Warning: Spoilers ahead for Doctor Who season 14, episodes 1 & 2 – “Space Babies” & “The Devil’s Chord.”
SUMMARY
- Steven Moffat’s influence on Doctor Who continues with subtle storytelling tropes in the season 14 premiere.
- Russell T Davies has been inspired by Moffat, introducing Ruby Sunday, with mysterious origins like Moffat’s companions.
- The Doctor’s scan of Ruby parallels the Eleventh Doctor’s scan of Amy Pond, adding intrigue to Ruby’s character development.
Steven Moffat’s era as the Doctor Who showrunner had some distinctive hallmarks, and an early tease in the season 14 premiere reinforces one of his signature storytelling tropes. Returning showrunner Russell T Davies is also Moffat’s predecessor, with the former being the driving force behind Doctor Who‘s revival in 2005. Davies has taken inspiration from Moffat’s time in charge, as the beginning of the Disney era of Doctor Who is already shaping up to be familiar when it comes to Ruby Sunday’s character.
Moffat took the reins from Davies in 2010, but his involvement with Doctor Who dates back to 2005. Moffat penned the Doctor Who season 1 two-parter that consisted of episode 9, “The Doctor Dances,” and episode 10, “The Empty Child.” He went on to write a few more episodes for Doctor Who’s Tenth Doctor before finally becoming the show’s overseer when Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor stepped into the fray. After Peter Capaldi had completed his run as the Twelfth Doctor, Moffat stepped back, but his legacy on the show can still be witnessed in Doctor Who season 14.
The Doctor Scanning Ruby Copies Moffat’s Eleventh Doctor & Amy Story
Ruby’s scan is shown at the end of “Space Babies”
Doctor Who season 14, season 1, “Space Babies” ends with Ruby Sunday leaving the TARDIS, revealing that Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor has been running a detailed scan on his mysterious new companion. For fans of Moffat’s era of Doctor Who, this sequence may look familiar. In Doctor Who season 6, episode 2, “Day of the Moon,” Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor also secretly ran a scan on Amy Pond. Just like Amy, Ruby is also unaware that the scan has taken place. Additionally, the results are just as initially inconclusive in both scenes.
“Day of the Moon” was written by Steven Moffat, but “Space Babies” was by Russell T Davies.
The purpose of Amy’s scan is to determine whether she’s pregnant. What’s interesting about Ruby’s scan is that it’s unclear exactly what the Doctor is looking for. Very little is known about Ruby’s origin, so the clandestine investigation is likely to do with her lineage. However, the scan is shown to be in its very early stages at the end of “Space Babies,” so it’s possible that Ruby needs to be inside the TARDIS for the scan to actively progress.
Ruby Sunday Is More Like A Moffat-Era Companion Than An RTD Companion
Ruby fits the “Mystery Girl” trope that Moffat favors
Steven Moffat had a penchant for pairing the Doctor with a specific type of companion. The former showrunner’s “Mystery Girl” trope in Doctor Who meant both of Moffat’s main companions during his tenure had enigmatic backstories. In other words, the origins of Amy Pond and Clara Oswald were just as enigmatic as Ruby Sunday’s. Russell T Davies is evidently a fan of this framework as he’s borrowed it to create Ruby’s character, with his usual companions not usually being such a mystery.
Ruby definitely belongs in the mysterious Moffat-esque category, despite being created by Russell T Davies.
Davies had three main companions during his initial stint as Doctor Who showrunner: Rose Tyler, Martha Jones, and Donna Noble. Although brilliantly written, all three were relatively unremarkable when compared to Moffat’s take on what a companion should be. Even Davies’ part-time companions like Captain Jack Harkness had fleshed out backstories. Ruby definitely belongs in the mysterious Moffat-esque category, despite being created by Russell T Davies.
Steven Moffat returns for Doctor Who season 14 to write episode 3, “Boom.”
Did The Doctor’s Scan Finish Before Doctor Who Season 14, Episode 2?
It’s unclear if the results are complete by the time of “The Devil’s Chord”
Fifteen’s scan of Ruby in “Space Babies” is shown to be at around 15% completion at the end of the episode. Ruby’s total time within the TARDIS had been quite minimal by this point, as the Doctor has been showing off how far back and forward in time his ship can travel. So, it’s difficult to judge just how long the Doctor’s scan will take to finish, and whether it requires Ruby’s presence to progress. However, there is a clue in Doctor Who season 14, episode 2, “The Devil’s Chord,” that suggests the scan may have been completed by then.
When trying to orientate herself on the timeline, Ruby makes a comment that suggests “Devil’s Chord” is not set immediately after “Space Babies,” but instead takes place months down the line. If this is correct, then judging by how quickly the scan reached the 15% mark, there would have been plenty of time for it to hit 100% and reveal whatever the Doctor was looking for – if there was even anything to find. The Doctor himself hasn’t been shown to revisit or readdress the scan by the time of “Space Babies,” so the Doctor Who companion mystery lasts another episode.
