Doctor Who Subtly Explains 1 Big Question About Ruby Sunday's Falling Snow

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Doctor Who season 14, episode 4, "73 Yards."

Summary Ruby Sunday's falling snow flashbacks in Doctor Who season 14 may be linked to her TARDIS adventures and unique lineage.

The TARDIS has had strange effects on companions before, like Amy Pond's baby developing regeneration abilities.

The strain of transporting Ruby may be causing the TARDIS to groan, hinting at the unique challenges she presents.

Doctor Who season 14, episode 4, "73 Yards," reveals the biggest clue yet about the possible reason behind Ruby Sunday's falling snow flashbacks as Russell T Davies starts to clear up the mystery. Millie Gibson's character is among the most compelling figures among the cast of Doctor Who season 14, with the questions surrounding her origin being one of the biggest enigmas of the Disney era. Ncuti Gatwa's time in the TARDIS has explored Ruby Sunday's origin as well as other corners of the Doctor Who universe, but one line in "73 Yards" provides a huge clue.

Ruby Sunday is essentially the main character of Doctor Who season 14, with every adventure teasing something about her true lineage. From the moment she entered the franchise in "The Church on Ruby Road," it's been clear that there's something special about her, although Doctor Who hasn't given away much as to what makes Ruby so unique. The biggest tease has been the falling snow from the night of her birth, following her and the Doctor through the universe. Finally, four episodes into Doctor Who season 14, the precipitation's presence makes a little more sense.

Related 20 Greatest Doctor Who Stories Of All Time, Ranked Doctor Who has been a fixture on TV screens for 60 years, meaning there are plenty of stories to choose from when picking out the Time Lord's best.

Doctor Who Season 14, Episode 4 All But Confirms The TARDIS Is Behind Ruby's Falling Snow

Old Ruby confirms the snow stopped once her TARDIS adventures ended

Near the end of Doctor Who season 14, episode 4, "73 Yards," Old Ruby (played by Amanda Walker) is shown delivering a spirited monologue at the door of the Doctor's abandoned TARDIS. During the speech to her old friend, she tells him "It never snowed again." Presumably, she means since she managed to force Roger ap Gwilliam to resign, as she thought this was the old woman's goal. However, the absence of the snow was likely caused by Ruby's travels with the Doctor. Once her TARDIS adventures ended due to the Doctor vanishing, the flashbacks sputtered to a halt.

It does snow in "73 Yards," with one instance being on Ruby's walk from the TARDIS into the Welsh village near the start of the episode, and another when Carla Sunday changes the locks on the door to their home.

It does snow in "73 Yards," with one instance being on Ruby's walk from the TARDIS into the Welsh village near the start of the episode, and another when Carla Sunday changes the locks on the door to their home. After this, Ruby goes on with the rest of her life without the phenomenon happening again. The snow likely faded rather suddenly stopping due to the effects of the TARDIS fading away, as although the blue box is still there, the loss of the Doctor clearly has a huge effect on the sentient time and space machine.

The TARDIS Has Had Strange Effects On Doctor Who Companions Before

Close

Amy Pond's time spent traveling in the TARDIS with her husband Rory Williams came with the twist of Amy falling pregnant. Amy's baby was conceived within the TARDIS, which caused it to develop the ability to regenerate - despite being human. This child, who eventually turns out to be River Song, is a great example of another companion who has been affected uniquely by their adventures with the Doctor.

Captain Jack Harkness held onto the side of the TARDIS as it entered the time vortex, with the Doctor's ship fleeing to the edge of the universe to try and escape the Torchwood leader.

Inversely, there have been former Doctor Who companions who have had an unusual impact on the TARDIS. In Doctor Who season 3, episode 11, "Utopia," John Barrowman's Captain Jack Harkness held onto the side of the TARDIS as it entered the time vortex, with the Doctor's ship fleeing to the edge of the universe to try and escape the Torchwood leader. The Tenth Doctor tells Jack, "The TARDIS reacted against you, tried to shake you off. Flew all the way to the end of the universe to get rid of you."

Ruby Could Be Behind The TARDIS Groaning In Doctor Who Season 14, Episode 2

The toll of transporting Ruby could be proving too much for the TARDIS to handle

Close

In "The Devil's Chord," the Doctor narrowly foils Maestro's attempt to hijack the TARDIS. When he and Ruby exit the ship, it lets out an uncharacteristic groan that Ruby interprets as the Doctor doing something to break the TARDIS. The Doctor refutes her theory, telling her, "No, that's something else." It's unclear whether the Doctor knows what caused the sound, but it's possible that carrying Ruby around, with all of her mysteries and unanswered questions, is putting more of a strain on the TARDIS than anticipated.

Related Doctor Who's Ruby Sunday Tease Proves Just How Much Season 14 Is Copying Moffat's Era The Doctor Who season 14 premiere features a moment that reinforces the similarities between Steven Moffat's era and the early Disney episodes.

The TARDIS' resistance to transporting Jack Harkness sets a strong precedent for the blue box's reputation for being aware of a character's uniqueness. In addition, Russell T Davies wrote both "Utopia" and "The Devil's Chord," so it's even more likely that the returning showrunner is abiding by the same rules he applied to TARDIS lore back during his original period in charge of the show. So, while it's unlikely that the TARDIS will meet its end in Doctor Who season 14, the show's iconic talisman could be at risk in some way.

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