Context for those unfamiliar with Doctor Who
Doctor Who follows The Doctor on various adventures through space and time in his ship called the TARDIS. The era covered here stars Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor. This story is intended to be the start of a mostly clean slate for the show. The Doctor usually has a companion in tow with him and The Daleks, Cybermen, and Master are recurring villains.
This story shoots to be like a fairytale, both in terms of the visual aesthetic being dazzled with Christmas colors and more notably even the very logic of the characters having a more “light entertainment” tone, the same goes for the structure of the piece. From the beginning, we get a narration from the Doctor as if he is delivering it to someone, but there is no point we see where he could have given it, like it’s outside the narrative. The trope of narration in Christmas media is fairly common. There’s many points where someone’s behavior is not “realistic”, but has a sheen of innocence and lightheartedness that feels tonally consistent. One example is when one character is describing bad things that have happened to them, citing incidents like getting trampled by a moose, which produces a comedic mental image as opposed to a horrific or dramatic one. None of the threats feel real or dangerous. The episode doesn’t usually ask you to really take it seriously, other than a few scenes which in turn are a bit weak.
The main focus of “The Church on Ruby Road” is Ruby Sunday and her interesting character. Millie Gibson gives the role a blend of cocky overconfidence, with an undercurrent of sadness. The Doctor is defined in relation to her, literally appearing in her orbit, like he’s being gravitated to her and not the other way around. This gives an immediate sense of what this era may be like. Note that it’s not new. Current showrunner Russell T. Davies has dusted off some of these tricks from the first time he led the series in 2005. There, the companion was also the introduction point. Now, we actually do get a brief sequence without Ruby, clearly designed to give Gatwa more opportunity to show off. While said sequence has issues, it doesn’t waste this chance, with us getting a sense of what this role will be like when by himself. Note that the scene is notably colder and emptier without Ruby, like she is an inherently positive force.
The characterization of the Doctor is not wrong for the purpose of the episode’s plot or as an introduction to a series of this take on the role, but many of his traits don’t feel like The Doctor. One scene that proved infamous to some features him dancing at a nightclub in a kilt, briefly with another man. The big issue here is that this scene is just obsessed with Gatwa’s body, in a similar way to 80s action movies that love men and looking at them, often in little clothing. Here the character becomes more defined as a sex symbol. This is not to be considered a completely new thing. David Tennant and Matt Smith both appeared nude in the series and periodically the Doctor has shown some sign of romancing, like whenever he’s kissed someone. This stands in contrast with his characterization as a parental figure to his companions or someone alien to human nature. Thus, it will be harder to see him in a parental role if that is required of him, which it very well might be based on other elements in the episode.
Seventh Doctor actor Sylvester McCoy said it best when claiming what’s so great about the Doctor is that he’s a superhero who solves problems with his mind. The particularly handsome Doctors slightly overshadow this by coming from a culture that is more expressive with sex and lust, so he is defined by that and not his mind. Ruby even gets to know him from this scene, as opposed to one that better showcases his deeper qualities, as if that is a characteristic that should be sticking with us more than most others. The camera literally glides across and close to Gatwa’s sweaty body as he dances. It’s even lightly implied later that the Doctor had a sexual relationship with Harry Houdini, like he is to be sexualized. Admittedly, this is very much a matter of personal taste. Starting with the Eighth Doctor, the show has incrementally pushed past the figure that always acts old even if he’s not, seems asexual, and dresses out of step with others. The use of modern dance music gives the impression this scene is intended to modernize the Doctor, even to the point of making him seem less like the same character that was all of those traits. This works to erase the ways this show is different from others, which has always been part of the appeal.
Even beyond this, the Doctor just happens to have gadgets that serve to minimize his use of thinking, with his technology doing the work for him and lessening some of the stakes, notably his gloves. This is not a new problem, as well. Regardless, Gatwa has opportunities to flex his intelligence and charm. One favorite scene is when he deduces information about someone based on subtle clues, not unlike Sherlock Holmes. This scene doesn’t directly enhance the story, but is both in spirit with the fairytale theme and is a great chance for this character to shine as confident and visibly distinct. He’s not trying to hide how he is, though does seem to undershare when questioned probably out of a lack of interest in the situation. However, his smooth attitude results in the other not even noticing that he’s not taking him seriously. While it does break reason to suggest he wouldn’t be more prescient about getting information on the Doctor, a theory is that Earthlings would for certain know who the Doctor is, with him being known as an aloof and good natured hero that’s been to Earth constantly, and thus it’s already understood and accepted who he is, how he might act, and that if he wants to run along to his blue box then just let him.
The Doctor discusses learning about “the language of luck”, which he calls a science. This not only shows his curious and intellectual side, but hopefully is enlightening for the future of the series and how it fundamentally views things. The concept of luck or coincidence almost defies formality and understanding, so the Doctor treating it as a concept that can be conquered like an equation or chemical tells us a lot about him. Will he live his life as if there are no true accidents? Will he be proven wrong and have to adjust? Will he acknowledge the slightly contradictory nature of “understanding and manipulating the concept of accidents”? Will his character as a whole feature these sort of light discrepancies? Will this be related to the previous Doctor? Fifteen is a new leaf from what came before, so he might have to learn or relearn things differently? While the last episode, The Giggle, doesn’t make this clear, some say that what happens is that the Fourteenth Doctor deals with the trauma, so by the time he becomes Fifteen he’s emotionally healed. This is frankly far too dumb, that trauma could be defeated like that, but maybe this will be acknowledged and connected to this theme? What if he can manipulate luck in such a way that he can give himself the “luck” to overcome his past? Fifteen’s excitement for learning is electrifying. He notably doesn’t give the impression that he’s already done understanding luck, which means that could be explored over time?
Later in the heat of the conflict the Doctor says, “Amazing!” This shows a similar love for adventure, which could develop. Also note that Ruby seems to find that comment insensitive. This dissonance might be intentional considering the other ways they’re different. Later it’s pointed out that Ruby’s large family is contrasted with the Doctor having “no one”. What isn’t addressed is that the two have less contrast on this than it seems. Ruby’s family are children her adoptive mother, Carla Sunday, played by Michelle Greenidge, adopted and sometimes only had for a short time. If she did attach to them emotionally, then they would go and that would possibly lead to depression. The Doctor over the course of the show has seemingly attached to many or even all of his companions, leading to his own troubles. In regards to legal or blood relatives, both come from a lot of mystery over who their family is. It is not hard to think these comparisons will be brought to the surface, or the contrast of Ruby’s informal family feeling recent, with her only nineteen years old, and the Doctor’s family must feeling like a distant memory.
The first scene after the opening credits is particularly chaotic and distinct from what has come before. There’s a mix of handheld and stationary camerawork, wide shots, closeups, and everything in between with little rhyme or reason. At one point, Ruby discusses something personal about herself and we go from a medium shot to a closeup with little justification for this, like if we had seen some emotion on her face. Afterwards is an extreme closeup on Davina McCall, merely saying, “I love that!” This implies that the response by a guest role is more revealing than what the main character is saying. These cuts are sometimes so rapid as to momentarily pull you out of the narrative, with the issue exacerbated by some apparent light comedy thrown into this otherwise serious scene. What immediately follows doesn’t make the strongest impression, like when someone is hit, but the object clearly makes no contact, despite us living in an age of CGI. We then relatively quickly jump through a few days of Ruby’s life, with title cards often telling us such. Admittedly, jumping from day to day would be difficult to pull off in terms of pacing, as it feels we’re constantly being prevented from settling down and taking much in. The result is that everything feels like a pre-script until the episode eventually manages to calm down. Despite the improvement, the pacing and visual look are never exceptional. Note that no one ever seems cold. One exception is a thrilling shot from the clouds where the ground can be seen in the background. At least here director Mark Tonderai is creating more visual depth and using that for the sake of the story.
Scenes like Ruby dropping her drink, which is caught by the Doctor, happen a bit too quickly, with it hard to take in the intended message that the Doctor is often available to help when need be. This mythical depiction of him is also different from the classic series. Here he’s special because he’s perfect, but before it’s because of his resources and mind. This Doctor doesn’t show much sign of age and has a very youthful persona, which as written in my review of the previous episode takes from what makes the Doctor interesting. Anyone can be a charismatic and sexy adventurer. That has been seen many times before. Note that the Doctor rarely seems to struggle, with magic tools like the sonic screwdriver seeming a little too flawless.
The music in the special is fairly dull, feeling very much of its time, though one amusingly seems to be cribbing from the Beach Boys with its style of vocal harmonies. The songs always come out of left field, like they’re there to provide spectacle. That earlier Beach Boys-esque song doesn’t tell us anything about the scene. Only one is a focal point at any point, “The Goblin Song”. It’s glossy and probably a little too far in the direction of stupidity due to how over the top it is. The scene it’s in is completely unlike the rest of the special, which has some sort of foot in reality. The story usually takes advantage of mystery, which builds up, but this scene is filled with gimmick and says a lot about what the Doctor is up against without leaving much else to the imagination. From this point, the aliens stop having any mystique.
Beyond this, the special’s plot is an afterthought. At one point, the Doctor just explains how the antagonists work. The baddies themselves never have a chance to even address this, as if the Doctor is so smart he just knows the right answer. The episode has several more concerns than this one story, with the dynamic of the two leads and Ruby’s life being more at the forefront. Note that even with moments like the monsters inconveniencing Ruby, she concludes that she is simply very clumsy, which could be a character moment to be expanded later. The episode seems to know this. It ends with a very brief trailer before the last scene of the story. Both the trailer and the last scene are focused on the future of the series, not at all contemplative of all that has happened. As an aside, the use of a trailer suggests desperation by the show to maintain interest.
SPOILERS
Davina McCall, who entertainingly plays herself, calls up Ruby and suspects that her accidents relate to her meeting with her. Taken realistically this is of itself prone to causing Ruby some stress, due to possibly feeling blamed, but it also comes right after Davina delivers bad news that she didn’t find any information on Ruby’s absent parents. On top of this, it is structurally an odd choice to just have her tell her these two bits of plot info one on top of the other, like the episode plot and series plot are in conflict. A Christmas tree then falls on Davina and apparently kills her, with Ruby not noticing her beginning to scream and going silent. The shots of Davina covered in injuries are so pronounced and abundant that it gives the whole scene a comedic tone, which reduces from the genuine drama of Ruby’s parents. Adding to the maybe unintended comedy is Davina’s demise and the fact that Ruby doesn’t appear at all affected by Davina’s state or her suddenly going silent. She never mentions her again.
When the baby Ruby was supposed to look after is stolen by the gnomes, she doesn’t have the sort of terrified response you would expect. Her reaction seems to presuppose that she will survive. After jumping on the ladder, the Doctor appears from nowhere and yells how foolish that was. From his shouting, to him looking at Ruby while running on a roof and not tripping over anything, we get the message that he is coordinated and also funny. Here his inherent character is linked to comedy and a brevity sometimes absent from the series. On top of this, it is a surprise that he would just show like this, but it doesn’t contradict the episode, as he is always in the wing. This doesn’t have the same negative effect as other “perfect” moments considering we know the Doctor is interested in this dilemma and the scene doesn’t show him being more fundamentally flawless. You can imagine that overtime he’d be that good at running. A shot that shows how far the leads are above land, literally being in the clouds, is terrifying for someone like myself with a fear of heights, and perfectly paints the dissonance between the stakes and how everyone is acting. This has a nice effect of making the Doctor seem confident and smart, due to not showing fear.
The first time we get a really close look at the gnomes that want to eat Ruby’s baby, they’re singing their song, as if to throw out the idea that they’re to be taken at all seriously. If any child was watching and was worried the baby would actually be killed, hopefully this spoils that no, they’re fine. Thus, it’d probably be a bit easier for them to just enjoy the lightheartedness of the scene, even if the song is not very good. The song has a very modern sound that probably won’t age well. You would also not expect a bunch of goblins to be singing such a human song. One highlight is when the singer introduces their king and how real he is. Despite this, the use of this obvious trope of the glutenous leader that does nothing is so blatant as to further treat this whole thing as unreal and not exactly the grittiest the franchise can be, even though the plot is literally that they want to eat a human baby. The absurdism ramps up with our leads singing to the melody of the Goblin Song. If you interpret their singing as non-diegetic, then that would probably be a first in the franchise. Even if this is diegetic, it does lead to some questions about how perfectly they are able to sing, but this could be viewed as simply using the unrealistic Christmas logic. The way the Doctor and Ruby escape the ship the goblins were on, especially after being seen by all of them and taking the baby they had worked hard to achieve, is too easy. While you could argue this is a case of “the episode is supposed to be unrealistic”, that doesn’t make for anything compelling in this case. It’s just a way to end this plot thread.
Ruby’s disappearance and everyone else being of lower spirits has unfortunate implications that might last for the entire tenure of Ruby. The intention is probably to replicate the “low point” that you see in Christmas media like It’s a Wonderful Life. In that film, it is shown that everyone in the protagonist’s life is worse off without him. The same dark atmosphere is present here without Ruby, but her stepmother is depicted as generally heartless and uncaring. She is a foster parent just like before, but she clearly doesn’t like it and only does it for the money, implying that in the main timeline she all the same didn’t really like children until Ruby. Note that the only depicted difference is that Ruby was never taken in by her. This has the potential to work towards something more clever than the series usually bothers with. Imagine if this character flaw actually plays some sort of significant role down the road? As is, this makes the happy ending of the episode a bit uncomfortable, as we’ve learned that she is not as good natured as she otherwise seems to be. She’s also been portrayed as a positive and loving force in Ruby’s life, which is now spoiled. Greenidge is frankly pretty unconvincing as this stiff lipped and cold person, feeling very ungenuine. One reason why is that it’s unnatural for her to be just a half step off of explaining her character change to the Doctor, with her string of exposition disguised ineffectively as casual dialogue. Her nature also seems to be the type of person that wouldn’t have the patience to be explaining herself to some random man she doesn’t know.
In response to Carla’s coldness, the Doctor sheds a tear. As seen in the past, the cruel nature of people has been something the Doctor has tried not to acknowledge. One of the most infamous examples is in 1982’s Time-Flight, where the Doctor seems unwilling to even talk about a certain death, with it not being brought up for two seasons. Now that he’s at a state where he’s beyond much of his trauma, he is once more able to cry. This is an excellent moment to depict how this Doctor and era will be different. In the 1980s there was literally a rule of “no hugging in the TARDIS” imposed by the then showrunner. Thus, the cast were not as warm to each other. Now, the Doctor shows immense warmth towards Ruby. It makes sense with how much love he has for humans that in this state of emotional youth, he would show such affection so clearly. The Doctor then goes on his way to save Ruby, showing him become the heroic archetype you expect him to be. While it is quite clever for him to do this in response to the expected “low point” of the episode, the Doctor’s call to action would have hit stronger if there was some sort of subversion. You expect him to be the hero and you also expect Ruby not to die, so you know what will happen.
The gnomes’ defeat is very simple and easy. The Doctor using his “smart gloves” is reminiscent of past episodes where he essentially waves his sonic screwdriver to defeat a baddie. The head honcho is killed in a surprisingly gruesome fashion that feels really out of step with the rest of the story. The death could possibly be taking inspiration from old folklore like the Pied Piper of Hamelin, which are childlike, but have grotesque ends. Still, this is too much for this story, where something like the potential death of a child is depicted with all the silliness of a scene like Steven being forced at gunpoint to sing in The Gunfighters back in 1966. This scene also has the tone of really getting to the heart of the problem and destroying it, as if they were even much of a threat. Seeing as the gnomes were never taken very seriously, you can give them a pass for being so nothing by the end of it, but the Doctor at least doing something more clever to defeat them would make for a nice touch. What if he sang for them and distracted them long enough to grab Ruby? Another idea is if he somehow used their conniving nature against them, getting them to position things in a way so as to hurt the Doctor, but really it just hurts them. Earlier the Doctor was messing with some of their ropes. Maybe he could do that some more?
The Doctor’s philosophy on whether it’s okay to kill the monster of the day varies often. Someone like the Master has multiple times been given a pass when there was the opportunity to just kill him, so it’s a shame the Doctor sometimes just kills someone like it’s nothing. Admittedly, he probably didn’t know he had killed the goblin king, but there is still the effect that the day is saved because he died. The goblins then all vanish, with no explanation of why. While this would already be weird enough, there is that added problem of this sequence without Ruby being darker in tone relative to the rest of the story, possibly to justify investment in Ruby’s rescue and the Doctor being driven to tears. The thing that gets the Doctor out of the darkness is doing something extra dark, which then leads to one of the goofiest moments of the runtime. These problems aren’t lingered on, suggesting they won’t be addressed. Even taking the episode on its own, this gives the impression that none of this matters due to the goblins being so brazenly thrown away, so why not start with a better story?
Why would Ruby be so quick to run away from her mother for this strange man? While she deduces he’s a time traveler, that is quite a stretch. What would be a more interesting idea that’s also different from the past is if she did so because she wanted him to help find her parents and that led her to that conclusion. There’s also the old reliable of her just walking into his ship for some small reason. The plotpoint of Ruby wanting to find her parents is not directly resolved, but feels satisfying enough because the Doctor serves as both a resource to help her find them and as a potential parental figure, though it’s a shame we don’t get a sense of the gears turning in her head that this is where she needs to be. She’s so quick to just drop her life and possibly scare her mother by going so suddenly. This episode would feel more resolved if she connected her family conflict with the Doctor. The first “fix” might emphasize the question of, “Why wouldn’t the Doctor and Ruby just go back to where she was dropped off at the church and catch the person that left her?” It makes sense why the Doctor wouldn’t do that earlier when he was in the middle of saving Ruby, but now they’re free to do that. This sort of question has been raised a lot. “Why can’t the Doctor go back to the beginning of the episode and save the casualties?” He in fact saves Davina, but usually he doesn’t. What we’re left to sit on is that the Doctor is vastly contradictory about who gets saved. The Doctor’s newfound love of luck could hopefully address this, though it’s been a constant in the show.
It is clear you’re supposed to leave the episode thinking who Mrs. Flood is. Anita Dobson portrays her with this innocent and lovable demeanor, nodding at Ruby with a warm smile. She also fulfills the trope of an older and omnipresent figure that watches and guides the main characters, like Kris Kringle. Thus, it wouldn’t quite fit for her to actually be a villain. Why would she care about Ruby entering the TARDIS? Her support in Ruby doing so implies a simple good nature. While she could be a villain and this is all a red herring, that would be a bit too obvious, beyond being inconsistent with this scene. Others have said she might be the Doctor’s granddaughter Susan. It’s hard to believe that the show would recast her when the original actress is not only still alive, but has literally played the character in 2023! It would be sacrilege to not get back Carole Ann Ford while they can. If Ford was actually deceased, Mrs. Flood being Susan would be far more believable. The emphasis on Mrs. Flood is reminiscent of Missy from series eight, particularly in her knowledge of the Doctor, so it’s hard to believe she’s not a returning character. In terms of friends of the Doctor that would change their face, another possibility is Romana. Her actress is still alive, but it wouldn’t be as critical for her to be portrayed by the same person. Still, it would be weird to recast her considering by the end of the season we’ll probably know, in which case her identity may be spoiled for future fans just like with Missy.
OVERVIEW
“The Church on Ruby Road” is dramatic. It starts on an especially dramatic note, then we’re led back to that point as tension builds to get hit with it again. The Doctor is tied to Ruby from the latter’s literal birth, as if the two are made for each other. The ending shows Ruby being let into the Doctor’s world, as if accepting this intermingling. Despite this, much of the story is inherently undramatic. One novelty about this special is that it’s the first time the series has reset and started on a Christmas episode. The only other Doctor to start on the yuletide is Ten and that was very much a continuation of the Ninth Doctor’s story. What this means is that Fifteen and Ruby are being essentially introduced to us in an unreal and overly positive manner. If the proper season that is to follow this is similarly silly, it might make it harder to create tension. If it’s too serious, it could feel jarring. However, this could be used as a strength. What if at one point Ruby complains that she expected her adventures to be more fun and unserious, and there’s tension from the stress?
The “smart gloves” the Doctor uses are very Inspector Gadget-esque and are so easy that they pull out real pathos wherever they are, because it’s too perfect a solution. They aren’t as bad here due to the nature of the narrative, but it would be a shame if they’re used again unless it’s in a really clever way. Something like this makes the Doctor seem more magical and unable to fail, which in turn makes him less of a character. Flaws are interesting. Typically the more of these quirks, especially ones that don’t feel like something a real person would have or do, like a lot of convenient tools or certain behavioral habits, the weaker the character becomes. This is one reason why Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor and Sacha Dhawan’s Master of last season don’t either feel like actual people or more damningly the character they’re playing. This problem could be turned on its head if the Doctor’s over-intelligence is challenged with the losing or breaking of his gloves. Let’s at least not hold onto the “love the glove” catchphrase, please.
Ncuti is definitely the most handsome Doctor we’ve had, which might lead to the approach of him being light on clothing, especially because his normal outfit looks a bit thick and warm, so he might want to take it off. It’s hard to really imagine any previous Doctor dancing around like he’s a twenty-two year old trying to make friends, especially in such a revealing outfit. Maybe a fan animator can do the impossible and depict the First or Third Doctors in this scene dressed the same as Fifteen? While Gatwa and his first outing doesn’t always feel like Doctor Who, it does deliver a breezy story that gets us caring about Ruby Sunday and other plot points, setting up the era for intrigue, though there are certain plot holes and qualities that could weaken the future of this tenure. While the episode plot is a bit of an afterthought, it knows to use that to its advantage by making one that attracts character moments. See for Ruby on a ladder yelling.
ON THE CORNER AND OFF THE WALL
One of my favorite Doctor Who actors, William Russell, who played Ian Chesterton from the very first episode of the series in 1963 to 1965, has sadly passed away a few days ago. Of all the deaths that I knew would be on the horizon in my teenage and young adulthood, this was one I was dreading the most. He will be missed and not forgotten, and celebrated for living out such a good character not only in those two seasons, but periodically over the years. He finally returned to the tv show in 2022, but has also popped up at conventions and other secondary media over the years, most notably in Big Finish. Beyond Who, he’s appeared in many films and shows. While he was never before or after a prominent character in something so well remembered, he still turned in many very quality performances and a few minor roles in famous movies, like The Great Escape and Superman.
Fans trying to make sense of the various contradictions in the show have said that Ian and fellow companion Barbara softened up the hard edge of the Doctor, but I would argue that their actors, and especially Russell, made such an impact as well. The character of Ian is from the beginning kindhearted and heroic, not showing the bigotry that even the Doctor had initially. The show began to function in such a way that necessitated the Doctor become more like Ian. If you take a serial like The Daleks, where it’s clear the Daleks are the threat to be reviled, it only takes from the formula to make the Doctor another villain. As a more honorable and heroic figure, the Doctor was essentially filling Ian’s role to some degree, aka Russell’s performance, especially after Ian left and the Doctor was the only one left to maintain the consistency of the time traveling figure determined to lead the charge and do good. If Ian and Barbara left the series only a few episodes in, the Doctor might have remained antagonistic for lack of any apparent reason to change the structure. If Russell portrayed his character differently, the Doctor might have taken from that in order to maintain the formula, and possibly the show wouldn’t have the same impact as it did. Even sixty years later, this impact remains with the new Doctor being openly against the racism and brashness of the past. Without such a great template, the show might have not made it this far, or be very different.
William Russell: 1924-2024
The Filme Diary 