The latest season of “Doctor Who” concluded with a heartfelt goodbye to Ruby Sunday, played by Millie Gibson, as her character’s journey alongside the Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) came to an emotional end. For now anyway.
The two-part finale, titled “Empire of Death,” saw Ruby discover the identity of her birth parents and make the difficult decision to leave the TARDIS and embark on a new chapter. The season’s climax focused on Ruby’s reunion with her birth mother, Louise Miller (Faye McKeever), adoptive mother Carla (Michelle Greenidge), and nan Cherry (Angela Wynter), providing a touching resolution to her family mystery.
Showrunner Russell T Davies praised the dynamic between the Doctor and Ruby, describing their relationship as “bouncing off each other constantly.” He commended Gibson’s performance, bringing “a lightness and a curiosity, but also something real and deep” to the show.
Despite Ruby’s departure from the TARDIS, Gibson will remain on the show. Davies confirmed that Gibson would appear in the season two finale, teasing “the most magnificent scenes” and “challenging material” for the actor. He assured fans that Ruby’s story is far from over and hinted at “extraordinary stories” to come in the next two years.
The finale episode also featured the return of companion Mel Bush (Bonnie Langford) as she joined forces with the Doctor and Ruby to defeat Sutekh (Gabriel Woolf) and restore life to the universe. However, it was Ruby’s growing family that took center stage in the final scenes, as they happily pored over photos of her childhood, unaware of the ominous warning delivered by Mrs. Flood (Anita Dobson), hinting at future danger for the Doctor.
While Ruby’s departure leaves a void in the TARDIS, it also creates opportunities for new companions to join the Doctor’s adventures. Varada Sethu is confirmed to join the cast, with Jonah Hauer-King reportedly joining in an unspecified role, rumoured to be that of Ruby’s boyfriend.
