Doctor Who: 73 Yards Review - 6 Ups & 4 Downs

Say what you will about the leaps in logic in this episode (and don't worry, I will), but the storytelling on a more thematic abstract level is among the best in the revival. It's a stunning character piece for Ruby. The throughline for the season as a whole is of course Ruby's parentage and her search for answers, but 73 Yards takes her status as an orphan and goes much deeper.

My read on this episode is that it's about Ruby's fear of abandonment. She's been left alone before, and her greatest fear is that happening to her again – no Doctor, no Carla, no love in her life at all. But more than that, I believe there's a part of her that believes this is her fault, that there's something wrong with her – this is the only way she can justify someone leaving a baby. She's terrified that the others in her life will realise there's something wrong and abandon her too.

When the Woman sends people running, it's not about what she's saying, it's a manifestation of Ruby's fear – the idea that these people could hear something about her that makes her unlovable, that makes them run from her. It's no coincidence, either, that Ruby spends her whole life being haunted by a spirit that turns out to be herself. She's stopping herself from living a normal life.

Ruby hasn't expressed any of this aloud so far, so maybe I'm wrong. Right now, we're analysing subtext – but at least there's actual subtext to analyse!