Written by Russell T. Davies
Directed by Mark Tonderai
The Doctor: "Who sees a ladder and just hops on? A ladder in the sky and you thought, 'yeah, I'll give that a go, babes.'"
Ruby: "They've got the baby."
After stealing the last ten minutes of The Giggle, it was time to see what Ncuti Gatwa could do with a whole episode as the Doctor and we're off to a breezy but engaging start here.
It's been six years since our last Christmas special where Peter Capaldi regenerated into Jodie Whittaker, so perhaps it's fitting that our new Doctor made his proper debut at this time of year. I've missed this show being on at Christmas and this felt like a welcome return home.
The episode with the new Doctor narrating a story about a baby girl being left at the Church On Ruby Road in the snow by a hooded figure. Nineteen years the girl in question - Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) has contacted Davina McCall to help her find her biological family. Bizarrely enough, Ruby's lineage can't be traced.
Less funny however for Ruby would be the run of bad luck that's befallen her for the last few weeks and her misfortunes have also proven fatal for Davina McCall as well. What's causing them? Oh you know, just some Goblins who have a thing for eating babies.
What brought Ruby Sunday and the Doctor together was the two of them trying to save the former's foster sister, Lulubelle from being eaten by the Goblin King. Of course there was also an impromptu musical number that's really catchy but overall, saving Lulubelle ended up having not so unforseen consequences for Ruby.
At the start of this episode, we saw Ruby's family dynamic. She's a foundling that was adopted by her foster mother, Carla (Michelle Greenidge) and the two of them along with Carla's own mother, Cherry (Angela Winter) had a wonderful dynamic. I forgot how well RTD wrote family dynamics and why they were such a lynchpin to his success with the show. This episode served as a great reminder.
Carla went from being the most loving mother to someone more cold and intolerant of children when the Goblins time travelled to take Ruby instead. While I do think the way the Doctor defeated the Goblins was a bit hastily done, this episode also solidified that this era won't be saying away from the fantasy side of things. Even magic seems to be on the table if a certain conversation between the Doctor and Ruby was anything to go by.
As for the rest of the episode - who the hell is Mrs Flood (Anita Dobson)? At first I was going to assume she was just a grouchy neighbour but as the episode progressed her interactions with both the Doctor and Ruby seemed peculiar. Oh and she knows what a TARDIS was. Who is she? I'm thinking someone new than old for now.
- Other characters who popped up included Ruby's bandmates, notably Trudy (Mary Malone), another neighbour named Abdul and a policeman who wants to marry his girlfriend. Ruby's a keyboard player in the band.
- A trailer for Series 14/Season 1 revealed various bits but notably mentioned the show returning in May 2024.
- Along with a new sonic screwdriver, the Doctor has intelligence gloves and mavity is still a thing. As for his long hot summer with Houdini, I hope we see that one day.
- There's a novelisation of this episode being released next month.
- Standout music: Nice use of Carol Of The Bells, mostly during the 2004 flashbacks. Oh and of course, The Goblin King with added vocals from the Doctor and Ruby. Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson can hold a tune.
- Chronology: Christmas Eve 2004 in flashbacks as well as December 2023 leading up to Christmas Eve of the same year.
I loved The Church On Ruby Road. A seemingly light and breezy way to introduce the Doctor and Ruby but underneath it all, it had so much more going on. The foundling connection between our protagonists, the use of the fantasy and supernatural within the show's format, Ruby's bad luck and again, who the hell is Mrs Flood? May 2024 can't come fast enough.
Rating: 9 out of 10
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