Doctor Who's Ruby Sunday Flashbacks & Falling Snow Explained

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Doctor Who season 14, episodes 1 & 2.

Summary Indoor snow in "Space Babies" hints at Ruby Sunday's mysterious power linked to her past and potential connection to Doctor Who's Pantheon.

Flashbacks and changing memories suggest Ruby has more to her lineage than she knows, possibly tied to a powerful being.

Maestro's theories in "The Devil's Chord" imply Ruby Sunday's connection to "The One Who Waits", setting up an intriguing storyline.

Doctor Who season 14, episode 1, "Space Babies," features some very compelling sequences that suggest there could be more to Millie Gibson's Ruby Sunday than meets the eye, with indoor snow and changing flashbacks creating a powerful sense of mystery surrounding her character. Gibson's character is helping set the tone for the new era of Doctor Who alongside Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor. Although there are still unanswered questions that have recently arisen regarding the Doctor's origin, the long-running British sci-fi is doubling down on its intrigue by his companion also having an enigmatic past.

Ruby's debut in the 2023 Doctor Who Christmas special immediately made her interesting. As the Disney era's first new companion, Ruby is just as unsure about her lineage as the Doctor is of his. One part of "Space Babies" clarifies that Doctor Who hasn't forgotten about Ruby's unknown past, but it's also obvious that the revelations will be drip-fed rather than coming all at once. In a way, these first clues raise more questions than they answer, but they also make the lost information about Ruby Sunday even more sought after as the cast of Doctor Who season 14 continues to explore.

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The Snow Falling Is Ruby's Memory Bleeding Into Reality

Even the Doctor is confused by the event

The memory of Ruby's mother abandoning her at the church on Ruby Road makes another appearance in "Space Babies," but this time, it changes the surroundings of both Ruby and the Doctor. When the pair are reminiscing about that night while trying to get to the bottom of who Ruby's parents are, the snowy evening from their minds shifts from the world of nostalgia into reality as flakes start to drift to the ground around them. This would be a huge coincidence at the best of times, but within a space station, it should be impossible.

The snow is much more than an illusion, as the Doctor even catches a snowflake in his palm and watches it melt.

The Doctor often has an explanation or at least a theory for unusual phenomena, but the snow inside the station leaves him stumped: "I have been to the ends of time and back, and I have never seen anything like this before." The snow is much more than an illusion, as the Doctor even catches a snowflake in his palm and watches it melt. This coming together of memories and present-day reality is likely connected to Ruby's mysterious origin, but that theory is neither confirmed nor denied during the scene.

The Doctor's Flashback & Snow Falling Suggest Ruby Sunday Is Secretly Very Powerful

Ruby may be unknowingly harboring immense abilities

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The sudden appearance of indoor snow isn't the only sign of Ruby's potential power. When the Doctor conjures his memory of watching Ruby's mother walk away from the church, what he remembers changes before his very eyes. In the original scene, the figure assumed to be Ruby's birth mother walked away without ever seeing or acknowledging the Doctor. During the altered version of the memory in "Space Babies," the woman turns and points ominously at the Doctor, which isn't something that happened on the original night.

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This isn't a continuity error, as the Doctor himself even acknowledges that the memory has been altered, so he's consciously aware that the two versions don't quite line up. If the person in the memory is Ruby's mother, and she can communicate with people by altering their memories, this is a potential sign of incredible raw power. If Ruby is descended from the woman in the memory, then it's possible Gibson's Doctor Who could share this incredible skill - even if she doesn't know it yet.

Maestro Hints Ruby Sunday Has A Connection To Doctor Who's Immortal Beings

Ruby's ties to Christmas are strengthened in "The Devil's Chord" too

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In Doctor Who season 14, episode 2, "The Devil's Chord," the Doctor theorizes that Maestro is part of a powerful group of beings known as "The Pantheon." If the Doctor is correct, then the Toymaker was likely also a member of the Pantheon, along with any number of other immortal lifeforms. When Maestro has Ruby bound in a musical prison in "The Devil's Chord," the song that emits from her seems to terrify Maestro. The Christmas piece, "Carol of the Bells," reminds Maestro of a fellow Patheon member, someone referred to by Maestro only as "The oldest one."

The nature of the potential connection is still unclear, but it's obvious there are strong links between Ruby and at least one member of the Pantheon.

Maestro's leading theory seems to be that the figure in question was present on the night of Ruby's birth, which is why she is so tightly bound to the festive composition. The Doctor has already commented on Ruby's strong connection to Christmas, and this song being buried so deep within her soul is another tie to the holiday. The nature of the potential connection is still unclear, but it's obvious there are strong links between Ruby and at least one member of the Pantheon.

Ruby Sunday Is Seemingly Connected To The One Who Waits

"The One Who Waits" hasn't yet been shown on-screen

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"The oldest one" could also be "The One Who Waits," which would mean Ruby shares a strong connection with who appears to be Doctor Who's next big villain. In "The Devil's Chord," Maestro hypothesizes that Ruby has "Power like him," referring to the unknown threat who has yet to make an appearance. Although Ruby appears to be a fairly ordinary human, the unusual goings-on in "Space Babies" with the snow and the changing memories could be a sign of her latent abilities. As time goes on, she may find herself in progressively more control of these implied powers.

The Doctor's battles with the Toymaker and Maestro have been some of the toughest yet. As Fifteen confirms in "The Devil's Chord," his victory over the Toymaker came at great personal expense, as he confirms that bi-generation was not an easy process, and it's one that he either can't or doesn't want to repeat. With Maestro, if it weren't for Lennon and McCartney finishing off the Lost Chord, the Doctor and Ruby would have both fallen to the musical villain.

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If Ruby is harboring the immense power it seems like she is, she could level the playing field in the ongoing battle between the Doctor and the Pantheon. At this stage, it seems incredibly unlikely that there's nothing special about Ruby Sunday, and the most obvious explanation for her potential power would seem to be her ties to The One Who Waits. Having Ruby discover her potential origin will surely be one of the focuses of Doctor Who season 14, and it'll be fascinating to watch it all unfold.

Episode Disney+ Release Date "Space Babies" & "The Devil's Chord" May 10 "Boom" May 17 "73 Yards" May 24 "Dot & Bubble" May 31 "Rogue" June 7 "The Legend of Ruby Sunday" June 14 "Empire of Death" June 21

A new episode of Doctor Who is available on Disney+ each Friday.