Doctor Who makes a grand return. After the mixed reception of the Chris Chibnall era, Russell T. Davies has returned in a big way. Being the head writer and driving force behind the revival in 2005, RTD knew he had a big job at hand. When Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor regenerated into a familiar face (David Tennant), it was clear Russell wanted a big comeback. 2023’s 60th anniversary specials was both a tribute to the show’s history and an introduction to the new Doctor; Ncuti Gatwa.
*Mild Spoilers Ahead*
With the backing of Disney, Doctor Who is now working with a higher budget and a potentially bigger audience. Being marketed as season one, this series begins with the Christmas special ‘The Church On Ruby Road’. Being the first Christmas episode since 2017, this appreciated by many long-term fans. The episode also introduced Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson), a young girl abandoned by their parents on Christmas Eve. We had mystery, goblins and even Anita Dobson‘s Mrs. Flood breaking the fourth wall in a mid-credit scene. Russell delivered and the hype for the full series began.
Being only eight episodes long, the season is over quickly. Unfortunately, the opening episode ‘Space Babies‘ is middle of the road and rehashes a lot of story elements from 2005 RTD era Who. The opening scene, though hilarious, was the only highlight. ‘The Devil’s Chord‘ wastes a great premise. Despite Jinkx Monsoon’s excellent performance as Maestro, episode 2 just felt flat. There is an argument for how could an episode focused on The Beatles, not feature their music? We also do not talk about that terrible song at the end…
‘Boom‘ sees the return of Steven Moffat to writing duties, and he knows how to steer this ship to its correct course. Episode 3 delivers great tension throughout. The Doctor on a landmine for 45 minutes was genius. There are callbacks to previous work by Moffat in the show, including the church and the Villengard company. We also get an introduction to actress Varada Sethu, who will be joining the TARDIS crew next year as a full time companion.
A big highlight was ‘73 Yards‘. While Ncuti was still making Sex Education at the time, this allowed for possibly the most intriguing episode of the season. Doctor Who has never been shy to experiment, and the story of a curse impacting the companion throughout her life was haunting. A mysterious woman is always at a distance away from Ruby no matter what. Anyone who goes near the woman run away, but why? For what could have been a throwaway episode, it later becomes integral in a big way.
Next we had ‘Dot and Bubble‘, an episode that went with a Black Mirror vibe. We have seen technology go wrong in many shows, but this episode is genuinely unnerving. A society that lives on social media, few knowing anything but their screens. The themes of racism and elitism smack you in the face, especially on a re-watch of the episode, and consider all of the actions of Lindy Pepper-Bean (Callie Cooke).
With ‘Rogue‘ there is Kate Herron and Briony Redman as the only other guest writers for this season. But, the Loki Director and her writing partner produce a fun 1800’s romp with ease. Jonathan Groff stars as the titular Rogue, a love interest for The Doctor and one of the best guest stars in the whole season. Bridgerton fans will love the episode, as it certainly makes itself known as a homage to the show with a string arrangement of popular songs and the high drama.
Finally, the two-part finale throws everything in and more. ‘The Legend Of Ruby Sunday‘ begins with revealing the indentity of the mysterious woman following them through time. Former companion Mel Bush (Bonnie Langford) and UNIT Commander Kate Stewart (Jemma Redgrave) also return. The episode also deals with who is Ruby’s birth mother, using intricate technology. The episode’s conclusion finally reveals “The One Who Waits”, first teased in ‘The Giggle‘ last year.
‘Empire Of Death‘ begins with the ultimate evil released, as the TARDIS taken over and yet one mystery stops the complete annihilation of all life. The Doctor has to find out if this mystery can save the universe. Tales of the TARDIS ties in quite nicely to this episode. The BBC unveiled a new episode that deals with ‘Empire Of Death’ and a certain classic story. With the concluding revelation for this episode, it is some of RTD’s best writing to date.
Following from the excellent Christmas Special, this season of Doctor Who initially struggled to find its feet. However, the seeds planted in the earlier episodes helped the show as it reached its finale. Callbacks to a certain family member of The Doctor, the growing lore around the pantheon and knowing there is another mystery to solve. Although Ruby’s story appears to have concluded, that are now questions as to what happens with their character?
There are many burning questions left for fans to ponder. Who is Mrs. Flood? Will Varada Sethu be back as Mundy, or will she return as a new character? Will we ever find out who picked up the gold tooth that was holding The Master captive? There is a lot to ponder, but that is part of the fun. The build up to “The One Who Waits” works well, so lets see if Mrs. Flood or a potential Susan return gets the same attention.
The increased budget has allowed complex ideas to become reality. The time window was one of the most stunning visuals ever shown in Doctor Who. The costumes and make-up, especially the skull masks and bogeyman monster, are excellent. This season was also not afraid to go to dark places when needed. Leaving Ruby alone in ’73 Yards’ and losing everyone around her was hard to watch. The interaction between The Doctor and the unnamed woman in the finale was chilling; not the usual teatime fun.
Previous seasons of Doctor Who could see as many as eight writers contributing, but this season only has three. With Davies writing six of the eight (or seven of nine, including the Christmas Special) leads to great stories, but he also creates tales which just don’t do much. The beauty of Doctor Who was its various writers giving different voices and angles to the narrative in the previous seasons. Let’s hope that the next season will see greater diversity in the writing staff. Eight episodes go by fast, not allowing the arc a lot of time to breathe.
The biggest win by far was in the casting. Bonnie Langford shines as Mel, particularly in the finale. Jonathan Groff is a delight as Rogue and will hopefully return soon. There were no bad parts this season, but the highlight is definitely Ncuti and Millie in the lead roles. They are similar to David Tennant and Catherine Tate, as the duo bounce off each other and shine in every scene together.
While certain outlets claim Doctor Who is Too Woke”, it would appear that this corner of the internet has nothing better to do. Season 14 was a great collection of stories, with a few skips in its otherwise high quality. What is on screen is impressive, both from the acting stance and the visual aspect. The arc centring on the many appearances of actress Susan Twist is possibly one of Russell’s best pay-offs to date. It’s not a perfect season, but the show has found its feet once again. Let’s see what Christmas and 2025 bring for the show.
