The Church on Ruby Road | Digesting The 2023 Doctor Who Christmas Special | What A Rollercoaster
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- Опубликовано: 7 янв 2024
- So, it's been a while! And I really needed the thinking time to get my head straight on this episode. I think I still do...
The Fifteenth Doctor's full debut introduces a new companion, riffs on It's A Wonderful Life and takes in goblins, foundlings and Davina McCall.
But is it all too much?
Let's digest The Church on Ruby Road!
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Doctor Who is a BBC property and all clips are presented for the purposes of criticism, review and quotation under the 'Fair Dealing' clause governed by Sections 29 and 30 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
Background music is by JeX - whomix.windbubbles.net/remix/174
Title music is by Anthony Perry - whomix.windbubbles.net/remix/168
Title effects are by Christian Bodhi - pixabay.com/videos/black-hole...
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I love how your Doctor Who Marathon now technically has a 'lost episode'! Looking forward to the fan-project animation of The Boxing Day Disappointment in ten years 🙂
I guess I need to give it a rewatch. I wasn't too thrillied with it myself the first go.
I think Ncuti nailed the role of the Doctor from the outset, and because of that I can overlook what I see as the flaws in the episode, such as the goofiness of the goblins (remembering that this is a Christmas special also helps with that). I think the characters of Ruby and her family are all well drawn, and I agree with you that the Doctor and Ruby make a good Tardis team, one I can envisage featuring high in future Tardis team rankings.
I would give it a 7/10. The Fifteenth Doctor reminds me a little of Richard E. Grant and Hugh Grant’s Doctors from "The Curse of Fatal Death," the 1999 Comic Relief episode.
It was ok on first watch with the family on Christmas Day but I’ve grown to love it after two more watches. It’s now at the lower end of the good Christmas specials. Cant say I thought it was disjointed. The loss of Ruby halfway just showed how important she was in her family's life. I am sure the mystery of her real mother will continue in the series. The Goblins were nicely realised but no great villains but I loved the idea of bad luck and coincidence being important to them. A great start for the new TARDIS team, looking forward to next season.
If you dig into DW forums in 2005 you'll find a similar mixed response to Rose. I don't think this worked quite as well as that, but the main issue i had with it was the sound - on a rewatch with subtitles i enjoyed it a lot more.
RTD has never missed with a series, so I have every confidence. I'm ready to get episodes by other writers though.
I liked this - didn't love it - and I think you've hit the nail on the head with your comment about how Rose would hit differently if we'd just had an epic special in which McGann regenerated into Eccleston; the episode can't decide whether it wants Ruby or the Doctor to be the focus, resulting in a story that's ostensibly all about her - but in which the Doctor is introduced first, gets lots to do, and solves the climax to the story single-handed after Ruby has been Wonderful Lifed out of existence. It's odd! I don't know if you could go back to the introduce the doctor through the companion's eyes after the series has been so thoroughly established - but it feels like Davies wants to write it that way but can't quite manage it. The Eleventh Hour - and The Woman Who Fell to Earth don't do this, and you can debate how well it works there, but they avoid this problem, and the end result feels like it splits the difference between a fresh start and business as usual in a way that doesn't quite hang together. it sounds like I'm down on this, I'm not, I mostly really enjoyed it - but there is this structural problem here! Cheers!
I think the original episode was different. RTD says Disney suggested that the episode needed more Doctor at the start. So they wrote the whole falling snowman scene, and only filmed that 6 months ago, long after the episode was finished. So it does appear the focus would have been more on Ruby in the first half hour. There was also meant to be a scene of the goblin king attacking Ruby's flat, but it was cut.
@@Rik77 I had no idea about any of that! Not really keen on Disney giving Davies script notes like an executive - doesn't seem conducive to a good programme in the long term...!
@@jameswhitaker12 no it doesn't, but RTD seems to imply Disney dont technically have any say, but he says he 'likes some of the feedback' so who knows whether that's just him being positive about it.
@@Rik77 that almost sounds worse "here are our suggestions, they're only advisory, but here they are" - I'd be second guessing myself all over the place. Time will tell I suppose!
I believe new scenes of the doctor were inserted recently into the early part of the episode due to Disney feedback. So the original episode was more about Ruby, like Rose was. I would be interested to have seen RTDs original episode before it was later edited.
Yeah I know why they're there, I'm not keen on what they do to the pacing/structure
I didn’t really like it, and I haven’t felt much desire to rewatch it also I was stuck at work over the festive period. Something just didn’t click with me, I was waiting for a I am the Doctor moment but for me it didn’t come. I probably should give it another go but I just ended up watching Flux again. I ended up with the feeling of really missing Jodie, I guess this is what big Tennant fans felt when he left.
I only watched The Church on Ruby Road once, on my phone the next day and via a third party video hosting site (the BBC iPlayer doesn't work here). As such, I may not be best able to assess the story, but I largely agree with you insomuch as Gatwa's Doctor was fine, Ruby was fine, the two leads had a good chemistry, Ruby's family were good, but something about the story itself was just so-so. I didn't hate it, even after just one viewing, but it felt light and inconsequential and I reserve judgement on the season proper until it actually airs.
I didn't care for it myself, but also didn't hate it. I was hoping for something to wow me, but it felt very "been here, done that...". This is coming from a fan who has watched all of new who though. I'm going to try and stay optimistic for the next series.
I thought this episode was really dumb but like in a good way. It was very sugary, like a Christmas treat. Nothing remarkable but it’s what I wanted to watch on Christmas Day
If I have one criticism of this era so far it’s that I am tired of, I guess it’s kind of like “mystery box” stuff. Like ‘the one who waits’ or the meep referring to the boss (I think that was it) or Mrs Flood. I just don’t care and don’t feel like I’ve been given a reason to care about these things. Maybe they will lead somewhere really cool and when we get there I’ll change my mind but right now yeah I’m not bothered
Still a fun episode this, am a fan. Especially of Ncuti and Millie.
I sort of started bouncing of DW big time during the end of the 12th Doctors run. I gave it a break for a few years and caught up with everything over last years break. With the specials and this Christmas episode I think I'm New Who'd out. Stories and characterisations just aren't doing it for me. I'm going to move on from New Who and come back to it again in a few years time. I don't think it holds me any more as a weekly watch. Now it is relegated to a binge show every couple of seasons.
My family collectively agreed this episode was a mess on first watch on Xmas Day. It's much better on a 2nd, 3rd or 4th rewatch.
Pacing is off, sooo much is thrown at you that the plot is thin, The Goblins never confirm what they ultimately want & then they just disappear.
The Davina bit is a clever idea because it gives a lot of essential exposition on Ruby which doesn't feel forced on the viewer, something Chibnall really struggled with in his era.
I hate musicals mainly because when I'm watching a narrative story I like to imagine the world I'm watching is real. It's not real to be jumping up and singing & dancing
The Sonic is damn awful. I'm shocked it's been changed so soon after the 60th, especially if I had bought the anniversary Sonic (Online exclusive anyone?) for myself or my kids I'd be pretty peeved right now but it's not a hill I will die on.
Overall there is so much set up in this ep it's over the top & there are choices I didn't like however Ncuti is fantastic throughout 👌
I just accept him as the Doctor & think he is an inspired casting choice & cannot wait to see him really tested going forward.
I think Mrs Flood is Ruby's mother, living out of order & probably being picked up by The Doctor for an adventure halfway through this ep in the future.
RTD2 is definitely going to have a different approach with more of a fantasy element, let's see how it goes because they are now way into filming S2 so whether we like it or not we have 2 seasons/series of this approach going forward 🤔
Ncuti was good. Ruby was bland; all mystery box, little character.
Goblins were portrayed as being tricksters in real life lore, but the time stuff, coincidences and eating babies was all made-up nonsense, and as a result, it felt like new quirks were being introduced to push the story along, rather than giving them any kind of interesting lore. Also, people in green face paint would've been better than CGI.
But really, the thing that gives it that off feeling is the horrid pacing. The first 20 minutes can be summed up as "Ruby's sad that she doesn't know her parents". Then we get random escalating and de-escalating action, culminating in a pretty generic finale.
A real step down from the 60th anniversary specials. There's still good: The giant snowman, 15 being crotchedy, Ruby's grandma, the improv singing, but easilt the worst DW Christmas Special for me.
I liked this and didn't
Unless a story is good the first time around then it has failed. The public don’t rewatch something they didn’t understand the first time . They just move on. For fans to say it’s so much better on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th watch is such a cop out. Always, as in always go by your first instinct. It wasn’t good.
Never had any problem with The Eleventh Hour. It was fantastic. Everyone that watched it , fan or newbie, loved it because it was a great story.
I think when you have to convince yourself it was just OK then you already have a problem. Nobody wants to criticise for no reason. Then again nobody should be going out of their way to give it faint praise. I have no problem criticising RTD because the problems are in the writing. This is his vision. Everything on screen is what he wants us to see on screen. Not a good start for the 15th Doctor.
Reaching, when you try to compare Ncuti to Jon Pertwee. Really? Can’t remember Jon Pertwee dancing on a dance floor with a skirt on but each to their own.
I’m out after watching these 4 Specials. So called Specials! It wasn’t a 60th Anniversary, despite what it says on the DVD Boxset. And this wasn’t a Xmas Special. The best thing I can say about them is also the most damning thing I can say about them. Totally forgettable!
As much substance as a Goblin Ship crashing into a Church Spire. At least the Twin Dilemma was memorable. For all the wrong reasons but I can remember it. These episodes easily fade from memory. And it’s only been a few weeks. No need to watch anymore. It’s not going to improve.
There wasn’t much to say about Ruby Road. You have concocted a reason to praise it. Glad you can now keep your friends but this does comes across as a bit of a disingenuous response. As in, comes across as someone desperately trying not to upset anyone.
Anyhow, enjoy 2024
Absolute facts mate well said
Well whatever fans might think, it did very well with the public, high viewing figures, and high ratings. And I think that's their target audience really, not so much fans.
@@Rik77 The ratings that came out a week late! Not +7 but +14. The ratings don’t affect quality. Blink and the 2nd part of The Empty Child got low ratings because they went out in Summer. Still great stories. Hey Duggie, kids 5 minute animation, got more viewers on Iplayer. It’s all Stats and no substance. However, I can see what’s in front of me to judge the quality. RTD has taken the lazy way and went down the Fantasy route. That way he can write fast without anything having to makes sense. It’s Magic and how do you explain Magic?
@@Rik77 what u on about it’s the lowest viewed Christmas special ever
@@DaveCantona it was the highest warched drama of the week. How is that bad? That's all the execs care about. And millions are enjoying it more than any other drama over Christmas. Thats a positive. No tv drama gets the ratings of how tv used to be. Its 2024.
Utter shite ncuti as good a doctor as Harold shipman