Spoiler Alert! Just don't read this if you plan on watching it!
Rebranded as Seasons 1 and 2, the latest incarnation of Doctor Who has come and gone, leaving fans wondering why Ruby vanished halfway through and why Gatwa bowed out so soon.
The sidelining of Ruby—and Gatwa’s early exit—make the situation all the more puzzling, because when it works, this era of Doctor Who really works.
Ncuti Gatwa is nothing short of phenomenal as the Doctor. With boundless energy, emotional nuance, and mercurial charm, he reinvents the role while honoring its legacy. Every scene he inhabits sparkles with life. He’s not just playing the Doctor—he is the Doctor.
Millie Gibson’s Ruby Sunday is equally stellar. Sharp, grounded, and emotionally rich, she elevates every episode she’s in. Ruby doesn’t merely support Gatwa—she complements and challenges him, creating one of the most compelling Doctor-companion dynamics in recent memory. Forgive me for sounding like a washed-up PhD, but she’s an A+ presence, full stop.
So it’s perplexing when Ruby is quietly eased out midseason and replaced by Belinda (Varada Sethu), a strong but less arresting companion.
Belinda is competent, pretty and likeable, but the change feels like a shift from cutting-edge brilliance to time-honored beauty. When Ruby returns later, it should be triumphant. Instead, she feels oddly sidelined, as though the emotional center of the show had shifted in her absence.
The three-way dynamic between the Doctor, Ruby, and Belinda introduces a strange tension. Though the relationships are ostensibly platonic, there’s a blurry, almost polyamorous energy that isn’t fully explored or explained. It’s not disruptive, but it is confusing—more ambiguous than meaningful.
Narratively, the season is a mixed bag. Some episodes strike gold, weaving thoughtful themes with clever sci-fi concepts. Others feel rushed or underdeveloped—ambitious in idea, but sometimes flat in execution. There’s a sense the show is reaching for something great but not always grasping it.
And then we find that Gatwa is departing after just two seasons. Officially, it was “always the plan.” Unofficially, reports suggest that Disney’s hesitation to confirm a third season may have influenced production decisions. The result is a finale that feels like it’s desperately patching up a last-minute change.
In the final episode, Gatwa’s Doctor dies in a glorious flash of sacrificial heroism—regenerating in a cascade of golden light after saving the child, Poppy. As he fades, he declares, “I loved it.” But with the actor stepping away so soon, the line comes off a bit thin. Is it the Doctor speaking—or Gatwa making peace with a role he clearly mastered, but perhaps never had the chance to fully own?
Ultimately, this season of Doctor Who offers moments of brilliance and flashes of what might have been. Gatwa and Gibson had the potential to steer the series into a bold new era. Instead, we’re left with a season that’s charming, chaotic, and a little unfinished—just like the Doctor, who’s always racing off before the dust settles.
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