Doctor Who Christmas Special: My 3 Key Takeaways From Ncuti Gatwa's First Full Episode As The Doctor
Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Doctor Who Christmas Special "The Church On Ruby Road." Read at your own risk!
After a surprising end to the 60th-anniversary special that revealed a unique fate for the 14th and 15th Doctors, it was time for them to go their separate ways. With Russell T. Davies confirming there are no immediate plans for David Tennant's Doctor, the weight of the franchise is firmly on Ncuti Gatwa's shoulders for the Christmas special "The Church On Ruby Road." Now that I've seen it I can safely say I think the franchise is in great hands with him as the lead and I have some other key takeaways that have me thrilled for Season 14 this coming spring.
Beyond remembering how great it is to have a new Doctor Who episode on Christmas, I have other thoughts about the Christmas special, all of which pertain to The Doctor going forward in his run. This will be an episode I rewatch with my Disney+ subscription for years to come, but probably sooner than that, given all the foreshadowing I feel is laid out for future adventures.
Ruby Sunday And The Doctor Bonded On Being Adopted
Weeks ago, I theorized how Ruby Sunday would connect with The Doctor, and it turns out I was right on the money. Ruby recalling her story as a foundling encouraged the Doctor to reveal his own adoption story, which he'd only recently learned about during the Timeless Child arc. With both The Doctor and Ruby in the dark about their beginning, it feels like their big arc throughout this run could revolve around discovering their origins and potentially finding the people who gave birth to them. As a parent of an adoptee, I love seeing that sort of representation and seeing positive role models for my daughter to look to as she faces questions about her origins. As usual, good on Doctor Who for giving a voice to a smaller community of people!
Ncuti Gatwa And Millie Gibson Have Fantastic Chemistry
It didn't take long for me to realize that Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson will be a memorable duo for Doctor Who for many reasons. The youthful energy both injected into the show is undeniable, and I feel like it's a good sign that I immediately saw these two as a natural duo. I didn't feel that way when Donna Noble first met The Doctor, and yet we were all thrilled to see Catherine Tate and David Tennant return for the 60th anniversary because they are brilliant together. Gatwa and Gibson giving me those vibes immediately feels like a great sign of all that's to come for them.
Mrs. Flood May Have A Bigger Role In The Story Than Originally Thought
When Anita Dobson was revealed for the Doctor Who Season 14 cast, it didn't seem her role was anything more than a minor guest spot. That changed for me upon watching "The Church On Ruby Road," in which the archetypical nosey neighbor, Mrs. Flood, turned into something more right at the end of the episode.
While she played dumb to The Doctor and Ruby, the final scene made it clear she was aware of what the TARDIS was, which makes the odds high that she also knows a lot about what The Doctor is about as well. How does she know, and what does this mean as she appears in Season 14? Is she a secret incarnation of The Doctor like the franchise's first Black Doctor, Jo Martin? We'll have plenty of time to theorize, but I would keep an eye on her character in future episodes.
Doctor Who will hit the 2024 TV schedule with Season 14 on Disney+ this spring. Here's hoping for more teases and reveals in the month between, especially since I've heard The Beatles will be making an appearance in the very next episode.
