The relationship between the Doctor and his companions has always been a cornerstone of Doctor Who. The Doctor’s companions keep him grounded, they help give him perspective and remind him what it’s all for. There may be missteps at first, when a new companion first ventures into a time or world that isn’t their own. But over the course of their adventures together, the Time Lord and his companion(s) always fall into a rhythm.
With the two most recent episodes, “Space Babies” and “The Devil’s Chord,” Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) and the Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) are starting to find that rhythm. However, with several episodes still to come, they still have a long way to go — and there’s sure to be more to them than audiences have seen so far.
What Is Their Relationship Like So Far?
There’s a storybook feel to this season so far, and that’s reflected in the two main characters. Ruby is an eager young girl whose ordinary life has been changed forever by the charming stranger who wants to show her the universe. Their relationship is defining itself: friends with a dash of flirtation, sharing in the thrill of exploration. But still, their relationship is in its early days. There’s a lot that’s still yet to be explored; namely, why the Doctor needs Ruby.
The Doctor travels with a companion because he needs someone to keep him grounded, to allow him to see the universe through mortal eyes. For Rose Tyler, Donna Noble, Clara Oswald, and so many others, the early adventures set the stage for what the relationship would look like between Doctor and companion. In Series 4, “The Fires of Pompeii” and “Planet of the Ood” both showed Donna’s fiery compassion, setting up her role as the Tenth Doctor’s moral compass. Series 12 opens by showing Bill Potts and the Twelfth Doctor as a literal student and professor, giving Twelve the perfect opportunity to indulge and revel in curiosity.
Of the modern series companions, Ruby and Fifteen’s dynamic seems to be the most similar to that between Rose and Nine. The Ninth and Fifteenth Doctors are both trying to process trauma, trying to move forward by finding the good they can do or the excitement in the universe. Rose and Ruby are both working-class nineteen-year-olds named after shades of red. They’re both innocent, bold, and a touch naive. Like Rose, Ruby will probably be a source of lightness for the Doctor, reminding him of the importance of what he holds most dear: discovery, curiosity, and kindness.
As of “The Devil’s Chord,” the third episode in Series 14, it’s clear what role Ruby will play in the narrative. The series is setting up the story of Ruby’s birth and the identities of her parents as a central mystery, one that the Doctor will inevitably find himself in the middle of. But it’s still not quite clear who Ruby is to the Doctor. Is she a friend? A potential love interest? Or is she simply a reflection of himself, another orphan who doesn’t know where she came from? The series still hasn’t shown us exactly why these two need each other, but based on what’s happened so far, it’s possible to guess where it might lead.
Where Will Fifteen & Ruby Go From Here?
So far, Ruby has more than proven her mettle and intelligence. She figured out that the bogeyman in “Space Babies” was a storybook monster brought to life. She’s more than willing to put herself in danger to rescue innocents, following baby Eric into the tunnels to keep the monster from taking him. Even when she faced a bizarre, twisted version of the world she knew, she didn’t falter. Ruby played music from the depths of her heart to a world that had forgotten it, the first step in defeating a trickster god from beyond the universe. If nothing else, “Space Babies” and “The Devil’s Chord” have proven her to be a worthy companion.
One role that companions don’t often take in Doctor Who is that of the foil character. This more often falls on the shoulders of antagonist characters, especially the Master. But considering how much the episodes so far have emphasized their similarities, it’s quite fitting to call Ruby a foil to Fifteen. Both are not only orphans, but foundlings, abandoned by their birth parents and taken in by strangers. Ruby found a home, a place where she belonged, and someone to call “Mum”; the Doctor has always been restless. Ruby knew from the start that she was adopted; the Doctor didn’t learn the truth for thousands of years. Yet despite their differences, both still have a nagging curiosity to know their own origin stories.
As an immortal, the Doctor travels with mortal companions because he needs their alternate perspective. In Ruby, though, he’s found someone he can relate to. She is still his mortal lens, looking at the universe with fresh eyes the same way Rose or Amy or Bill did. But he also has more in common with her than he’s had with any other modern companion so far.
So far, Doctor Who is setting up Series 14 to culminate in the mystery of Ruby’s identity: who she is, where she came from, and who left her at the church on Ruby Road. It’s too soon to say how her story will be resolved, but it will likely have one of two effects on the Doctor himself. Through Ruby, the Doctor will either find the peace to let go, or the courage to pursue the question of where he came from himself.
No matter which direction he takes, it’s almost certain that Ruby will be with him for it, as Millie Gibson is expected to return for Series 15. With Gibson and Gatwa’s chemistry onscreen, Ruby and Fifteen’s connection with each other will only strengthen as they travel together. Though the show has only offered hints so far, Ruby is shaping up to be a source of courage for the Doctor. She will be the one who stands by his side while he faces what scares him most, from the Toymaker’s children, to his questions about his own identity, to whatever is still unknown out there in time and space.
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