I've been putting off this review for a while. Not because of any animosity towards the episode - far from it, as you can tell from my review score (9/10), I enjoyed Church on Ruby Road quite a bit. Because there is a lot to unpack though, I've wanted to do this review justice and give it some time and thought.

The more thought and consideration I've given to this introductory episode, the more I liked it. Based on the buzz around the new season and what we've gotten from the 2023 specials, Doctor Who seems to be moving in a more musical direction and I am here for it. The Goblin Song was a lot of fun and played nicely with the whole probability-bending nature of the Goblins. I love the clear inspiration they took from the Gremlins too and think production did a great job at making the Goblins seem fun while preserving a sense of stakes and adventure.

I also really liked our characters and story, by and large. The Doctor seems in tip-top form and Ncuti Gatwa is already rapidly shaping up to be one of the all-time best Doctors. He has this energy to him that easily matches Matt Smith and David Tennant, while I think he has the depth to get real serious and powerful when the situation calls for it. The scene where he jumps up on the ladder is so fun and a great expression of the tone Church on Ruby Road is going for.

On the other hand, Millie came across as comparatively weaker. I can't tell you a lot about her character other than her basic history growing up as an abandoned child who was eventually adopted. That history is interesting but doesn't tell us a lot about Ruby Sunday's personality. It also left me thinking a lot about the actor and all the stories that have come out concerning the sense of class divide in British society leading to a disproportionate amount of British performers and artists being tied to wealth. It's a problem in most of the world, to be clear, but it is interesting. I'm not sure what Gibson's background is specifically but from what I have read of her it is safe to say she was offered opportunities others simply weren't. It's not her fault but it is interesting to contrast her with Gatwa, who was born in Rawanda and his family fled the genocide there, and grew up queer in a way that left him often ostracized thanks to his background and sexuality. It's an inspiring story that I think naturally bleeds into his performance in a way that feels a little lacking compared to Gibson, unfortunately.

I'll tell you who wasn't lacking though, and that is the character of Carla Sunday. Her story is genuinely inspiring as a mother to so many foster children, and I found the sequence where that gets erased by Ruby's disappearance really striking. I hope we see more of Carla because she is just great and kind of the anchor to this whole episode. I have to say this all made for a pretty thoughtful story overall. I think all my thoughts around poverty and class in the UK actually correspond well to the content of the story itself. Carla has lived a challenging life and is far from the top in society but might also represents the best a person can be, actively making the world around her a better place for children with nothing who have often experienced horrible things.

My grandmother fostered children so I always have a weakness for these kinds of stories and characters. Nevertheless, I do think The Church on Ruby Road was a great episode, a beautiful start to a new era of Doctor Who, and a bit underrated compared to the overall scores currently given for this episode. I do feel as though I've had nothing but mostly good things to say about Russell T Davies' return to Who. It's left me thinking that at my core I am a Doctor Who fan. I don't expect the world out of this franchise and can usually enjoy even lacklustre content. It really shows to me just how bad Chibnall was that he so rarely hit the bare minimum of quality a story needs to be enjoyed, but these RTD stories really help to remind me just how weak those stories were in comparison. I am excited and optimistic for the next series because of all this.