17-Year-Old Doctor Who Episode Explains Why Ruby Couldn’t Enter The TARDIS In “73 Yards”
SUMMARY
- The TARDIS may have actively prevented Ruby from entering without the Doctor, especially based on past behavior.
- Ruby’s enigmatic past and unclear lineage could be why the TARDIS denied her entry in “73 Yards.”
- The TARDIS groaning in “The Devil’s Chord” may point to challenges Ruby poses to the ship.
One of the biggest challenges for Ruby Sunday in Doctor Who season 14, episode 4, “73 Yards,” is trying to discover what happened to the Doctor, and while her attempt to reenter the TARDIS to look for him failed, an episode from David Tennant’s era could explain why the blue box denied her access. Gatwa’s absence from much of “73 Yards” means it’s down to Millie Gibson to lead the Doctor Who season 14 cast for almost the entire installment. After the Time Lord vanishes, the TARDIS’ refusal to yield to Ruby’s key raises even more questions.
The Doctor’s TARDIS is a sentient time and space machine, and while it largely adheres to the Doctor’s commands, the ship has often proven to have a mind of its own. Because of this, Ruby’s failure to board the TARDIS after the Doctor’s disappearance in “73 Yards” suggests there’s far more at play than a broken lock. Instead, what’s far more likely is the TARDIS actively prevents Millie Gibson’s character from reentering without the Doctor’s presence. If so, another Russell T Davies episode from 2007 sets a very fitting precedent for this type of behavior from the TARDIS.
Doctor Who Season 3, Episode 11 Proves The TARDIS Dislikes Certain Passengers
Jack Harkness has also experienced TARDIS troubles
In Doctor Who season 3, episode 11, “Utopia,” David Tennant’s Tenth Doctor flees in the TARDIS from an approaching Captain Jack Harkness. Jack’s status as a “Fixed point in time” unsettles the Doctor, hence why the Time Lord is so unsettled by the Torchwood leader’s existence. Although the Doctor successfully pilots his ship into the Time Vortex, Jack manages to hitch a ride by holding onto the outside of the TARDIS. Equally uncomfortable with Jack’s endless lifespan, the TARDIS journeys all the way to the end of the universe to try and shake him loose – against the Doctor’s will.
Although Ruby has flown in the TARDIS many times, the Doctor has always been present to allow her entry.
This autonomous decision-making is proof that the TARDIS is not indiscriminate about its passengers. The TARDIS has certain rules about the type of person it will take through time and space. As it stands, it seems as though Ruby Sunday is in the same category as Jack Harkness. Although Ruby has flown in the TARDIS many times, the Doctor has always been present to allow her entry. With the Doctor gone, there is no one to overrule the ship’s decision to keep Ruby at bay. Confused by the Doctor’s vanishing act, the TARDIS has no reason to grant Ruby access.
The TARDIS Could Have Denied Ruby Sunday’s Entry Because Of Her Mysterious Past
The Doctor’s ship may not like Ruby’s past being so unknown
The reason for the TARDIS’ discomfort around Jack Harkness is clear, as it’s laid out by the Tenth Doctor during “Utopia.” For Ruby’s situation, the specific reason why she found herself locked out of the Doctor’s ship isn’t quite as clear. However, there are several unanswered questions about Ruby’s past, her lineage, and the falling snow flashbacks that inexplicably follow her across time and space. As such, the TARDIS could be aware on some level of just how enigmatic Ruby Story’s backstory is and has seized the opportunity to rid itself of the walking mystery that is Ruby Sunday.
Russell T Davies wrote both “Utopia” and “73 Yards.”
In the 2023 Doctor Who Christmas special, “The Church on Ruby Road,” Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor travels back to the night of Ruby’s birth to stop her from being taken and eaten by the Goblins. On that same night, the Doctor sees a hooded figure leaving the church, who is presumably the person who left Ruby on the church’s doorstep. What’s easy to forget is that the TARDIS was also there, and may be aware of the stranger’s identity, or perhaps their power.
In Doctor Who season 4, episode 6, “The Doctor’s Wife,” the TARDIS gains human form and reveals that it doesn’t perceive time the same way as other lifeforms. So, it could be harboring knowledge about Ruby’s timeline that even the Doctor isn’t privy to. If so, this would strengthen the theory that the TARDIS intentionally denied Ruby entry in “73 Yards,” and it was because something in Ruby’s past or future scared it.
The TARDIS Groaning In “The Devil’s Chord” Could Have Been Caused By Ruby’s Presence
The Doctor confirms the groan isn’t caused by damage
Doctor Who season 14 has already provided another potential clue that could confirm why Ruby Sunday and the TARDIS don’t make a good fit. In “The Devil’s Chord,” the TARDIS lets out an unusual groaning sound that the Doctor immediately confirms isn’t a sign of the ship being broken. The reason for the sound could be that the TARDIS is working extra hard to transport Ruby across the universe, potentially for a facet of her existence that has yet to be revealed.
Just as Jack Harkness defied the TARDIS’ understanding of how time functions, Ruby may also be challenging the blue box’s knowledge in a way that it’s trying to ignore or has yet to figure out.
Just as Jack Harkness defied the TARDIS’ understanding of how time functions, Ruby may also be challenging the blue box’s knowledge in a way that it’s trying to ignore or has yet to figure out. With the additional strain caused by Maestro’s hijack attempt, the TARDIS may have briefly reached its breaking point and been unable to contain the sound of fatigue. Thankfully, the TARDIS has continued to function, although its run-down appearance near the end of Ruby’s alternate timeline in “73 Yards” suggests it may have met its end during its fruitless wait for the Doctor’s return.
How Jack Harkness’ TARDIS Situation Differs From Ruby Sunday’s
The TARDIS treats Ruby differently to Jack
After Jack was denied entry to the TARDIS and was almost taken loose into the Time Vortex, it was a very long time before he boarded the ship again. He did eventually reenter the TARDIS when Barrowman returned during Jodie Whittaker’s era, but a huge amount of time had passed for the blue box. So, it likely had time to process what Jack is, even if it didn’t like it. However, “73 Yards” is the first time the TARDIS has noticeably objected to Ruby’s presence – unless its groan in “The Devil’s Chord” is proven to be directly related.
With the timeline being reset at the end of “73 Yards,“Ruby no longer remembers failing to board the TARDIS – because it technically never happened. As a result, Ruby continues her adventures with the Doctor, unaware of the time and space machine potentially having an issue with her being aboard. So, while Jack was completely aware of the TARDIS’ opinion of him, Ruby Sunday is blissfully ignorant of the burden she is potentially placing on the iconic Doctor Who ship.
