Doctor Who Season 14 Ending Explained: A Deep Dive into the Finale.
Warning: spoilers for Doctor Who season 14, episode 8, "Empire of Death."
Doctor Who season 14 concludes with a battle for the ages between Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor and Sutekh, leaving enough to debate when the deadly dust settles. Following the bombshell revelation that Sutekh has been hidden inside the Doctor's TARDIS since the 1975 Tom Baker episode "Pyramids of Mars," Doctor Who season 14's finale begins with Sutekh carrying out his plan to annihilate all life in the cosmos. The leader of Doctor Who's Pantheon triumphs, but the Doctor and Ruby Sunday devise a plan to restore the harm done by Sutekh's Thanos-like rampage across time and space. After understanding that the enemy has taken over Mel's body, the Fifteenth Doctor discovers an unexpected opportunity to capture Sutekh. Using the element of surprise and Sutekh's intense desire to discover the identity of Ruby Sunday's mother, the Doctor puts the universe's baddest dog on a literal leash and sends the so-called Empire of Death crashing down. As Sutekh burns to a crisp inside the Time Vortex, Ruby discovers the name of the woman from the church on Ruby Road in 2004, therefore ending her TARDIS adventure.
Who is Mrs. Flood from Doctor Who?
The identity of Mrs. Flood is the most pressing topic following Doctor Who Season 14, and it will eventually stay unresolved. Nonetheless, Mrs. Flood's mystery feels much closer to being solved after her strange role in "Empire of Death." In the previous episode, Flood spoke to Cherry Sunday in a chilling, sinister tone worthy of a true Doctor Who villain, then revealed her knowledge of Sutekh's impending return.
In the Season 14 Finale of Doctor Who, Flood crumbles under Sutekh's Death Wave along with the rest of the universe, but not before referencing her "true name" and lamenting, "I had such plans..." The very final moments of Doctor Who season 14 double down on the Mrs. Flood mystery, as she appears clad in a brilliant white coat and promises the ending to the Doctor's story will be "absolute terror." If nothing else, season 14's conclusion strongly sets up Mrs. Flood as a major "Empire of Death" all but confirms Flood is a godlike entity, as she promises the pious Cherry Sunday, "Tell your maker I will come to storm down his gates of gold." Clearly, Anita Dobson's character is on the same level as Doctor Who's Pantheon gods, and her reference to "such plans" confirms she is no passive observer. Flood has aims and purposes that Doctor Who has yet to divulge, but she is taking her time for unknown reasons. Mrs. Flood's hidden purpose appears to have a very personal link to Doctor Who's main character, maybe hinting to a long-held resentment. Mrs. Flood's magnificent white dress in season 14's final moments begs the question of whether she is the White Guardian, a Doctor Who deity from the Fourth Doctor era. Mrs. Flood, on the other hand, mentions the Doctor and Ruby's "stories" multiple times in "Empire of Death," hinting that she is also the Pantheon's God of tales. The "Penzance" sticker on Flood's suitcase serves as a last hint, however its relevance is now unclear.
The Truth About Ruby's Mother Explained (and Why She Was Important)
A Doctor Who season 14 mystery that is fully and properly explained is the identity of Ruby Sunday's birth mother, who, in a move that will have Rian Johnson silently nodding in agreement, is revealed to be a normal woman with no ties to deeper lore. Louise Miller gave birth to Ruby at the age of 15 after concealing her pregnancy, but she chose to give the kid away owing to a difficult domestic situation with her stepfather. In one final act of devotion, she pointed to the "Ruby Road" sign and indicated the name she wanted the infant to be given.
From a cosmic perspective, Louise Miller was never powerful or significant. Because Ruby, the Doctor, and Sutekh all agreed that Louise was exceptional, it became true - a self-fulfilling prophecy. The Doctor connects this occurrence to "every war, religion, and love story," in which the power of belief creates a new reality. Sutekh, the Doctor, and Ruby assumed the mystery woman was important, and she was. The explanation Doctor Who gives for Ruby's mother isn't quite convincing. "Empire of Death" does not explain how Ruby's recollections caused physical snow to exist, why the Doctor's memory of Louise changed in "Space Babies," or how she eluded detection through the Time Window. Doctor Who suggests that the strength of their belief is the answer to all of these problems. Unfortunately, even the power of belief cannot explain why a 15-year-old in 2004 would chose to wear a sweeping black cloak over a bulky coat and hooded sweater.
Susan Twist was playing Sutekh's Angels of Death.
The identity of Susan Twist's Doctor Who character was somewhat addressed in Doctor Who season 14's penultimate episode, "The Legend of Ruby Sunday," but the finishing touches are added in "Empire of Death." Sutekh used his godlike powers to create a living being, then used the TARDIS' perception filter - which blends the ship into its surroundings - to blend Susan Twist's various characters into their respective worlds and timelines.
Every location the TARDIS visited, a new Susan Twist persona was seeded, ready for activation when Sutekh made his triumphant return. Sutekh refers to the Susans as his "angels of death," although they were never aware of their actual nature. Furthermore, the Susans' multiple identities were genuine, rather than a fabricated cover story to keep them hidden from the Doctor. The Susans all had lives and families that, despite Sutekh's manipulation of reality, actually transpired. For example, in the "Space Babies" episode of Doctor Who season 14, the Doctor landed the TARDIS on Baby Station Beta in 21506. Sutekh then sent a Susan to that precise time and location, and the TARDIS' perception filter revealed her identity as Gina Scalzi, the station's previous communications officer. The TARDIS provided Scalzi with a family tree, a career, and a place in history. When Sutekh finally revealed himself, Scalzi, like Susan Twist's other characters, morphed into Sutekh's angel of death and rained toxic dust on the planet Pacifico del Rio, killing everyone. The cumulative impact of Sutekh's Susan army sent shockwaves through generations, murdering people and places the Doctor had no prior knowledge of, as well as ideas such as knowledge and facts. Sutekh's ability to scatter his angels of death across time and space, rewriting history each time, was established in the Doctor Who 60th anniversary episode "The Giggle." During his confrontation with the Fourteenth Doctor, the Toymaker mentioned turning the protagonist's timeline into a jigsaw, highlighting the ability to change reality on a whim. Sutekh is above Doctor Who's Toymaker in the Pantheon pecking order, thus he must be more powerful. Sutekh's dominance over the Toymaker explains how the God of Death could implant sleeper Susans throughout the universe in all timelines. Once Sutekh's wave of death is reversed, all Susans return to normalcy and can resume their own lives. Triad even appears to be set for a role in Doctor Who Season 15 as Kate Lethbridge-Stewart offers her a position at UNIT, London's easiest location to get employed. Susan Triad was introduced to Doctor Who as a charitable tech prodigy, making her a perfect addition to UNIT as an IT advisor who can handle technical issues, albeit "Empire of Death" scarcely addresses it. Triad could perhaps improve the Time Window, if Colonel Ibrahim can keep her away from the tea bags.
How the Doctor Defeats Sutekh in "Empire of Death"
The Fifteenth Doctor's strategy for defeating Sutekh shifts numerous times throughout "Empire of Death." When the Doctor initially escapes UNIT headquarters on the jacked-up Memory TARDIS, he has no idea how to kill Sutekh. Only after repairing the crude time machine with a spoon does an initial strategy begin to shape. The Time Window shows flashes of Ruby's biological mother, leading the Doctor to believe the mysterious woman holds the key to triumph. When they visit 2046's DNA database to find out the truth about Ruby's parentage, the Doctor is still hoping for something useful rather than aggressively plotting Sutekh's destruction.
The real solution begins to emerge when the Doctor discovers Sutekh has taken possession of Mel, revealing how passionately the God of Death wishes to learn Ruby's major secret. Ruby takes advantage of Sutekh's interest and comes close enough to leash him with a rope. The essential moment, which is easy to miss, is the Doctor identifying this rope as "molecular" and gripping it with his intelligent glove in Doctor Who's 2023 Christmas special. These two artifacts bind Sutekh on an atomic level that he cannot escape, allowing the Doctor to punish the beast as he sees fit. The whistle is a new addition to the Doctor's armory, but he has a long history of employing devices, particularly sound-based ones, to alert the TARDIS. Before murdering Sutekh, the Doctor resurrects every living thing killed by the God of Death, using Sutekh's power against him. Everything in time and space has died, so the Fifteenth Doctor drags Sutekh back through the vortex to retrace his steps, and, since Sutekh is the God of Death, his very presence kills the death Sutekh previously inflicted. The Doctor brings life into existence by causing death to die. Although not mentioned in "Empire of Death," it is likely that this technique accidentally revives Gallifrey and the Time Lords, given the TARDIS's frequent visits to the planet.
Is Sutekh Really Dead Following Doctor Who's Season 14 Finale?
Sutekh is hurled into the Time Vortex and appears to disintegrate upon impact. While Doctor Who's season 14 conclusion strongly suggests that Sutekh is dead, this is far from certain. As the God of Death, one must question whether Sutekh can actually be killed, even by a force as powerful as the Time Vortex. Future Doctor Who seasons would certainly have little difficulty coming up with a canon explanation for Sutekh's next return.
Indeed, "The Giggle" may have already revealed how Sutekh will perform his latest great escape. Before he knew Sutekh was hidden inside it, Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor split his TARDIS into two and gifted one to his predecessor. A part of Sutekh may, therefore, still exist inside David Tennant's TARDIS.
Why Ruby Leaves The TARDIS At The End Of Doctor Who Season 14
The Fifteenth Doctor and Ruby Sunday part ways at the end of Doctor Who season 14's finale, but her reasoning is not completely clear. Unlike past companions, Ruby does not walk away from the Doctor in anger, lose her memories, or find love. Ruby actually seems keen to continue gallivanting through time and space when she initially reenters the TARDIS, only realizing shortly after that her journey with the Doctor is over.
The implied reason for Ruby's TARDIS exit is that her life shifts elsewhere. Ruby finds her biological parents and has 19 years to catch up on. That new focus upon family brings Ruby's time-traveling days to a natural end, even if she doesn't realize it straight away. It's a very similar situation to Susan, who fell in love with a human on Earth, causing the Doctor to accept his granddaughter had found another purpose. On a deeper level, it could be argued that Ruby joined the TARDIS primarily because of the emotional void left by her mysterious past. When that void is filled, she no longer needs the Doctor.
Will Millie Gibson Return In Doctor Who Season 15?
The issue of Millie Gibson's Doctor Who future has been a contentious one both before and during season 14's airing. The narrative importance of Ruby Sunday as a character indicated that she would stay for at least two seasons, as is typical for the first companions cast by a new Doctor Who showrunner. Rose Tyler had two seasons under Russell T Davies, Amy Pond did the same with Steven Moffat, and likewise for the Yaz-Ryan-Grahan trio with Chris Chibnall. Reports then emerged claiming Gibson had been replaced by Varada Sethu, and were backed up by leaked images from Doctor Who Season 15 filming.
Alongside comments from RTD himself, an official announcement later confirmed Gibson and Sethu would both occupy the Doctor Who companion role in season 15, but season 14's ending brazenly contradicts that by giving Ruby Sunday a heartfelt farewell scene. Based on the BBC's official announcement, Millie Gibson must feature in Doctor Who season 15 to some degree. Examining how "Empire of Death" concludes her story, however, Sethu may be the more prominent, regular companion.
Doctor Who Season 14 Ending Explained For Beginners
Doctor Who season 14's finale sees the Doctor and his companion, Ruby Sunday, fight the evil god Sutekh, who is trying to wipe out all life in the universe. Sutekh has been hiding inside the Doctor's TARDIS since the 1970s, and he is finally able to unleash his destructive plan. The Doctor discovers Sutekh's secret and is able to defeat him by trapping him in the Time Vortex.
Ruby learns the identity of her mother, who is a normal woman, and decides to leave the TARDIS to spend time with her. The Doctor, however, has a new companion joining him in season 15, Varada Sethu, who is a new character. The finale also introduces a mysterious new character, Mrs. Flood, who may be connected to the Doctor's future and the Pantheon gods. Season 14's finale leaves many questions unanswered, setting the stage for exciting new developments in season 15.
Doctor Who: A Timeless Adventure
Originally premiered in 1963, Doctor Who is a sci-fi series that follows a powerful being known as a Time Lord, referred to as the Doctor. Using an interdimensional time-traveling ship known as the TARDIS, the Doctor travels time and space with various companions as they solve multiple problems and help avert catastrophe as much as they almost cause it. Though the Doctor is always the same character, they experience regenerations, allowing them to be recast every few seasons as a unique immortal being with new personality traits.
Doctor Who has captivated audiences for decades with its imaginative storylines, iconic characters, and thrilling adventures. The series has explored a vast range of settings and themes, from historical events to far-future worlds, always pushing the boundaries of science fiction. The Doctor's journey through time and space is filled with danger, humor, and heartwarming moments as the Time Lord strives to protect humanity and the universe. Doctor Who continues to be a beloved and enduring series, capturing the imaginations of viewers of all ages with its timeless themes of hope, adventure, and the triumph of good over evil.
