Russell T. Davies recently made an important clarification about Jodie Whittaker's run as The Doctor and confirmed her Timeless Child backstory will remain a part of Doctor Who's story. Now it's possible fans may have some insight as to how thanks to a recent interview that revealed an important detail about newcomer Millie Gibson, who will play the 15th Doctor's new companion, Ruby Sunday.
As those with a Disney+ subscription gear up for more 60th anniversary specials, Russell T. Davies is spilling details on the upcoming Christmas special to SFX Magazine. After hearing Davies talk about Ruby Sunday's upcoming debut in "The Church On Ruby Road," I have a feeling Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor and Ruby may form a tight bond based on one detail revealed ahead of the episode.
What Doctor Who's Christmas Special Will Reveal About Ruby Sunday
Russell T. Davies was ready to spill some details on Ruby Sunday ahead of her official Doctor Who debut, and it's possible they'll point toward her larger story arc in the series. Here's what the showrunner had to say about her entrance in the franchise, and the origins fans will learn when they tune in (via GamesRadar.com):
It’s unashamedly the story of Ruby, it’s called 'The Church On Ruby Road' because that’s where the church is where Ruby was left as a baby in 2004. So, she’s named after that church. She’s a foundling, so no one knows who her mother or father is. She was named after the church on Ruby Road.
Davies went on to explain that not all details about Ruby Sunday will be revealed in the Christmas special, which makes it sound as though this aspect of the character will continue throughout Season 14 and possibly beyond. That key detail above, however, could form a tight bond with The Doctor based on what we learned during Chris Chibnall and Jodie Whittaker's run of Doctor Who.
How This Plotline Could Tie Into The Timeless Child Storyline From Jodie Whittaker's Arc
In Doctor Who's "Timeless Child" arc, it was revealed that The Doctor was discovered by a Shabogan scientist alone beneath a dimensional gateway on another planet. With no family to speak of, the scientist, Tecteun, became The Doctor's adoptive parent. This discovery ultimately transformed the Shabogans into Time Lords, but that isn't what we need to focus on at this moment.
Ruby Sunday being found at a church with no parents around to claim her is similar to how The Doctor was found by Tecteun. With neither aware of who their birth parents are or their lives before the moment they were found, there is an opportunity for The Doctor and companion to form a tight bond on those grounds.
With Doctor Who heavily leaning on romantic overtones in the past with companions, it would be a refreshing change of pace to see this happen. The thought has me even more excited to see Ncuti Gatwa's era as The Doctor begin, especially after seeing his awesome scene with a David Bradley-played William Hartnell.
Of course, there's still plenty of time left to enjoy the 60th anniversary, which is off to a great start, minus that one recap scene with David Tennant and Catherine Tate that I couldn't stand watching. That aside, I'm excited to see the rest of the cast of Doctor Who's 60th anniversary in action, and I hope we'll see Gatwa make his debut as The Doctor soon enough.
Doctor Who's Christmas special "The Church On Ruby Road" is set to premiere on Disney+ on Christmas Day. Continue to check the streamer in the meantime for more specials as they pop up, and potentially more surprises as we march closer toward this new era for the franchise.
