[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for the Doctor Who Season 1 finale “Empire of Death.”]
Properly, the excellent news is we now know who Ruby’s (Millie Gibson) mom is after the Physician Who Season 1 finale, “Empire of Demise.” The extra irritating than unhealthy information? The thriller of Mrs. Flood (Anita Dobson), Ruby’s neighbor who is aware of in regards to the Physician (Ncuti Gatwa) and has spoken on to the digicam greater than as soon as now, continues.
Sutekh and his followers (Susan Twist‘s Susan Triad and Genesis Lynea’s Harriet Arbinger) carry his “mud of dying” to just about all the universe. Sure, Kate (Jemma Redgrave), Rose (Yasmin Finney), Carla (Michelle Greenidge), Cherry (Angelya Wynter), and Mrs. Flood (together with her chilling apology to Cherry) are among the many useless (for now?). The Physician and Mel (Bonnie Langford) escape again to UNIT and into the Time Window with Ruby. In that Time Window is a TARDIS—manufactured from recollections, feeding off Ruby—with items of each TARDIS that ever was. But additionally within the Time Window is the actual TARDIS and Sutekh. And their earlier encounter—with Tom Baker‘s Fourth Physician—performs on the display screen from the “remembered” TARDIS. Sutekh was as soon as sure and imprisoned for all eternity however rose once more; the Physician defeated him by casting him into the time vortex … or so he thought. Sutekh reveals that he clung to the TARDIS all this time, therapeutic and evolving and creating the proper entice in Susan, with all of the Twist characters left behind on all of the worlds the Physician visited. Now, all of them are releasing Sutekh’s mud of dying.
“I rattling you within the title of life itself, and I swear with each the hearts of the final of the Time Lords, I’ll cease you. I’ll defeat you and I’ll flip again dying,” the Physician swears, however wonders, “Why am I nonetheless alive? Killing me is your present. And imagine me, Sutekh, I’m an extinction occasion. So what’s stopping you? Why is the god of dying not killing me? What am I lacking?”
The Physician, Ruby, and Mel escape within the remembered TARDIS, and right here’s the place the episode “73 Yards” comes into play: The Physician explains the notion filter across the TARDIS simply so occurs to cowl an space of 66.7m, which is… sure, you guessed it. Ruby doesn’t know why she is aware of that. Humorous issues occur at 73 yards and folks say you may see issues, the Physician remarks. He blames himself for the mud of dying consuming all of the planets. “It’s all my fault as a result of I traveled to all these worlds. I assumed it was enjoyable,” he says and lets out a scream of grief.
However they’re just about the one ones left, bar a girl the Physician meets and will get a spoon from earlier than she, too, turns to mud. So why? Sutekh needs the key that Ruby carries in her.
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The Physician breaks that spoon in half and plugs one half into the TARDIS display screen, which stays related to the Time Window. As Ruby wonders why Sutekh has chosen now to seem after remaining hidden for years, the evening she was left on the church pops up on the display screen—it’s answering her. That evening, Sutekh noticed the one factor past his comprehension: Ruby’s mom. He’s been driving on the TARDIS for years and might’t see one girl? He (just like the viewers) wants the reply. Ruby can’t assist however marvel what which means about who she is that if her mom appears to be this large cosmic factor, however the Physician assures her she’s human (and he’d know, contemplating he scanned her).
“73 Yards” turns into related as soon as once more when the printed from then of Roger ap Gwilliam (Aneurin Barnard), about DNA testing turning into obligatory for the inhabitants in 2046, seems on the TARDIS display screen. If Ruby’s mom was nonetheless alive in 2046, she would have needed to gotten examined, and that might give them her id. And they also journey to 2046, preserved in dying, however little do they know Sutekh has gotten his claws into Mel. The Physician makes use of the sonic screwdriver to introduce Ruby’s blood into the system and as soon as once more, the snow begins falling and Christmas music begins enjoying round them. However simply as a DNA match is confirmed … it’s revealed that Mel has been taken over by Sutekh. She brings them again to him at UNIT.
Sutekh calls for to see Ruby’s mom’s title; the Physician tries to vow to worship him as an alternative. However there’s a plan in place, and Ruby steps as much as Sutekh, with the display screen… and drops it, breaking it. She then attaches the clever rope from the TARDIS, the Physician makes use of a whistle to get the actual TARDIS to blast Harriet out, they usually safe the rope to the console—then fly Sutekh into the time vortex as soon as once more. What occurs if Sutekh brings dying to dying? He’d carry life! And with that, everybody who turned to mud is as soon as once more alive.
However “we fought a monster, and now, I have to develop into a monster,” the Physician is aware of, as he should carry dying to Sutekh. He closes the TARDIS doorways, reducing the rope holding Sutekh, who falls again and burns into nothing.
Now, Susan’s only a regular particular person, with an ideal thoughts UNIT may use (however she will’t make a great cup of tea). As for Ruby’s mom … UNIT is ready to ID her: Louise Allison Miller (Faye McKeever). She’s 35 now and had Ruby when she was 15. Her stepfather was “hassle,” so Louise wished to get Ruby out of the home. Ruby’s father is William Benjamin Garnett, and he was additionally 15 on the time. Her mom was necessary as a result of they suppose she’s necessary. It’s how the whole lot occurs—each struggle, faith, love story, the Physician explains. In the long run, a very powerful particular person within the universe was essentially the most odd, a scared little woman making her child protected. She wasn’t pointing on the Physician that evening both however fairly to the signal submit, with the title of the street. She did title Ruby.
However she did give her up and hasn’t seemed for her all this time, so perhaps they need to depart her alone, the Physician suggests as he and Ruby watch Louise exterior a espresso store. Ruby as an alternative goes in and orders a drink and sits close to her mom. And when her title is known as for her drink, Louise appears to be like up. Ruby tells her she was named after a street and he or she left her by a church 19 years in the past, the place she was protected, and he or she wished to say thanks. Louise tells her she’s so sorry, and the 2 hug, crying.
Ruby then brings Louise house together with her and joins the Physician within the TARDIS … however her cellphone beeps. Her father has been discovered; he by no means knew she existed. The Physician is aware of her life is not on the TARDIS with him, that her journey is simply starting, and he or she is aware of that whereas she needs him to return together with her to see her dad, he doesn’t try this. He assures her he’ll see her once more, despite the fact that she factors out he by no means went again to his granddaughter. That was his mistake, he admits, and perhaps he’ll discover her once more someday. The Physician tells Ruby that she’s modified him, made his life greater and higher, and with that, it’s goodbye, and Ruby watches with Carla, Cherry, and Louise because the TARDIS disappears.
BUT … the episode ends with a voiceover from Mrs. Flood. “And that’s how the story of the church on Ruby Highway involves an finish. With a really joyful ending for little Ruby Sunday. However life goes on doesn’t it?” she says, standing on the roof, with a suitcase, carrying a white fur coat, and holding a parasol. “And what occurs, you would possibly marvel, oh what occurs to that mysterious traveler in time and area often called the Physician? I’m sorry to say his story ends in absolute terror. Evening evening.”
So now we all know why, in Season 2, the Physician goes to have a brand new companion, performed by Varada Sethu (who was launched this season in “Growth,” although it’s unclear if she’s enjoying the identical character). However we additionally know, due to photographs from a desk learn, that Gibson can be again, so she hasn’t left behind a lifetime of adventures with the Physician for good. As for the id of Ruby’s mom, given the build-up of previous seasons-long mysteries on Physician Who, was it anticlimactic? Sure, particularly with the whole lot from the season. However it did end in a pleasant emotional pay-off for Ruby, with Louise in addition to Carla. As for the thriller of Mrs. Flood, for the reason that sequence simply introduced again a villain from the basic run, we will’t assist however hope that she’s related to one thing from his previous as properly. There’s simply one thing extra satisfying about a solution when that’s the case with a long-running sequence like this one.
However what did you consider the reveal of Ruby’s mom and Mrs. Flood’s warning? What’s your idea about her? Tell us within the feedback part, beneath.
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