Doctor Who Episode Review: 73 Yards (2024)
Synopsis: The Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) land the TARDIS in present-day Wales. Shortly after arrival, the Doctor accidentally steps in and breaks a fairy circle then soon disappears inside the TARDIS, locking Ruby out. Ruby then notices a mysterious woman in black who begins following her wherever she goes, always staying exactly 73 yards away. Anyone else who attempts to approach the woman flees in panic, leaving Ruby on her own as she attempts to figure out who the woman is and what she wants.
Review: I had a long day yesterday, to the point I decided to just pick up some frozen dinners and crash on the couch when I got home. This resulted in my wife and me watching the Doctor Who episode 73 Yards. It ended up being the highlight of my day.
As I've mentioned in the past, I am a big horror movie fan. One of the things I like about this series is there are a lot of episodes that have plots that would make great horror films. This was one of those.
The thing I liked best about the story in this episode was the mystery surrounding the woman in black. While likely related to the broken fairy circle, there wasn't much else in terms of her identity or what her motive was. She wasn't trying to harm Ruby; she just followed her around. She also wasn't trying to hurt anyone else either, anyone who came up to her just fled in panic and, in the case of Ruby's mother (Michelle Greenidge), completely disowned her. Even when Ruby used the woman to save the world, it was unclear if that was the reason for her curse.
Another thing I liked about the episode is it put the focus solely on the Doctor's companion and let her carry the load. It helped me get to know her a little better and, while I don't think I want to see her be the primary focus of too many episodes (the series is, after all, named after the Doctor), I gained a bit more respect both for the character and the actress who plays her.
My biggest complaint about the episode is the ending, which just felt a bit rushed. My wife and I were left scratching our heads a bit because, while the end of the episode reveals who the mystery woman is, it leaves out a whole lot of details about the why and the how. It also made the whole "make people run away scared" thing a lot more confusing. What was the woman saying to them? I'm not saying I didn't like the twist. I just wish it was executed a lot better.
Final Opinion: The ending could have used some work, but the overall episode was intriguing, and I ended up enjoying most of it.
My Grade: B
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Here are some reviews of other Doctor Who episodes:
Doctor Who Episode Review: The Giggle (2023)
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