'Doctor Who' Episode 4 Ending Explained: Ruby lives a lifetime but unexpected twist alters everything
Contains spoilers for 'Doctor Who'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Disney+ aired 'Doctor Who' Episode 4 titled, '73 Yards' on Friday, May 24. In the newest episode, Ruby embarks on a haunting and emotionally charged solo journey. The unexpected twist at the end is sure to leave you pondering
Episode 4 ends with several possible interpretations, making the conclusion intentionally ambiguous.
This compelling shift in the show's formula explores a potential timeline for Ruby Sunday up to the moment of her death. However, the ending strongly implies that nearly every event depicted will now never come to pass.
How did 'Doctor Who' Episode 4 '73 Yards' end?
Ruby and the Doctor land on the Welsh coast, but in an instant, the Doctor vanishes.
Ruby finds herself unable to enter the TARDIS and soon realizes she's being stalked by a mysterious figure who always maintains exactly 73 yards of distance.
This figure possesses a haunting trait: whenever someone approaches to help Ruby, they are told something unknown to both Ruby and us, causing them to flee in fear.
This leads to Ruby being abandoned by everyone she encounters, including a UNIT agent and her mother, Carla. Eventually, Ruby is left completely alone and clueless.
Ruby finally encounters Mad Jack in 'Doctor Who' Episode 4
Decades pass, and Ruby enters her 40s, attempting to move forward in life despite the persistent distraction of the mysterious figure.
However, when she sees a politician named Roger ap Gwilliam on TV, everything suddenly clicks into place for her.
Roger ap Gwilliam is the politician the Doctor mentioned to Ruby, warning that he would one day become Prime Minister and a malevolent one at that.
On TV, Gwilliam mentions his nickname 'Mad Jack', aligning perfectly with the legend that Welsh locals had warned Ruby about years ago when she stumbled into a pub after losing the Doctor.
Ruby's mission is now clear: she must stop Gwilliam before he gains power.
Ruby starts working for Gwilliam waiting for the right opportunity to arise
Ruby spends years volunteering for Gwilliam’s campaign, witnessing firsthand as he ascends to power. Along the way, she encounters Marti, another volunteer, who confirms Gwilliam's monstrous nature.
During a speech at a football stadium, Ruby learns Gwilliam has acquired nuclear codes and plans to declare the UK independent from NATO. Realizing the imminent danger, Ruby decides to act.
She walks onto the pitch, drawing attention from security. Despite warnings, she positions the mysterious woman behind Gwilliam at the 73-yard mark. Gwilliam, seeing the woman, is overcome with terror and flees.
Gwilliam resigns and Ruby grows old in 'Doctor Who' Episode 4
Shortly after, Gwilliam resigns from office, leaving many curious about the reason, to which he cryptically replies: "Ask her (Ruby)! Ask her!" Ruby, having single-handedly saved the world, settles into old age with the mysterious figure always at a distance.
As an elderly woman, Ruby returns to the TARDIS with her caregiver, reminiscing about the absence of snow and holding onto hope.
Later, in her care home, Ruby reflects on her life, telling the nurse, "I've felt abandoned by everyone, but not for the past 65 years."
Just as Ruby prepares for sleep, she's startled by the sensor lights activating. To her horror, the figure is no longer 73 yards away but inside the room, drawing closer with each flicker of light in a spine-chilling sequence.
Who was the woman following Ruby?
At the episode's conclusion, it's revealed that Ruby was following her older self through a paradoxical time loop.
This is made evident as the woman observing Ruby wears Ruby's ring, and we witness the events through Old Ruby's perspective, with her voiceover reflecting on her younger self.
However, the exact workings of the timeline remain unclear, leaving room for interpretation.
In the final scene, Young Ruby prevents the Doctor from repeating his past actions at the fairy circle, thereby altering the timeline. As a result, they embark on a new adventure, unaware of Ruby's previous timeline.
That's the explanation for the ending of '73 Yards'! For more, stay tuned for the next episode of 'Doctor Who', or check out our explanations for 'The Devil’s Chord' and 'Boom'.
'Doctor Who' trailer
4 episodes of 'Doctor Who' are streaming on Disney+.