REVIEW: ‘Doctor Who’ Season 1 Episode 4 — “73 Yards”

Doctor Who Season 1 Episode 4,”73 Yards,” is part of the new era of collaboration between the BBC and Disney. Written by Russell T Davies and directed by Dylan Holmes Williams, starring Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson, the episode finds Ruby in Wales, separated from the Doctor after breaking a fairy circle. This causes her to be constantly followed by a woman who stands 73 yards away, never leaving but never stepping closer. Anyone who speaks to the women is forced to flee in terror.

This episode is unique in its structure and casting. It almost exclusively features Ruby Sunday, with the Doctor only briefly present. Instantly, Doctor Who Season 1 Episode 4 ventures into a framework present within this season: the supernatural. Latching on to a topic that blends Welsh folklore and It Follows, the story is intensely frightening. It’s a slow burner of an episode, never reaching moments of high intensity. Instead, there is a constant unease that never relents.

The “73 Yards” plot moves steadily and with purpose, especially early in. It seeks to break Ruby down brutally and meticulously. The implication of what she experiences is haunting, making the character truly alone within the world. Davies has an incredibly clever script, making it utterly circular from multiple avenues. And yet, that is why the ending is so difficult to stomach.

It drags the episode back towards a more sci-fi and time-oriented concept and feels symbolic and somewhat spiritual. But think about it briefly, and its framework falls apart. It felt bittersweet and murky. There are unanswered questions that rightfully can remain a mystery and others that just become plot holes. The refusal to wrap the story up is frustrating and dampens the experience.

Much of this renewed era is theatrical and dramatic, and a singular performance within “73 Yards” represents that. Gibson is thrown into the deep end and sheds any nervousness on screen. Due to scheduling conflicts, Gatwa was unavailable early in the season. And so the 18-year-old Gibson, used to big cast ensembles and soap operas, suddenly has to act on her own in the biggest show on UK television, also broadcast around the world. So much of her personality is on display within the runtime.

Ruby’s infectious, endearing energy is prevalent at the start, and she is bubbly and friendly to everyone she encounters. But the performance gets darker and more powerful when her isolation sets in. She shows a lack of experience and an ability to think on her feet and be mature when necessary. For much of the episode, Ruby isn’t speaking, but small gestures and physical moments do all the talking for her.

A broad amount of recurring guest stars and new faces appear in “73 Yards”, but they are absolutely not there to help. Two support networks in her mother (Michelle Greenidge) and Kate Lethbridge-Stewart (Jemma Redgrave) rapidly disappear, and with them gone, any semblance of love or hope vanishes. One of Davie’s main aims is to isolate Ruby, and first there has to be some tragic and gut-wrenching examples of how The Woman seeks to do so.

A major villain only makes their presence known late in the episode, portrayed by Aneurin Barnard. Some parts of the character are subtle and in-depth, whilst other areas are straightforward and a little dull. The performance of a character who the antagonist targets, played by Sophie Ablett, highlights how evil he is. She doesn’t reveal what he did, but the suggestions and the damage it did to her are agonising and horrifying.

From a production standpoint, this episode has many elements of mundanity. It’s idyllic and gorgeous but extremely rugged and grounded. The first location is a tiny coastal town in Wales. It is virtually obligatory for Doctor Who to centre on Wales at some point in every season. It is where it is filmed, where much of the crew is from, and where Davies is from. Cardiff and Wales have been a crucial and familiar part of the franchise. The cinematography captures the beauty and majesty of the landscapes in various locations, representing a variety of locations, from the heart of the cities to the far reaches of its lands.

Gone are the spaceships and monsters, for they would be an escape from the smothering suspense. The camera follows Ruby always, only flipping to show The Woman who is standing 73 yards from her. This means that every thought and emotion Ruby goes through is on-screen. The shots focus on her, and the steady editing is more unnerving than if it had been quicker and snappier. It raises the tension, which turns into a state of certainty,

“73 Yards” is a terrifying tale allows Gibson to shine. Every scene and every shot is about her, removing places to hide. This was the first episode of the season that was shot, and the daunting task that befell the actress days on Doctor Who did not show on screen at all. She leads the episode with heart and intellect. Gatwa’s energy could have vaporised the tension, so his absence led to a more effective execution.

The story in Doctor Who Season 1 Episode 4 is stunningly scary, and skirting the idea of myths and legends is a terrific avenue for Doctor Who to explore. The fringes of Wales make the first location unbearably creepy and insidious, traversing into more areas nationwide—however, the broader plot details and the ending cause the episode to suffer. The most extensive queries aren’t answered, and it can be easy to feel lost and disconnected by the final moment.

Doctor Who Season 1 Episode 4, “73 Yards,” is available on BBCiPlayer in the UK and Disney+ everywhere else.