Written by Russell T. Davies
Directed by Jamie Donoughue
Ruby: "Your own granddaughter. You left her and never went back."
The Doctor: "And that was my mistake. Maybe I'll find her one day again, but you, Ruby Sunday, I will see again because you've changed me. I talk about my family in a way I never did before is because of you. You've made my life bigger and better and now, Ruby Sunday, goodbye."
What boy, was that a finale or what? If you've ever watched a Russell T. Davies finale of Doctor Who, a lot of what happened here, you would've seen coming a mile off and then some. That might please or disappoint, depending on your disposition but it will not entirely shock you though.
Picking up from where we left off, Sutekh revealed themselves to the Doctor, Mel and UNIT through Harriet Arbinger and Susan Triad and things got worse. Within minutes every character who wasn't the Doctor, Ruby or Mel got reduced to dust and the appearance of a Memory TARDIS was the only temporary means of protection the Doctor, Ruby and Mel had.
Yeah, Sutekh not only took over the main TARDIS but apparently he's really been playing the longest game ever, having hitched on since his altercation with Fourth Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith. That's a level of restraint and waiting no other villain would've managed. I mean, the Master would've given himself away in five minutes. Sutekh on the other hand, when he wasn't exterminating life throughout the universe was also waiting for some answers.
Like everyone who has watched this series, Sutekh really, really wanted to know who Ruby's mother was and if it meant killing Mel and using her body to lure the Doctor and Ruby into a trap, then Sutekh had little problem doing that. Of course with all these important supporting characters being killed off, I knew a deux ex machina was about to write this episode out of a corner.
Every single finale of the show since 2005 has effectively relied on them, so I wasn't shocked that a dog whistle, those gloves and a leash would be part of Sutekh's downfall. Well, that and being dragged around the time vortex until disintegration but given the shit he pulled, Sutekh pretty much had it coming. As a villain, he was a nice change of pace but for a defeat, it was a bit on the rushed side of things.
Saying they though, with everyone else restored, there was the resolution of Ruby's birth mother. Was she going to be revealed to be a Pantheon of the Gods? Not quite. Instead she was an ordinary nurse named Louise Miller (Faye McKeever), who had Ruby when she was fifteen and gave her away due to an abusive family life. An ordinary woman who completely perplexed Sutekh without even trying to.
However with Ruby's reunion with her birth mother and even tracking down her father, this episode also spelled her ending (of sorts) with the Doctor. As an exit, it's closer to Martha's than Rose or Donna's in the past. I think Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson have been a treat all season long and I thought their last scene was beautifully done. Saying that though, we will be seeing Ruby Sunday (née Miller) next series, even if she's not the main companion.
As for the Doctor himself, he talked about Ruby changed him for the better and while I'm not entirely shocked that Susan Foreman didn't appear, at least there's groundwork laid out here for the Doctor to reunite with her. Preferably sooner than later though as it seems the groundwork has also been laid out for this Doctor's ending and its a terrible fate if Mrs Flood's fourth wall breaking was anything to go by.
- Ruby's father is called William Garnet and she managed to locate him. I can't wait to see who will be cast in that role.
- The Memory TARDIS came from Tales Of The TARDIS, further legitimising those minisodes. We saw clips of the Fourth Doctor, Sarah Jane and Susan this episode. The Daleks and Ood were mentioned as was the meaning of 73 Yards.
- Not only did Kate offer Susan Triad a UNIT job but she seemed rather familiar with Colonel Ibrahim too. Chidozie also got revived.
- A special shout out to Sian Clifford, who gave a lovely performance as Kind Woman. I thought her scenes with Ncuti Gatwa were beautifully done too.
- Mrs Flood made it clear to Cherry she had her own plans, referred to the Doctor as a clever boy and dressed all in white with a fancy umbrella for the last scene of the episode.
- Chronology: Primarily 2024 London, the end of the universe, the return of 2046 and Roger ap Gwilliam, not to mention various worlds except Gallifrey being mentioned/restored.
I can see why Empire Of Death might not satisfy everyone. If anything, Sutekh was quickly defeated, Ruby's mum was ordinary but the snow seemed unexplained and we've got a future threat with Roger ap Gwilliam and the setting up for this Doctor's departure. Saying that as well, there was Easter Eggs galore, the emotional core you'd expect from RTD and its nice that some things like Mrs Flood will be expanded on in the next series. Just six months to go now for Joy To The World.
Rating: 9 out of 10
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