‘Doctor Who’ Recap: ‘The Legend of Ruby Sunday’

6/15/2024

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Millie Gibson, Ncuti Gatwa, and Bonnie Langford as Ruby Sunday, The Doctor, and Mel Bush in Episode 1407 of ‘Doctor Who’ – ‘The Legend of Ruby Sunday’. (Photo Courtesy of Disney/BBC/Bad Wolf.)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 1407 of ‘Doctor Who’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.

It is definitely safe to say, that two massive questions have been hanging heavy over the hit BBC/Disney+ series, Doctor Who, for some time now. In that, we simply must know who the mystery woman is that keeps appearing in Ruby and the Doctor’s adventures through space and time… and we simply must know who the ancient evil is that the Toymaker alluded to during the final 60th Anniversary special, ‘The Giggle’. Simply because, those two queries/issues have hung heavy over Ncuti Gatwa’s first outing as the Fifteenth Doctor and outright require some measure of resolution to keep the fans happy. Because no one wants to wait several seasons to have those questions answered.

Well at it turns out, this week’s episode served as the moment to answer those questions and that made ‘The Legend of Ruby Sunday’ quite the incredible tale. One that paid amazing tribute to the past through those very answers, and it brought about the information we seek… the long way round. For this particular tale opened up with a return to UNIT, wherein the Doctor expressed his concerns about the face that has followed he and Ruby all season long and he had a great many questions as to where she came from and why and well, while the core team went to work on that, the Doctor used the processing time to handle another mystery. Specifically… the true identity of Ruby’s mother.

Which brought about a very slick and delightful sequence wherein an old VHS tape of Ruby being dropped off allowed for us to in essence, revisit the ending of ‘The Church on Ruby Road’ and ponder upon the identity of Ruby’s mother. But alas, this went, terribly, terribly wrong. For there was no data available to reveal that mysterious face, that allowed for the mystery to continue and there was also the matter… of the strange evil that suddenly showed up surrounding the TARDIS. For every scan of it in the past showcased something ominous for certain. But despite there being a danger, one that cost a UNIT soldier his life, the Doctor believed it would have to wait to solve. For this was an echo of the past, that UNIT could analyze and there was a more pressing matter before them.

Susan Twist as Susan Triad in Episode 1407 of ‘Doctor Who’ – ‘The Legend of Ruby Sunday’. (Photo Courtesy of Disney/BBC/Bad Wolf.)

Specifically… Susan Triad. Who was preparing to launch some epic software and who harbored the face that was haunting this duo through space and time and well… the Doctor believed that perhaps she was around because she might be his granddaughter. Who had regenerated and lost her way and her memories, as the Master once did. So, he took the time to meet with her and poke and prod her memory to see what would happen. But instead of there being a recollection and a moment of gravity between this duo, there was only terror… and disaster. For Susan came to realize that she was following the Doctor and Ruby via her dreams, because of the very real evil she was attached to. One that woke up as the epiphany washed over her, the very one that we’ve been alerted to for some time now.

In fact, that awakening made it clear that the Fourteenth Doctor was right, the voyage to the edge of everything in ‘Wild Blue Yonder’ had indeed caused more trouble than it was worth. For not only did it unlock the Toymaker from his prison, but it allowed for another evil to escape and join with the TARDIS so it could quietly wait for the moment to return to the everyday world and sow havoc, and it just so happened, that this evil was another one that was familiar to the Doctor. For this monster, turned out to be Sutekh and Susan was nothing more than one of his minions as part of his plan, to unleash death upon our universe at last. Courtesy of the fact that he was angry and bitter over being banished to other realms by the Doctor, so what better revenge than to destroy the very universe he protects?

All of which made, for one epic episode. For this one was zany, and high energy and emotional, courtesy of the return to UNIT and the whole investigation into Ruby’s past. But more importantly, it brought back, another ancient villain for the Doctor to face. One that he hasn’t dealt with since the days when he wore the Fourth Doctor’s face and that is just amazing. Since Russell T. Davies is clearly interested in updating and refreshing some of the wildest villains to ever grace the franchise and well, the cliffhanger that was set up here… really will make the wait for next week’s episode quite painful in nature. Simply because Sutekh seems stronger than ever and ready to inflict pain, and we simply must know how the Doctor will defeat him once more. Until next time.

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