TV Review: Doctor Who- The Church on Ruby Road

 

One thing we can be sure of is that Russell T Davies makes big, breezy Xmas specials aimed perhaps not so much at fans but the wider public so the new Doctor was actually introduced half way through the last of the three anniversary special and is (literally) up and running for this tale. No sleeping for the first half as David Tennant’s tenth Doctor did back in 2015, Ncuti Gatwa’s first full episode sees him  involved from the start adding his charisma to what is a rollicking fairground ride of an episode. As with other Xmas specials from the first RTD era, `The Church on Ruby Road` is all about action and fun and Xmas (a bit)

 

It seems like Ncuti Gatwa has been the Doctor forever but until a few weeks ago we’d not seen him play the role. Interestingly even since his appearance in `The Giggle`, the actor is already evolving his performance. Modern Doctors have been more emotional, more human even but often at the expense of the enigmatic qualities that the likes of Tom Baker or William Hartnell would add.  This Doctor seems to feel every moment intensely whether it’s the sheer joy of dancing in a club, or having great fun swinging from a rope ladder in mid air to the sadness when Carla has clearly changed. Yet he is also casually strange in a way we’ve not really seen in the modern era. We also meet the new companion, Ruby Sunday, a foundling whose initial staring at the Doctor – who now really does dance- seems like it might be headed into Rose territory but the writer has something different for Ruby.

Like a lot of RTD’s previous Xmas special the festive trimmings are just that and soon give way to a tale of time travelling goblins who eat babies. Seemingly navigated by acts of coincidence this giggling gaggle – who sound like Gremlins before we see them- plan to take the latest baby being looked after by Carla Sunday. Cue lots of rooftops shenanigans as Ruby- not knowing what she is getting into but adapting very well- pursues them and ends up being helped by the Doctor.

Ruby’s story mirrors recently added series lore in which the Doctor turns out to have been a foundling himself. It’s interesting that rather than re-write or ignore this controversial development introduced by Chris Chibnall, RTD has decided to run with it. It’s a wise choice in that it suggests a deep emotional resonance will permeate the coming season and it does add some mystery. Whether it will be explained is another matter. We don’t even find out here who Ruby’s real mother is though we can speculate. Does it turn out to be Ruby herself in some time related thing? Or could it be the enigmatic Mrs Flood, avuncular next door neighbour who seems to know about the TARDIS? Or someone else? Her knowledge of the TARDIS only appears to occur after the Doctor has changed the time line back though of course she might have been pretending earlier.

One conclusion we can draw is that the series is in safe hands. Ncuti Gatwa is so likeable and enthusiastic, able to convey the Doctor’s emotional pivots easily. He certainly has that enigmatic sparkle that a Doctor should have. Plus, he has that otherworldly aspect- when he’s talking about the language of rope for example. There seems to be an attempt to push that more- note the way he seems to instantly move from the dance floor to Ruby’s table. Is he using magic? It’s also a different idea to make him so clearly obsessed with his look in a way other incarnations were not. Millie Gibson has a lot of assurance too as she arguably has an even harder job. There have been so many companions it must be difficult to come up with something different but in Ruby I think they have. The chemistry between the two sparks right away but I really hope they keep the best mates dynamic that served the Doctor and Donna so well.

Despite their impressive performances the episode is stolen by Michelle Greenidge whose Carla seems like the nicest person in the world. Her transformation from generous motherly Carla into the couldn’t care less character she becomes after the time line is changed is subtle but shocking nonetheless, the Doctor feels it and so do we. I hope we see a lot more of her in future episodes. Davinia McCall’s appearance is pleasingly part of the story rather than just being a quick cameo and turns out to be quite funny. More comedy is provided by the deadpan Angela Wynter as Cherry whose constant requests for a cup of tea become increasingly sardonic!

She’s not the only EastEnders alumnus present. We also have tv legend Anita Dobson as Mrs Flood. As soon as we see her, we think’ `Uh oh, there’s something a bit odd about her`. She has the appearance and behaviour of a chatty neighbour yet she watches the TARDIS come and go without surprise. I thought they were going to leave it at that till a mid-credits sequence (I wonder if these are going to be a Thing now?) when she breaks the fourth wall and winks at us with a look that falls somewhere between knowing and dangerous.

We also get a musical number not the full song which has been jostling for the charts and it works in the context of the show. The goblins themselves are peripheral to the story in that, like the Autons in `Rose`, they are just there because there needs to be an antagonist. Unusually the Doctor has no dialogue with them- though he does sing to them- and they are despatched with a strange scene that doesn’t quite work as well as it might and seems unusually casual for a character who has gone out of his way to offer villains a chance to leave before killing them. Maybe he’s realised that never works?  I would take a little issue too with those gloves which like the shield the sonic created in `The Star Beast` seem like an easy script writers way out especially after the much cleverer rope scenario on the Goblin ship. The Doctor does say “mavity” though so this clearly is a Thing.

The episode works well in setting up the new Doctor and companion, providing a few mysteries to return to and entertain a Xmas day audience. It also suggests that the approach to the Doctor and this era is going to vary from what we’ve become used to since 2005. There seems to be an early emphasis on the magic rather than the science yet anchored by strong emotional storytelling.  For the first time the Doctor and companion have essentially the same background which should be interesting next season.