Doctor Who: The Devil's Chord Review (Ups & Downs)

Music, Maestro, and a twist at the end. The Doctor Who double-bill continues - here's Ellie with our review of The Devil's Chord!
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[@WhoCulture]

Watch more vids breaking down The Devil's Chord! Spoiler discussion: kzbin.info/www/bejne/imeqcpaHac2EiJY Easter eggs: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b4aYaJ6qgrl-n8k

[@badfairy9554]

Is Susan's Alex a boy or a girl?

[@TheRagekage5000]

Hey Ellie Ruby has a song buried deep within her Carol of the Bells Carol as in Carol Ann Ford but a BIG DOWN for this episode John Lennon with glasses he didn't wear them until later on

[@mattheller5131]

This whole episode is a paradox and plothole. Maestro shows up in the past and alters music which causes events to happen in the 60s that didnt happen before (ie the thing with finland and the lack of music and dancing), which the doctors acknowledges as a change to history. the doctor never goes back in time to fix maestros changes and it is not shown that the effects are reversed, just that humans can feel the music AGAIN, so the future that Ruby goes back to should be different somehow but isnt. On top of that, this change to history and music is not noticed or even mentioned/portrayed in the original series but the first doctor is supposed to CURRENTLY be in the same city as stated by the 15th doctor, so the first should notice what happened to music or at least question when things suddenly go back to normal

[@DumbassGamer42]

Theory - the toymaker and maestro are apart of the same pantheon as the trickster. As we know when the doctor meets the trickster in wedding of sarah jane (found in SJ adventures) he states he is part of the pantheon of discord. Now we now find out that toymaker and maestro are part of a pantheon and both of their powers end up causing some kind of discord. Plus it would fit with the timeline as when the trickster met the doctor the toymaker had already been defeated by 1st doctor and thanks to a throwaway line by maestro: "daddy was so mean...". We can call it a stretch that he trapped his kids and kept them back until 14 played that game with the salt bringing the old pantheon back starting with toymaker. Plus the person who drops ruby off at the church wears similar clothing to the trickster... any thoughts??

[@DumbassGamer42]

Theory - the toymaker and maestro are apart of the same pantheon as the trickster. As we know when the doctor meets the trickster in wedding of sarah jane (found in SJ adventures) he states he is part of the pantheon of discord. Now we now find out that toymaker and maestro are part of a pantheon and both of their powers end up causing some kind of discord. Plus it would fit with the timeline as when the trickster met the doctor the toymaker had already been defeated by 1st doctor and thanks to a throwaway line by maestro: "daddy was so mean...". We can call it a stretch that he trapped his kids and kept them back until 14 played that game with the salt bringing the old pantheon back starting with toymaker. Plus the person who drops ruby off at the church wears similar clothing to the trickster... any thoughts??

[@agmurdoch1]

Surely the Sonic being able to produce an Active Noise Cancellation bubble is the most in character thing it has done recently? It is like … sonic. 😂

[@crunchysalmons]

change scary ig???..... i expect this from star wars fans but NOT doctor who fans. explanations in this show are literally chalked up to "timey wimey" so ofc the sonic can do basically anything, but a flashbang is WELL within the sonics already shown capability

[@gabrielriosorelogio5224]

Totally agree

[@zacharywoloszynski4258]

yeah it actually makes sense

[@ShriekingHyperFixator]

It’s an ACOUSTIC BARRIER. Bacisally, he was causing all the sound to be flushed out in the vicinity. Hence why when it powered up- it got louder and louder. It went above a frequency most things could hear. So 🤷 that’s why there wasn’t any sound.

[@nekolalia3389]

But it doesn’t do woodwind.

[@johnwoolard4599]

Canceling sound is literally what a "sonic" could do. I am more surprised they never did that before.

[@TechBearSeattle]

Yup, you can get headphones able to do that.

[@crunchysalmons]

i love ellie but rly doctor who has NEVER had hard rules, the sonic can do basically anything and so can the Tardis, just within reason for story believability reasons. its been going on for too long to not introduce new abilites

[@user-qx6fp1jq6i]

If I remember correctly the only thing the sonic won't work on is wood? I think?

[@WRSomsky]

I was going to say the same: that's precisely the sort of thing a sonic would be able to do...

[@TechBearSeattle]

@@user-qx6fp1jq6i - It does not work on any living or formerly living material: the cellular structure is too complex to handle easily. But it can be done, given enough time. For example, the very funny scene in Day of the Doctor.

[@Quirky_QF]

As someone that moved away from somewhere they once lived and coming back years later with new friends, the Doctor pointing out "hey, I used to live there" felt perfectly fine to me.

[@watermelonvolcano9999]

I hugely disagree with the down of mentioning Hartnell in the junkyard. I mean this is one of the first times they go back to 1963 I feel it would be very weird for them NOT to bring up 1. I think it was very nice and cool and done well

[@iantophernicus6042]

Will admit, I was hoping for at least one instance of them running back to the TARDIS to quickly realise that it's the wrong one. It could've been a fun callback to Father's Day, if Maestro had somehow swapped it out with a proper Police box, but sadly it was not to be. Very much agree, it felt like a beautiful moment to see the Doctor reflecting on their past self.

[@watermelonvolcano9999]

@@iantophernicus6042 exactly and again I think it would've been crazy if they didn't mention it. Also that would've been amazzzingggg very cool idea

[@Sk8rToon]

If they hadn’t said something it would have been a down for not keeping to his history

[@Mark-nh2hs]

Also the 7th Doctor was in 1963 but depends on which month this story was set in.

[@frankshailes3205]

It's not exposition as it isn't required for the plot, or to enjoy the show from this point on. It's just a fun Easter egg for those who have seen the "now banned" first story.

[@ryanpetty8843]

I was a little disappointed when the “chord of banishment” wasn’t the notes C A G E and D

[@wyren925]

damm that's good, love those types of details wish it was that too

[@madcloisfan]

That's what I thought it was going to be

[@UnforgivenIV]

Missed opportunity!

[@docteurwho4540]

If it were that, once the doctor had found almost every note he probably would've noticed it and he wouldn't have failed

[@Sk8rToon]

Cool idea but the notes they used related to the Beatles’ song Hallelujah Now I’ve heard there was a secret chord That David played, and it pleased the Lord But you don’t really care for music, do you? It goes like this The fourth, the fifth The minor fall, the major lift The baffled king composing Hallelujah.

[@WaitTryFail]

I can't believe you missed Jinx talking about Ruby when she was trapped ..... "How could a song have so much power?" "And power like him" [Like who?] "The Oldest One. On the night of her birth. He can't have been there. What for? What for? What for?" - Seems rather important

[@user-qx6fp1jq6i]

Very excellent point! I hope Ellie sees your comment!

[@BewitchedBeckatha]

This!!

[@AmbulantBoxer]

Yes, indeed. Who is the Oldest One? Are they someone different from the One Who Waits? And then the sign for "Chris Waites" hardly seems coincidental.

[@jaschul]

Oldest One...Fenric?

[@garycullen7390]

I have made this point elsewhere but THE ONE WHO WAITS and THE OLDEST AND FIRST may be 2 beings who are enemies with our world and the DOCTOR in the middle

[@willchesters5366]

When Ruby asked about clothing I really thought we'd get "There's a wardrobe through there, first left, second right, third on the left, go straight ahead, under the stairs, past the bins, fifth door on your left." callback 😂

[@gateauxq4604]

NGL hoped for a second that we were going to see a wardrobe.

[@elistricker]

One of my favorite parts was when Maestro played the Master’s drumbeat (the heartbeat or whatever you want to call it). The captions on Disney+ even called it the Saxon theme

[@DocHayes420]

I LOVED Maestro playing the Dr. Who theme on the piano. We used to do the same thing at my grandparents' house when we were kids 🥰

[@stijnvantongerloo9122]

That's awesome 😄

[@Fred247]

In the subtitles it said [plays Saxon theme] 😊

[@justtjamess7214]

@@Fred247 saxon? I picked up on an overuse of drums in the music episode, too. Is the master coming back?

[@FlynnTheRedhead]

7:49 No absolutely not, I loved the Doctor acknowledging him existing in multiple places at once, to his companion, as well as mentioning Susan again, which he hasn’t really done since 11 I believe

[@KingsNJenssons]

new who never brings up susan i was so happy when he did that

[@iaminsideyourhome69]

there's a scene with the 12th doctor where he's at a desk with pictures of susan and river

[@SnowLily06]

He hasn't mentioned Susan since 11 but Capaldi had a picture of her on his desk

[@shep1807]

Exactly. Not everyone knows everything and doesn't want a refresh. It was a great shout out/info dump.

[@SnowLily06]

@shep1807 Honestly, I wouldn't even classify it as an info dump it was pretty short and just felt like a normal conversation it didnt feel like it was forced in for exposition

[@steveh1260]

Has anyone commented/noticed that Maestro was summoned in 1925? The same year John Logie Baird created the first TV image as featured in The Giggle.

[@feliscatus4922]

Wasn’t that 1905

[@moecoop420]

They had televisions in 1905?

[@steveh1260]

No, I double checked, the first transmitted TV image was 2 October 1925.

[@moecoop420]

@steveh1260 was being sarcastic. Of course there was no television in 1905.

[@feliscatus4922]

Yeah I’m braindead for some reason I thought 2023-98=1905

[@CJFS00s]

( 2:45 ) Capaldi played the Doctor Who Theme on his guitar at the start of *Before the Flood* in the same way, began as diegetic and then into non-diegetic! 🎸

[@Unearthly_Child_]

Personally I liked the scene where the doctor told us where they were and that the first doctor was "just over there." Mostly because it gives us context as to what part of 1963 they're in, i can't imagine they were there terribly long. Plus it's just another thing the doctor would have to consider when going to a point in time they know they've been before.

[@theangrygamer1008]

Clearly before November 63 otherwise Susan wouldn't have been listening to her trannie.

[@kimchi_b]

The problem is his 'woe is me, all my people are dead' stuff clashed with his pretty swift dismissal of Susan as probably dead now too.

[@Fanney47]

Yup

[@andrewbowman4611]

I'd always assumed that the TARDIS had landed more sort of late March/early April, possibly even into May (Susan does say that the last five months were the happiest of her life). The fact that they were there in February suggests a possible earlier placement for An Unearthly Child; either that, or Susan hadn't enrolled at the school by that point.

[@chriszone50]

@@kimchi_b That was my favourite scene of the episode, so It seriously angers me that this woman put it as a negative, it really boils my blood.

[@Aracore]

During the music battle, I was completely expecting them to bust into a section of "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" I think that was an opportunity lost.

[@BewitchedBeckatha]

I absolutely looked at my husband and said " I'll bet a fiddle of gold against your soul..."

[@salerio61]

Yep totally agree

[@NomineNebula]

It heavily disappointed me when it wasn’t that , but it was a really good episode otherwise

[@sheyannev2757]

Jinx picked up the violin and I started humming 😂😂

[@kathykummer]

Me too 😂

[@Nutter666]

That Piano going up onto the roof immediately made me think of the Beatles famous show on the roof in 1969. I genuinely thought the episode was going to culminate with them up there, with the rest of London greying out and turning dull in the background. The Doctor and Ruby basically powerless to stop it, until these 4 guys who have (in their universe) rejected the musical impulse inside them as something to be ashamed of, suddenly just can't resist... they're just overcome with a need to play, and in doing so, find the correct chords and that's what banishes Maestro and saves music. Them being the "Musical Geniuses" that save music just makes a lot more sense than the Doctor stumbling onto most of it and then the Beatles just kinda playing the right note at the end. Almost makes me wonder if there was a last minute re-write because someone wouldn't approve a version of the script with that kind of ending?

[@withershin]

Maestro's fourth wall break into the Doctor Who theme was brilliant. That's something new.

[@Newt.--.Jaeden]

Biggest issue with this episode for me (as a musician) was how obviously they weren't actually playing the instruments half the time, but that applies to about 90% of all TV Shows

[@retrogiftsuk4812]

Reminds me of a Kelsey Grammer film (which I can't remember the name of). He was playing a piano at a party. Now I'm no musician, but I'm pretty sure your fingers should make contact with the keys... Not Kelsey Grammer, he can play the piano 'contactless'. (I'm guessing he was told not to play the piano so they could record dialogue, and only found out that the cameraman had got the hands in shot when editing, so just had to hope that no-one would notice).

[@arc7375]

Can we please discuss Jinkx’s nail length and the piano keys?

[@jd_music23]

I agree with this however I do feel at least some of the close-ups were actually accurate e.g. Ruby's song had some pretty accurate sections. Haven't checked the exact notes but the rythms and area of the piano seemed correct when we saw her hands (but then yeah, they showed her face and shoulder and you're like... that's out of time 😅) but also I get it from an editing POV too it would be near impossible to get the right moment of a shot and emotion and another character's acting and the right notes being played all in one and all synced and in fairness I think there was an actual real attempt made to be accurate here which some TV shows just don't do! (i always forgive it when the pianist hands aren't the main focus of the shot as I assume we're not meant to be viewing them in real time if not) However.... the violin.... 🤣 i shan't comment My bigger issue as a musician (and tbh this is a pet peeve rather than actual issue because... I have a life 😅) is just that RTD doesn't really seem to be great at incorporating music technicalities into a story! Like the whole thing in the Giggle was a REACH with Donna figuring out the notes from the wave height as that's just not how sound works 😅 also the lyrics for the goblin song felt like the were written by AI and I just feel so many moments in this episode e.g. the note slip from the Doctor and the melodies described by the Beatles ("oh an E, then a G then maybe another G" or whatever it was a very basic tune but also pretty sure he didn't sing that unless i just misremembered the notes) and the "hidden" chord and playing the notes without a Stave (and why where they all 8th notes?) all just felt like a very fanciful unrealistic idea of how music works and would be way more impressive to a non-musician than someone who has even a basic level of experience with music. I enjoyed the episode anyway so I'm not actually mad about it 🤣 but I just wish I had no clue about music when watching it so it wasn't so distracting.

[@Ayanami3rd]

Trust me, as an IT guy my eyes bleed every time I see someone "hacking into a system" on a TV show. :)

[@AngryAnt0]

Same, it really pulled me out of the enjoyment, especially when Jinx picked up a string instrument with their nails (and at one point isnt even moving the bow). I get they are on a time schedual, but even just 5 minutes along the lines of "fingers roughly here, then here" couldn't have gone a miss.

[@golden_gloo]

The silencer is probably one of the most realistic things for a sonic screwdriver to do compared to what it's done in the past. It would have to record the all the sound from the surroundings and broadcast the perfect out of phase compliment to this sound to destructively cancel it out. Way more realistic than sound opening a door actually.

[@davidesparzaguerrero4545]

Exactly. It's not even science fiction. We have that already with the active sound cancelling headsets.

[@BruhsCookieJar]

I always felt the stories we watch are really the companions stories about the doctor. This time, with the crossover of music and breaking the fourth wall, it’s as though we (the audience) are actually a companion there with them. One that usually gets ignored but is getting pointed looks now of “see? I told you so.” “This is what I’ve been telling you.” “This is crazy”.

[@Casaloste.]

Two things. 1. The sonic screwdriver should be able to mute sound. After all it is in its name. 2. You missed the scene where we see the billboard highlighting Christopher WAITE. May be an Easter egg for the one who waits.

[@jasonbrock2681]

The problem with the music battle is that they didn't start with "The Devil Went Down to Georgia." 😉

[@andrewbowman4611]

One Easter egg I hope you'll mention is the billboard for Chris Waite & The Carollers. It's a group initially led by Aubrey Waite, who would soon go on to become the lead singer of John Smith and the Common Men, whom Susan listens to while waiting for Ian and Barbara in An Unearthly Child. It's easy to miss, so I thought it was worth pointing out.

[@sheersternfeld1914]

Cool!

[@retrogiftsuk4812]

If that's true, then that is fantastic. Well spotted.

[@BewitchedBeckatha]

Yes I'm surprised she didn't talk about this. Because they're looking for one who waits and it says Chris Waite

[@kingboy76]

Yes, and the link to Carol of the Bells and The One Who Wait(e)s

[@mythicsagefire]

She doesn’t really mention anything that’s old Doctor Who. Her knowledge of that era is lacking.

[@ofskittlez]

This episode gets better the more I think about it. Maestro was fantastic, and I love the idea of the "pantheon" - more beings on the same level as the Toymaker. And I don't think I've ever been as invested in a mystery as I am with "Who is Ruby?"

[@kimchi_b]

I'm past caring and we're only 2/3 episodes in.

[@SD-zz4ov]

​@@kimchi_bokay. wanna cookie?

[@vapoet]

@@kimchi_b It's a little too large, something that normally be a slow burn.

[@ken33461]

By watching closed captions, the music played after the 2024 nuclear winter scene to activate the TARDIS was the Harold Saxon theme.

[@elizabethbrown8859]

Wow

[@sidrad]

Paul and John finishing the chord: never could be any other way.

[@judithstrachan9399]

The genius.

[@ChrisCreats]

The orchestra playing very badly 3 blind mice like every kid on the recorder was disturbingly funny lol

[@J_in_the_Tardis]

The bit when the Doctor uses the sonic to make Silence Fall while Maestro is searching for them makes more sense to me than a lot of the one-off ways they’ve used it. It makes some sense that the Sonic could affect sound.

[@sheyannev2757]

I absolutely hated 14 making a wall with it, too much for the Sonic

[@davidponseigo8811]

I really enjoyed the alternate version of the Beatles. 25 years ago when I was still working as a Personal Protection Agent I was assigned to Paul McCartney while he and his fiance were visiting New Orleans and I had the privilege of singing Irish folk songs with him at O'Flatories Irish Pub and I will never forget that.

[@andrewwilson895]

I think "the one who waits" is gonna be the Storyteller (or some similar title). This explains the fourth-wall breaks, and a Storyteller would be especially powerful in the context of a TV show.

[@tescobesco]

The music in the show becoming DIAGETIC and attacking ruby was amazing

[@DrewSwenson]

I was literally remarking how cool it was that the music sounded like it was coming through speakers and how it almost seemed diagetic... Then the Doctor pulls a Deadpool and I got a kick out of thinking they always hear the music...

[@DoctorMysterio15]

​​@@DrewSwenson Maybe that's why the doctor keeps doing epic and dangerous stuff. Music can affect people like that 😂

[@muqtarali34]

I just keep thinking of the 11th doctor hearing i am the doctor 😂

[@DocHayes420]

I also really loved the platonic chemistry between Ruby & The Dr. this episode!

[@johnrawten197]

Shill

[@MichaelJohnson-kq7qg]

So your main downvotes were because of something outside of the show (the advertising); a reference you didn't get (the chord from a Beatles song, which you didn't recognize, so didn't understand why the Beatles were integral to this story); an easter egg for Doctor Who fans (the First Doctor reference isnt there for new viewers); and the sonic screwdriver being sonic?

[@MrMycotic]

But gave an upvote to the dance number 💀

[@MichaelJohnson-kq7qg]

@@MrMycotic i don't have a problem with that, honestly. There's something pantomime about this whole story arc since the Toymaker. If they'd up voted a dance number, that's okay. If they down-voted it, that's okay too.

[@julianriviera5837]

I suspect Ruby is a child of the pantheon. Everything to do with her first episode was coincidence. Even when she turned into a butterfly effect creature, she SPOKE that coincidence into reality. So I think her parent is something like a creator of coincidence.

[@vapoet]

I was thinking a "story creator" of some sort. It would explain the 4th wall breaks.

[@Aezetyr]

Ruby playing her own theme was a direct reminder (well to me, and hopefully intentional by the writers) of 12 playing Clara's theme to her in the diner at the end of that season.

[@veggiet2009]

The opening made me think of the 12th Doctor breaking the fourth wall in "bootstrap" and then playing the theme tune on his guitar, so I'm not surprised it would be on the jukebox

[@daverhoden445]

But is it really a break or do we use it as the theme for the show because the Doctor and now the Maestro played it? Wibbly-wobbly.

[@JamesA1102]

Can’t believe everyone is missing the callback to An Unearthly Child on the billboard at the end.

[@kyleliverman215]

"There's always a twist in the end." "Twist and Shout" was the last track on the Beatles' debut album, "Please Please Me."

[@RazgrizAce67]

My current theory on who Ruby is: the avatar for the "spirit of Christmas". We have Toymaker representing play, Maestro representing Music. So far Ruby makes it snow, and when captured by the Maestro, Christmas music pours out of her, Doctor says how much she "connects" with the orphanned space babies, and Maestro says how she has a hidden song and that she's not a normal Human.

[@user-qx6fp1jq6i]

I literally just posted the same theory! The Dr's daughter theory, not the spirit of Christmas thing. But that one does hold water too.

[@RazgrizAce67]

@@user-qx6fp1jq6i I think Susan Twist who keeps showing up might be Susan Foreman. But yeah, I don't think Ruby is a timelord, but also clearly not normal human.

[@pmc_]

@@RazgrizAce67 Ruby would've shown up as Time Lord on the DNA scan if she were one, unless she were using a Chameleon Arch (which would be strange, considering she was shown as a baby in The Church on Ruby Road)

[@db5094]

@@pmc_ please PLEASE i hope ruby isnt gallifreyan they need to leave it alone for a while

[@generalilbis]

​@db5094 But that's the thing...would Ruby, if she is Susan's daughter or granddaughter, show up as Gallifreyan? As of The Timeless Child reveal, The Doctor wouldn't biologically be Gallifreyan and Susan's status is questionable because there's so much that hasn't been explained about her origins. At best, Susan is or would have been 3/4 Gallifreyan if she was The Doctor's biological grandchild...but what if Susan's genetics are more like The Doctor's and are a huge question mark? That could get passed along to Ruby.

[@GroundhogJay]

I still love that The Doctor always seems to turn his back on Susan Twist, not caring much what she's saying and missing the pattern -- because he's so busy focusing on Ruby and their situation. He did the same in Space Babies, looking away from the screen when she popped up. If it does turn out to be his granddaughter, it'd make thematic sense, since he refuses to actively look at that chapter of his life.

[@MichaelJohnson-kq7qg]

There's always a twist at the end.

[@laurenragle5228]

As a new Who person, I loved the "Oh, I live right over there actually" bit was really sweet. ❤

[@jakeshedd7708]

This may or may not have been intentional, but the chord progression of “there’s always a twist at the end” was very similar to the arpeggio of the giggle. Not exactly the same, but I wonder if it was intended as a reference.

[@jamesdowney7784]

The only thing I don't like about the episode was the song at the end it just wasn't for me it did feel a bit like a disney channel movie ending

[@LosloTypical]

Yeah definitely not wasn’t a good song, the Goblins was definitely way more catchy

[@bennettnez4711]

I agree, but on the bright side, I thought there would be more of that and it would be worse. I'm glad that it was pretty much the only thing I didn't like between the two episodes

[@101Waylander]

Missing the whole point of the overall story arc, I see.

[@bennettnez4711]

@101Waylander no Maestro is great, everything they sang was fine, all of the music through the entire episode was cool until the very end when they went non diagetic and had a giant synchronized dance. It is OK to criticize something that you like for a legitimate reason, you don't have to pretend that we have no idea what we are watching.

[@smugnoodles3702]

That was the only thing I didn't really like too. I really liked this episode more than babies in space

[@BenVSA]

“I thought that was non-diagetic.” Fourth wall break? Or canonising that the Doctor hears the soundtrack in their head.

[@ShriekingHyperFixator]

Just like the master, the doctor TOO has recurring sound in his head. It’s just- yk- he’s listening to some good Murray Gold.

[@througtonsheirs_doctorwhol5914]

in that vortex they are travelling ... yes it can happen! This is like when they went into dreamswith Capaldi or changed to E-spae or whatever to totaly another reality... MAVITY.. that is the starting point. Note my words : everything returns to the MAVITy of the situation. Master vity :P

[@dragon897fy2]

I find it odd that the musical number at the end threw so many people off the episode. To me it seems like some thing that is very clearly out of place and not supposed to be happening. It looks like some of the Maestro’s power or someone else was still effecting the world and the Doctor did not notice. How is no one talking about how the crosswalk was lighting up and ringing like a piano or that everyone else but the Maestro’s son were very clearly stuck in a musical. He clearly noticed what was happening and hid. Also the Doctor and Millie noticed that the crosswalk was lighting up but didn’t recognize that it was odd.

[@davidsoyele7829]

FACTS. And if you think about it, even tho it was supposed to be their “prize”, the fact that at least some of the toy makers power stayed behind at the end of the giggle, which allowed 15th doctor to duplicate the tardis. I think it may be a case of, once you banish a member of the pantheon, at least some of their power is left behind. It’d be REALLY cool if in a later episode, they banish a pantheon member, some of their power is left behind, and some character gains at least some of their power, and becomes a villain in a later episode as like a pseudo-god.

[@domiasmoth]

I think it's the way it was introduced and how long it went for. If they didn't' do a 4th wall breaking nod and wink to kick it off or have it go as long, I think people would have resonated more with why is this happening and why are they having the crosswalk work like a piano. Instead it felt like the outro of High School Musical which no one is watching this for.

[@framymuyu]

My 12 yr old is loving this Doctor, he needs these exposition moments. The idea that the doctor is a time traveler and they can cross paths with themselves blew his mind!

[@devoltar]

You are being far too hard on the history bits in general, but this thing about the first doctor is entirely fine and there was no reason to down it. Not only does Ruby not know so it's an entirely valid nod to call out, most viewers of this millennium don't know the history of the first doctor, even more so among all the viewers outside the UK. You know it because you are neck deep in it, and downing it being mentioned feels like a true Comic Book Guy moment. Also, even if the viewer knew bits in passing, most people don't keep all this lore in their head and a quick reminder (especially since some of us are past 40 with not amazing memories) does no harm. Also, the SONIC being able to CANCEL SOUND (which is generally done with out of phase sound waves) being weird? what? That's literally one of the most logical things the sonic has ever done.

[@LostRoswellian]

Totally agree. I actually really liked the explanation as I've never been able to watch any classic who.

[@escargoat8552]

I think most people wouldn't even see it as a lore dump or a history lesson. It's pretty normal for the Doctor to be at some point in history and then throw out a passing remark about how he had dinner with Abraham Lincoln (for example) just to remind people that he's a timeless time traveller who has seen and done a lot of things. To the average viewer, this is no different from that. Or what about the Doctor mentioning he has kids in the early RTD era? If that was referencing canon more directly then would that constitute a down? Doesn't it being canon instead of something that we've never actually seen on screen enhance moments like this? Also they gave a down for it being a history lesson but then gave it two ups for the history that was being told and how they told it. Confusing.

[@mgthestrange9098]

I think The moment where the Doctor showed Ruby what the future would be like if they didn’t defeat Maestro might’ve been a bit of a callback to the past too. Tom Baker’s 4th Doctor did the same thing with Sarah Jane in The Pyramids of Mars, he shows her what the future would be like if they didn’t defeat Sutek. I don’t think this young whipppersnapper noticed this nod to a classic era story.

[@chazo1367]

@@mgthestrange9098 Believed RTD confirmed it was an intentional call back to Pyramids.

[@vapoet]

It would be like giving a down to every mention of the first Doctor throughout NuWho. Like Capaldi's final episode would be a massive down.

[@kittenannebunteman1047]

All I know is that if the next of "The Legion" isn't as wildly amazingly over the top as the Toymaker or the Maestro - I am going to be sooooo dissappointed... Because they were just *chef's kiss*

[@gregorio5360]

Anyone else a little disappointed the Doctor didn't break our his old recorder in the music battle?

[@Macapta]

For something I’d seen advertised as the musical/Beatles episode, there was shockingly little Beatles and only 1 song.

[@x0gucx]

Yah. I was expecting them to come in at the end at least like after the whole ordeal they get to hear the Beatles sing or they get to be back ups or something. I don't understand the need for a random musical number like it's a bolly wood film at the end.

[@rosiesubz5204]

I honestly do wish we saw the Beatles more as well to be honest. It would have been cool for them to have their own battle with Maestro.

[@vapoet]

At the very least, we needed them running through the streets along with The Doctor and Ruby for the music number. It would harken back to Hard Day's Night. It was a missed opportunity.

[@chazo1367]

@@x0gucx Too expensive to have Beatles actual music, they'd have to pay every time they air the episode on tv as part of royalities, and if the deal ever goes sour they have to spend time and money removing the music and any references to it from the show and the digital versions too, not really worth it.

[@MysterySteve]

The reason I've been okay with the exposition in these newer episodes is because it sounds exactly like how he'd have to do it in those situations. It doesn't feel shoehorned, it always sounds like "Right, I forgot, this *is* relevant!"

[@uhfrank]

exactly. while in part, yes its there for newcomers, but wtf are the 'die hard i know everything so dont explain anything' people expecting the doctor to say with new companions? "all those questions you have, im not answering. im not going to tell you anything about me or how this all works and i expect you to trust me right out of the gate and just make sense of it on your own." id hate that way more. he also explained a lot of stuff to her in a ways hes never done before which was a really great way of both keeping the necessary and organic exposition fresh and distinguish how forthcoming this version of the doctor is. and now that hes already explained quite a bit to ruby, that leaves more room for future episodes to get less exposition. now more or less the only basics he needs to cover are just who or what certain aliens or cultures are like. we have to understand the exposition through the characters eyes, not our own and it fit perfectly. these videos always make me laugh because half of the downs they give is them simply not understanding the moments within the context of the show and/or setting themselves up for disappointment due to preconceived theories or idealisms they set themselves up for before going into the episode and end up reviewing it based on what they fantasized it would be instead of what it was.

[@TheHufflepuffSaint]

Absolutely. It's like in Space Babies when WhoCulture said; that we don't need to know what the TARDIS is or how it works... It's just for the new audiences. BUT Ruby doesn't know what The TARDIS is... She's just stepped into a box which has a massive room with a stranger that she only knows the name of. The exposition might be for new audiences but ultimately, it's for Ruby.

[@chazo1367]

@@uhfrank People complained Jodie's Doctor didn't say anything about herself until the end of her first season...but people are now complaining that Ncuti's Doctor is more open?

[@uhfrank]

@chazo1367 I find many of the content creators who are deeply focused on doctor who tend to either never be satisfied or have huge nitpicks over things the show has either always done. I see flaws in the episodes but they are rarely to the degree of negative attention they end up receiving

[@chazo1367]

@@uhfrank The episodes weren't perfect but neither were a lot of RTD's original run. Rose and The End Of The World had their own problems too, the show doesn't need to be perfect, as long as it's fun and these 2 episodes were fun.

[@carschmn]

4:01 i loved the “beatles.” The origin for the show was the producer lamenting he couldn’t use Beatles music because the licensing fees were so high. The Maestro is basically copyright law.

[@pjbrown7520]

There are an awful lot of Christmas references, even over and above the overt ones. For example, the Space Babies were grown by a 'Parthogenesis Machine' - 'parthogenesis' means *virgin birth*. The composer attacked by Maestro was Timothy Drake... as was the third incarnation of Batman's *Robin*. Chris Waite and the Carollers got a mention in another comment here, and - obscure, I know - the Doctor's fourth-wall-breaking wink could have been a nod to The Feast of Steven, an episode close to Christmas 1965, in which the First Doctor unexpectedly broke the fourth wall to wish viewers at home a Merry Christmas. On another note entirely, the first season had the Bad Wolf arc, presumably after RTD sat down and tried to think what would scare the Doctor, only to find 'Who's afraid of the big, bad wolf?' going round and round in his head. By the same token, he seems to have been trying to think of what would be an anti-Doctor, his opposite - and come up with The One Who Waits because another way of saying that would, of course, be The Patient...

[@TheTechOrc]

Calling it now, The Doctor knows he's in a TV show.

[@rhodrage]

Has done since the early days

[@Smakka13420]

There’s that reference in show in RotD where Ace leaves the room and it zooms in on a TV and a BBC announcer announces that a new sci-fi show will be airing “Doc-“ before cutting away to the next scene, so the show existing within the show has been around since the 80’s, even if it was only meant as a little *wink wink nudge nudge* for the 25th anniversary that year.

[@philmatin]

If he does I hope it is just these little winks and nods to the camera rather than the whole "We are in a TV show" episode as that never really works. If they go there it needs to be a lot more cleverer.

[@mutantdog.]

Perhaps, but the twist is it's not the show that we are watching.

[@Smakka13420]

@@mutantdog. That would be the best approach!

[@idgamingfederation8172]

the sonic being able to effectively cancel out and deaden all sounds, it's kind of in the name, 'Sonic' it's like questioning if a hammer can drive in a nail.

[@joelvandyke7505]

When the toymaker left, there was enough play-radiation left in the world to clone the TARDIS. I do wonder if the Maestro brought a background radiation of music-based whimsy that made the Twist at the End happen. And the fact that Henry Arbinger was there would seem to prove it.

[@tdm281995]

I’ve noticed no one online has mentioned the sound the Tardis made when they got back to the 60’s it wasn’t maestro as the doctor said it’s something eles.

[@jamesward4561]

I’ve mentioned this too. He says it as if it’s an important plot point, and then they dash off to the studio and ignore it. I think something is happening to the TARDIS. Maybe because it’s a copy of it??

[@chazo1367]

@@jamesward4561 RTD DID say there is an episode that confirms both 14 and 15's TARDIS are the exact same at different points in it's own time stream. Maybe it needs to reunite with the other one like 14 and 15 might need to reunite too one day, or maybe she was just throwing a bit of a fit over being controlled.

[@koylar]

I’ve watched this episode 4 times now . I can NOT get over Maestros performance, they steal every scene EVERY scene . Love this character

[@WhoCulture]

Definitely going to go down as an iconic Who villain!

[@drkenata5807]

I appreciate your love of the character, though I feel like they were kind of wasted. A lot of solid scenes, but a weak through line with a cliche Rumplestiltskin win condition.

[@Mayeur000Donz]

Seriously. I normally cannot STAND kooky-kookster villains. John Simm's Master got on my nerves big time. But this... I don't know what it was, but I was entranced. It was like watching a force of nature.

[@Gari-Kun]

it would be really crazy if susan is the one who waits you know.....because she waited for the doctor......no?......I'll be over there then

[@justinwolski4786]

I just commented that I thought the same kind of thing. Maybe Ruby's mum? Maybe ruby is part celestial or connected to the pantheon

[@bergamt]

Maestro did not seem especially impressed with the Time Lords, doubt they would make such a huge deal about Susan.

[@Gari-Kun]

@@bergamt just had that thought while watching the video, i don't actually think The Maestro or anyone on that scale would be scared of Susan........unless

[@tdm281995]

Isn’t the one who waits a man though? When maestro says “he can’t have been there? The oldest one” when they said that I thought they were referring to the one who waits

[@tdm281995]

@@bergamt I agree I’ve heard some people say the one who waits could be the monk but I said I don’t think the toymaker or maestro would runaway from a single timelord.

[@jonathanfesmiresteampunkau6983]

As a violinist, it was obvious to me during the musical battle that Jinkx Monsoon wasn't actually playing, and that took me out of the moment.

[@Pad929]

I think the Doctor mentioning that he was "over there" living in London was more for the old fans who would say, "Wasn't the Doctor already in that time? " than for new fans who wouldn't need to know it--other than for the set up for Susan. When the Jinx picked up that violin, I imagined Brett and Eddie from Twoset Violin to crawl out of the f-holes and say "You called?" before blasting the non-playing. 😀 Also, I agree with others that the sonic blocking sound is much more believable than being a USB or blocking energy weapons.

[@GreyHulk2156]

I feel that the sonic screwdriver would absolutely be able to cancel out sound. It's in the name after all.

[@HighlandMurray]

Do wonder if the Trickster might pop up. All the mentions of a Pantheon are intriguing. Trickster is part of the Pantheon of Discord (according to 10 in SJA's Wedding of SJ), Clyde said "good name for a band", and now "a" Pantheon is namechecked repeatedly in a musical episode; there's the Discord / Devil's Chord naming similarities; Trickster is also 'bound' (sort of) by their own rules ("do we have an agreement") which seems to parallel Toymaker and Maestro. It's a LOT of coincidences. That might be all they are, but it certainly raises an eyebrow.

[@plows2940]

I’d love to see the Trickster return. They certainly seem to belong to the same type of being as the Toymaker and Maestro and maybe even the Gods of Ragnarok or the WordLord (Big Finish).

[@jordanmcculloch1169]

I think this pantheon is more like physical things, you have play, now music. Theres a theory that the cloaked figure and the "Oldest one" is like stories/storyteller

[@allys1098]

The violin not being played correctly with what we could hear in the music really really bothered me, but I played the violin myself so that might be a personal nitpick

[@Manganra7]

I really didn’t mind the exposition for new viewers you hated. I’ve been watching for sixteen years, but I still remember when I was a new viewer and learning about Doctor Who for the first time. Imagining new viewers learning this stuff for the first time is exciting.

[@annmarie3773]

I read a book many years ago called Liverpool Fantasy. The premise is the Beatles broke up before they got famous and the world spiraled into a dystopian future. This episode reminded me so much of this book. Great episode in my opinion.

[@torinju]

Some people might say the world is spiraling into a dystopian future anyhow...

[@steve-0493]

It could've gave 1 of the writers some inspiration perhaps?or R.abid T.rans D.egenerate even lol?! It sounds alot like some inspirational theme/concept to actually come up with a story like this,where no music is apparently around or some famous musician never goes the path we know now etc..how much would IT REALLY affect I wonder.. Hang on ill be back 😉 *Steps into Tardis,then reappears after a minute or so*..... Yh let's keep things the way they are,...you don't wanna see the way it came out 😁🤷‍♂️ 🤣✌️🥃

[@StevenErnest]

​@@torinjuHush now. Virtually every era has thought that if you read some history.

[@torinju]

@@StevenErnest And sometimes they have been right. A dystopian future doesn't have to last forever to be a dystopian future.

[@StevenErnest]

@@torinju Sometimes. But more often wrong than right.

[@jupamoers]

The music battle reminded me of Dr. Strange's music battle against his other, other self "Sinister Strange" in Multiverse of Madness

[@greigbutler4498]

The doctor having the theme tune on his juke box is no weirder than maestro playing it on piano

[@Uniqez5]

Another connection between the toymaker and Maestro is that they both first appear in 1925

[@cyriljackal]

Maybe that's the year the horse head Captain's ship was visited, being as the year wasn't stated?

[@hammerman199374]

I had the same thought when Ruby commented on their clothing: what they were already wearing would have been fine in the 1960's. In fact, what they ended up wearing looked like it belonged later in the decade than '63. But, I liked Ruby's dress because it looked similar to one my mom had back then and that my sister wore at one point so it was nostalgic at least.

[@sheersternfeld1914]

I think that the only two times other than this that we saw a theme become diagetic (is that how you write that) were with Capaldi playing the Doctor Who main theme on his electric guitar, and, Capaldi again, playing Clara's theme (on the guitar once again)

[@therealpbristow]

Close! It's "diegetic". =;o}

[@chenling2937]

The billboard at the end was an advert for Christopher *Waites* -- the one who waits. I feel like this is the hidden in plain sight hints we get like Bad Wolf.

[@Jason-cg7ev]

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has noticed this and would this not be a major down? Maestro states that Ruby (who is human at the time) is the only person who could defeat her because she was the only human who has music in her heart. This is the reason why Maestro captures Ruby and prevented her from helping the doctor. Yet despite learning Ruby was a creature with a hidden song in her soul maestro somehow overlooked, did not see or completely forgot about Paul and John (who are also human and have music in their hearts). thus they were able to defeat her. so if Maestro had got rid of all humans that could have been a threat , where did Paul and John come from?

[@xanderb1082]

My theory is Susan twist is playing Susan Triad who is the The Doctors grand daughter Susan. She's the one who waits cause he abandoned her there and has grown to resent her grandfather for leaving her no way to contact him.

[@stumbling_]

I think the one who waits is actually one of the pantheon, the oldest of them. Think Kaos in Greek mythology.

[@LucasPritchard-ih4nl]

@@stumbling_ Maestro did mention that ‘The Oldest One’ couldn’t possibly have been there at Ruby’s birth, so the Oldest One and the One Who Waits could be the same being. I think in the Unleashed episode for the Devil’s Chord, Russell said it may seem like the Toymaker is the master of this pantheon, think Zeus for the Greek gods, but that that is very much not the case.

[@therealpbristow]

"Triad"? Where's that from?

[@TheHufflepuffSaint]

Not gonna talk about Maestro interacting with the TARDIS? 🥺 That was the high point of the episode for me, personally. Though I can't help but feel sorry for the poor thing, in NuWho especially recently during Flux, she's been going through the ringer.

[@Prince__Teclis]

I did smile at the Doctor saying sorry to it. He knows the old girl has been through a lot.

[@SnowLily06]

​@@Prince__Teclisyess I love that this scene showed the tardis is being treated like a living creature by this doctor because basically only Matt did that and I loved it

[@AztechHydra]

Anyone else notice Maestro played the Timelord heart beat on the Piano? Considering we know that the Master is still around could it have been one of the Toymakers legion who took the golden tooth?

[@wtharmon5050]

When the Doctor said "I thought that was non-diegetic" it sent me on a spiral. Has he always been able to hear the music? Does he just know to start giving an impassioned speech when the theme swells? I had to invoke the MST3K rule and calm myself down.

[@Prince__Teclis]

I mean, he's played his own theme before.

[@chazo1367]

4 leaned on the fourth wall alot back in classic...so the Doctor knew. 12 addressed it directly at one point. "I'm nothing without an audience." As he smiles at the camera.

[@sheersternfeld1914]

The scene where Ruby played her own theme made me cry a bit

[@hermiona1147]

Oh wow that was her theme?? I totally missed that, makes this scene 100% better

[@wardjunior1450]

Why…

[@sheersternfeld1914]

​I don't know, music just tends to make me emotional

[@lucasoheyze4597]

Sign of narcissism

[@carb_8781]

​@@wardjunior1450 it was really emotional music and the visuals with the people kinda coming back to life as welll

[@Krishnath.Dragon]

Maestro's true threat is what they could achieve if left unchecked. They said it themselves, they would remove music, and through that all life from the universe. While the Toymaker is a massive threat in the moment, Maestro is a massive threat over time. And to be honest, both are incredibly powerful reality warpers, which alone makes them extremely dangerous.

[@soundgal_sine_qua_non]

Sound cancelling can be done by taking the sound, inverting the phase, and then playing it in sync with the original sound at the same level. It gives me "reverse the polarity" vibes, which is very characteristic of the sonic. I loved it. I didn't think to connect the hidden song with Once Upon a Time. Good connection!

[@jupamoers]

Did you pick up on the mention of "The music of the Spheres"? That was a special Adventure of Tennant at the Proms in 2007

[@cyriljackal]

With the loose graske

[@likecat7886]

I watched this on my phone for the first time and when that utter silence kicked in after a second or two I turned my volume up, because I thought I accidentally muted my phone.😂

[@rhodrage]

I did that on my telly

[@PeerAdder]

7:58 - as a Dr Who fan since the very first episode was transmitted, I really appreciated the node to that first episode.

[@TCHorwood-xq7mw]

My parents didn't let me watch the first season 'cause I hadn't been born yet.

[@therealpbristow]

@@TCHorwood-xq7mw Of all the excuses! Shame on them! =:oD (Same here, actually. I am officially "The Chase"-years-old. =:o} )

[@ChristopherFonseka]

Maestro playing the theme tune was GENIUS! The Toymakers legions are supposed to have powers beyond the universe, so them seeming to break the fourth wall and conducting the title sequence itself is such a nice way to display how much of a threat they actually are

[@benblackney5725]

I like that we’re getting their backstory out of the way. I also look at the exposition as the Doctor growth and that they’ve worked through all their baggage, as mentioned in the 60th. Previously they didn’t want to talk about their past as it was difficult to do so. Now they’re free to do so. It’s also a great in-show way to introduce new audiences at the same time.

[@dst9997]

I loved the episode, but as a massive music nerd and Beatles fan I was quite disappointed at the lack of Beatles and the resolution. It’s weird that the Doctor couldn’t find the right notes if the notes are just a standard major chord (that Maestro was playing earlier?), and I was hoping that the Beatles would enter during the music battle and would find the chord while writing one of their songs. The first chord of A Hard Day’s Night is infamous and so recognisable, as is the one at the end of A Day In the Life… like, I know it’s nerdy and far-fetched, but it really seemed like that was where things were going, especially as I thought the episode was going to explore how tragic a loss the Beatles’ music would be. All that being said I really loved this episode, the performances were incredible, I appreciated them showing the value of music to the world and the music itself was wild and beautiful. Love to see the energy and wackiness back in Who and it’s boldness alone makes me love it!

[@rosiesubz5204]

As another Beatles, I couldn’t agree more. Imagine them having their own battle with Maestro.

[@lemasander4932]

I was hoping so much, that they would defeat Maestro with a beatles song… like „here comes the sun“ or so. To bad that didn’t happen

[@judithstrachan9399]

I really expected them to say, “Goodbye, Ruby Sunday.” “Hmmm, that doesn’t sound quite right…..”

[@dst9997]

@@judithstrachan9399 ohh that would’ve been perfect! I hope that gets played at some point before Ruby leaves.

[@lemasander4932]

@@judithstrachan9399 😅👍🏻

[@JakePacker]

The Solution Chord sure sounds like the final chord from "A Day In The Life" Beatles...

[@retrogiftsuk4812]

Someone check this please (I'm tone deaf so you could have said it was from the Cheeky Girls song "Cheeky Christmas", and I'd have believed you)

[@figureskater71889]

Thank you!! I noticed it straight away, did the Leonardo DiCaprio at the TV meme. It made my Beatles nerd heart forgive them for how not like The Beatles they looked.

[@ocgmercury]

So A day in the life uses a E Major Cord I believe. The “Devil Chord” was a C major. I do believe it was a reference, it does indeed sound like A Day in The Life despite not replicating it exactly.

[@andrewclarke6672]

Could the one who waits not be a person? The only one who waits in the series is the tardis. It waits every time they go off on a adventure. What if the doctor split the tardis soul when he created his tardis? As he said the noise is new. I think he could have the evil tardis and the 14th had the good one

[@bluwizard420]

Having a time not getting pulled out of these episodes with the constant 4th wall breaks. Not a huge issue with the transition into the intro. But after ending the Christmas episode with a character directly addressing the audience whilst looking straight down the camera lense, we had at least two instances of different characters looking directly into the camera to LITERALLY wink at us, after the aforementioned look into the camera to begin playing the theme. The fact that these villains are so over-the-top cartoonish combined with literal winks to the camera is really taking me out of the moment. Is it just me?

[@j.rileyindependentproductions]

I think you missed the joke with the costumes. The whole point is that for decades the characters would go out of the TARDIS without thinking about outfits, at which at times, it draws attention to them. While the one time that The Doctor and Companion can exit, without worry, because their outfits fit perfectly and allow them to blend in with no issue, it gets called out, they change, and into outfits that are 60s but would draw attention to them. The 60's exposition dump was really well done, even though you roll your eyes... And it was a perfect way to set up a potential Susan reveal while also introducing so much lore. in so little time, in such a great way. This should have been an up when everything was taken into account. As a writer, I was IMPRESSED. The Sonic being able to cancel out sound is the most REALISTIC creative function The Doctor has used it for... I mean SONIC / SOUND CANCEL?!? Far closer to its original function than unlocking doors, rewriting computer code, etc, etc, etc... not to mention the forcefields. I think you missed the real power of Maestro... They were able to alter all of reality to where music stopped existing, so much that there was no real music ANYWHERE. Then once defeated, no one remembers a world without music?!

[@racerunner1234]

9:47 I think that in-universe Ruby composed her own theme

[@SmartAlec86]

I think that the exposition could be viewed as the Doctor just being more open to talk about his past now. He's a version of the Doctor that has gone through a form of therapy. So now he's not hiding his past form his companions, rather he's talking about himself to someone he relates to (as a result of coincidence, but that's another story).

[@jamesward4561]

Also. When the Doctor and Ruby return to Abbey road studios after witnessing London in the future, when they step out of the TARDIS, it kind of judders or suchlike. Ruby asks if he broke it and the Doctor stares at it in puzzlement, then says that No, “It’s something else.” Is this the start of something going wrong with the TARDIS that’s been hinted at in the trailers? Oooh, I’m liking it 😊

[@Smakka13420]

I loved when Maestro was talking about the Doctor being timey-wimey, they played a bit of the Doctor Who theme, and then when she was talking about everything resonating, the little tunes she did to cause the TARDIS to go wild included the Saxon Master’s 4 beats motif. Absolutely hooked to this season and can’t wait to unveil all these juicy mysteries!

[@RosyRecluse]

It doesn't just include it, when subtitles are turned on it's directly called out as the only part of the music that gets named repeatedly. "SAXON THEME" it's DEFINITELY important

[@Smakka13420]

@@RosyRecluse I did notice that, but decided not to include it in my comment cause not everyone uses subtitles and well, The Master (if it’s the latest incarnation) no longer hears that beat, so unless they’re gonna bring back the Saxon post TEoT but prior to him being fixed and it gone, I can’t see how it’s overly important, but this is RTD who made passing comments of the bees disappearing and the Medusa Cascade, so you can never know. Man, I can’t wait to see where this all leads.

[@TDQGaming]

A song hidden inside her, huh? A river song, perhaps?

[@Smakka13420]

Interesting take, never thought of that, but I really hope it isn’t anything to do with River. As much as I love the character River, I don’t think River would be the same without Alex, especially considering he constantly remarks of her wanting to return to the show, I think take use of her whilst we still got her (I feel the same way with Susan, if she’s going to return, it better be with Carole Ann Ford). The only exception to this rule would be a male take of River, (with the actor chosen by Alex herself) now that would be interesting.

[@user-qx6fp1jq6i]

Oh, that's a good one!

[@sparklypri]

exactly what i was thinking!

[@LastFreeSoul]

I'd love to see river and jack meet this incarnation of the doctor

[@Smakka13420]

@@LastFreeSoul The fact this hasn’t been done on TV yet is absolutely criminal!

[@kabookos8159]

when the doctor takes ruby to her time to show her what happens if he does not stop maestro is also a direct called back to when he showed sara jane smith the same in pyramids of mars

[@LadyAylinn]

Yup! Russell confirmed it in the Behind The Scenes video!

[@conwarlock3537]

Something else I noticed, although not sure what it means: In the final musical number, we twice heard the screech that was also at the beginning of the Goblin song(the moment the drums start to play).

[@TomLegobro21]

I noticed that too, glad I’m not the only one who noticed since neither my Mum or brother heard the Goblin screech even though we also watched the Christmas Special together

[@AenesidemusOZ]

Oh good! I thought I had a problem 😂

[@tewedros]

Whilst I'm not a fan of this sonic I've longed for it to be able to cancel out noise. It's one of the only features left that'd make sense for the sonic to have

[@leefisher6366]

7:09 - I would have loved for them to have been unable to get the piano onto the actual roof, so that they had to 'leave it standing on the landing' as a homage to Bernard Cribbins, may he forever rest in peace.

[@ChrisSonPEI]

I'm really hoping there is a payoff to all the camera winking. Maybe a new villain like Mojo from X-men who has them trapped in a TV show for the pantheon's amusement all or part of the season.

[@damienkakoschke3099]

I thought what Ruby was wearing at the start of the episode reminded me of what some of the 60's companions wore too. Glad to see it wasn't just me.