Doctor Who Christmas Day Specials Return With New Doctor. The Doctor is back on Christmas Day for the first time since the 2017 Christmas Day Special, ‘Twice Upon A Time’. ‘The Church On Ruby Road’ also serves as the first full episode of the Fifteenth Doctor, played by Ncuti Gatwa.
Mild Spoilers Ahead:
Returning showrunner, Russel T. Davies first brought the Christmas specials to the Doctor Who universe in 2005 with ‘The Christmas Invasion.’ From that point on, there were 14 Christmas Day specials. Of note, Jodie Whitaker’s Thirteenth Doctor only had New Year’s Day Specials.
Related: Spoilers: Doctor Who Brings Back Old and New Faces in ‘The Giggle’ Starring Neil Patrick Harris
This episode introduced The Doctor’s New Companion, Ruby Sunday, played by Millie Gibson. This episode deals with the backstory of Ruby and how she came to be adopted by her mother Carla.
We meet Ruby’s next-door neighbor, Mrs. Flood, played by Anita Dobson. She has a surprising knowledge of the Tardis. I am looking forward to seeing that play out. Could she be the mysterious hand that picked up the Toymaker’s Gold Tooth in the previous episode? Is she connected to the Time Lords? Is she connected to the Master? Hmmmm. Either way, she is connected to Ruby and The Doctor.
Our story winds around Ruby Sunday being a foundling left on Christmas Eve at a Church on Ruby Road, hence the name she is given. We find out that she is adopted by Carla Sunday, a loving foster mom. Carla is getting the home prepared for a newborn baby on Christmas Eve.
Ruby is interviewed by British Television Presenter, Davina McCall, played by herself. Ruby is trying to find out about her parentage. Things start going wrong. Everything looks like a coincidence. When the baby is brought to the Sunday home, the baby disappears, having been taken by time-jumping, baby-eating, Goblins. This whole scene gave off Labyrinth vibes.
This episode continues to give me hope for the coming season. Ncuti as the Doctor is brilliant. I am enjoying his performance very much. The post-credit scene does share that the Doctor is New Who, New Home, Coming Spring 2024 on Disney +.
We here at The FUNatics Blog cannot wait to see the new season in 2024. As a big fan of what Russel T. Davies has done in the past with Doctor Who, Torchwood, and Queer As Folk, I am personally looking forward to seeing what’s next for Ncuti’s Doctor.
