Now we come to what is honestly the great portion of Ncuti’s era. Though with that said I have also heard plenty of people say they hate this episode for reasons I’ll get into later.

The TARDIS lands along a cliffside in Wales where shortly after exiting, the Doctor steps on a string forming some kind of circular pattern and then vanishes. As Ruby tries to work out where he’s disappeared to and why she can’t enter the TARDIS, she notices in the distance an indistinct figure of what appears to be an old woman, and no matter how much Ruby moves away or closer to her, she always stays exactly 73 yards from her. On top of that, anyone who approaches and communicates with the figure is frightened away and wants nothing to do with Ruby. With the Doctor gone, Ruby is forced to live out her life alone as everyone who offers to help her, from her adopted mother to UNIT, abandons her after communicating with the figure.

Russell hyped up this episode saying it was “the best thing he’s ever written”, which is a little misguided considering the high quality works he had previously written like Turn Left and Midnight, and of course it’s not on the same level as those two but it is a story I was very happy to have seen and the kind of story I’d love to see more of from the show. This is Russell being both experimental and tapping into the horror genre, but not horror in a trying to scare the audience sense, but horror in just creating this inescapable nightmare for the companion. I’m not overly keen on Ruby as a character, but Mille Gibson was just fantastic in this episode, some of these scenes were just brutally uncomfortable to watch, especially when her mother abandons and disowns her. Being unpleasant and uncomfortable really is a strength of Russell’s that he should tap into more often.

The kind of Doctor-lite stories I prefer are the ones that place our companions in a situation where they’re unable to rely on the Doctor for help and so they have to put their own knowledge and experience into practice. These are the kind of stories that really showcase the strengths of the companion, Ruby in particular as she spends the majority of the story testing the limits of this entity to try and find any way of breaking the curse, and we see her brought to her absolute low point with every failed attempt and any hope of help from the Doctor, her mother and even UNIT is crushed. But as time goes by, she comes to accept her situation and finds ways of learning to live with her curse, even using it to help save the world in preventing the election of a warmongering prime minister the Doctor previously mentioned. It’s only decades later when she’s reached the end of her life as an old woman where the entity suddenly gets within touching distance and at the moment of her death, we see Ruby sent back to where it all began but looking out through the eyes of the figure watching the TARDIS arrive and warning the younger Ruby just in time to stop the Doctor from breaking the mysterious circle. Or at least that’s how I saw the ending as this leads into the more divisive side of the episode. While the episode has had a mostly positive reception, it’s also had its share of fans who hated it for just how ambiguous and unexplained the events are, especially the ending. It’s understandable as yes the episode does leave a lot of itself unexplained. What is the strange circle that the Doctor breaks? What is the nature of the entity? What does it whisper to make others afraid of Ruby? How does it all tie together in the ending? The answers are… nothing forthcoming from the episode so it’s really just down to you and how you interpret the events. And I love that! I love having a story that allows you the chance to give your thoughts on how the mechanics of it worked rather than just flat out telling you as we often get in Doctor Who. It allows for more open conversations and there are so many ways you can interpret the event, like the idea that the entity and the effect it has on everyone is a manifestation of Ruby’s fear of abandonment given how that’s what led to her adoption to begin with. Or the idea that the story has themes of mental health that is something Ruby can’t escape from and has to learn to live with and the harsh reality that sometimes trying to involve people you think care about you and might be able to help will just see it as an excuse to abandon you. How the ending with Ruby as an old lady and being sent back is her making peace with her own fears and allowing herself a second chance in life.

That said though, I acknowledge it’s not perfect, the second half goes a bit off the rails with the prime minister candidate who wants to start a nuclear war and I felt it was only included to give the episode some form of conflict. Also the ending means the timeline Ruby gets stuck in never happened, so this prime minister will go on to be elected and do all the terrible stuff anyway. And despite all my theories earlier, Ruby being freed of her curse by preventing the circle being broken means it never happened so she never learnt anything from her experience ultimately. Though I would argue that the point wasn’t really for her to have learned anything to apply going forward, it’s not like Turn Left was written with the intention of Donna learning anything about herself as she went through a similar experience that then got erased.

73 Yards is as abstract a story as it gets and part of the reason why I feel some fans hated it is that it’s not the kind of story we often get in the show. The novels and audios do frequently handle abstract concepts and push the boundaries on what feels comfortable for Doctor Who, but the show has spent so long in its bubble, only occasionally trying for something outside the usual comfort zone that I do get why some fans were put off by this episode. This is definitely not Russell’s best work as he boasted about leading into the series, but I would certainly love to see him write more episodes along these lines going forward than his usual bag of tricks.

73 Yards is one of those episodes, I feel, that is not suited to everyone's tastes. Luckily for me, it was suited perfectly to mine!

I've always been a fan of episodes that don't condescend you by explaining themselves fully, but instead leave room for the viewer to speculate and form their own relationship to the text, and 73 Yards does this excellently. The tension is kept high throughout the episode as the mystery of The Woman remains unresolved, and as Ruby continues to be abandoned by everyone around her. Even when Ruby herself grows accustomed to the spectre, I found myself tensing whenever I spotted her. The ending, to my mind, was perfect - a broken loop and an unbroken circle, with all of the big questions still hanging in the air.

There were a few burrs in the overall experience: the rather ham-fisted allegory of the 'Mad Jack' presidency, some wonky pacing, and the fact that we are meant to believe that Ruby has aged twenty years just by putting on a pair of glasses... but overall, those are minor details. The focus of the episode was that of a rather personal horror and isolation, and the agony of unanswered questions, and that landed perfectly. Bravo!

Really, really good, but I am a bit put off by some plot details. In spite of excellent atmosphere and some strong moments, the ending felt a little rushed and unsatisfying. Midnight is a good example of the mystery feeding into the horror, but here, I don’t know, I think we are ought to have a bit better of an explanation.

Here’s my big question I am really struggling with since it is a central point of the episode.  Why did future Ruby scare away anyone who encountered her?  It seems like such an essential part of the episode and we are offered no sense of why. Midnight gives us at least a sense of there being rules to its monster even if we never quite learn its nature. Here, I’m not entirely sure what exactly was going on. It’s not a big deal because it’s a good episode overall. Really strong cinematography, direction, and production that reminded me of a top-tier modern horror like It Follows or Talk to Me.  In spite of my problems it is a cool episode and great creepy fiction even if the plot was a bit jank.  It's a really cool episode for Ruby, too, nicely focusing on her and totally selling me on the character.

EDIT:  Honestly, the more time has passed, the less I care about this story not explaining everything.  The Empire of Death drops a hint that 73 Yards is a relevant measurement to the TARDIS and it made me really appreciate this episode a little more.  Because you can have these little hints and intricacies that only add more questions and intrigue to the story.  I really like 73 Yards now.  I think it can go down in history as one of the best of Doctor Who.

Thworping through time and space, one adventure at a time!

“73 YARDS: RUBY'S LONG WALK INTO HORROR”

Following the intensity of Boom, 73 Yards slows things down—but not in a comforting way. Instead, it plunges Ruby into an eerie, isolating nightmare, where the Doctor’s absence is keenly felt. This Doctor-lite episode, filmed early in production while Ncuti Gatwa was still busy with Barbie, places Ruby at the centre of a terrifying alternate timeline where she is relentlessly pursued by an unknown force.

What starts as a classic Doctor Who folk horror—complete with a mysterious fairy circle on the Welsh coast, a small pub filled with wary locals, and an unsettling figure always lingering at exactly 73 yards—soon takes on a far greater scope. Ruby’s seemingly supernatural stalker remains silent yet ever-present, signing something to her from a distance. The mystery builds immediately, with every person who dares to approach the woman reacting in sheer terror before fleeing from Ruby forever.

FROM FOLK HORROR TO POLITICAL THRILLER

One of the episode’s greatest strengths is its ability to shift tones so effortlessly. The pub scene is a highlight, where Ruby, the outsider, becomes the subject of teasing and eerie ghost stories from the locals—setting up a rich, atmospheric unease. The pacing allows this scene to breathe, which makes the sudden transition into something much larger all the more jarring.

What follows is an unusual but gripping structure: we watch Ruby live through years of her life, abandoned by loved ones, unable to form meaningful connections because of the woman who haunts her. The horror of isolation grows as we see her mother and even Kate Stewart of UNIT turn away from her in fear. Then, out of nowhere, 73 Yards transforms into something entirely different—a political thriller.

Enter Roger ap Gwilliam, a rising far-right politician, dubbed “Mad Jack” and portrayed by Aneurin Barnard with unsettling charisma. He is a dangerous populist force, climbing the ranks toward becoming Prime Minister, a man whose future leadership threatens the world itself. Ruby, despite everything, is drawn into his orbit, determined to stop him before he gains access to nuclear codes. This unexpected shift into political commentary is bold, timely, and unnerving—especially because ap Gwilliam is all too believable.

But what exactly is his connection to the supernatural events that have plagued Ruby’s life? That remains deliberately ambiguous. 73 Yards thrives on unanswered questions, much like Midnight or Blink, but with an even more abstract and symbolic edge.

AN UNEXPLAINED HORROR

The nature of the mysterious woman remains unresolved. Who is she? Why does she inspire such fear? Why does she turn everyone Ruby loves against her? We never hear what she says to those who approach her, but whatever it is, it drives them to abandon Ruby instantly. That, in itself, is more terrifying than any monster.

The horror elements are accentuated through clever direction—Dutch angles, extreme close-ups, and unsettling quick cuts create a sense of claustrophobia, especially in the pub sequence. The music, too, is masterfully used, creating a thick atmosphere of unease. This is a story where the tension never fully lifts, lingering long after the credits roll.

Yet, despite the lack of answers, there is a poetic symmetry to the ending. Ruby, now an old woman, lies on her deathbed, the mystery woman finally approaching her—before seemingly becoming her. The implication? Ruby was being warned all along, haunted by a future version of herself sent back to prevent the very life she just endured. It’s a haunting, cyclical resolution that raises as many questions as it answers.

MILLIE GIBSON CARRIES THE SHOW

If anyone doubted Millie Gibson’s acting ability before this, 73 Yards should put those concerns to rest. With Gatwa barely present (though looking fantastic in his costume when he does appear), this is entirely Gibson’s episode—and she absolutely delivers. Ruby’s journey from curious traveller to haunted, isolated warrior is gripping to watch, and Gibson sells every moment with emotional depth and nuance.

📝VERDICT: 9/10

A bold, unsettling episode that shifts between folk horror, psychological thriller, and political drama with impressive fluidity. It never fully explains itself, but that’s part of its power—lingering in the mind long after the credits roll. Millie Gibson proves she can carry an entire episode, while the chilling concept of an ever-present, unexplained horror makes 73 Yards a standout.

Season 1 (Series 14); Episode 4 --- "73 Yards" by Russell T. Davies

Leading up to the airing of Season One, if I had to give the one episode I was the most excited for, it would be 73 Yards. The few images we got and the absolute refusal to say anything about it, reflecting the build up to the magnificent Wild Blue Yonder, along with RTD stating it was one of the best scripts he'd ever written utterly peaked my interest and now that it's out, I have to say that it lived up to all my expectations. A mind bending, spiralling thriller of massive proportion that never ceased to amaze me and finally gave me an episode to actually dwell on, to actually think about. It didn't feel like family friendly prime time TV, it felt like a story with something to say. And it'll probably end up being one of my favourites of this whole era - if it comes back in some way.

After disturbing a circle of charms in the Welsh Highlands, Ruby finds herself lost without the Doctor and stalked by a woman who is constantly following her, always exactly 73 yards away. Alone, scared and forced to adjust to a new way of life, Ruby desperately tries to find an explanation to the presence that has attached itself to her.

(CONTAINS SPOILERS)

It's been a while since I've thought this hard about an episode of Doctor Who. I'm really not surprised RTD considers this one of his best episodes. It has all the political commentary, and sudden in your face brilliance his writing seems to contain, where he'll go from a toned down, happy go lucky adventure to one of the most intense hours of TV you've ever seen. It's inexplicably haunting, it hangs over you, following you like The Woman follows Ruby. It's got so little peppy score, it's draped in realism almost completely alien to its fellow episodes, the cinematography is especially fantastic here, claustrophobic when with Ruby and long and haunting when focusing on The Woman. The reality this episode presents, Ruby being consistently isolated from everyone around her just injects this episode with so much utter dread, watching it feels like getting cursed. I have to reiterate just how different this episode is; all the previous episodes before this had a forced joke here or there, a line that felt obviously scripted, a direction that leaned a little too far but in 73 Yards you're just stuck with Ruby as she is forced into a nightmare reality, never breaking away from her or her pain, just letting the episode breath and ruminate and it gives everything this brilliant, realistic feeling, everything feels feasible, like it could happen if this situation was real. Speaking of Ruby, she is also a massive highlight, Gibson gives the performance of a lifetime and it's what really sells this episode, you truly feel stuck with Ruby as her life crumbles.

And that is all why it pains me to not call this episode perfect. There is a difference between ambiguity and just not explaining something. Ambiguity has an answer, we just don't know it, there may be hints or conclusions we can make on our own but if you think ambiguity is just not answering open ended questions, then you're simply wrong. If this episode doesn't somehow tie into the season arc, answering some of its many (at the moment) plot holes, then that it instantly harms it: What is the circle? Why does is it cause the Doctor to disappear? Why does everybody abandon Ruby when they speak to The Woman? Why 73 yards in particular? What does Gwilliam have to do with anything? For that last question, if the explanation is it didn't, then that simply adds another negative, since it makes the second half of this episode completely padding. Another problem I have is, for all this episodes brilliantly slow pace, it still moves on too quickly from pretty big things that happen. Because of the jumps in time, we never really get to see what effect losing her mother to The Woman has on Ruby. It's implied Ruby turned away from the sexual assault of a colleague because she had to make sure Gwilliam would go nuclear like the Doctor said before she could act, which is a little f**ked up and never brought up. I wish this episode gave its ideas some time to settle before moving onto the next ones because it's so nearly perfect.

A stylish, haunting folk tale that sells you Ruby and leaves you with this bleak, empty feeling inside you, being one of the most interesting and thought provoking episodes in recent memory, is unfortunately harmed by its obsession with never giving you any hints as to what's going on, turning what could be an ambiguous and eerie story into a series of cool ideas RTD had. I might have to redo this review if the episode comes back in any kind of way but, until then, 73 Yards is still astounding.

9/10

Pros:

+ Has an immaculately constructed bleak and haunting tone

+ Grounded in realism all previous episodes were missing (at times, it doesn't even feel like the same show it's so much better tonally)

+ Ruby is incredible here and Gibson sells her performance so well; if an even better episode doesn't come around, this might be Ruby's Turn Left

+ The cinematography is top notch and really sells the horror aspect of the episode

+ The Woman is such a cool idea and such an eerie visual

+ Genuinely could not tell where it was going, and I've been wanting something a step above unformulaic for years now

Cons:

- If left as is, completely unanswered, it will turn an ambiguous masterpiece into a series of good ideas with no depth tying them together

- A lot of things happen to Ruby that should have a massive impact on her but we never see them have any effect

- The political storyline feels almost entirely separate from the stuff with The Woman (although, again, this is entirely liable to change if the season revisits the episode)