Doctor Who: Empire Of Death Review - 7 Ups & 5 Downs

Luckily, after a very underwhelming series of resolutions, the episode ends on a high.

Logic of the reveal aside, Ruby's reunion with her mother is so incredibly heart-warming and earned, and is the happy ending this character undoubtedly deserved. I like that there's no supernatural touch here, just an everyday story with ordinary people, and the casting is very well done too - Ruby and Louise are definitely believable as a mother/daughter pairing.

I like the touch of Fifteen half-heartedly trying to convince Ruby that meeting her mum might not be a good idea, but you can see that his heart isn't in it because he knows he's doing it for selfish reasons. Fifteen realises long before Ruby does that this will mean the end of their travels, but he's still clinging on.

Then comes the 'goodbye' scene. Now, we know Millie Gibson is sticking around for Season 2, and in RTD's words, this is more of a pause than a stop, but I think it's the right call. There's no way it makes sense for this character to run away again when she's just starting a new journey at home.

The scene is expertly played by both Gatwa and Gibson, with a lot of subtle, unspoken emotion on display. You can see that Ruby doesn't want to admit to her plan to jump ship, and you can see the resignation in Fifteen's eyes because he knows that the conclusion is already foregone. The moment where the Doctor fixes her with an understanding stare and she can only respond with "I'm sorry" - wonderful acting on both parts. You can tell that this departure hits Fifteen hard, as he falls back onto his old habits of distancing himself emotionally, turning his back on Ruby and saying very little, not even responding when she tells him she loves him.

It's hard to see Fifteen, who has worn his heart on his sleeve, regress like this, and stands to potentially put him on a darker footing in time for the next series.

Can't wait to see what next year brings!