Spoilers The Church on Ruby Road grade and discussion thread

[Annie McCoy]

That was the cherry on top of a brilliant Christmas, I love Ncuti as the doctor from this episode tbh.

I had complete faith in him but it was nice to see how he actually plays the doctor in a more normal situation/episode. When Ruby was on the ladder I immediately thought of Rose and the blimp in the revival. I liked the timeless child touch without going too much into it straight away and I teared up multiple times on the more emotional moments about adoption/families that don’t fit the nuclear model/standard. The plotline was fun, not my fav ever but seeing Ncuti??? priceless, better than I thought, also I need his leather jacket it’s so cute pls.

Normally I prefer companions to the doctor or have them equal but from this episode so far I think Ncuti is going to steal the show for me.

Made me smile and tear up, can’t ask for much more

 

[FredH]

So if Mrs. Flood already knew what a TARDIS is, I guess she was just harassing Abdul to move it because she’s being an awful person? (Unless she thinks Abdul is a Time Lord, for some reason.)

 

[Tuskin38]

So if Mrs. Flood already knew what a TARDIS is, I guess she was just harassing Abdul to move it because she’s being an awful person? (Unless she thinks Abdul is a Time Lord, for some reason.)

Not all TARDISes look like Police Boxes.
She probably didn't realize it was a TARDIS until it started dematerializing.

Or it was just a fourth wall breaking gag scene.

 

[Pindar]

Ncuti has buckets of charisma and is great as the Doctor.

The Doctor and Ruby work well together.

I really enjoyed the episode and look forward to May.

 

[Chaos Descending]

Or it was just a fourth wall breaking gag scene.

That's my hunch.

 

[DarrenTR1970]

The Dr Who Facebook page just uploaded a Behind the Scenes video where Russell T Davies says that the Toymaker 'relaxed the rules slighty' which will allow supernatural elements to appear on the show, and the Goblins are a part of that.

 

[Starkers]

That was a lot of fun. I won't sat there weren't parts that annoyed me (it's an RTD script after all ) but overall it was great. Ncuti is fab, as is Millie, and I adore her gran. Her mum was great too, though the alternate timeline bit was a trifle sad.

It really does feel like rather than RTD2 this is RTD/Moffat2 because there was a LOT of Moffat DNA in there. Plus Russell doubles down on the Timeless Child again, so much for RTD will just ignore everything Chibnall did.

And I'm glad about that mid credits scene because it felt like Anita Dobson was a trifle wasted but no, looks like there'll be more of her to come.

Bring on May (I watched live on iPlayer and the trailer definitely said May)

 

[David cgc]

The Dr Who Facebook page just uploaded a Behind the Scenes video where Russell T Davies says that the Toymaker 'relaxed the rules slighty' which will allow supernatural elements to appear on the show, and the Goblins are a part of that.

I realized that probably has something to do with the line in the song about how, "He's the Goblin King, he's not a myth, he's an actual thing."

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Re: Anita Dobson.

I figured she was a somebody and not simply reminding me of Harriet Walter. Just looked her up and realized why everyone is talking about her here. Don't think I've actually seen her anything before.

The Dr Who Facebook page just uploaded a Behind the Scenes video where Russell T Davies says that the Toymaker 'relaxed the rules slighty' which will allow supernatural elements to appear on the show, and the Goblins are a part of that.

Curious development but unsurprising considering the presence of "mavity."

Ah, yes.

We're back to season keywords.

 

[1001001]

Meh.

 

[Starkers]

Re: Anita Dobson.

I figured she was a somebody and not simply reminding me of Harriet Walter. Just looked her up and realized why everyone is talking about her here. Don't think I've actually seen her anything before.


Curious development but unsurprising considering the presence of "mavity."

Ah, yes.

We're back to season keywords.

One of those instances where I think you need to be British, or be a fan of Eastenders, to know who she is. Was great in a recent episode of Inside Number 9 however, and of course famously married to Brian May of Queen.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

The Dr Who Facebook page just uploaded a Behind the Scenes video where Russell T Davies says that the Toymaker 'relaxed the rules slighty' which will allow supernatural elements to appear on the show, and the Goblins are a part of that.

If it helps him sleep better at night but I don't know if any explanation is really necessary or if it's any more out there than any number of episodes.

 

[Tosk]

"It's my birthday."
"It's your what-now?"

The devolution of this irksome scripting quirk has reached its nadir.

 

[Chaos Descending]

Audio equipment from the "Vizsla" brand. Interesting easter egg.

No one else noticed this? Really?

 

[bdub76]

Doctor Who has gone full on urban fantasy. Not sure what I think about it yet. I'll give it a couple of episodes.

 

[Xerxes82]

So, I feel like the neighbor (Mrs Flood) was replaced somewhere during the episode. Towards the beginning she's freaking out about the TARDIS being on her sidewalk, and in her conversation with Abdula she is shrill, and claims he did it to hurt her because he doesn't like her. This, to me anyway, suggests they don't get along well. But at the end of the episode, when she knows what a TARDIS, she wishes him well and kisses him on the head as though they are friendly.

Like maybe by the end of the episode she's somebody wearing a Mrs Flood suit.

Also, did she seem to recognize the Doctor, or just the TARDIS? She called him the man with the box of tricks, which both retrospectively refers to the TARDIS, but also could be a jab at the Doctor's many new gadgets. And she clearly knew Ruby was going to be welcomed aboard, perhaps because she knows the Doctor's style?

Of course, this all presupposes that Mrs Flood isn't just Ruby herself, all timey-wimey and such. Or, alternatively, I'm just massively overthinking things.

 

[Sketcher]

It'd be cool if Mrs Flood was simply someone the Doctor took on adventures in the time it took Ruby to get downstairs. After all he was wearing a new shirt when she entered the Tardis. It feels like classic RTD writing in that case - take this crass individual, show her all of time and space, comes back to daily life a more appreciative and kinder person.

But yeah, it's probably a UNIT agent, the Master/Susan/Romana/Ruby's mom/Future Ruby/River Song with a new body.

 

[matthunter]

No one else noticed this? Really?

Googling Vizsla and Doctor Who just comes up with memes of Peter Davison talking to cute doggos.

There's nothing on TARDIS Wiki either.

Can you be more specific? Or are you thinking of Vislor Turlough?

 

[C.E. Evans]

Not all TARDISes look like Police Boxes.
She probably didn't realize it was a TARDIS until it started dematerializing.

Or it was just a fourth wall breaking gag scene.

That's my hunch.

Same here. I wouldn't be surprised if there's no further follow up on Mrs. Flood and this episode will be her first and last appearance.

She may just be one of the few ordinary people on Earth who remembers all the alien invasions since the 1960s and, unlike most people, didn't just forget them after awhile.

 

[Seven of Five]

I enjoyed this a lot. The new doctor is full of charisma, and the new companion did a lot to endear herself to me.

I wonder who the old woman at the end was.