I AM UNDERWHELMED... Empire Of Death - Doctor Who Finale Review!

I AM UNDERWHELMED... Empire Of Death - Doctor Who Finale Review!
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Doctor Who is a British science-fiction television programme broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The programme depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the universe in a time-travelling space ship called the TARDIS. The TARDIS exterior appears as a blue British police box, which was a common sight in Britain in 1963 when the series first aired. With various companions, the Doctor combats foes, works to save civilisations, and helps people in need.
Beginning with William Hartnell, fifteen actors have headlined the series as the Doctor. The transition from one actor to another is written into the plot of the show with the concept of regeneration into a new incarnation, a plot device in which a Time Lord "transforms" into a new body when the current one is too badly harmed to heal normally.
The fourteenth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who is set to premiere on 11 May 2024, and is expected to air through to 22 June. It will be the fifth series led by Russell T Davies as head writer and executive producer and the first since his return to the show, having previously worked on it from 2005 to 2010. This series is set to be the fourteenth to air following the programme's revival in 2005 and will be the fortieth season overall. The fourteenth series was announced with Davies' return to the programme for its 60th anniversary in 2023 and beyond, with Bad Wolf becoming a co-producer for the series. The series is referred to in marketing and promotional material as "Season One" following the production changes and the acquisition of Doctor Who's international broadcasting rights by Disney+.
The series stars Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor, a new incarnation of the Doctor, an alien Time Lord who travels through time and space in the TARDIS, which appears to be a British police box from the outside. The Fifteenth Doctor was introduced in "The Giggle" (2023) through a "bi-generation", in which he split from his predecessor, the Fourteenth Doctor (David Tennant), rather than replacing him. The series also introduces Millie Gibson as the Doctor's newest companion, Ruby Sunday.
The series, which was preceded by a Christmas episode on 25 December 2023, will consist of eight episodes, which have been directed by Julie Anne Robinson, Ben Chessell, Dylan Holmes Williams, and Jamie Donoughue. Alongside Davies, who wrote six of the episodes, the writers include Kate Herron, Briony Redman, and former showrunner and head writer Steven Moffat. Filming began in December 2022 and concluded in July 2023. It was the first series to be produced at Wolf Studios Wales following the move from Roath Lock Studios for the preceding anniversary specials.
Auditions for the role of the Fifteenth Doctor started in December 2021, assisted by casting director Andy Pryor. Davies was interested in casting "new talent" and someone "younger", with most of the actors who auditioned under the age of 30. There was also no limit on gender and background, with auditions held for men, women, and one non-binary actor. Pryor said that when casting the Doctor, "you always want someone unexpected... an actor who contrasts with what's gone before yet still brings those essential qualities that the Doctor has". Ncuti Gatwa was the final candidate to audition for the role. Davies said that the production team "thought [they] had someone and then in he came and stole it", describing it as "the most blazing audition". Executive producer Phil Collinson stated that Gatwa "did things with [the role] that I'd never seen an actor playing Doctor Who do".
On 9 January 2023, the BBC announced that Aneurin Barnard would appear as the mysterious Roger ap Gwilliam, and that Jemma Redgrave, having reprised her role in the previous series would continue to appear as Kate Stewart during the fourteenth series. On 20 January 2023, further casting announcements from the BBC revealed that Anita Dobson and Michelle Greenidge would appear as Ms Flood and Carla Sunday. On 3 April 2023, it was announced that Jinkx Monsoon would play a major antagonistic role in the series, called "Maestro". On 5 May 2023, it was announced that Jonathan Groff would play a key role in the series. On 24 May 2023, the BBC announced that Indira Varma would join the series to play The Duchess. On 7 June 2023, Bonnie Langford was announced to be reprising her role as Mel Bush for the series. On 15 June 2023, Lenny Rush was also announced, to play a "mysterious" character named Morris. Alexander Devrient will reprise his role as Colonel Christopher Ibrahim.
#doctorwho #ncutigatwa #15thdoctor

[@purpledecttv]

The worst part about this finale is that there were no consequences after. Like in series 1 Rose destroys the daleks but the doctor has to regenerate or series 2 where the cybermen and daleks are defeated but rose gets trapped. With this finale, literally everything got reversed. Even in Avengers Endgame, Iron Man remains dead.

[@OfficialKequan]

“Everyone lives” something the 9th doctor said idk😂

[@dhmc45]

​@@OfficialKequan He also said "Just this once" which hasn't exactly been the case

[@fleason771]

I'm teetering between underwhelmed & absolutely hating it. The virtual silence as 100s left the cinema at 1am was incredibly telling. There was audible anger at the Ruby ending in my screening & my friends couldn't say much positive about it afterwards, still in shock how bad a taste in the mouth the final 10 mins gave us & it breaks my heart to feel this way 💔 • The snow ❄️, indoors, outdoors anywhere in time & space??? • The "Very wrong" Ruby?? • The Xmas song hidden within her soul? • The 15yr old girl in a cloak from something out of the Traitors in 2004?? • Naming a child by spinning around in front of no one being physically there to name your child by pointing at a road sign?? • The missing 6 months of adventures mentioned in "The Devils Chord"?? • Despite 6 months of travelling the 1st planet Ruby travels to is in "Boom"?? I enjoyed Power of The Doctor & The Vanquishers more than that finale & it hurts!! 😭😭

[@beejamjam]

That's so strange because in Norwich everyone was talking about it as we left

[@fleason771]

@@beejamjam Take a look at Mr Tardis's instant reaction & The Confused Adipose..People were talking but it wasn't overly positive in many screenings across the UK, Norwich being an exception clearly

[@B-MC]

I definitely err on hating it. I'd like to say that I've been pretty forgiving of it so far buts thats ... saying I appreciate the spectacle while constantly complaining about the story so maybe not as forgiving as I wish I was. But this episode broke me. I COULDNT find a single nice thing to say about it (oh the line from Kate about bullets one day working against a monster made me chuckle. But also, unit is consistently incompetent. Overall it punished me for caring and it punished me for thinking and I can't even bring myself to rewatch it because I instantly remember dog-dragon-on-a-leash and that this whole thing was set up by sutekh leaving an anagram and think ... no, no it's not my job at this point to rewatch it and hope it makes sense, it should have layered and demonstrated its emotional logic better the first time. I'm not sitting through that again, it's the literal equivalent of jingling keys and hoping people aren't bored) This feels actually very much like The Vanquishers to me. If the Giggle was the regeneration with the dancing villain and giant laser (power of the doctor), this was the giant mess with chaos and running around and a full cast of people who were completely inconsequential, and a too-large-scale-abstract apocalypse (dust / flux) eating everything. Chibnall lifted scenes from RTD for s12's ending, and now somehow RTD is copying CHIBNALL of all people?? The lady with the spoon may as well be Bel. Suddenly introduced, seemingly important, unclear why they bothered. Just ... ugh. I'm very critical, I'll admit that straight up, but I am as critical of this episode as I was of the Whitaker era and that's saying something. The one defense I've consistently had was "well it's a step up from where we were I guess..." not anymore, this took the season from advantage to officially disappointing for me.

[@GraemeCrump]

All of time and space and he needed to find someone to borrow a spoon 😂

[@Latriise]

Why does it feel like some showrunners hate their audience? They drop a bunch of clues and invite the audience to speculate and theorize. Then slap them in the face and laugh for doing just that, by presenting an explanation which mocks fans for having been so invested in the mystery they themselves set up. I'm also thinking of the way the mystery was resolved for BBC Sherlock faking his death. And the way the mystery of Wanda's dead brother seemingly reappearing in the MCU's WandaVision show. And the mystery of Snoke being set up in the Force Awakens (only for Rian Johnson to come along in Last Jedi and just kill him, like random canon fodder - even mocking fans with a picture on social media, with him holding a sign saying "your Snoke theories are stupid"). All had unsatisfying or joke resolutions. And those are just some examples off the top of my head.

[@Wrightbrain]

Sutekh was so invested because he read all of RTD's Instagram's posts.

[@millietanner56]

Oh bravo sir! xx

[@nousallons4118]

I think that ‘preserved in death’ means that there are versions of a dead planet earth from every time that the doctor landed on earth.

[@johnpolishimpossible2say191]

Like a mummy

[@dashfatbastard]

THIS

[@db5094]

What​@@johnpolishimpossible2say191

[@mathieuleader8601]

This episode was medicore and the god of dead died due to walkies through the time vortex

[@peterandrew270580]

Ha! 😆

[@bigbadbaron8416]

It doesn’t even make sense as he was hanging on in the Time Vortex every flight since Pyramids of Mars

[@robo3007]

The worst thing is the scene of Sutekh being dragged through the time vortex was the best part

[@bitlost2809]

@@bigbadbaron8416hanging onto a semi-controlled Time Machine, not being dragged through the vortex by a leash violently trying to hang on for dear life

[@IconicShadows]

Isn't it implied he was on the TARDIS the whole time or something? What's the reasoning that it was damaging?

[@williamusrex6417]

Sutekh can see all of time and space, uncountable squillions of beings…and he gives a shit about some woman in London???

[@jamesbaxter1667]

The people of 2046 were destroyed but the buildings remained

[@Farsight-nc1ib]

Except in Pyramids, he destroyed everything on the future Earth. So much for evolving!

[@FeFeVtuber]

12th Doctor: “Listen. Question. Why do we talk out loud when we know we're alone? Conjecture. Because we know we're not. It could be with us every second and we would never know. How would you detect it, even sense it, except in those moments when, for no clear reason you choose to speak aloud? What would such a creature want? What would it do? Well? What would you do?”

[@MrWayneJP]

I talk out loud to myself because I'm hilarious and I enjoy a laugh.

[@DriverHenryWho3245]

Wow. Considering hindsight, that's really cool to look back on considering Sutekh was there all that time.

[@R_SENAL]

Nice callback! Gold Star! As a kid growing up I always imagined giants were watching us, like we were their version of TV, so sometimes when alone I tried to put on a good show🤣

[@MrThomasC22]

A request to the internet - make #SutekhVibing a thing. Just pictures of various Doctor Who events with Sutekh just hanging around... Leaning on the Pandorica Sunbathing in a beach chair with the metacrisis Doctor and Rose Hanging out in a wheat field with a straw hat while 13 digs out Jo Martin's Tardis ...the possibilities are endless

[@breadtm1044]

Both the big dog sutekh and the og sutekh.

[@micron000]

Chillin' in a wall of Azbantium for 4.5 Billion years, just vibing. lol

[@hotdog1214]

Make it so. Oop, wrong franchise but sentiment remains. 😁😁

[@Redfern42]

Use KZbin's search bar for "TheDarkWhovian". This person is cranking out clips every dew hours re-contextualizing DW scenes to have Sutekh present in some fashion. A few are "duds", but most are hilarious, especially if you are familiar with the original scenes!

[@FIZZGIG-RARF]

But... why did Ruby have magical powers? Why did it snow? Why does she have a magic song inside her?Why is Sutekh so interested in who her mom is?

[@Rogers1000]

She wasn't the one with magical powers that stuff just happened around her due the memories I thought that was obvious? Still doesn't answer the stupid shit about her mum though, like her randomly turning around in the middle of the night after leaving her baby by a church and pointing to a sign for no one elses benefit than herself

[@dalilam3994]

@@Rogers1000I assumed she pointed because she knew the camera was there and they would check it? Might have misinterpreted it though

[@DanskeCrimeRiderTV]

@@Rogers1000 yeah, I don’t understand how pointing at sign will name someone you abandon. Like how will the social workers know that she pointed at the sign??

[@90855jkj]

The Doctor said to Ruby “You changed me” but I didn’t see that. I didn’t feel that. Their relationship still in early stages I couldn’t feel how important they are to each other. She is not the first companion to have 1 season with the doctor. But I just didn’t feel their friendship reached a level that I would care about their relationship.

[@rf5526]

It was… fine. Not good, not bad, just sort of… fine. It’ll age into obscurity in 10 years like so many other episodes and serials and occasionally get brought up at parties or in conversations about the newest Dr Who atrocity.

[@JayJamsSpams]

Captain Jack once clung onto the outside of TARDIS and flew through the vortex to infinity. I'm sure he would noticed Sutekh as he has a keen eye for interesting aliens. And I think Sutekh might have got more than he bargained for.

[@OfficialKequan]

Nah Sutekh couldn’t resist Captain Jack either and held him on tighter😭😂

[@jamie1449]

I'm not happy to see others share my negative feeling towards it as I didn't want it to be negative... But I am vindicated. The writing at the end of this episode was on a parr with some of Chibnall's wishy washy writing. My biggest pet peeve is following a story like this for it end with a wet fart. It's on the same level of disappointment as the fob watch non reveal from 13's era and I'm not used to this level of writing from RTD. I'm quite disappointed in that..

[@RayTheomo]

If Rubys mom really is completely ordinary, then that means Ruby has superpowers. She makes it snow with 0 explanation. So unless Ruby is going to pop up with the X Men thats just completely unanswered.

[@Eagle5-w3h]

It's not Ruby making the Snow. It's Mrs Flood. See the very end ..... The Twist

[@inquerion8867]

@@Eagle5-w3h How? Space magic? And if she is another "god" (I'm already getting tired of them), why and how she was killed by Sutekh? She is just another mystery box that will never by resolved RTD style... It's just bad writing.

[@dalilam3994]

@@inquerion8867I assume we will learn more about Mrs Floods in the Christmas special (bc of the outfit she’s wearing at the end) addressing the snow & the Christmas Song. Let’s see

[@TomoBakerinio]

Could also be a legion where Sutekh might've been causing all that

[@R_SENAL]

@@inquerion8867 Looking back at what she says to Cheri about prayer and how she would storm heaven's gates, I think she is another god, but not as powerful as Sutekh, obvi, and possibly resolved this Xmas or next season. "Never be resolved?" Seriously? I swear patience is just so lacking in some, it's positively shocking.

[@rickkarrer8370]

I did feel underwhelmed by the resolution of the story. I think maybe if they had included a scene where the doctor works out potential ways to defeat him, or if there was some kind of fight mid way, that showed us how dangerous Sutekh is, that would have gone a long way. Also, the logic of the resolutino was pretty broken. I think they needed to develop it some more. I really do think that overhyping the mystery of Ruby and her mom helped make the ending a little disappointing. I think I would feel much less disappointmentI if I has just binged these eposides without any futher hyping from RTD or the BBC / Disney.

[@theta2170]

One issue, that's just occurred to me, they've already filmed season 2 and RTD said he's early into the writing for season 3. But that gives them no opportunity to reflect on viewer feedback from the first series. They could be doubling down on mistakes.

[@johnpolishimpossible2say191]

Another issue with dropping sci Fi from the show is that the writers have less accountability to actually explain anything.

[@ItsTheCatSpeaking24]

100% we've always had some sciencey, timey wimey explanation to fall back on. In this season, things just happen because... Magic?? 😢

[@neilyb4590]

Yeah 100 percent agree in stead of timey wimey you get ohh magic one works because of physics the other because of beliefs you might have to make up some 💩to justify the first one you know reverse the polarity that kind of thing the second one nah it just works because we said so 😂

[@JontyLevine]

People criticise Doctor Who for being fantasy, but most fantasy follows its own rules more than this.

[@P.Zakaidze]

Fact that Sutekh clung onto the Tardis all along is just mad to think about, growing stronger in years and witnessing some of the greatest events of the Dr's life.

[@OfficialKequan]

That’s one of the best parts, I really wanted to love this episode. At least part 1 is good

[@vorebiz]

I bet he was really peeved when he got his paws and muzzle painted pink in The Happiness Patrol.

[@ReversedPolarity]

This two-parter definitely tossed everything it built up. The first part was a neat setup despite ending up in a Davros plan, but the second part folded on all accounts, from Sutekh's motivations to Ruby's mystery and that strange wrap-up with the Ex-Machina stuff and the convenient planning and the meta dialog about life and death and that departure being an underwhelmed version of Parting of the Ways even though it was nice to have something different... the payoff just wasn't there. What did Sutekh wait for? How was Ruby important? In fact, I think this story brought back some of the issues I had with the recent Davros changes. It completely changed the impact of Pyramids of Mars for the sake of explaining a 5-second cameo in it. I was fine with Ruby's mother being someone ordinary, but it's still an odd thing in retrospect and that impact was diminished. Apart from that, even the season itself had a few hitches, from basic logical gaps in episodes like Dot and Bubble, Space Babies and BOOM, to the out-of-character oddities in Rogue and some weird tonal changes. There were a few good moments that stood out, especially with Mel, Kate and the Doctor. Many concepts felt interesting on paper and there were some moments of genuine comedy and fright, but... the pieces ultimately don't come together as neatly as one may initially assume.

[@amycatass]

I loved this episode, even if not everything came together. The scene with rubys mother in the coffee shop was tearful. I liked that not everything was fully explained in that classic sci-fi way, actually.

[@arianathearyan]

Ofc a white woman says this 💀

[@arianathearyan]

‘Tearful’

[@georgerobinson1906]

I'm probably much older than many of your subscribers, Thomas, and I watched 'The Pyramids of Mars' when it was first broadcast, so I had high hopes for the series finale. It was, perhaps, a bit disappointing when it descended into mawkishness, and I agree that the middle section seemed to flag. I feel the recurring idea that, 'You're ordinary, and that's the most special thing about you' is nonsense. A lot of people are indeed ordinary, so why wasn't Sutekh similarly perplexed by them? Then we had the inevitable deus ex machina 'reset button' plot device at the end, which is growing extremely thin for me. I also agree that there isn't enough dramatic tension between the doctor and Ruby. An old idea is that conflict is the essence of drama: subtract that, and we're left with a hippy love-in, which might be fun, but it's also vapid. When Ruby snapped that smart rope onto Sutekh, it reduced the God of Death to Scooby Doo, which may have been intended as comedy, but it was just... too easy! Mrs Flood? She's a cross between Missy, Mary Poppins and the Snow Queen, and that ruddy lamp post! I mean, how Narnia can you get? Some of the fan theories I've read were actually better than the big reveals we witnessed, so all in all, it could have been much better. Less marketing, more content please.

[@rosebomb]

I think 'preserved in death' is literally just flowery language, I mean clearly everyone was dead, it isn't like Sutekh destroyed all the buildings and infrastructure, he just killed living creatures, so it's still around, it's just that everyone is dead

[@inquisitiveferret5690]

There is also a residual effect though. He was breaking the continuity of time. Hence why that woman wasn't able to remember her baby or much of the world. Sutekh was killing people in the present. But also killing people in the past, such as grandparents, great grandparents. Death was happening simultaneously across time. It was almost paradoxical. I wonder if infrastructure would have eventually started to fade as well since he effectively was killing the people who made certain things before they were made.

[@anniesharp4871]

For a moment, I thought they were going to reveal Mel as Ruby's mum and then instantly have her killed by Sutekh 😅

[@grantmason740]

You've just discovered RTD isn't as good as people believed him to be. Episode 7 had been taken up with too much chat and hugging, with very little time devoted to Ruby's legend. In episode 8 we see so many plot holes and contrivances it looks like a leaky bucket. The Doctor needed metal that hadn't come from within the Memory Tardis, so travelled to another world for a pointless conversation. Why didn't he simply ask Ruby or Mel for a belt buckle, brooch, earring or even a clasp from a bra!?! As you point out Tharries, they also visited 2046. A time Sutehk had conveniently not destroyed. Although 73 Yards had ensured that timeline never existed! Rose was there purely to be seen on scene in two episodes. In other words token inclusion. She added nothing to either episode, did she? And in fact at 15 or 16 she is too young to have left school, never might work in the very hub of a not so secret military organisation. RTD clearly has a fixation with Mobility aids having "cool" weaponry yet has issue with Davros being in a lift support system. Make it make sense. As you say he's taken too much inspiration from the MCU, but did you spot the Star Trek rip-off? The Tardis can now perform site-to-site teleport just like the transporters in modern Trek. There was the angst over bringing death to Death, which makes no sense but previously had no qualms over killing all the goblins without warning. If you kill Death does that now mean no-one ever dies? So Sutehk travelled with the Tardis for all this time, seeding Susan Triad. Could we not have seen a few inserted scenes of her with other Doctors? Just like they did with Clara? Then again, not long ago, there were three versions of the Tardis side by side (in the Under Gallery). Were there also three Sutehks debating whether to spring a trap three times as powerful..? The manner of Sutekh's downfall was I'm afraid what we've come to expect from RTD: lame. A dog lead and whistle is all it took, to take him for walkies. Really?!? The Big End of Game Boss, the God of Death (who was originally an alien not a deity) is beaten so easily! It's as lame as the thrilling Game of Catch or the Music Battle. Boring! Finally we get the resolution to Ruby's story without telling us how or why she could make it snow. What's the point? Her mum was important because RTD had told us all season she was important right up to the point he told us she wasn't important. What a con job. Plus of course we find UNIT had access to a DNA database that could identify Ruby's parents, complete with images from social media. Why did they even bother with the Time Window? How about the big revelation Ruby was named after the street she was abandoned on. Did Ruby really not know this for 20 odd years of her life?!?

[@stuartwright4580]

You are being very generous with your words Tharries, let’s not beat around the bush……. It was shite! 😂

[@cheapfinish6224]

He doesn't want to cross...THE BOSS (but at least he is trying to say "do better", can't fault the kid for that... and even confused adipose wasn't impressed)

[@detectivesquirrel2621]

Death + Death = Life??? WTF RTD?

[@DalekCaanOfSkaro]

To be fair, I didn't mind it. Sutekh was changing events from within each place and time, he setup his angels of death to destroy each world from within, creating these new timelines of mass destruction. Taking Sutekh into the time vortex meant he was now killing those timelines from outside the universe. He was bring death to the timelines of death. I would say, think of it more like a negative x negative = positive

[@adamfreddo5703]

Would have made more sense if he just threatened Sutekh to reverse what he done otherwise he'd be dragged through the vortex for eternity or something. Make it a "timelord victorious" moment.

[@charg1nmalaz0r51]

I wouldnt mind but he could of done something like going back in time to when he landed on toms tardis and knocking him off into the vortex making the future of him dusting everyone not happen. But no...killing death = life for some reason..well done russel you outdid yourself with that nonsense

[@robo3007]

"-1 + -1 = +1" ~ Russell T Davies

[@R_SENAL]

More like +Death - Death = 0 / Reset It worked for me. Death kills death. Like double negatives meaning the reverse of the intent.

[@greghawkins59]

Did the doctor reverse the polarity of death?

[@Rambling-Thomas]

I am cancelling my TV licence. I am tired of feeling like I have Stockholm Syndrome hoping this show I used to love, to become good again. With every season, the list of episodes I'd want to skip on a rematch has grown to not being worth keeping up with the show at all now. And I felt the same during Chibnall's run, but RTD coming back gave me hope to keep watching. Hope that has been squashed with this season. Hopefully, Ncuti and Jodie will get decent Big Finish stories in the years to come. It is a shame their talents were squashed with the current tv writing that they had to work with. I am done, sorry for the rant.

[@nickoftimeproductions8719]

Other than the ruby’s mother reveal, I loved it. I actually enjoyed the episode as a whole better than last week’s. I think it was just after Sutekh was defeated where it started to deflate with the reveal. But I don’t think we’re 100% done with that storyline. I have a feeling Roger Ap Gwilliam will be revealed to be related to Ruby’s father.

[@theta2170]

If they want to stick with 8 episodes, I really think they should consider serialising it. So one story spread across 8 episodes a bit like Flux (but a lot better than that, obviously).

[@davidallan1098]

I loved the build up of the penultimate episode, it was edge of the seat stuff. The finale just fell flat for me, it started well enough and had some cool ideas but the Ruby storyline just descended into a standard drama/soap. A lot of build up and a fairly lacklustre payoff. As for the rope, it was so obviously a standard bungee cord, I think a bit of effort could have been made to make it and the gloves a bit more interesting looking.

[@renegademaster2261]

"This season has been better than the Chibnall era" - that's a real low bar

[@joelmole3157]

I didn’t mind the Sutekh stuff (outside of him getting defeated way too early) but the Ruby Sunday reveal while well-meaning just didn’t add up and was very underwhelming.

[@BillSilver-kg8hs]

When RTD was originally showrunner he had a tendency to "big up" a season arc and not generally deliver. Again, he's done that here. His greatest season finale STILL remains the "Dalek Crucible" 2 parter.

[@HereticReborn]

Yeah. He has such marvelous setup. Then you have a finale that’s just doesn’t deliver. I wasn’t surprised but I hoped RTD had evolved

[@stiofanmacamhalghaidhau765]

this was a ten episode season squashed into eight episodes. the opener warm up episode felt like 10 minutes of episode 1 plus the remainder being a trimmed down episode 2. and the finale was a three episode finale squashed into two... more specifically, legend was delivered in full and empire was two 45 min episodes crammed into 50 minutes with all the elaboration, puzzling, dialogue stripped from the middle 30 minutes pretty much. nothing hung together because all the logical links gotleft out... it was just 'the doctor does this' than 'the doctor does this other thing' then 'the doctor does another thing'. if this is what disney funding is gonna cost us, I'd happily go back to 1970s men-in-cardboard-and-bubblewrap costumes tbh.

[@andyserevitch6679]

I'm guessing it's actually Ruby's dad thats the "special" one, which will be revealed in the next series. The mystery of the silence and the crack in the wall didn't get explained until Matt Smiths last episode.

[@YoMollyF]

Okay so for the weird 2046 line What the doctor is referring to is that because he’s been there, the timeline is still established despite Suhtek’s genocide taking place before the genetic testing and Roger Ap Gwilliam. It’s weird wording but at least that’s what I took from it ‘Isn’t 2046 gone’ reads to me as Ruby asking if that timeline still exists, It’s kinda a weird explanation for effectively multiverse theory

[@MFCSte]

I like Ncuti but dont know why RTD has decided he needs to cry constantly!

[@FilmflickerCinema]

Was I the only one who absolutely adored this episode? The childless mother made me feel sooo much, that ending made me feel even more, the statement on power figures being given importance...This was some phenomenal writing, loved how Ruby's story is a parallell to the Doctor's history with Susan. And the way Ruby leaves.....so powerful. I'll be honest, I HATE "big epic finales where everythings at stake" - they do nothing for me, so the fact that this episode pretty much sidestoried all that to tell beautiful human stories is EXACTLY why I love it.

[@kaizoisevil]

I will say, I think this finale would have been better as a 3 parter. Part 1 to set up and reveal the big bad, part 2 for the big bad to win, and part 3 for the good guys to win.

[@scottn2046]

RTD is a very good character writer, but not a particularly good Science Fiction writer. I've never particularly liked the EastEnders in Space take on Doctor Who, but when he's pulling on his strengths he can make it work. There's a classic Doctor Who fudge, like the Doctor waving the magic Sonic, where the problem is just made to go away and when an episode is enjoyable to watch and frenetic, they can get away with it, This felt a lit like that, I enjoyed it, but it makes less sense the more you think about it.

[@AxelaxiB]

In retrospect it seems like maybe it was sutehk who blew up the tardis in The Pandorica Opens because why would the silence want to blow up the tardis and create such a clataclismic event while trying to prevent the same kind of event in the future? It would make sense that sutehk would use the doctors own tardis to do that and get him imprisoned.

[@eveebunny]

Sutekh was a cute doggo! The amount of plot holes on top of the weak ruby explanation made the episode pretty mehhhh

[@theta2170]

I just don't understand why RTD isn't RTDing...he wrote Doomsday, The End of Time, Parting of the Ways, Journey's End. THIS is what he could come up with for the end of a series that really needed to hit every mark. I just have to hope he's playing the long game and there's more going on here. Because it was sloppy. I haven't brought myself to rewatch it yet.

[@joeespin4377]

its crazy to think that there are people that were expected to pay the cost of a movie ticket to see this episode. if you want to waste your money you are free to do so

[@DoctorWhoManiaProductions23]

I think there’s more to be told, it’s not over yet as ruby is in next series

[@Fredsterface]

Not for the whole thing though

[@TheOnlyGamingDML]

every fucking episode is like 'its not over yet' can we get a fucking ending for something?

[@Sparx632]

@@Fredsterfacefrom how RTD explained it I think she’ll be absent from the first 2-3 episodes (including Christmas) then will join Ncuti and Varada in the TARDIS for the last half of the series.

[@DoctorWhoManiaProductions23]

@@TheOnlyGamingDML everyone really thinks this the ending of ruby? I can’t wait to see their faces when more is revealed

[@DeusLucifer]

rubys story has been a complete nonsense

[@louwheezy13]

We had the same new year style countdown from the crowd at my screening in Dudley 😂. It was also 5 minutes late like yours, I thought it was a mistake at our cinema but maybe not? Overall I had a good time with this episode, but it was a mixed bag and I agree with the criticisms completely.

[@Agent_Ant]

I've been a fan since the 4th Doctor and I had such high hopes for this season. Disappointed is an understatement, this is actually the first time in my life I'm considering not bothering with the next season. Even my kids aren't interested in it and they only started with Capaldi and worked backwards.

[@superdrwholock]

I think the problem with setting the stakes so high that it's literally defeating the god of death is that it was always going to feel underwhelming lol, I like Russell a lot don't get me wrong, I just think it was a very risky storyline and there weren't enough episodes in the series to feel emotionally invested in certain newer characters and to do it justice

[@XconsigliereX]

There should still be 3-4 more episodes to go! Not liking the trend of these shortened seasons.

[@markpostgate2551]

I am not one to kink shame but your demand for more pain and humiliation is NSFW! 😂

[@nicholasdavis9784]

Ok can someone explain to me why we never saw Ruby in the abandoned 73 yards timeline find her mother if compulsory DNA testing became a thing? Like the only excuse is that it's because she didn't want to have 73 yard worman scare her biological mother away from her but that doesn't seem justified enough to me. She totally would have at least tried to find out. Also wtf was the point of 73 yards. She hasn't stopped roger ap gwilliam as he still becomes the PM in the current timeline. It's weird. Icl except for boom, 73 yards and dot and bubble I've not enjoyed this season much at all but it's still better than chibnall. The fact russell said this is his best finale when it's widely recognised as his worst now is just a bit sad. He seems to be his own yes man a bit too much. Like i respect his confidence but it feels like he's just saying stuff to annoy people.

[@hotdog1214]

In 73 Yards Ruby prevents him from becoming Prime Minister so never gets to enact the compulsory DNA database.

[@rikidementia1819]

I enjoyed it a little better on second watch. I think what hurt this episode was the edit above everything else. I noticed it a little more the second time how the shots weren't really allowed to breathe. Just bang bang bang! Quick cuts. There had to have been a good twenty minutes left on the cutting room floor. This episode lacked the emotional punch compared to prior RTD finales, but again I think that is execution not writing. And this might be me being an old fart: I think shooting in 4K doesn't do the show any favors. It makes the practical parts of the show look cheap next to the slick CGI Ncuti's era so far to me represents how The Doctor has •always• been a counterpoint to toxic masculinity. Brains over brawn, cooperation over domination. And with Ncuti's Doctor, we have a man who has "gone to therapy out of order" and is willing to be vulnerable with his feelings.

[@R_SENAL]

This is one of the most based reactions I've read, thanks for that.

[@barryjones9562]

You’d think the “Memory” TARDIS after Sylvester “Spoons” McCoy, would have a spare spoon onboard to power a CRT screen to clear a snowy image, so they can run a scan to find out a mystery woman’s name, when previously a wave of the sonic would have done all that. Aside from all the internal logistical inconsistencies and nonsense of the plot, I really do wish RTD would stop telling us how marvelous and exciting and clever it all is before we get to watch it. I simply don’t believe him anymore. Though I’d pay real money if the woman on the planet had been Barbara Woodhouse and she came back to UNIT and put the lead on the uncontrollable dog.

[@hotdog1214]

😂😂 My brain went straight to Seven's spoon playing minute I saw the spoon exchange scene.

[@TheIrvy]

Everything in the Memory TARDIS was created from memory, by memory. The point of the spoon was to have something real to preserve the memory.

[@JupiterRising3607]

"there were moments I loved.., everyone getting evaporated was lovely" -- at 18:14 Tharries, that really cracked me up! 😆👍🏼💖

[@db7541]

There were so many bad things, from Ruby’s snow power being completely inexplicable, to her mother being nobody after all that hype (didn’t work in Star Wars, doesn’t work now), Sutekh being defeated really easily, him having been on the TARDIS the whole time (plot holes galore), random spoon scene (why?), etc. But BY FAR THE MOST EGREGIOUS THING was the way everyone got brought back to life. Death to death? Huh? Sutekh didn’t have a say in it? He couldn’t just stop trying to kill things? Death to death is just more death in this case. It DOES NOT MAKE SENSE. There’s no emotional payoff related to the actual battle unlike in previous RTD finales. And then there’s the thing where the Doctor says Ruby’s mother is important because they made her important, like every religion. Excuse me? So faith is important only because people things it is, not because any faith is objectively true? Way to offend every religion ever. RTD has somehow become a hack fraud in the last 10 years.

[@triplejazzmusicisall1883]

A lesson for RTD. The stark difference between a great success and a huge letdown in one following sentence... Most reviewers agreed Back to the Future was among the year's most entertaining films, partly because of its focus on storytelling instead of pure spectacle. Give up the spectacle RTD and hyperbole and write a good narrative focusing on storytelling.

[@theta2170]

The way I'm seeing it now, I think we can generally agree that RTD's original run improved series by series and peaked with Series 4/the 2009 specials. So if we say that Ncuti's season 1 is on par with Chris Eccleston's series, I think that would probably be about right. That original series in 2005 did its job of hooking in viewers but wasn't anything particularly special. Then RTD got into his stride and it all clicked together and flowed nicely. So I'm still excited for the future, but feeling a bit let down about season 1.

[@thegamingbumpkin]

I think we are going to see Susan again, she has been mentioned/name dropped so many time throughout the series, so I do think RTD is setting up a Susan return. You know what I want, I want Susan to be the over-arcing villain for a whole series, because she is so broken and destroyed because the Doctor, her Grandad has just deserted her all of her life, and never bothered to find her after all these years, that would be such a cool plotline and story ... and it would really hit and challenge the Doctor having to fight a family member .... :D

[@bennettnez4711]

If you haven't seen that goodbye in a while, it's freaking hard core. He literally locks her out of the TARDIS with David and she is screaming "let me in" and he is like "no child you are a woman now (16) you need to put down roots and live your own life with this David" then he says the stuff that sounds nice out of context then is just like "... goodbye susan" while hastily hitting TARDIS buttons and ditches her

[@williamusrex6417]

There was a lot of filler and chit chat. What was with the woman with the spoon??? RTD had a lot of time to fill because his script was so flimsy. Going and reversing everything yet again??? Very poor writing this season. An underwhelming season.

[@rsienicki]

The main thing in the episode itself - the Sutekh and dragging him on the street behind the car until he dies - was fine. I have no quarrell with that. Not the best episode, but not the worst. I do actively dislike the Ruby's mom reveal though. And it's not what was revealed, because I am on the team that The Last Jedi was good one and I liked that Rey parents were nobodies. BUT. And this is a big BUT. Star Wars was very subtle with the Rey parentage teasers. They didn't spend the majority of the story focusing on her parents. She just didn't have them. And fans were curious about that. They were guessing that she is Obi Wans granddaughter or something. But the movie never even suggested that might be the case. Meanwhile Russell made the whole season around that. And not only around that, but sprinkled so much supernatural things around that event that doing this reveal was just out of place. Why the snow, why the music deep inside her soul, WHY oh WHY - the memory changed so she could point at the sign? Every episode he basically was saying to us that this event is anything but ordinary. That I hated. Those empty promises and breadcrumbs for us to talk about that were leading to nothing. Not really bait and switch. That's what Moffat used to do, but did it better. He made us think that the story was going into one direction, to just do a complete turn around in the finale to go some other way. Sometimes it worked, sometimes less, but it was always SOMETHING. I know Russell loves his drama, and that last moments were great written and emotional, but it wasn't what he promised us. He showed us the menu filled with fancy and delicious cakes and in the end he brought us a regular small cookie. He really oversold us everything this season. His overhypeness really hurt the experience in my opinion. I really need to focus less on what he has to say while promoting the show next year.

[@andyphillips8526]

Underwhelmed. No sense to it at all. Sci fi should hold some kind of logic to it. Why would a supremely powerful being give a damn about Ruby, her mother, about destroying everything. To what end? Everything is gone, hahaha, helloooo, Oh hell what do I do now, this is sooooo boring shall I bring everyone back just to kill them again? Bugger, I never thought about the eternity of tedium!!

[@MrCuddy2977]

I know what you mean, @Tharries: I finished my review at 1 in the morning!

[@SurjitShow]

Why did it snow?

[@kraaaaash]

Because

[@bennettnez4711]

Because time is memory now and her memory of that night is so strong that remembering it makes the same snow from that night pop up. Especially hilarious considering how many of us remember the night of our birth

[@charg1nmalaz0r51]

@@bennettnez4711 I remember my brith on the daily, not sure why you dont 🤣

[@B-MC]

Because we believed it could. Apparently if the writer treats a character as important, that's all you need now. No need for storytelling, humans can be pure magic and pure gods can register as human. No reason or rhyme. What's grounded layered writing 🙃

[@bennettnez4711]

@B-MC I'm not saying it makes sense or works, but it's definitely from the weird RTD push that time is memory now and she has a strong memory of the night of her birth😂

[@TreyHusted]

I may have enjoyed the season if Russell didn’t think that a political message was more important than the show itself. Than the plot or story and then you get garbage and so many plot holes. Because they don’t care about the IP itself.

[@andyphillips8526]

You are definitely not dumb, the story is dumb. It has no logic, or reason and all good stories since the beginning of time have deep set psychological meaning. Dogs, whistles, leads. All came across as a stream of conciousness hangover cheese dream. Meh.

[@neddystark3351]

The reason you feel underwhelmed, is because it was complete shit. Just one of the many many plot holes in this garbage:- In "The Doctor's Wife", wouldn't the TARDIS say to the Doctor...FFS you have a giant rat in the TARDIS called Sutekh!!! lol😂😂🤣🤣😂😂

[@oathy03]

RTD basically did the biggest reset ever by taking the Dog for a walk. If you think about it gallifrey could in theory be back, the Master 100% back The doctor took the dog walkies through the time vortex death meeting death = life. Mrs Flood is restored calls him a Clever boy, Where have we heard that before!!! And apparently her outfit was another old Companion nod, along with Clara's and her comments straight after the doctors been hiding away. She was on the Roof with a suitcase. Like a Sinister Mary Poppins. I always knew he was going to leave who the hell Mrs Flood is till another time her rather ominous comments about the Doctor reminded me about the Ood. Is this the nod he's going to be a 3 series Doctor? Ruby making it snow, and all the mystery about her mother he overplayed it. He always throws a red herring in and Ruby was that, On paper RTD would be thinking what a powerful story it would make but he overplayed it at the expense of a Classic Character that was basically beaten by putting a lead around its neck and taking it walkies.

[@shlonkyplonky]

Man, for me, disappointed is an understatement. I've very much enjoyed this season, but man, this was one of the worst episodes I have ever seen from Doctor Who. I can't believe Sutekh, the more powerful and critically dire foe the Doctor could ever face... went out like this? OG fans of the show waited 49 years... for this? For Sutekh to be written to be a goofy CGI paperweight, leaving absolutely zero impact on the universe? The Doctor should have died instantly as Sutekh revealed himself. Organizing around Kate and the Tennant Doctor, UNIT should have used the Book of Saxon to revive the Doctor with the elixir of life, same as the Sim Master was. Sutekh should also never have been brought back in one episode and defeated the next-Sutekh's arrival should have began an arch for the show, like how AMC's The Walking Dead approached threats like the Governor and Negan. Mrs Flood should have been The Trickster, who could've helped the Doctor defeat Sutekh, or betrayed Sutekh, or something. Anything. I can't believe how bad this finale flopped, and I can't believe that it was Russell, of all people, who brought us this flop. Oh well.

[@jdoxpears]

"everyone getting evaporated, i thought was lovely" - Tharries, 2024

[@gadgetman4809]

I....i don't understand the climax at all?! Sutekh survived the time vortex for all of the doctor's adventures riding on the TARDIS, but now it kills him at the end? I'm sorry but the defeat makes zero sense.

[@bennettnez4711]

Technically in the 70s he didn't get trapped in the time vortex, it was a time tunnel thing. Extra confusing with the updated visuals in the scene from the 70s where they replace the time tunnel visual with a basic looking time vortex. But they are supposed to be different

[@markpostgate2551]

​@@bennettnez4711 I don't think you understand. The premise is Sutekh has been hitching a ride on the back of the TARDIS, like a time beetle on a Donna, ever since Pyramids of Mars, so through Logopolis when he shrank with the TARDIS; Frontios when he broke into pieces with the TARDIS; Blink when the Weeping Angels had him; Pandorica Opens when he blew up, Flatline when he shrunk even smaller than he did in Logopolis; and all between these he was exposed to the time vortex upon every trip.

[@brotherurth1625]

Classic RTD, an epic idea, let down by an anticlimax. Some parts shocking, some parts were emotional and some parts were just nonsense. Maybe it will grow on me, once I manage my expectations.

[@neilyb4590]

I’ve noticed even the pro new dr who Chanel’s aren’t raving about the finale it seems to be a bit of a disappointment for everyone suteks death made no sense he clings to the tardis for years and survives multiple trips through the time vortex to die on the end of a bungee cord I suppose the field that protects the tardis and holds oxygen only extends so far and protected him all those years but the cloister bell 🛎️ would have sounded the tardis never sensed him once it’s just lazy writing that doesn’t even make sense there’s been so much unexplained stuff in this season everybody is sick of filling in plot lines in there entertainment it’s not our job it’s the writers

[@crimsonorc]

RTD loves his grand reset button. It was pressed as recently as one of Doc 14's stories. That's why its difficult to get invested in his finales.

[@mohzayd1234]

Sutekh could’ve been the big bad of the era. They could’ve and it still may be the plan to have the pantheon/supernatural arc be stretched out for ncutis run as the doctor, but if we have gods show up now there’s no high stakes because they’ve already defeated the biggest one

[@R_SENAL]

You can have high stakes in even the most small scale of stories. Look at Midnight. It all depends on the writing, what the villain wants, what they'll do to get it, and how challenging it is to stop.

[@mathieuleader8601]

I got excited thinking that Ruby was the daughter of 8's companion Lucy Miller

[@DoctorWhoManiaProductions23]

She very well could be connected

[@R_SENAL]

What clue was there to that? Louise is very different to Lucy. Given how TV showrunners run roughshod over all Big Finish does, leaving them scrambling to pick up the pieces, I don't see anything like this ever happening, sadly.

[@android65mar]

So why was Sutech get obsessed over Ruby's mum?

[@Viperuk80]

Cos RTD is a hack writer and has completely lost it. He is too old and in his own bubble to write for Doctor who anymore.

[@VIDDYONVIDEO]

So this is what I thought was gonna happen, My idea for the Doctor being able to destroy Sutekh would have gone a bit like this, Sutekh has been latched onto the TARDIS ever since the 4th Doctors adventure with sarah Jane Smith all the way back then, so everytime the TARDIS has landed he's rolled out a Susan twist to effect that time zone, Now it would make sense that everytime Sutekh has done that, that's been a fixed point for the Doctor as he can't undo all of his adventures, so when he finds out he can use the memory TARDIS (which should have been teased alot more in the series aswell as in Tales of the TARDIS), Thee Doctor should have then used the Memory TARDIS to pin point (using all the stories the Memory TARDIS has collected) to find the exact moment that Sutekh latched himself to the TARDIS (Back in 1974) The reason for not killing The Doctor when he had the chance (because he's had alot of chances has our Sutekh) is because the Doctor is part of the TARDIS, if you kill the Doctor, you kill the TARDIS (established in turn left) and because the TARDIS is key to Sutekhs entire plan, Sutekh should have been trying to trap the doctor instead and take over his mind (so when the Doctor runs and away, Sutekh tries to get to Mel to trap the Doctor, this story arc still happens except Mel could have been summoned to the present to Guard the TARDIS from Unit) The Doctor, Ruby Sunday and Mel by his side, use the Memory TARDIS, find the psychic interface that allowes them to revisit and alter the memory imprint of past events without changing the actual timeline (because Using the Power of a Memory TARDIS has the ability to do that) though theyve got to be had to be precise. A single misstep could lead to the complete unraveling of the Doctors entire timeline since 1974 (So v high stakes). So when they go back to the Pyramids of Mars episode they have to tread carefully as not to bump into the 4th Doctor and Ruby (what would have been really fun is if they somehow editited to the Tales of the TARDIS episode so that while watching the orginal episodes you catch glimpses of The 15th Doctor and Ruby in the background) (as its a memory altering TARDIS this would fit in so well) We could get super intense moments where the Doctor is stressing to Ruby how "Eye of the needle) careful they have to be Carefully, they approached the scene where the past Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith were battling Sutekh. As the pivotal moment approached, the Doctor used the Memory TARDIS to create a temporal echo, diverting Sutekh's essence away from the real TARDIS and towards the Memory TARDIS instead. But Sutekh, sensing the change, fought back. The Doctor's then realises Sutekh knows of this disepction, has to Use the mollecular Rope to Tie Sutekh to the Memory TARDIS, Sutekh was weak after the 'Pyramids of Mars' and that's the only reason he isn't able to break free, the Doctor then takes the Memory tardis into the raw heart of the time Vortex, somthing the Memory TARDIS can't quite withstand, but using Ruby's Memory of the ship (and her apparent enhanced psychic abilities because of the TARDIS) She begins to remember hearing the TARDIS as a baby, and as they're in the heart of the vortex the Memory tardis amplifies this Memory across all of time and space, (also using Ruby's preexposure to the time window and a butt ton of atron energy) now that's why whenever Ruby reflects on that Memory, it snows, because the power of that memory has been cascaded throughout time itself (which is why that Memory is so powerful) The struggle is intense. Sutekh's power is beginning to surge, threatening to overwhelm the Memory TARDIS and the memories the doctor is using to hold the TARDIS together. But the Doctor, with his indomitable will, pushed through. With a final burst of energy, he sealed Sutekh within the Memory TARDIS. Weaving him into the fabric of that TARDIS Sutekh is trapped in the Memory TARDIS. He can't affect the real timeline anymore. But it wasn't over yet. The Doctor knew that as long as Sutekh existed, even within the Memory TARDIS, he still posed a threat. The only way to truly end his reign of terror was to destroy him within the Time Vortex itself. As the Doctor is setting up the TARDIS to disintegrate, the Memory TARDIS presents him with a large Glass Vial full of bubbling liquid The Doctor initiated a collapse sequence. The Memory TARDIS starts to disintegrate, its structure unraveling, the Doctor's memories cascading throughout time, along with the memories of Ruby Road, (again why they have so much power) Sutekh's essence, once powerful, began to waver. Without the stability of the Memory TARDIS, he couldn't withstand the Vortex's energy as he isnt in a physical body, Sutekh burns up and his form disintegrating into nothingness. In the present, the TARDIS, no longer under Sutekh's influence (as time has changed), bursts into life. Acting on its own accord, it locked onto the Doctor's location. As the Memory TARDIS collapsed, the real TARDIS materialized around him and Ruby, reabsorbing the remnants of the Memory TARDIS, The Doctor holding aloft the vial of Huon Particles giftsd to him by the memory TARDIS, that summons the TARDIS to the Doctor from the heart of the vortex, and thus saving them in one swift motion, we know it can do this because of wild blue Yonder Then the whole Ruby's mam situation could have been settled after the fact, and the reason we couldn't make out her face is because when Ruby was remembering in the time vortex she accidentally and inadvertently caused the TARDIS's perception filter to shrowed the memory of her mams face, and because the Woman was standing "73 yards" away from them at time (this is also why 73 yards is as important as it is) so now factoring that in, the Doctor using the TARDISs psychic interface and now boosted memory powers from the absorbed memory TARDIS manages to undo the Perception filter that has been effecting Ruby's mam ever since that moment, thus allowing them then find her easily as the entire time before, every element of Ruby's mam was inadvertently being hidden from everyone because of the Perception filter mishap back in 2004,

[@sistakia33]

It was as if halfway through writing this a ghost wrier yelled, "I QUIT!" and walked off! And then the people that should have been in control tried to retcon everything that made this interesting! I see Moffat's hand somewhere in this! He was infamous for having great ideas and then poorly executing them when he was in charge! (Allegedly?) Ruby's mother could have been anything and they turned her into a tragic soap opera character! RTD, maybe look over next season and make sure it all fits together. Cause this season's ending was so bad that you should be ashamed! And that pitiful scene on the roof that was supposed to evoke intrigue didn't do anything but add to your shame! 😢

[@TheBrowncoatcat]

I enjoyed the episode. But I have always thought Sutekh was a rubbish villain.

[@rc_r33c3]

No hate but I can’t shift the reality that Russell got everything so wrong and I can fix it with this comment so hopefully you can talk about it tharries as this entire season was a missed opportunity… First ruby Sunday was the wrong main character as it shoulda been Lenny rush to open ep 1 with his difficulties living a normal life with his disadvantages and it shoulda made it personal to the viewer to get the perception of what things he’d lose out on in everyday life that everyone does and doesn’t realise it so people can be more open minded after watching and should show how the doctor treats everyone equally no matter what in this universe and ruby Sunday r.s shoulda been the daughter of river song r.s which would explain why she keeps seeing Susan triad who shoulda been the next generation of the heart of the tardis evolved due to fate like Tom bakers the creator which makes Susan triad the grandmother of ruby Sunday watching over her, her entire life living with Susan flood (doctors granddaughter) like sisters and yes that would make ruby Sunday Susan’s mother but backwards, and as for rogue… rogue should be river song regenerated who was in a relationship with jack harkness, David Tennent was completely wasted and ruined by Russell and I strongly believe Russell will regret the 60th eps for the rest of his career now as it was the show killer, what the 60th shoulda been is unseen eps of the 10th during the timelord victorious era that shoulda been the cause of the events of season 1 and it shoulda went the hardest they’ve ever went straight into fire hatred and god complex mindset to bring back all the real viewers and to give everyone what they want not woke dei agendas 🤮 rip doctor who glad to grow up with 10th ❤️

[@jamesa.fitzpatrick1566]

There were a lot of memberberry lists in this season - the gods, the planets, and more. VERY Disney. Give it a rest next year, Russell.

[@micron000]

I'm a bit split on this finale. On the one hand, I did like that Ruby's parents were actually just normal humans, but on the the other hand, it seems like a bit of a cop out. I mean, I can buy the bit about Sutekh only believing her mum was important because Ruby and the Doctor believed as much... But, we were shown certain elements throughout the entire season that have to do with Ruby's very nature or origins (things like the snow, the carol song, the Doctor's memory of that night changing etc), which were meant to lead us to believe that she wasn't exactly a normal human. As you've said, it wasn't "on us", but deliberate scriptwriting choices that made us think she was special.. And those things were never actually explained, which is a bit disappointing. We did get a few mentions of 73 Yards, more than I was expecting tbh, but they didn't exactly make this better, since again, it wasn't actually explained or important to the overall mystery. Like, it's cool that the TARDIS perception filter apparently works from that same distance, and nice touch that Ruby sort-of remembers what happened to her in the alternate timeline, but it wasn't actually important and didn't lead to anything in the end. I thought the Memory TARDIS being used and explained some more was very cool, and I also liked the idea of Sutekh latching onto the TARDIS all the way back in the 4th Doctor's era and being around for this entire time (though, you're right, it does raise a lot of questions lol). I also loved the apocalyptic vibe of the episode, seeing the universe destroyed again was very reminiscent of Flux, but in a very cool way.. I especially liked the sequence with Mel, and the idea of memory itself dying; and also loved the Doctor's reaction to the death wave and his scene with the random kind lady. However, I do wish the solution in the end, was a bit better than just... Dragging Sutekh through the time vortex with a bit of rope. Like, yeah, I'm not really sure how or why that even worked lol. I don't have a problem with it being silly solution, as it is DW after all.. But I mean, in the internal logic of the show itself, what even made the Doctor realise that it would work? Or, if he knew all along that it could, why did he need to wait so long until so many planets were destroyed before trying it? It seemed like a bit of an oversight. Script-wise, it was a last-minute solution that reminded me of the Last of the Time Lords ending, which I think we all know is considered RTD's worse finale for a reason. It seems like whenever RTD gives us very high stakes, he forgets to think of a way out and consider an actual solution until the very last second, and then there's not enough screen time left to actually construct one that makes sense within the narrative, so he just finds the quickest easy fix he can and sticks with it. Also, I liked the idea of an ending scene with the Doctor and Ruby, but honestly, the season wasn't long enough and didn't give us enough of them together, for me to buy that they have such a deep, unbreakable bond. It made their goodbye feel a bit overdramatic, but IDK.. maybe it's just me. I am happy that Ruby is coming back for S2, cause I do like Millie and her dynamic and chemistry with Ncuti, I just could have honestly done without the scene of them saying goodbye, or maybe replaced it with a more lighthearted one where they just decide that Ruby should have a break and stay with her family for a while. Basically, I loved the vibe of the episode, I liked a lot of the character moments we got, the acting and emotional stakes.. But the story itself in terms of the mystery and overall plot, was a bit of a let down sadly.

[@ThetaSigma-vu1sk]

The emotional goodbye makes sense. Ruby doesn't want to leave, but the Doctor is telling her too. And Ruby knows him, she knows how he left his granddaughter and never went back and she is worried he's done the same now. She doesn't know if she'll ever see him again. I feel like her character in season 2 won't be a companion. It's heavily rumoured that she's only in a few episodes. I think it'll be like Martha in series 4. The Doctor and Verada's character will bump into her a couple of episodes before the finale and and she goes with them until the finale. So I feel this was her exit as a companion and her future appearances will just be guest appearances.

[@micron000]

@@ThetaSigma-vu1sk I'm not saying it didn't make sense within the narrative, just that it wasn't as emotionally impactful as it could have been (or should have been, really). And I think that's mostly because we've hardly had time to see Ruby's actual day to day on the TARDIS.. To see her and the Doctor getting to know each other, traveling on normal adventures, working together and just having fun. I get that this season was shorter, and that due to production/scheduling issues there were more Doctor-lite episodes than normal, but still. I would have gladly given up some of the experimental stories or larger-than-life gods and half-baked mysteries, in favour of more Doctor-companion relationship building. It would have made her exit work SO much better. As it is, I just still don't buy them even being that good of mates (like, when he called her his best friend in Rogue that felt weird to me as well, and I have seen other people say the same thing), and I have no solid idea for how long they were even traveling (that dang time jump was such an odd choice).. So, seeing them get this emotional about saying goodbye, just felt a bit over the top imo.

[@gerrycirillo5519]

Have to agree on the ropey denouement of this story but what really killed it for me was the dumb Hollywood CGI on Sutekh. It didn't suit Dr Who and to be honest it looked like a giant rodent... actually reminded me of Danger Mouse. It won't stop me watching the show though!

[@nikonbear7882]

Congrats Tharries, this is your best review ever.

[@gregjones8412]

The season was awful. I don't think Gatwa can play the role with any gravitas whatsoever. And as for the writing, quite honestly I've seen better from 10 year olds during creative writing classes.

[@carolthomasamazonThomas]

Hey Tharries, more fans like you who aren't homophobic or racist NEED to speak up! The majority of fandom out there is NOT happy with RTD's ending, and Disney and the BBC and RTD need to hear our voices! This show that we all love can be Sooooo much better than it is!

[@johnpolishimpossible2say191]

BTW when Ms Flood calls the Doctor a clever boy while wearing an outfit extremely close to Clara's last outfit was weird. Agree on all your criticism.

[@Nightmare_Child]

To be fair in pyramids of mars he’s definitely just sat there most of the episodes

[@kevinburke3573]

The episode was utterly pointless and nonsensical. Building up the mystery of Ruby Sunday just to have it mean nothing. Building up the mystery of the one who waits just to have it be an obscure villain from the 70s and then have him defeated in one episode. And before anyone says that sutekh isn't obscure...well RTD sure must have thought he was in order to sandwich in a tales of the TARDIS episode to explain to the audience who he was. Gatwa spends the episode either screaming or crying. And we end the episode with the continuing mystery of who Mrs Flood is...but judging from this season's "mysteries" she will be nobody of any importance and dealt with in one episode.

[@funny2thag]

I completely agree with your about Rose, she has no purpose or helps the story in any episodes Rose has appeared other than the first episode. Maybe Rose has no use as RTD didn’t think much beyond the character is checking off a diversity box?

[@NTNG13]

Sutekh looked like crap mate Idk what you're yapping about looking like competitive VFXs

[@andyphillips8526]

In my experience dogs are only interested in hanging around a phone box for one stinky reason.

[@bradleylea8460]

Wasn’t finale worthy. Loved the bit when the doctor was like I have to be the monster, in the vortex. Seems like none of the questions for the season were resolved.

[@danielcaswell6273]

Season 9 was like prime Moff

[@Jedi_Spartan]

RTD, can you restrain yourself when it comes to end of the world/universe stakes for ONE FINALE!

[@wheatley9601]

It doesn't make sense why the TARDIS' perception filter followed ruby around in 73 yards, and why ruby's mother's fsce couldn't be seen on the tape. I think ruby was generated by the yardis and given a real life and family just like Susan Triad The episode lost all tension when Carla died, sutekh got his ultimate victory so fast that i knew it would all be reversed anyway and sutekh ended up not killing a SINGLE person

[@XconsigliereX]

Except for Marcus Scarman and his brother. Oh and that dude who wore the Fez and played the pipe organ a lot, whatever his name was. 😆

[@LaloMartins]

That's a better explanation than what we got.

[@DriverHenryWho3245]

The death of everyone should really have been the cliffhanger, that would've been so intense! An amazing way to introduce the god of death.

[@DriverHenryWho3245]

I think the reason she glitched on the tape is because of a simple slip-up, as the Doctor told Morris to "keep it steady" right after the glitch.

[@R_SENAL]

@@XconsigliereX His name was Ibrahim. Well, it's longer than that, but Ibrahim is his given name part. In Islamic places it's as common as Michael or Peter in the west, so no relation to the UNIT guy. Unless all Michael's are related and no one told me. 🤣

[@richardtherrien4696]

Nah. Sorry. Not getting this series. I thought I would give it a chance. I’m very disappointed ☹️. The original pyramids of Mars was light years better.

[@lenrat117]

No offence to RTD but I don’t think there are many writers/producers as brilliant as Holmes and Hinchcliffe.

[@robo3007]

Don't have an issue with Ruby's parents not meaning anything, but what I absolutely do have an issue with is Ruby causing it to snow around her being teased as a sign that she's important somehow only for it to amount to diddly squat. Not even a throw away explanation to explain why it was happening.