Doctor Who season 14 (or season 1, as it’s been reset to) has reached its conclusion, with highs and lows throughout. Doctor Who has changed dramatically over the last several years, and now with Russell T. Davies back in the showrunner’s seat, the series has once again evolved to embrace a new audience. However, the season 14 finale featured one of the Doctor’s oldest rivals and set out to reveal some of the biggest mysteries that have been central to the show since it returned in 2023.
The latest season of Doctor Who has been an incredible adventure. The Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and his mysterious companion, Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson), have traveled through time and space, encountering aliens and monsters, and even venturing into the realm of fantasy. A consistent thread has been playing out, with the Doctor struggling to make sense of the mysterious and magical things that happen around Ruby, and the rising threat of godly villains.
Ncuti Gatwa Has Fully Embodied The Role Of The 15th Doctor
In the face of incredible adversity, which eclipses threats faced by former regenerations, Ncuti Gatwa excels in the role of the 15th Doctor. His emotional performance, imbued with charisma, enthusiasm and excitement, is infectious and makes his scenes a pleasure to watch. Whether he is struggling with cataclysmic challenges, or simply cutting loose on the dance floor, Gatwa does a spectacular job as the Doctor. The season finale provided plenty of opportunity for Gatwa to explore the character and show off his range of emotions.
Gatwa and the rest of the cast are wonderful and expressive throughout.
However, the episode did suffer from a somewhat abrupt ending. Despite being a two-parter, the second and final installment does the bulk of the heavy lifting in terms of the conflict and resolution. Season 1, episode 7, “The Legend of Ruby Sunday,” does a great job setting up a considerable threat for the Doctor, and then episode 8, “Empire of Death” rapidly concludes the story in just 55 minutes.
To that end, the finale is rushed and undercooked, with a villain who is repeatedly referenced as being the greatest threat the Doctor has ever faced amounting to something that is ultimately underwhelming. This is further evidenced by a third of the episode exploring other details entirely. However, Gatwa and the rest of the cast are wonderful and expressive throughout, which elevates the episode despite the story being somewhat lacking.
Who Is Ruby Sunday & What Makes Her Special?
RTD has been incredibly vocal when it comes to building excitement for this entire season, with a particular focus on the mysterious origins of the Doctor’s companion. With snow and music following Ruby across time and space, something appears to be incredibly special about the young companion. The finale lays the mystery of Ruby Sunday to rest, but after such a significant build-up, the reveals fall short of the hype that preceded them.
With twists and turns, the finale is an enjoyable story, but the buildup attempted to drum up online speculation rather than being a compelling, or even necessary, part of the story.
This is not simply a disappointing turn of events, but also a disingenuous one. The rest of the narrative and marketing spent considerable time pushing a promise Doctor Who couldn’t live up to. Ruby has proven to be an invaluable member of Team TARDIS. With twists and turns, the finale is an enjoyable story, but the buildup attempted to drum up online speculation rather than being a compelling, or even necessary, part of the story.
Doctor Who has had its ups and downs this season (more ups than downs), but the finale is not the best the season had to offer, despite the higher stakes. Drama and death only do so much for a narrative, and the cast’s spectacular performances don’t erase the need for satisfying and well-executed conclusions. Doctor Who will continue, but hopefully it can learn from its mistakes and come back stronger in season 15.
Doctor Who season 1, episode 8, “Empire of Death” will be available to stream on Disney+ on June 22, and on BBC iPlayer in the UK.