Doctor Who Finale Summary: Explanation of “Empire of Death”

Previously on Doctor Who: Fifteen and Ruby asked UNIT for help identifying some mysterious women, then Sutekh, the God of Death and former enemy of Four, showed up and revealed that he was behind this whole Susan twist all along.

This week: Sutekh is thus tainted and the mysterious woman Ruby left behind in the church is finally unmasked. Spoilers follow!

The first finale of the RTD2 era had a lot going for it. There were big mysteries and high stakes alongside big callbacks, plus the pressure to “bring back” the franchise and keep the momentum going. Ratings could be skewed by the new broadcast model, and the solution to that was seemingly the need to create a buzz. It’s a truth universally acknowledged that Whovians like callbacks and tend to be complacent about guessing twists, especially when they relate to Classic. WHO‘Empire of Death’ had all of that to offer, but ultimately it didn’t deliver. I’m not sure it could have done; if you are trying to cram Infinity War And Final in 54 minutes, it’s going to feel rushed. And if you’re going to build a reality-altering mystery that even the gods fear, it’s got to pay off.

I liked the reveal of Ruby’s birth mother as a nice, ordinary girl trying to protect her baby from an abusive environment. I like the message behind that, and it fits completely with RTD’s love for the wonder of the everyday and the Doctor’s assertion that no one is unimportant. It also plays into RTD’s strengths as a writer: grounding the Doctor in the world of the companion who has a full and developed life of his own. In that way it felt honest, and in other ways fundamentally dishonest, because as a narrative device over the course of the season it didn’t pay off. Millie Gibson pulled that off perfectly, and I’m glad she’s returning next season because she was fantastic, but that whole story arc didn’t really work for me, and I’m sure I’m not just mad that my theory didn’t pan out.

My saltiness pales in comparison to Sutekh’s, though. He’s spent millennia on the TARDIS, travelling around with the Doctor, learning his secrets and dropping off little Death Angel Susans everywhere they go, ready for his big dusty moment when he activates them and wipes out everyone in the universe before stealing the TARDIS with his Harbinger. Most people disappear in the first wave of death, including all of UNIT – apart from one soldier who sends Fifteen to a bunker because she’s not a main character and can’t escape with him, Ruby and Mel.

Ruby missed the first wave of deaths because she was back in the time slot, where she remembered so well that the memory TARDIS solidifies. Sutekh lets her escape because there’s a secret he hasn’t uncovered yet that’s driving him mad. Yes, Sutekh is also obsessed with Ruby’s parentage, which is probably why the TARDIS appeared in the time slot a second time on Ruby Road last week: it was probably Sutekh and Harriet Arbinger sneaking back for another look, making the moment even more “raw and open” in the process, which I think is supposed to explain the haunting “Carol of the Bells” and the magical snow. None of that was really explained, so there are a few theories floating around.

The memory TARDIS is chock full of Whovian Easter eggs and sentiments because Fifteen is horrified that his travels have wiped out life in every part of the universe he’s ever been to, like he’s some kind of Timelord Mary sneezing out Dusty Susans. That’s going to ruin the tour, right?

There’s a strangely beautiful break in the plot where he visits one of these planets and talks to a woman who is slowly dying in the second wave. This character was described in the episode’s blurb as a kind woman who was waiting for him with an important item. That item turned out to be a random spoon that he had to stab into the time-window tablet thingy to keep the Easter Egg TARDIS running. Is the disappointing reveal of the spoon just playful misdirection, or a growing disdain for the speculation that was deliberately stoked? Because that’s not how good storytelling should work, and it’s a distracting detail in an otherwise beautifully written scene. And with the amount of messy stuff in the Easter Egg TARDIS, were there no spoons to be found?

Sutekh hacks into Mel’s mind and demands that she take the team back to him to reveal who Ruby’s mother is. The time window board gives them clues, and in the version of history where Ruby never breaks the fairy circle and Roger Ap Gwilliam becomes Prime Minister, he makes DNA records mandatory and they just have to travel to that fixed point and hack into the computer to find out who it is. It’s all a bit late for Mel, who becomes a dust zombie like Sue, but Ruby tricks Sutekh into getting a magic dog lead by taking advantage of his desperation to find out who her mother is, and they steal the real TARDIS back. Fifteen then drags Sutekh through the vortex, thinking that by killing Death he will bring life back. Abracadabra, everyone is fine again. Pizza party at UNIT!

With Ruby reunited with her birth mother and joyful hugs all around, it’s time for the Doctor to go, and for now he goes alone. Ruby’s giant phone is beeping nonstop and she has everything she’s ever wanted; it’s an opportune moment to leave her in peace and love.

Wibbly-Wobbly Timey-Wimey Stuff

Have fun with the things Sutekh saw, heard and endured all the time he was perched on the TARDIS…

Donna will be really mad that Rose was killed in battle. I hope Kate can agree to another raise.

Morris has machine guns in his Segway? So UNIT isn’t just hiring kids, they’re arming them too? KATE. WHAT ARE THEY DOING? (Except Colonel Ibrahim, but that’s totally understandable, and here we go, girl.)

I can’t possibly list all the items in the Easter Egg TARDIS, but I look forward to seeing your favorites!

The perception filter has a radius of 65 meters. For good reason.

Fifteen made it a point that Ruby respected Louise’s wishes and did not force a reunion, as he was perhaps getting a little too caught up in his situation with Susan (the real one, not Techy).

Did the Great Resurrection also bring Gallifrey back to life?

Ruby’s father’s last name is Garnet. Is that why Louise chose the church on Ruby Road and pointed to the sign? Should her middle name be Carnelian? There’s a lot of red, that’s what I’m saying. … But if we’ve learned anything from this new season, it’s that we’re being played with to create and maintain excitement, and there’s no point spinning huge fan theories out of inconsequential moments, because that’s a path to disappointment.

Well, Mrs Flood is the absolute Rani, isn’t she? Or the new Missy? OR THE GOD OF WONDERFUL INCURENCE?