Why Was Ncuti Gatwa Missing From Doctor Who Season 14 Episode 4? Showrunner Explained
Russell T Davies’s 73 Yards, episode 4 of Doctor Who Season 14, is more of a Millie Gibson’s Ruby Sunday-focused story instead of Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor.
Touted to be one of the all-time greatest performances in its history, the latest Doctor Who episode, 73 Yards, of its 14th season kicked things up a notch from last week’s third episode. One of the reasons it stood out was the rare feature of the Fifteenth Doctor (portrayed by Ncuti Gatwa), instead was mostly a solo journey for Ruby Sunday (portrayed by Millie Gibson).
Ever since Doctor Who’s 60th-anniversary specials ended, Gatwa has appeared in every episode with 73 Yards being the exception. While fans and audiences tried to make sense of it through the storyline, showrunner Russell T Davies has provided an explanation for the same. Check it out below.
What is the storyline of Doctor Who Season 14 Episode 4, 73 Yards?
In Davies’s second stint as the showrunner, the show tends to lean more towards the fantasy genre from its sci-fi norm. Following the Fourteenth Doctor’s invocation of the salt superstition in Wild Blue Yonder, an increasing number of events have been linked to magical happenings. Another illustration of this change in Doctor Who’s formula is the fairy circle in 73 Yards. The Doctor disappears soon after breaking the circle in the first few minutes of the show, more precisely, right after Sunday reads a scroll that says, “I miss you.”
Following which, Sunday steals the show as the companion finds herself at the center of a curse that sends loved ones running for their lives and a shadowy figure chasing her. This episode is more of a Sunday-focused story.
What does Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies say about Ncuti Gatwa’s absence?
Davies revealed the reason behind the Fifteenth Doctor vanishing was scheduling issues. He told BBC’s Doctor Who: Unleashed that episode 4 filming was moved up to the first production block as Gatwa was filming Sex Education season 4 at the same time that season 14 was scheduled to start. This resulted in making Sunday the center of the narrative which also marked Gibson’s first feature in the series.
“The whole setup of this is partly because Ncuti was busy filming Sex Education. We had to start filming, so we kind of happily embraced the opportunity to say, let’s focus on Millie as Ruby. And that gives you a chance to explore her character. It gives us a chance to explore her as an actor. And it’s really rewarding. It’s really paying back. She’s doing the most brilliant job,” Davies explained.
About the series Doctor Who and its episode 73 Yards
The ongoing British sci-fi television series has been broadcast by BBC since 1963. Created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber, and Donald Wilson, Doctor Who revolves around The Doctor, an alien and a member of the Time Lords who goes on adventures. The Doctor uses a time-traveling spacecraft known as the TARDIS, which resembles a British police box, to travel both through space and time. During the travel, The Doctor, who often takes companions on several of his trips, battles enemies to save lives and free oppressed peoples.
