Doctor Who Season 14 Episode Guide

SUMMARY

• Doctor Who season 14 introduces Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor and marks the return of Russell T Davies as showrunner.
• The season includes new faces like Millie Gibson’s Ruby Sunday and expands the Time Lord’s adventures to a wider audience with Disney+.
• Episodes feature unique storylines like saving space babies and defeating an eternal villain through song and sound.

Here’s your one-stop guide to Doctor Who season 14. After Ncuti Gatwa debuted as the Fifteenth Doctor in 2023’s 60th anniversary special and met Millie Gibson’s Ruby Sunday in the subsequent Christmas episode, Doctor Who season 14 marks the duo’s first full run as TARDIS occupants. Season 14 also begins a whole new era for Britain’s greatest sci-fi export. In addition to the new faces leading Doctor Who‘s cast, Russell T Davies returns as showrunner for the first time since 2010, while a distribution deal with Disney+ brings the Time Lord’s adventures to a much wider audience.

Doctor Who season 14 comprises eight episodes. Starting with a double-feature, these will release Fridays at 7pm ET on Disney+ and midnight Saturday on iPlayer for viewers in the UK. Doctor Who then airs in its traditional Saturday evening slot on BBC1 in the UK. Aside from Gatwa and Gibson, Doctor Who season 14’s other recurring cast members include Michelle Greenidge as Ruby’s adoptive mother, Angela Wynter as her adoptive grandmother, Jemma Redgrave as Kate Stewart, Bonnie Langford as Mel, Yasmin Finney as Rose, and Anita Dobson as Doctor Who‘s mysterious Mrs. Flood.

Written By: Russell T Davies, Directed By: Julie Anne Robinson

A random TARDIS ride takes the Doctor and Ruby to 21506, where a space station serves as a baby farm for a human colony. Proving that not even the TARDIS can outrun bureaucracy, the farm has been abandoned due to budget cuts, save for one crew member who secretly stayed behind to protect the babies on board: Golda Rosheuvel’s Nan-E. The Doctor must get the space babies to safety, but first needs to outfox the ship’s mysterious monster, known only as the Bogeyman. At the same time, the Doctor begins to realize that the mystery of Ruby’s parents runs into the very fabric of time and space.

Biggest Takeaways

• The software that educated the space babies after their farm was abandoned created the Bogeyman because it was replicating children’s stories from its data banks. Interpreting information literally, it made the Bogeyman from bogeys.
• The Doctor saves the space babies by using gas from used diapers to essentially fart the space station to the nearest safe planet.
• Ruby’s memories of being abandoned as a child bleed into reality, causing the falling snow from her first Christmas Eve to physically appear on the space station. The Doctor has never seen this phenomenon before.
• Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor is still coming to terms with Doctor Who‘s Timeless Child revelation.
• The Doctor uses the TARDIS to scan Ruby. The readout says she’s human, but this result isn’t conclusive.

References & Trivia

• The Doctor mentions the Rani – a Sixth Doctor villain played by Kate O’Mara.
• The Fifteenth Doctor explains to Ruby – and any Disney+ newcomers – that the TARDIS’ chameleon circuit broke after he visited 1960s London as the First Doctor. This happened in “The Cave of Skulls” – Doctor Who ‘s second-ever episode.
• Ruby compares the space station’s matter transporter to a Star Trek transporter. Curiously, the Doctor promises to ” visit them one day .”
• Ruby phoning her mother from the future is a direct parallel to Rose Tyler calling Jackie in 2005 episode “The End of the World.”
• After stepping on a butterfly turns Ruby into a bug, the Fifteenth Doctor remembers to reengage his ” Butterfly Compensation Switch .” This explains why the Doctor Who 60th anniversary’s “mavity” change happened and rules out further timeline alterations.
• A “mavity” reading can be seen on the space station’s computer screen in “Space Babies.”
• The Doctor worries about Ruby’s mother slapping him. Jackie Tyler and Sylvia Noble both struck him previously.

2Doctor Who Season 14, Episode 2, “The Devil’s Chord”

Written by: Russell T Davies. Directed by: Ben Chessell

Ruby Sunday wants to see The Beatles recording their debut album, but she and the Doctor are stunned to arrive in a music-free 1963. The entire world has been drained of songs by new Doctor Who villain Maestro – an eternal entity and the child of the Toymaker. Maestro ultimately plans to destroy the universe by manipulating the sound of matter itself, and the Doctor confirms Earth’s imminent destruction with a quick trip back to 2024, where he and Ruby look out across a destroyed London.

Biggest Takeaways

• The Doctor defeats Maestro the same way he defeated the Toymaker – not through power, but playing by their own rules and banishing them back beyond the universe.
• Maestro teases a connection between Ruby Sunday, the “oldest one,” and the One Who Waits .
• The Doctor describes Maestro as a member of the “Pantheon.”
• Something is wrong with the TARDIS in Doctor Who season 14, episode 2. It groans after the Doctor and Ruby return to 1963, but the Doctor doesn’t believe Maestro is to blame, attributing the problem to ” something else .”

References & Trivia

• A six-month time jump occurs between “Space Babies” & “The Devil’s Chord.”
• “The Devil’s Chord” is a highly unusual instance of Doctor Who ‘s fictional universe bleeding into the show’s iconic intro sequence. Maestro plays the opening notes of the theme, and the final bars come out of the TARDIS jukebox.
• The Doctor speculates that Susan, his granddaughter, may have been killed by the Master’s genocide against the Time Lords, which happened during Jodie Whittaker’s era.
• In a rare move, the Doctor actually uses his sonic screwdriver for a sonic purpose, draining sound from the atmosphere while hiding from Maestro.
• “Pantheon” could be a reference to the Pantheon of Discord from The Sarah Jane Adventures , linking Maestro and the Toymaker to the Trickster.
• “The Devil’s Chord” leaves the fourth wall in tatters. In addition to the theme song trick, the Fifteenth Doctor winks at the camera before “There’s Always A Twist At The End.” In another meta moment, the Doctor replies, ” I thought that was non-diegetic ” when Ruby claims to hear music. In a movie or TV show, non-diegetic music is any sound not coming from within the fictional universe, such as the score.
• The Mrs. Mills piano is a real-life instrument played by the musician Gladys Mills.
• The billboard for “Chris Waites & The Carrollers” is a reference to a line spoken by Ian Chesterton in 1963’s very first Doctor Who episode, “An Unearthly Child.”
• “The Devil’s Chord” contains several cameos: Doctor Who composer Murray Gold as the piano player in the closing song, as well as Shirley Ballas and Johannes Radebe from Strictly Come Dancing .

3Doctor Who Season 14, Episode 3, “Boom”

Written By: Steven Moffat, Directed By: Julie Anne Robinson

Written by former Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat, “Boom” predictably comes with a clever and unique conceit. On this particular occasion, Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor spends almost the entire episode with one foot stuck on a landmine. Forced to rely heavily on Ruby Sunday for assistance, one wrong move will detonate the Doctor and half of Kastarion 3 along with him, meaning the Doctor’s only hope of survival is getting to the bottom of why war is raging in the first place. A much darker affair compared to “Space Babies” and “The Devil’s Chord,” “Boom” has enjoyed roundly positive reviews from critics.

Biggest Takeaways

• The Doctor halts the war on Kastarion 3 after revealing the conflict is manufactured entirely by the evil Villengard weapons company. Fifteen calls upon his dad skills and appeals to the paternal side of an AI program, which then sabotages Villengard’s network.
• Confirmed Doctor Who season 15 companion actor Varada Sethu makes her debut as Mundy Flynn. It is not clear whether Mundy will be the Doctor’s next companion or whether Sethu will play an entirely different character.
• The Ambulance’s avatar is played by Susan Twist, who has now made five different character cameos since “Wild Blue Yonder.”
• For the third time, falling snow appears around Ruby Sunday . Once again, this happens when Ruby is forced to think about her past.

References & Trivia

• The Fifteenth Doctor sings “The Skye Boat Song” after stepping on the landmine. This tune was previously played by Patrick Troughton’s Second Doctor in the 1960s.
• The Anglican Priests from “Boom” are a continuation of the religious army Steven Moffat first introduced in “The Time of Angels.”
• Villengard has been ever-present throughout Steven Moffat’s Doctor Who journey. The company was first mentioned in Doctor Who season 1’s “The Doctor Dances,” then Villengard itself appeared in “Twice Upon A Time.”
• “Boom” makes a reference to sentient mud, which is a callback to Jodie Whittaker episode “The Witchfinders.”
• The Doctor recalls enjoying fish fingers and custard – a memorable moment from Matt Smith’s introductory episode, which also marked the beginning of Steven Moffat’s era as showrunner.
• The final quote from Doctor Who season 14, episode 3 – ” what survives of us is love ” – is taken from a Philip Larkin poem that curiously also mentions falling snow.

4Doctor Who Season 14, Episode 4, “73 Yards”

Written By: Russell T Davies, Directed By: Dylan Holmes Williams

The Doctor abruptly disappears after breaking a magic fairy circle in modern day Wales, leaving Ruby alone to face an old woman who follows her constantly, always standing 73 yards away. Ruby lives her entire life haunted by this eerie figure, and any who attempt to communicate with the mysterious stranger – even Ruby’s own mother and Kate Lethbridge-Stewart, the head of Doctor Who‘s UNIT organization – run away in terror.

Ruby comes to believe her purpose is stopping Britain’s evil new Prime Minister, Roger ap Gwilliam, but even after succeeding in this mission, the old woman refuses to leave Ruby alone. As the end of Ruby’s life beckons, the old woman draws closer and becomes Ruby herself. The ex-companion is then whisked back to Wales in 2024 where she warns the Doctor not to break the fairy circle, preventing the episode’s timeline from happening.

Biggest Takeaways

• “73 Yards” remains ambiguous over exactly how Old Ruby travels back in time and why she keeps seeing her future self standing 73 yards away. Either the magic spell itself or Ruby’s own inner powers are most likely responsible.
• Doctor Who also doesn’t explain why anyone who speaks to Ruby’s future self runs away, why the Doctor disappears , or whether there really is a connection between Roger ap Gwilliam and the ” Mad Jack” mentioned in the fairy circle’s scrolls.
• Kate Lethbridge-Stewart uses the phrase ” this timeline ” and Ruby vaguely remembers visiting Wales already during the final scene. These clues suggest the events of “73 Yards” belong to a timeline separate from Doctor Who ‘s main narrative after Old Ruby successfully warned the Doctor to avoid breaking the fairy circle.

References & Trivia

• Upon arriving in Wales, Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor uses the phrase ” the war between the land and the sea ” to describe the coastline. The War Between the Land & the Sea is the reported title of Doctor Who ‘s next spinoff, which will focus on the Sea Devils.
• The theory that Mrs. Flood is an older Ruby Sunday from the future now cannot be true.
• Susan Twist makes her latest cameo in Doctor Who ‘s “73 Yards,” sparking a moment of recognition with Ruby.
• Kate Lethbridge-Stewart tells Ruby about the TARDIS’ perception filter. This canon addition in Doctor Who ‘s modern era has been used to explain how a parked TARDIS doesn’t draw widespread attention.
• Kate mentions UNIT soldiers undergoing psychic shield training. It didn’t work when Meep brainwashed UNIT’s soldiers in “The Star Beast,” and it doesn’t work in “73 Yards” either.
• “73 Yards” is the third Doctor Who season 14 episode where a main character has stepped on something they shouldn’t have. Ruby stamped the butterfly in “Space Babies,” the Doctor stepped on a mine in “Boom,” and the Doctor’s foot breaks the fairy circle in “73 Yards.”
• “73 Yards” is the first Doctor-lite episode for Ncuti Gatwa, although it is unusual to have an episode without the Doctor coming so early in that Doctor’s reign.
• Roger ap Gwilliam continues Russell T Davies’ long-standing tradition of morally scrupulous prime minister characters in Doctor Who , following in the footsteps of Joseph Green, Harriet Jones, and Harold Saxon.
• Kate Lethbridge-Stewart confirms UNIT has noticed an increase in supernatural events. This has been a growing trend ever since Doctor Who‘s Toymaker crossed into the universe during “The Giggle.”
• Present Amol Rajan makes a cameo appearance as a future version of himself interviewing Roger ap Gwilliam.

5Doctor Who Season 14, Episode 5, “Dot & Bubble”

Written By: Russell T Davies, Directed By: Dylan Holmes Williams

Another Doctor-lite episode, Doctor Who season 14’s “Dot & Bubble” stars Callie Cooke as Lindy Pepper-Bean, a human colonist hailing from an unspecified period in the future. Lindy and her wealthy, young friends populate a supposedly idyllic colony called Finetime, which is dominated by an immersive social media platform via each individual’s “Dot.” Having identified that Finetime’s residents are being eaten by giant bugs, the Doctor and Ruby must save Lindy – even if they can only communicate with her via the Dot and Bubble’s video chat.

Biggest Takeaways

• Finetime’s society is built upon racial discrimination. This is why the survivors refuse the Doctor’s help during the ending of Doctor Who‘s “Dot & Bubble.”
• The Dot AI gained sentience and learned to despise its users due to their prejudiced attitudes and vacuous online conversations. Hence, it started killing them by creating giant human-eating bugs.
• Lindy’s homeworld is also revealed to have been overrun by the bugs. This is likely because the homeworld’s residents also utilized the Dots’ social media platform, and so the technology’s rage extended to both Finetime and the homeworld.
• “Dot & Bubble” doesn’t reveal what happens to the survivors after they head into the Wild Woods, but since Lindy struggled to even walk without her Dot, their chances are slim.

References & Trivia

• Susan Twist’s character in “Dot & Bubble” is Lindy’s mother. This is the first time Susan Twist has played a Doctor Who character directly related to another character.
• Ricky September mentions the “Great Abrogation,” which may hint towards why Finetime has no equality laws.
• “Dot & Bubble” contains numerous hints that foreshadow Lindy’s racist attitude towards the Fifteenth Doctor.
• Alongside “73 Yards,” this is the first time modern Doctor Who has had two Doctor-lite episodes within the same season.
• The song Ricky September sings is “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini” by Brian Hyland.
• When the Fifteenth Doctor finally appears in-person at the end of “Dot & Bubble,” he’s wearing his costume from the 2023 Christmas special. This is the first time Ncuti Gatwa has re-worn a costume since his Doctor Who reign began.
• Ruby Sunday mentions the Doctor saving her ” so many times .” This contradicts Ruby’s claim that she hardly knew the Doctor from “73 Yards.”
• Like many episodes in Doctor Who season 14, “Dot & Bubble” involves the Doctor and Ruby saving youngsters who have no parents.

6Doctor Who Season 14, Episode 6, “Rogue”

Written By: Kate Herron & Briony Redman, Directed By: Ben Chessell

The only Doctor Who season 14 episode not written by a current or former showrunner, “Rogue” makes no attempt to hide its considerable debt to Bridgerton. Indeed, the connection to Netflix’s period drama is baked into the plot, as villainous shape-shifting Chuldur have apparently borrowed the Daleks’ password and binged through Bridgerton so fast that they had no choice but to visit the Regency era and cosplay as the real deal. The Doctor and Ruby are assisted by the lovable Rogue, played by Jonathan Groff. A bounty hunter by trade, Rogue is also seeking the Chuldur.

Biggest Takeaways

• Rogue is virtually a like-for-like Captain Jack replacement. Both characters fit the criminal-with-a-heart mold, are endlessly flirtatious, and are played by actors with plenty of experience in musical theater. Doctor Who season 14 leaves the door wide open for Jonathan Groff to reprise his role in a future season.
• In a significant first for Doctor Who , Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor shares a romantic same-sex kiss with another character. Jack planted a goodbye smooch on both Rose and the Ninth Doctor in “The Parting of the Ways,” but not in the overtly passionate way the Doctor and Rogue kiss in season 14.

References & Trivia

• The procession of holograms that appears after Rogue’s ship scans the Doctor includes every known incarnation of the Doctor: the main 15 plus John Hurt’s War Doctor and Jo Martin’s Fugitive Doctor.
• The holograms also appear to induct Richard E. Grant’s Shalka Doctor into official Doctor Who canon.
• Curiously, the Third Doctor looks older in the hologram than he did during his final canon appearance in 1983’s “The Five Doctors.” This may be foreshadowing a future twist involving Jon Pertwee’s regeneration.
• Susan Twist’s cameo in Doctor Who season 14 , episode 6, comes via a portrait of the Duke’s mother.
• Rogue mentions having a ” new boss .” This is likely the same Boss that Meep teased during Doctor Who ‘s 60th anniversary.
• The Fifteenth Doctor’s sonic screwdriver is usually silver and metallic blue, but changes to silver and metallic red in “Rogue,” presumably to match Gatwa’s fancy outfit.
• “Rogue” marks the first appearance of psychic earrings – a sonic screwdriver-esque device for companions.
• Ncuti Gatwa briefly slips into a Scottish accent while on Rogue’s ship – a nod to the actor’s real-life heritage.
• The psychic paper fails due to Rogue’s handsomeness diverting the Doctor’s thoughts elsewhere.
• Indira Varma previously appeared in the Doctor Who universe as Torchwood ‘s Suzie.

7Doctor Who Season 14, Episode 7, “The Legend Of Ruby Sunday”

Written By: Russell T Davies. Directed By: Jamie Donoughue

More information on “The Legend of Ruby Sunday” will be added after the episode arrives on Disney+ June 14.

8Doctor Who Season 14, Episode 8, “Empire Of Death”

Written By: Russell T Davies. Directed By: Jamie Donoughue

More information on “Empire of Death” will be added after the episode arrives on Disney+ June 21.