The Timeless Child: Unraveling the Origins of Ruby Sunday

The Timeless Child: A Controversial Twist

The new era of Doctor Who is pushing the show forward, and it's not afraid to embrace the controversial Timeless Child storyline. The Timeless Child, introduced by Chris Chibnall during his time in the showrunner's chair, was rejected by much of the fanbase following its reveal in 2020. The story began during season 12, episode 10, 'The Timeless Children.' However, Russell T. Davies seems to be a fan of the plot twist, and has already addressed it numerous times since his recent return as showrunner.

Sacha Dhawan as the Master and Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor

The Timeless Child completely changed the Doctor's backstory, making them a foundling who was abandoned on Gallifrey rather being native to the planet. In addition, the Master also revealed to the Doctor that the show's titular character had many regenerations prior to William Hartnell's First Doctor that they don't remember. Although the latter half of the reveal would be difficult to achieve with a human character, the new companion for Doctor Who season 14 would seem to be following the same framework as the Doctor's foundling origin.

Millie Gibson as Ruby Sunday and Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor looking at each other and holding onto a ladder in Doctor Who

A Doctor's companion often shares a feeling of loneliness with the Doctor, and this is often at least part of the reason the pair end up traveling together. However, Ruby Sunday would seem to have something else in common with the Doctor instead. Although she is not lonely and has a loving family, Ruby and the Doctor are both foundlings. During a discussion regarding Ruby's adoption in the Doctor Who 2023 Christmas special, 'The Church on Ruby Road,' Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor also volunteers the information that he too is 'adopted.'

Millie Gibson as Ruby Sunday looking mystified outside the TARDIS on Doctor Who

Ruby Sunday: Parallels with the Timeless Child

While the backstories of the Doctor and Millie Gibson's Ruby Sunday may not be a direct comparison, there are some glaring similarities that are impossible to ignore. For example, both Ruby and the Doctor were abandoned during their early years and are unsure of how far they are from their true home. Another similarity is that they were taken in and raised by those nearby as one of their own. Having two Timeless Children traveling together in the TARDIS is a nice parallel, as it helps continue to build the comparisons between Ruby and the Doctor.

Millie Gibson as Ruby Sunday and Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor holding onto a ladder at the entry hole of the Goblin's ship in Doctor Who

Taking the same origin template from the Doctor and applying it to Ruby is a clever move by Russell T. Davies. Doing so allows the Doctor to travel with a companion who stands the chance of understanding him better than any of Ruby's predecessors ever have. In addition, the knowledge of being a foundling is still fairly new to the Doctor, whereas Ruby has lived with the knowledge of her origins for her whole life and can offer him guidance and support.

Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor and Millie Gibson as Ruby Sunday sitting tied up on the Goblin ship in Doctor Who

The Mystery of Ruby Sunday's Origins

The returning Doctor Who showrunner has revealed that Ruby's mysterious backstory will continue to be a focal point throughout season 14. However, he has also stated that Ruby's origins will be explored beyond what has already been shown in 'The Church on Ruby Road.' Ruby is clearly not an ordinary companion, as her history has just as much to offer Doctor Who's narrative as her future does.

Millie Gibson as Ruby Sunday looking to the side in Doctor Who

The villains in 'The Church on Ruby Road' take the form of fairly traditional-looking Goblins. The small creatures are attracted to chance, bad luck, and coincidence. For the duration of the episode, the Goblins always seem to be in the vicinity of Ruby, causing her to make mistakes and to make her more appealing to their race. While the arrival of Ruby's foster sister on the same day as her own birthday would certainly fuel the Goblins' desire for happenstance, her run-in with the Doctor would have the same impact.

A trio of Goblins in the middle of a performance in Doctor Who

The lack of scientific clues regarding Ruby's ancestry only adds to the comparisons between her and the Doctor in terms of them both being foundlings. As a result, it could be argued that the Doctor's TARDIS now has two inhabitants that fit the moniker of the Timeless Child. Despite being one of the least popular storylines in Doctor Who history, the twist that emerged from 'The Timeless Children' seems to be continuing to thrive rather than languishing in obscurity.

Davina McCall as herself talking to Millie Gibson as Ruby Sunday in Doctor Who