Right ...
It’s Christmas Day.
And?
Until the replacement Mac turns up, I’m stuck writing this post with my back-up laptop.
Yes: I’m grateful to everyone who’s helped me buy that replacement machine.
But?
Angry at having to use a machine that was only ever meant as a ... a ... a toy, almost: a spare, rather than a main machine.
Cie la vie!
Friday -- the date when the new machine turns up?
Can’t come soon enough.
It’s Christmas Day.
And?
Until the replacement Mac turns up, I’m stuck writing this post with my back-up laptop.
Yes: I’m grateful to everyone who’s helped me buy that replacement machine.
But?
Angry at having to use a machine that was only ever meant as a ... a ... a toy, almost: a spare, rather than a main machine.
Cie la vie!
Friday -- the date when the new machine turns up?
Can’t come soon enough.
At any rate?
I'm writing this introduction early on Christmas day: in the expectation I'll be finishing it on Boxing Day: and will be letting you know what I thought of “The Church on Ruby Road”, as soon as I can!
~≈🕰≈~
26th December, 2023: “The Church on Ruby Road”.
“The Church on Ruby Road” — opens with the by now familiar Whoniverse ident: then moves to give us a brief bit of narration.
Provided by 15th Doctor, Ncuti Gatwa, himself, it tells us how a stranger visited the eponymous church: to leave their newborn daughter for the attentions of the church's kindly vicar.
The narrator then tells us the child was named Ruby — after the road she was found on — that the mother was never identified, and that the mysterious time traveller known as the Doctor was in the area at the time.
Post credits?
We’re introduced to the now nineteen-year-old Ruby Sunday: now being interviewed by TV presenter, Davina McCall*, for a show that specialises in connecting people with their long lost relatives.
We learn that Ruby's been fostered since being abandoned: and is now living in London.
It’s only towards the end of recording, whilst Davina sums up, and asks what Ruby is hoping for, that something ... knocks over a light ... !
A run of bad luck that carries on, over the next few day.
And only seems to get worse ... when she meets a mysterious Health and Safety inspector.
“The Church on Ruby Road” — opens with the by now familiar Whoniverse ident: then moves to give us a brief bit of narration.
Provided by 15th Doctor, Ncuti Gatwa, himself, it tells us how a stranger visited the eponymous church: to leave their newborn daughter for the attentions of the church's kindly vicar.
The narrator then tells us the child was named Ruby — after the road she was found on — that the mother was never identified, and that the mysterious time traveller known as the Doctor was in the area at the time.
Post credits?
We’re introduced to the now nineteen-year-old Ruby Sunday: now being interviewed by TV presenter, Davina McCall*, for a show that specialises in connecting people with their long lost relatives.
We learn that Ruby's been fostered since being abandoned: and is now living in London.
It’s only towards the end of recording, whilst Davina sums up, and asks what Ruby is hoping for, that something ... knocks over a light ... !
A run of bad luck that carries on, over the next few day.
And only seems to get worse ... when she meets a mysterious Health and Safety inspector.
Who assures her the accidents happening to her aren’t because she’s clumsy ... implying they’re caused by something else, before walking away, after wishing her a Merry Christmas.
It’s only when Ruby gets home ... that things start to get strange ... !
~≈🕰≈~
Now ...
What did I make of “The Church on Ruby Road”?
Of this Christmas special?
There’s possibly a lot to unpack, there.
Let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way, shall we?
There are going to be people who complain about Dr Who going woke.
Who’ll complain because they don’t like the casting of Ncuti Gatwa: because he’s black, gay or both.
I have one answer, there.
“Tough.”
Ncuti's debut, solo, performance as the 15th Doctor was confident, competent and charismatic.
And very energetic.
Something I found was matched by Millie Gibson's performance as Ruby.
Those of us who are not watching the show because they don’t — for whatever reason — like the lead actor?
Are missing a very good performance.
Quite literally.
I can remember seeing Christopher Ecclestone’s first appearance in the show, back in 2005: in “Rose”, the first episode of the revamped show.
And can remember that I thought, when I saw him telling Rose (Billie Piper) to run for her life.
I thought “He’ll do!”.
With a great deal of pleased satisfaction.
There’s possibly a lot to unpack, there.
Let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way, shall we?
There are going to be people who complain about Dr Who going woke.
Who’ll complain because they don’t like the casting of Ncuti Gatwa: because he’s black, gay or both.
I have one answer, there.
“Tough.”
Ncuti's debut, solo, performance as the 15th Doctor was confident, competent and charismatic.
And very energetic.
Something I found was matched by Millie Gibson's performance as Ruby.
Those of us who are not watching the show because they don’t — for whatever reason — like the lead actor?
Are missing a very good performance.
Quite literally.
I can remember seeing Christopher Ecclestone’s first appearance in the show, back in 2005: in “Rose”, the first episode of the revamped show.
And can remember that I thought, when I saw him telling Rose (Billie Piper) to run for her life.
I thought “He’ll do!”.
With a great deal of pleased satisfaction.
Ecclestone was — in those few seconds — everything a body could ask for.
The only other time I’ve thought that?
Was seeing Ncuti Gatwa, last night.
Especially in the scene where the Doctor tells the policeman he meets that he — the Constable — was going to get a “Yes” when he pops the question.
Going on that performance, I think we’re going to be in for an interesting time when his first series in the role is aired.
And, if you're not going to watch, because you don’t like the actor’s ethnicity or sexuality?
It's your loss.
The only other time I’ve thought that?
Was seeing Ncuti Gatwa, last night.
Especially in the scene where the Doctor tells the policeman he meets that he — the Constable — was going to get a “Yes” when he pops the question.
Going on that performance, I think we’re going to be in for an interesting time when his first series in the role is aired.
And, if you're not going to watch, because you don’t like the actor’s ethnicity or sexuality?
It's your loss.
~≈🕰≈~
The episode itself?
“The Church on Ruby Road”, itself?
Is very well done.
In not showing us the regeneration — or bi-generation, I should say — it throws Ncuti straight into the role: and gets us following the Doctor, this Doctor, from the get go.
And, much as the first few seasons of the revived show?
It concentrates not on the Doctor’s story, but on the companion’s, on Ruby’s: shows us someone who’s lost, and is trying to find herself.
Yes: the episode has its downright silly bits.
Singing goblins are certainly that.
But?
That pantomime silliness is more than countered by the darker elements of the story: of child kidnapping monsters, of people desperate to find out their past … and of a mother so frantic, that abandoning her child at the doors of a church seems her only option.
And?
By the simple fact that in its closing moments leaves us with the mysterious Mrs Flood (Anita Dobson) talking directly to us — us — and saying “Never seen a TARDIS, before?”
The simple fact that the trailer we saw at the end of this episode, means we could be getting an answer to that question in May of 2024?
But?
That pantomime silliness is more than countered by the darker elements of the story: of child kidnapping monsters, of people desperate to find out their past … and of a mother so frantic, that abandoning her child at the doors of a church seems her only option.
And?
By the simple fact that in its closing moments leaves us with the mysterious Mrs Flood (Anita Dobson) talking directly to us — us — and saying “Never seen a TARDIS, before?”
The simple fact that the trailer we saw at the end of this episode, means we could be getting an answer to that question in May of 2024?
Frankly?
I'm going to be looking forward to that!
“The Church on Ruby Road”
★★★★
★★★★
~≈🕰≈~
I’ll be looking forward to May, 2024.
This new series shows promise.
And I’ll be trying to review those — both in written and video form — as they’re broadcast!
Between now and then?
I’ll be watching “Legacy”, the next episode of For All Mankind, on 30th December, 2023: and putting my written and video reviews up on the 31st December.
Feel free to subscribe to this blog: and to my YouTube channel.
I will, hopefully, see you then.
* McCall was last in Dr Who back in 2005: voicing a futuristic version of herself in the series one episodes “Bad Wolf” and “The Parting of the Ways”.
This new series shows promise.
And I’ll be trying to review those — both in written and video form — as they’re broadcast!
Between now and then?
I’ll be watching “Legacy”, the next episode of For All Mankind, on 30th December, 2023: and putting my written and video reviews up on the 31st December.
Feel free to subscribe to this blog: and to my YouTube channel.
I will, hopefully, see you then.
* McCall was last in Dr Who back in 2005: voicing a futuristic version of herself in the series one episodes “Bad Wolf” and “The Parting of the Ways”.
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