You Probably Missed Doctor Who Season 14's Hidden Time Jump

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Doctor Who season 14, episodes 1 & 2 - "Space Babies" & "The Devil's Chord."

Summary A hidden fast-forward in Doctor Who season 14 sets the stage for an interesting six-month time jump between episodes.

Ruby states it's June 2024 in "The Devil's Chord," revealing a longer relationship with the Doctor than initially thought.

Doctor Who's time jump changes Fifteen and Ruby Sunday's dynamic, evolving their friendship from new to familiar over six months.

Doctor Who has a long history of playing with time, and the hidden fast-forward in season 14's early stages aligns with the show's reputation. The time jump doesn't have a major impact on the story, but it's interesting how little fuss is made about the months that pass. The Fifteenth Doctor and Ruby Sunday have only just met, relatively speaking, but it would seem that their friendship is actually further down the line than it seems at first glance.

Fifteen meets Ruby in the 2023 Doctor Who Christmas special, "The Church on Ruby Road," so by the end of Doctor Who season 14, episode 2, "The Devil's Chord," it seems as though the duo have only embarked on three adventures. However, one line of dialogue in "The Devil's Chord" suggests that the figure could be much greater and that certain Disney-era Doctor Who escapades weren't shown on screen.

Related Doctor Who: Every Doctor & Who Played Them (In Chronological Order) Doctor Who has been played by a crop of fantastic actors going back several decades, and each version has been both unique and memorable.

There's A Secret Time Jump Between Doctor Who Season 14's First Two Episodes

Ruby states it should be June 2024 in "The Devil's Chord"

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Doctor Who season 14, episode 1, "Space Babies," picks up where the 2023 Christmas special left off. Even when Fifteen and Ruby travel into the distant future, Millie Gibson's character calls home using her sonic-boosted phone to discover that her mother is still experiencing the same Christmas Eve as when they left. So, it would be natural to assume that "The Devil's Chord" also takes place shortly after, but this doesn't seem to be the case.

During the second episode, Ruby states that, from her perspective, it's June 2024, which means she's been traveling with the Doctor for six months.

During the second episode, Ruby states that, from her perspective, it's June 2024, which means she's been traveling with the Doctor for six months. What's unusual about this is that the reveal doesn't come at the beginning of the episode, nor does it seem like a particularly big deal. However, a lot could have happened in those six months, and yet none of it is shown.

Doctor Who's Time Jump Changes Fifteen & Ruby Sunday's Relationship

Ruby and the Doctor's friendship isn't that new anymore

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During "Space Babies," the Doctor and Ruby barely know one another, as they've only previously interacted during the events of "The Church on Ruby Road." Without the six-month time jump, "The Devil's Chord" would only have been their second outing together as a Doctor/companion combination. With half a year passing between "Space Babies" and "The Devil's Chord," Fifteen and Ruby Sunday will be much more familiar with each other.

Related Ruby Sunday's Strange Parallel To Doctor Who's First Companion Can Explain Her Identity Mystery Millie Gibson's Ruby Sunday isn't the first Doctor Who character to have a clue-laden name, but her ties to a classic companion could be very strong.

Gatwa's Doctor and Ruby are already beginning their era together with a fresh dynamic, as in the modern era of Doctor Who, there are often romantic connotations between the show's main character and their companion. This doesn't seem to be the case with Gatwa and Gibson's characters, as even after six months of being together, their Doctor Who relationship is still that of two best friends.

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