2nd Opinion, Take 1 “73 Yards” – Doctor Who Meets Creepypasta

Gustaff Behr reviews the fourth episode of Series 14.

We continue the show’s momentum from last week with a really weird episode that feels like a creepypasta. Developed due to Ncuti Gatwa needing to film for Netflix’s Sex Education, this Doctor-lite story thrives in removing the main character from the narrative.

From the very beginning, the episode sets itself apart by forgoing the traditional opening title sequence, immediately dropping viewers into the action. The plot kicks off when the Doctor breaks a fairy circle and subsequently vanishes, setting the stage for what amounts to 45 minutes of emotionally torturing Ruby Sunday. It does, however, have the benefit of showcasing Millie Gibson’s acting abilities, and she is given some meaty material to work with.

One of the standout aspects of this episode is how Ruby navigates the challenges presented by the 73-yard rule imposed by the creature. Much like in “Heaven Sent,” we’re dealing with a foe that can’t be harmed, reasoned with, or evaded. There are strong parallels to real-world frustration and isolation experienced by everyday people placed in unknown, seemingly inescapable dilemmas. Abandonment plays a large role in the episode, and it ties into Ruby’s own abandonment issue beautifully.

The episode was packed with emotionally charged scenes, starting with Ruby’s desperate search for the Doctor. It reminded me of Bill in the Series 10 finale, forced to wait to be rescued. However, unlike Bill, Ruby decides to ‘give up’ on the Doctor and move on with her life. We see time passing, and when they mentioned that a year had gone by, I knew it was going to be a rough ride. The most heartbreaking moment came when Ruby’s mother abandoned her. It probably didn’t take long for Ruby to realize that it was mostly her own fault for involving a loved one, rather than paying a stranger off the street to carry out the same plan. Imagine living with that guilt for the rest of your life. The moment hits even harder when Ruby is locked out of her own home shortly after. What must her grandmother think of all this? She has no reason to hate or fear Ruby, yet here is her daughter throwing her granddaughter out of the house, never to be seen again.

As a general rule, I dislike the reset buttons, but I doubt there’d be any rational way to have Ruby continue traveling with the Doctor after being doomed to such a long, miserable existence first. I just wish the production could’ve done a more convincing job showing the passage of time on her face. Even in her forties, she doesn’t look a day over present-day Ruby. It’s also extremely convenient how the Doctor tells Ruby about the worst PM in UK history; otherwise, she would have no way of knowing what needs to be done…eventually. And are we going to gloss over the fact that Ruby Sunday carried out a political assassination?

That reminds me, Roger ap Gilliam (Aneurin Barnard) is completely overshadowed by the 73 Yards entity. He feels more like busy work for Ruby to handle because watching a young woman be emotionally manhandled by the plot alone doesn’t provide enough drama. I would have preferred seeing more of how miserable Ruby’s life had become over the years. Still, though, he serves the plot well enough.

I liked how Kate Stewart was utilized in the episode. She provided a hopeful moment that things might improve, so it was a real gut punch when she and UNIT ended up like everyone else in Ruby’s life. But watching this scene, I couldn’t help but wonder, “Where is the Fourteenth Doctor?” I understand why Fifteen is out of the story, but why isn’t Fourteen stepping in? Shouldn’t he be dealing with the worst PM in UK history wanting to fire off a nuke just for fun? It can’t be because he knows another Doctor is handling it since Ncuti’s Doctor comes after him. And don’t tell me it’s because he’s “retired.” If the world is plunged into nuclear war, that would destroy everything Fourteen is retired with, including Donna and her family!

This feels like a writing oversight that will become a recurring issue unless they specifically explain Fourteen’s absence. Even then, constantly writing him as “conveniently unavailable” will eventually feel lazy. Remember how quickly we got tired of the Brigadier’s stranding in Peru?

Ever since learning the title of this episode, I suspected it would involve something stalking Ruby from a distance. However, I’m glad Russell managed to throw in a few curveballs. That isn’t to say this episode is completely original, though. “73 Yards” shares a lot with “Turn Left,” but more notably, “The Curse of Clyde Langer” from The Sarah Jane Adventures. Both this and that episode feature a pseudo-supernatural entity that curses one of the characters, causing others to turn against them. In “The Curse of Clyde Langer,” Clyde’s name becomes the trigger that makes other people hate him. Similarly, in “73 Yards,” the entity following Ruby isolates her from anyone who speaks to the entity.

Really, this entire episode puts you in the mind of a creepypasta, functioning as a ghost story that leaves many questions unanswered. The ambiguity is intentional. Ghost stories are often more impactful when they provoke curiosity and unease rather than providing clear-cut answers. There’s no fear greater than the unknown.

Some mysteries—like why the distance is specifically 73 yards and what the older Ruby said to everyone—remain unresolved. These unanswered questions add to the eerie atmosphere and keep viewers engaged. The draw of not fully understanding the supernatural mechanics at play keeps the audience on edge. Effective ghost stories often leave the audience pondering and speculating, and this episode achieves that by offering just enough information to draw viewers in without fully demystifying the events. After all, once you understand how the trick works, the magic becomes so much less entertaining.

In summary, I have no doubt that “73 Yards” will be remembered as one of Russell T Davies’ most popular scripts. It features an engaging mystery with good pacing and cleverly turns the limitation of not having access to the leading actor into a tense story filled with emotional beats. It’s just a pity we couldn’t get a longer episode… not that I understand why since a longer version could easily have been released on Disney+.

Asides

• Can you believe this is the first Doctor-lite episode since 2008’s “Turn Left”?
• RTD stated that this episode would be unlike any other episode of Doctor Who, but apart from not having an opening title sequence and being Doctor-lite, his claim isn’t even close to being true.
• I wonder how come Ruby is never shown trying to box in the woman to try and get closer to her. Would the woman simply phase through the wall or disappear?
• For a moment there I wondered if we’d be getting the Minister of War, first mentioned in “Before the Flood”. They still haven’t shown up yet.
• Does anyone else find it a little unfair how the Doctor is the one who breaks the fairy circle, but Ruby ends up punished for the rest of her life? #JusticeForRuby
• If I had a nickel for every time Russell T Davies wrote a script where the Doctor did something that removed him from the story, creating an alternative timeline where his companion has to go through a series of horrible events while being stalked by a mysterious woman and has to die in the end to reset everything, I’d have two nickels… which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice.