New Nu-Who the review – 73 yards

This week’s episode brings us to the picturesque Welsh countryside. Not quite Cardiff Bay, but it’s Wales all the same. Once again, Newport Market in the City Centre has been used as a stand-in for a typical London high street. You might recall my review of Episode II: “The Devil’s Chord” where Newport Market’s roof was depicted as the rooftop of London’s Abbey Road Studios.

“73 Yards” explores Celtic folklore, focusing on the disturbance of a fairy circle. When we think of fairies, Tinkerbell’s cheeky demeanour might come to mind, but in folklore, fairies are far from friendly. This episode doesn’t feature any fairies, unlike the deadly creatures in the Torchwood episode “Small Worlds.”

Throughout the episode, I was left confused, wondering where this Doctor-lite episode was heading. Poor Ruby is left to fend for herself when the Doctor accidentally disturbs a fairy circle. Ruby Sunday is stalked by a mysterious woman who maintains a precise distance of 73 yards from her. I kept trying to figure out if the distant figure was attempting to communicate through sign language.

The episode’s confusion centres around the Doctor’s sudden disappearance. After disturbing the fairy circle, common sense would suggest the Doctor would retreat to the TARDIS and vanish, leaving Ruby on a Welsh cliff. Instead, the Doctor disappears, leaving Ruby alone with a TARDIS that refuses to open its doors.

It’s not until the climax that we learn the mysterious figure is an aged Ruby Sunday from the distant future. This episode showcases Ruby adjusting to life without the Doctor, despite desperate attempts—including one involving Kate Stewart (Jemma Redgrave) and her U.N.I.T. troops—to uncover why this strange woman is following her.

The episode doesn’t shy away from creepiness or from depicting a dystopian future where a war with Russia has occurred, and a nuclear holocaust looms under the threatening shadow of fictional Welsh Prime Minister Roger ap Gwilliam (Aneurin Barnard).

We also get a brief cameo from Susan Twist. I am eager to see what role she’ll play in next week’s episode, “Dot and Bubble.” Even after a second viewing, I remain puzzled. We are intentionally left in the dark about what aged Ruby Sunday said to those who ran away in terror, emphasizing Ruby’s isolation from the Doctor and leaving the audience equally unsure of what’s happening.

Time travel is a key element in this episode, adding to the confusion. Ruby Sunday is forced to live out her life, eventually bringing down Prime Minister Gwilliam after the 2046 General Election, all while the cost of living crisis persists. She spends her final days in a care home before traveling back in time to the episode’s opening day to whisper, “Don’t step…” to her present-day self, preventing the Doctor from stepping on the fairy circle and allowing them to continue their adventures.

Thus, the events of the episode essentially never take place. Logic would dictate a straightforward resolution, but we are in the Pantheon of the Gods, promising more weird and wonderful developments in the coming weeks. Overall, this episode was strange and confusing, with no clear direction. I didn’t appreciate the negative portrayal of the Welsh. My overall impression of this episode is one of confusion and perhaps disappointment.

Written by Daniel Price
Images from BBC Pictures