{"id":51788,"date":"2024-05-20T19:00:40","date_gmt":"2024-05-20T17:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=2043076"},"modified":"2024-05-20T19:44:41","modified_gmt":"2024-05-20T17:44:41","slug":"doctor-who-73-yards-review-millie-gibson-has-time-to-shine-in-haunting-mystery","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/doctor-who-73-yards-review-millie-gibson-has-time-to-shine-in-haunting-mystery\/","title":{"rendered":"Doctor Who \u2013 73 Yards review: Millie Gibson has time to shine in haunting mystery"},"content":{"rendered":"

Prepare for strange happenings on the Welsh coast. <\/p>

By Louise Griffin\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Monday, 20 May 2024 at 17:00 PM<\/p>

\n\n
<\/div> 4.0 out of 5 star rating<\/span> <\/span> <\/div> <\/div>

Leave everything you think you know about Doctor Who<\/a> at the TARDIS<\/a> door for 73 Yards \u2013 you won\u2019t need it where we\u2019re going.<\/p>\n

Four episodes in, and season 14 is well and truly into its stride, which means it\u2019s time for a trip the sunny Welsh coast. The TARDIS materialises on a beautiful clifftop, with the Doctor and Ruby ready for an adventure \u2013 only, it ends up being a much darker and much stranger trip<\/a> than either of them had expected.<\/p>\n

After Steven Moffat\u2019s<\/a> widely-praised chamber piece Boom<\/a>, 73 Yards couldn\u2019t be much more different, diving head-first into horror for the first time this season for a surprisingly dark folk tale. At the heart of the episode is a chilling mystery involving a woman seen in the distance, but there\u2019s much more to the journey than that.<\/p>\n

Thankfully, much has been kept under wraps about 73 Yards. It\u2019s one of the most mysterious episodes of the season so far and, unlike the first three, we still don\u2019t know a huge amount about the plot \u2013 something that pays off.<\/p>\n

For those waiting to watch any time after that midnight release, you\u2019ll want to stay spoiler-free now more than ever.<\/p>\n

\"Millie\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Millie Gibson as Ruby Sunday in Doctor Who episode 73 Yards.<\/span><\/figcaption> ,BBC Studios,James Pardon<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

In moments reminiscent of Russell T Davies\u2019s first reign as showrunner, there are chilling links to the present day, in the form of Aneurin Barnard\u2019s politician Roger ap Gwilliam<\/a>, as well as a touch of the supernatural and, of course, a large dash of the time-wimey.<\/p>\n

Despite those familiar elements, it\u2019s incomparable to any other Doctor Who episode \u2013 and for the better.<\/p>\n

This is something new for a new era of Doctor Who. Plus, by episode 4, Davies has earned a bit of freedom to let his imagination run away with him. He\u2019s introduced his Doctor and companion and has put in the groundwork \u2013 now\u2019s the time to go a little off-piste.<\/p>\n

Tonally, we well and truly leave the uncomplicated and slightly sillier nature of Space Babies<\/a> and The Devil\u2019s Chord<\/a> behind, in favour of a claustrophobic yet wide-ranging, ambitious, haunting and downright weird tale.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a lot we can\u2019t talk about at the moment \u2013 and a lot we couldn\u2019t explain even if we wanted to \u2013 but rest assured, we\u2019re in for another treat.<\/p>\n

\"Aneurin\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Aneurin Barnard as Roger Ap Gwilliam in Doctor Who episode 73 Yards.<\/span><\/figcaption> ,BBC Studios,James Pardon<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

In terms of the cast, it\u2019s an absolute masterclass from Millie Gibson as Ruby Sunday<\/a>. The actress has already had plenty of time to shine in the first three episodes of season 14, but none more so than now, with a new challenge thrust upon her in pretty much every sequence.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s an absolute treat when the companions get to shine, and now is exactly the right time in the season for it, showing off Ruby\u2019s intelligence, wit and resilience.<\/p>\n

Gibson easily takes us through confusing sequences, tense moments and brutally soul-crushing scenes, as well as bringing her signature humour to the show, once again proving why she was the perfect choice for the role.<\/p>\n

Elsewhere, Dame Si\u00e2n Phillips certainly doesn\u2019t disappoint as Enid, and Barnard is all too convincing as Roger ap Gwilliam \u2013 here\u2019s hoping we\u2019ll encounter him again at some point.<\/p>

73 Yards is certainly not perfect, and fans will be coming out the other side with a lot<\/em> of unanswered questions. While some of them could have been explained better in the episode, others add to the riddle of the story. It\u2019s executed well enough that we don\u2019t mind a little mystery remaining at the end \u2013 but there is a limit.<\/p>\n

There are many who will argue against Doctor Who leaning more into the fantasy. It\u2019s not always a perfect fit, and can cause a few moments that feel like a cop-out. After all, fantasy needs to have its rules too.<\/p>\n

But at the same time, when done well, it opens up a whole new world for Doctor Who and a sense of freedom needed for the series to thrive long after its 60th birthday.<\/p>\n

73 Yards might not be faultless on that front, but it\u2019s certainly a step in the right direction.<\/p>\n