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| The Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and Ruby (Millie Gibson) meet on the ship of a band of infant-eating goblins! |
1 episode. Running Time: Approx. 55 minutes. Written by: Russell T. Davies. Directed by: Mark Tonderai. Produced by: Chris May.
THE PLOT:
Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) is having a run of bad luck. She's interviewed by Davina McCall while searching for her biological parents - only for the interview to end when the studio lights begin falling. Her band's club performance is disrupted by electrical problems, costing her a job. She can't even bring in the groceries without the bottom of the bag splitting open!
This isn't simple clumsiness. Ruby is being stalked by goblins, creatures that are powered by bad luck and coincidence. Coincidences such as Ruby's adoptive mother, Carla (Michelle Greenidge) fostering newborn baby Lulabelle at Christmas - exactly as happened with Ruby nineteen years earlier.
This is the key coincidence that brings the goblins to Ruby. They snatch Lulabelle right out of her crib. Ruby gives chase, and she finds herself pulled into their ship.
The good news is that she isn't alone. The Doctor has been tracking Ruby and the goblins as well. The bad news? The goblins plan to eat baby Lulabelle - and the time for their feast is at hand!
CHARACTERS:
The Doctor: Ncuti Gatwa brings enormous energy to the role. He grins as he and Ruby are pulled into the goblin ship, seeming downright joyful as he tells her that if the creatures catch them they will eat them. An early scene (apparently, one requested by Disney) has the Doctor showing his intelligence by deducing, Sherlock Holmes-style, that the police officer he's just met is planning to propose to his girlfriend. The scene is a good addition, serving as a quick encapsulation of how quickly the Doctor's mind works and how what seems like "magic knowledge" is actually well reasoned.
Ruby: Millie Gibson matches Gatwa's energy with her own. The character is drawn in broad strokes at the moment, though there are traits that have potential for development. She has a positive attitude which she seems to try to force even when she's disappointed or anxious. She also has a lot of determination. Not only does she chase after Lulubelle when the goblins kidnap her, she doesn't hesitate in jumping onto the goblin ladder (a ladder in the sky) to keep up the pursuit... a degree of recklessness that even the Doctor comments on!
Carla Sunday: She was originally Ruby's foster mother, then ended up adopting her. Carla is a generous person who has made a difference in the lives of 33 foster children, many of whom she's remained in touch with. She isn't entirely without jealousy, however; when Ruby is unable to find her birth parents, Carla declares that she's glad of it, adding that she wonders what her life would have been without Ruby. This being a Christmas special, that prompts an It's a Wonderful Life scene in which we and the Doctor glimpse exactly that, transforming her into a bitter and selfish figure. Michelle Greenidge is very good as both versions of Carla, critically showing these as possibilities for the same person rather than making "alternate Carla" seem like a different character.
THOUGHTS:
So we have singing goblins who snatch a baby from a young girl watching it. The girl tries to recover the child, following it to the lair of a Goblin King, where she's treated to a full musical number. I think I know what movie Russell T. Davies was watching before he wrote this...
The Church on Ruby Road is not a particularly substantial story, but it's a lot of fun. It showcases the new Doctor and companion both individually and as a team. Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson have good screen chemistry, and there's just enough of the macabre in the episode's Grimm's Fairy Tale trappings to lend an edge to the silliness.
The high point comes midway through, when the Doctor and Ruby observe the goblins singing as they prepare to eat baby Lulabelle. The song is so catchy that it's all but guaranteed to live in your head for days after viewing, and the mix of comic lunacy and ghoulishness is a delight. The goblins begin throwing salt and seasonings on the baby as it runs on a conveyor belt directly to the open mouth of the waiting Goblin King - twisted, ridiculous, and wildly over-the-top all in the same instant.
Nothing else in the episode lives up to that scene, but it's smartly paced throughout. Unlike some of Davies' past scripts, some of which I thought turned into rushed jumbles, The Church on Ruby Road knows when to apply the brakes and slow down.
The first twenty minutes has plenty of incident, but it builds mystery as well. All we see of the goblins is their hands as they engineer the mischief surrounding Ruby's bad luck. At the same time, this opening Act gives us plenty of time with Ruby. She may be drawn mostly in broad strokes, but her backstory and relationships are parceled out nicely, and she's likable enough that it's easy to identify with her.
The mid-episode shifts into high gear, as the Doctor and Ruby properly meet and then rescue the baby from the goblins (I doubt it's a spoiler to reveal that no infant is eaten in a Doctor Who Christmas special). Then the final Act slows down again as it becomes the Doctor's turn to get some character moments, from him sharing the recent discovery that he's also a foundling who was "adopted" to his pondering whether he himself might be "the bad luck." I think this also a good choice for Gatwa's introductory story, showing him handling some dramatic and emotional beats as deftly as the comic ones.
Even at the end of the episode, I'm still left feeling that I don't yet know this new set of regulars. But they're an engaging duo, which is enough to have me looking forward to getting to know them.
OVERALL:
Like most of Doctor Who's Christmas specials, The Church on Ruby Road does not have the most complex of stories. The goblin tale is there mostly to support the introduction of the new regulars, both of whom make an excellent impression here, while also providing a couple of enjoyably bonkers set pieces.
I'd rate it toward the lower end of the new series' introductory tales. Even at the end, I'm left feeling like I don't know the new set of regulars, something that wasn't true of either The Eleventh Hour or The Woman Who Fell to Earth. Still, the episode shows a lot of promise for this new team. Most importantly, it's just plain fun to watch - and fun isn't something I'm inclined to argue against.
Overall Rating: 7/10.
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