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“THE LEGEND OF RUBY SUNDAY: A GOD RETURNS WHEN MYSTERY MEETS MYTHOLOGY”

Serving as the first half of the Doctor Who 2024 season finale, The Legend of Ruby Sunday juggles character introspection, long-running mysteries, and a growing sense of dread as it edges us closer to the grand return of a very familiar god of death. It’s a moody, suspenseful episode that explores identity on multiple levels—both for Ruby and the Doctor—while dropping some of the biggest bombshells of the season.

A SPIN-OFF WAITING TO HAPPEN

Opening with a dazzling new heroic TARDIS materialisation—zipping stylishly into the UNIT control room—the episode wastes no time establishing its ensemble. Kate Stewart is back, joined by Mel Bush and Donna’s daughter Rose (though the latter is sadly underused and completely vanishes by the next episode). We're also introduced to a new cast of UNIT faces, including Ibrahim, the ever-competent Harriet, and most notably, child genius Morris Gibbons. The ethics of UNIT hiring children aside, Lennie Rush is fantastic in the role and radiates charisma. Honestly, the UNIT scenes feel like a backdoor pilot for a spin-off—and that’s not a complaint.

TWO MYSTERIES, ONE DESTINY

The plot builds two major arcs in parallel: the ongoing mystery of Ruby’s origin and the strange ubiquity of Susan Twist, now revealed as Susan Triad, head of S Triad Technologies (an “anagram” of TARDIS… sort of). There’s some cheeky misdirection hinting that Triad might be the Doctor’s granddaughter, Susan—a suggestion that lands uneasily. As a long-time fan, I’d love to see Susan return (ideally played by Carole Ann Ford), but this approach feels a bit too playful for such a momentous comeback.

Still, the dual threads of Ruby and Susan are well-balanced. Ruby’s search for her birth mother dominates the quieter, more emotional half of the episode, while the mystery surrounding Triad slowly transforms into something far more sinister.

A FAITHFUL FRIEND, A FALLEN AGENT

Harriet is an instantly likeable new UNIT recruit, which makes her betrayal sting even more. Her transformation into Harriet Arbinger, a harbinger of Sutekh, is chilling if a little underdeveloped. She doesn’t get quite enough screen time to flesh out her arc, but she still makes for a compelling villain’s proxy, especially when paired with the unnerving presence of Susan Twist.

THE FLOOD RISES AGAIN

The return of Mrs Flood deepens the intrigue, as she continues to behave increasingly bizarrely. Her watchful guardianship over Cherrie masks something darker—she clearly knows more than she’s letting on, and her true identity is becoming one of the show’s most tantalising questions. Meanwhile, Ruby’s mum Carla is supportive but sadly sidelined for most of the action, acting mostly as a passive observer.

THE DOCTOR, QUIETLY BURNING

Ncuti Gatwa continues to impress, this time leaning into a more subdued and reflective portrayal. His Doctor still commands the room, but there’s a softness here, a quiet sorrow—especially in his scene with Kate as they reflect on Susan, the granddaughter the Doctor left behind and never returned to. These are the kinds of intimate moments that give this era emotional depth.

SEEING THROUGH THE TIME WINDOW

The Time Window sequence is a visual and conceptual highlight. The sleek hologram tech looks fantastic, and the whole idea—re-examining the night Ruby was left on the church steps—is both fascinating and haunting. It also cleverly ties into the Tales of the TARDIS spin-off and the existence of the Remembered TARDIS. As the characters pore over the past, slowly realising something isn’t quite right, the tension begins to mount.

Millie Gibson excels as Ruby, showing maturity and quiet heartbreak when the Time Window fails to reveal her mother's identity. Bonnie Langford is equally strong as Mel, offering support and urging the Doctor to keep pushing forward.

SUTEKH RETURNS—AND THE TARDIS TREMBLES

Then comes the twist: the eerie black cloud that’s been lurking on the TARDIS begins to seep into reality, leaving dustified corpses in its wake. The moment when the TARDIS groans unnaturally inside UNIT HQ is deeply unsettling. And just when you think it can’t get creepier, we hear the unmistakable voice of Gabriel Woolf—the legendary tones of Sutekh, finally returning after nearly 50 years.

The final 15 minutes are breathless, with harbingers like Harriet and Susan delivering ominous warnings, and the Sutekh reveal hitting like a hammer. Sure, the “Susan Triad Technologies = Sutekh” anagram is a bit naff (it’s not really an anagram), but the sense of cosmic horror it conjures is undeniable. The slow realisation that the TARDIS has been carrying a god of death around all this time is properly terrifying—and a perfect setup for the finale.

📝VERDICT: 7/10

The Legend of Ruby Sunday is a moody, slow-burn penultimate episode that mixes character drama with eerie foreshadowing and mythic dread. While a few characters are underused (Rose, Carla), and the Susan misdirects are a little heavy-handed, the episode still lands with style and suspense. Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson shine, Gabriel Woolf's return is spine-tingling, and the cliffhanger brings Sutekh roaring back into Doctor Who legend. The path to the Empire of Death has never looked more thrilling.