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Doctor Who Fans are very disappointed with the “disappointing” season finale.
The sci-fi series has reached the end of its highly publicized 14th season, which has seen Ncuti Gatwa take the reins with the Time Lord and Russell T Davies returning as showrunners.
The final episode – titled ‘Empire of Death’ – arrived on BBC iPlayer at midnight on Saturday (June 22) before being broadcast on BBC One at 6.40pm late that night.
*** Spoilers for the season finale of Doctor Who Season 14 below!
Since last year’s Christmas special, Doctor Who He raised the “mystery” of the origins of Ruby Sunday (played by Millie Gibson).
Over the next seven episodes, several story hints are dropped about the identity of Ruby’s mother.
Viewers were very disappointed to learn that Ruby’s mother is actually an ordinary woman called Louise – she left her daughter at the church gates in a panic when she was 15.
Many criticized the reveal as being too anti-climatic, especially since previous installments portrayed the mysterious mother figure as a compelling and frightening figure.
In a two-star review of the episode for The Independenttelevision critic Ed Power wrote: “The argument Davies sets out to make, using the Doctor as a mouthpiece, is that it is Ruby’s mediocrity that makes Louise – Ruby’s mother – so exceptional.
“Or as the Time Lord said: ‘It mattered because we thought it mattered.’ That’s how everything happens. Every war, every religion, every love story. Erm, okay.”
Viewers online were similarly disappointed by the big reveal, with many sharing hilarious reactions to the episode on X/Twitter. Find some of the best below…
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“Doctor Who is admired across the country as soon as images of a completely ordinary woman appear on screen,” one user wrote, alongside a GIF of BoysThe Homelander actor stares straight-faced at the movie screen.
Another said: “How did I feel after that #DoctorWho,” accompanying a clip of the video Gavin and Stacey As Pam, played by Alison Steadman, points to the television screen and shouts: “Is this all?”
A little deflated before #DoctorWho the end. You won’t lie. This all goes back to Ruby’s mother? To a random person?!
– Mummy Daniels ❤🌺 (@NikkiABolyn) June 22, 2024
Others compared the abaya worn by Ruby’s mother to that worn by contestants on the popular BBC game show. Traitors. “Where does a 15-year-old mother get this? Traitors […] Whose cloak?
Many people have compared the unsatisfying plot unfolding to that of Daisy Ridley’s character in the Star Wars franchise, with an overwhelming consensus from viewers so far emerging that the final episode disastrously failed to live up to expectations.
‘Empire of Death’ is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.