RTD Justifies Divisive Doctor Who Ruby Reveal with Surprising Inspiration

Russell T Davies has justified the Ruby mystery reveal in Doctor Who’s episode, “Empire of Death,” disclosing a surprising source of inspiration.

The finale episode of Doctor Who Series 14 finally unveiled that Ruby’s mother was not someone with any form of unique lineage, but rather an ordinary girl named Louise Miller, turning many fan theories on their head.

The reaction among fans was sharply divided following the revelation—or the lack thereof. A number of fans expressed disappointment on social media, having anticipated a reveal that tied Ruby to a grander heritage.

Interestingly, in the Doctor Who video commentaries for the episode, Davies pointed to the Star Wars sequel trilogy as a major influential factor for his narrative choice.

Davies explained: “This is kind of my reaction to – bear with me now – the Star Wars films. I can’t remember their titles, but in the last trilogy, the second film [The Last Jedi] said that Daisy Ridley was nothing special, there was nothing special about her parentage. That she just got the Force. She was just ordinary.”

He continued, elaborating on his appreciation for characters who rise from ordinary beginnings: “An ordinary person with the Force – and then the next one [The Rise of Skywalker], they changed it all so that she was the child of the Emperor, and they made her… She was, like, cosmic and had godlike powers – And I really loved the version where she wasn’t special. When she’s ordinary.”

Davies further explained his stance on Ruby’s origin story: “So this is my reaction to that. She’s not the daughter of Sutekh. She’s not the daughter of the Time Lords or Rassilon or something like that. Her mum is Louise Miller, who was 15 years old and pregnant, from a dangerous home, abusive home, and left her child on the doorstep.”

Concluding his thoughts, Davies expressed: “And that’s my… That’s my reaction to it. Because I think it’s a better story.”