh the god of death. More like Sutekh the dog of death

[@terrybarnhill9037]

Its Avengers Infinity Wars meets SW Rise of Skywalker w GoT ending.

[@EXCIDIVMFERO]

Half Avengers, half Star Wars Episode IX. Disney stuff. Loved the series but this chapter... Meh, Sutekh was cooler on Pyramids of Mars.

[@BeyondTheSofa]

He was!

[@akshaytrayner1960]

It was good just little lackluster

[@BeyondTheSofa]

There were some good bits but lacklustre isn’t what you want in at the end of a season.

[@ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΑ-ε1ω]

Ok why is she dressed like the Snow queen

[@RickReasonnz]

Apparently it is similar to an outfit worn by The Rani, a classic Doctor Who villain.

[@adamfreddo5703]

Also similar to Romana's outfit in The Ribos Operation.

[@BeyondTheSofa]

I think that's revisiting Romana. Her cloths have mirrored companions clothes all season.

[@BeyondTheSofa]

Romana, not the Rani, but notice how her previous costume mirrored one of Claras as well.

[@CyberSlammer2024]

The episode started really well with the chase away from the dust and just got progressively worse and more nonsensical and unsatisfying until at the end I was left angry I'd bothered staying up to watch this. Russell T Davies needs to hand it over to somebody else who knows how to write science fiction for the family he clearly doesn't now.

[@Thedarkknight27474]

Dumb comment

[@CyberSlammer2024]

@@Thedarkknight27474 well you would know being a dumb troll.

[@BeyondTheSofa]

There is certainly a different feel about watching the show at midnight and I'm not sure it works well with the kind of energy Who has, and needs for younger audiences. I agree with you about how unsatisfying the end was. I’m not sure it's an RTD problem as much as it may be that nobody is telling him ‘no’. I think they need a strong script editor, more than anything.

[@CyberSlammer2024]

@@BeyondTheSofa yes I absolutely agree that I think Russell T Davies has become hubris. He thinks everything he writes is going to be amazing after the accolades he rightfully got for It's a Sin. Virtually every decision he has made in this series has been wrong and there are too many to point out plus the Eternal messaging that was shoved in. Most of the scripts felt like they had only been written out once and never been corrected or checked through and where the hell was the script writer? was he too scared to stand up to him and say this doesn't make sense???? And please for god's sake can we stop the doctor crying all the time he needs a fűcking slap

[@bexrex97]

Well that was, um. Lots of um😅

[@BeyondTheSofa]

It was, wasn't it?

[@bexrex97]

@@BeyondTheSofa I wasn’t overly bothered by the CGI dog (the comparisons to Scooby doo are pretty funny) but the skull faces still seem off somehow? I wasn’t scared by the stakes of it, everyone died and then no one died (which has always bugged me in DW history). The build up of the one who waits was a cool idea, even him hopping on the tardis for so long unnoticed, you could argue every other world changing incident didn’t matter as (as a god like creature) he knew when his time would come. In theory… Ruby’s mum and the spoon lady were probably my highlights, just ordinary people with a tragic backstory, which obviously could have landed better than the whole oh she pointed at a lamppost. I’ve been watching reviews this series and then choosing if I want to watch an episode (as I really didnt enjoy the specials) but I came back for the two part finale to experience it for myself and just felt a bit hollow. I’m glad some people are still invested but for a writer who once rescued the show to come back and somehow do a not quite as good job (in my opinion) makes me wonder how DW was never perfect but it always got me, even the goofy ones. Love and Monsters is so wonderfully weird and it's ordinary people searching for the doctor to end up with a paving slab for a head (and other innuendo)🤣 And oh boy I cried with Wilf and Tennant and Bill, to name a few. It's not hard for a show to make me cry either😹 Something just doesn't click with me I'm afraid. But even then, Dot and Bubble (for it's in your face walking into lampposts) was probably the one this season that got me.

[@peterandrew270580]

This isnt going to get the og fans back. Massively meh!

[@BeyondTheSofa]

No, I tend to agree

[@CriticoFisgonOficial]

Worst season finale ever! and i defend this whole series for nothing...but well...:v

[@Thedarkknight27474]

It’s not the worst season finale

[@CriticoFisgonOficial]

@@Thedarkknight27474 what do you say its worst ? :0

[@adamfreddo5703]

​​@@CriticoFisgonOficial the series 11 finale. One of the most dry and bland episodes ever made. The worst thing you can be for Doctor Who is dry and bland.

[@BeyondTheSofa]

I think its fair to want to give everything a chance.

[@BeyondTheSofa]

That’s a good call, actually