‘Doctor Who’ Season 1 Episode 1 Recap: Ruby’s Past Causes Uncertainty for the Doctor

Following the Doctor’s appearance in the Christmas Special, Season 1 seamlessly resumes right where it left off. As Ruby marvels at the TARDIS, her transition into the new companion role accelerates, unveiling The Doctor’s past to her, where she discovers unexpected similarities between them. Quickly grasping the enchanting yet chaotic nature of the TARDIS, Ruby embarks on a journey back in time, spanning 15 million years.

While immersed in the wondrous enchantment of the TARDIS, Ruby anticipates her forthcoming journey into the unknown. Ruby cackles about the possibility of unknowingly altering the course of time by doing something as trivial as stepping on a butterfly, and the gravity of her adventure dawns upon her.

To their mutual astonishment, the Doctor, and Ruby encounter precisely that scenario amidst their exploration of the extinct dinosaurs. In a startling twist, Ruby undergoes a miraculous transformation into an insectoid being, leaving the Doctor stunned. Reacting swiftly, the Doctor intervenes to resurrect the butterfly, restoring Ruby to her original form.

The Doctor Becomes Fearful in the ‘Doctor Who’ Season 1 Premiere

Following the daring encounter, the Doctor, and Ruby journey to the year 21506. They touch down on a shabby space station where they soon discover it holds a formidable monster. Uncharacteristically, the Doctor, known for facing creatures without fear, finds himself and Ruby overwhelmed with dread, questioning his instinct to flee instead of confronting the monster as he typically would.

Fleeing for their lives, they stumble upon another section of the station, only to discover what appears to be a nursery that manufactures babies. The connection between Ruby and infants, stemming from her abandonment outside a church on Christmas Eve, becomes even more apparent at this moment.

As the realization of their distant future sinks in, Ruby frets over the safety and whereabouts of her mother. Drawing from previous encounters in Doctor Who, the Doctor employs his newly acquired sonic screwdriver to manipulate Ruby’s phone.

To her astonishment, she successfully contacts her mother. Quickly moving past the bewildering events they’ve experienced, they press on to tackle the station’s challenges, only to be greeted by a talking baby who mistakes them for its parents and leads them to a room filled with more talking babies.

The Bogeyman, Space Babies, and Nan-E Make Appearances in ‘Doctor Who’ Episode 1

Much to their astonishment, they learn that the babies have been effectively running the ship, sustaining each other after being abandoned by their biological parents. Ruby and the Doctor are overcome with sorrow upon realizing the babies’ sadness and are determined to help them. Their efforts are aided by an enigmatic “android” named Nan-E (Golda Rosheuvel), who has been providing support and guidance to the infants, including instituting a curious “nose-blowing hour.”

After the poignant emotional journey of the 60th Anniversary episodes, the Doctor’s playful banter resurfaces as he deliberately teases and jests about the mysterious figure in the corridors, known as the Bogeyman, in a bid to gain more information. Nan-E, revealing her fear of the Bogeyman, leads them to platform 357.

As they journey, revelations about Ruby’s past emerge, particularly regarding her abandonment. A peculiar yet familiar flashback occurs for the Doctor, recalling the moment from the Christmas Special where he witnesses Ruby being left behind. Additionally, the mysterious woman from the same incident reappears, altering the Doctor’s recollection of the event. Returning to the present, they find themselves amidst falling snow, prompting the Doctor to express his confusion at this unfamiliar phenomenon.

The Reveal of Nan-E Delivers an Unforeseen Twist

Upon reaching platform 357, they are taken aback to discover that Nan-E is not an android, but a compassionate human who has remained on the station in support of the abandoned infants amidst the station’s declining conditions. As they replay the final distress signal received by the station, a familiar yet altered face from the Christmas Special and Episode 1 reemerges, hinting at a significant role that will likely echo throughout Season 1.

The threat of the Bogeyman resurfaces, along with the Doctor’s fear of it. However, their focus shifts when one of the babies impulsively decides to confront the Bogeyman to end the threat once and for all. Ruby and the Doctor intervene to prevent Eric from risking himself, necessitating a plan to distract the monster and rescue Eric.

As they engage in battle against this dangerous challenge, the truth dawns upon them: The creature is composed of the bogeys collected during the “nose-blowing hour.” Repulsed by this revelation, the Doctor humorously remarks on the irony of the situation, realizing that the monster had been created by the station itself to evoke fear, explaining his own fear of it. However, their moment of levity is abruptly interrupted by the reappearance of the Bogeyman.

The Doctor Has an Emotional Journey in the ‘Doctor Who’ Season 1 Premiere

In the thrilling climax of this episode, the Doctor experiences a profound transformation, grappling with moral dilemmas rooted in episodes from both the classic and revival eras. The Doctor is torn between eradicating the Bogeyman once and for all or offering the creature a second chance at redemption.

Despite Nan-E’s determined efforts to eliminate the monster by confining it in an airtight chamber to expel it into space from the station, the Doctor, Ruby, and the space babies advocate for the creature’s chance at redemption. This leads to a confrontation where the Doctor intervenes, forcefully accessing the airlock room and overriding Nan-E’s controls, granting the monster an opportunity for a new life to “save them all.”

Following a heartwarming resolution, Ruby and the Doctor return to Earth in 2024 to reunite Ruby with her mother and grandmother, revealing the Doctor’s TARDIS to her family. However, the Doctor solemnly informs Ruby that there is one thing he cannot grant her, regardless of her desires: the ability to revisit the night she was abandoned.

He interprets the falling snow around them as a warning against tampering with time. As the final moments of the Doctor Who premiere approach, echoing the Doctor’s actions with previous companions, he conducts a thorough body scan in hopes of unraveling the mystery that binds Ruby to himself, the space babies, her history of abandonment, and the enigmatic woman from that fateful night.

New episodes of Doctor Who Season 1 stream Fridays at 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET exclusively on Disney+ where available, and at midnight on Saturdays on BBC iPlayer in Ireland and the U.K.