Grace Heriegel

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Cue a rendition of ‘The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived’…

Before we even get to the twist, the development of Ruby Sunday is beautiful. She’s grown from this wide-eyed, excited young girl to a fully grown, independent woman. But, still plagued by what she experienced with the Doctor. The portrayal of her PTSD is done with elegance and grace, leaving us with the truth of what we’ve seen before – the Doctor just leaves those behind, alone and abandoned.

This episode also solves a huge plot hole, of how the Doctor knew he had to find Belinda, connecting the dots and storyline.

Now to the twist – SPOILERS!!!

This episode felt like Black Mirror, so raw and truthful it left me utterly seething – knowing this could be, and is in fact, our reality. Interestingly, Davies usually comments against the UK Government, but this felt more like a turn towards trust…

Kate’s anger was terrifying, the comments against her father harrowing such rage. Who knows what she would’ve done if the others hadn’t stepped in? At what lengths can (and does) a person go to protect such an important legacy, more importantly a giant government organisation to protect the planet?!

My only disappointing comment is Conrad. The depth and complexities of his childhood, the organisation, the lies told to Ruby – all were incredible. But, after the reveal, his character is simply… a villain. There’s nothing else to explore. Even the fear of his near-death experience seemed to be diminished, as well as the mysterious Mrs Flood at the end of the episode. Maybe that’s the whole point, or maybe we’ll have to wait and see where this storyline will go…