*One guest-star spoiler.*
Very interesting episode. I don’t know if it quite accomplishes everything it sets out to do, but as the first truly Doctor-lite episode in over a decade, it did a fine job of holding my attention.
The TARDIS dematerializes on a Welsh clifftop, where the Doctor and Ruby stumble across a fairy circle. Suddenly, the Doctor is gone and Ruby is being shadowed by a mysterious woman who always stays exactly 73 yards away from her. While Ruby can’t get close to the woman, anyone else who approaches and speaks to her runs away in terror. How can Ruby solve the mystery and find the Doctor?
Ruby is on her own in this episode, which is very rare to see on the show. In the Moffat era, they figured out how to make the most of a Doctor-lite episode by trapping the Doctor in the TARDIS somehow—“The Girl Who Waited,” “Flatlines”—so a decent amount of material could be filmed with them and spread throughout the episode without a ton of work for the actor. The Doctor hasn’t been so palpably absent onscreen since way back in “Turn Left.” When faced with a missing Doctor and a creepy woman trailing her at a distance, Ruby does her best to figure things out. She seeks out help, and she tries to gain more information, but her new shadow has a talent for turning people against her. It gave me “The Curse of Clyde Langer” vibes, and I really like that this season is bringing The Sarah Jane Adventures feels in indirect ways.
The first half of the episode is high on the creep factor, minus some Welsh villagers ragging on Ruby for her apparent superstitions, while the second half goes to some interesting, unexpected places. I ultimately like where they go with it, even if it certainly asks far more questions than it answers. I’m not sure how much this will play into the series arc, or if it’s just meant to be a bit inexplicable. I could probably use at least one more viewing to get a better feel for things, though I have no illusions that it would “clear everything up” for me.
Millie Gibson’s performance anchors the episode nicely. We see Ruby’s fear, despair, determination, and cleverness all on display. I missed the Doctor, because I always do, but Ruby kept my attention throughout. Some of the recurring characters get in on the action as well—Kate Stewart gets the great line, “It’s what we do, all of us. We see something inexplicable and invent the rules to make it work.”
The season is already half over, how can that be??? Not nearly enough time with these characters.
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