Doctor Who 73 Yards episode explained: Who is the mysterious old woman?

The latest episode of the BBC science fiction series, Doctor Who 73 Yards, takes viewers on a mind-bending journey through time and alternate realities. The episode, released on May 25, 2024, sees the Fifteenth Doctor disappear, leaving his companion, Ruby Sunday, to spend the rest of her life trying to get him back.

Throughout the episode, Ruby is followed by a mysterious older woman who always seems to keep a distance of 73 yards from her. Although she does not appear to inflict any harm on her, anyone who sees the woman always ends up running away out of fear.

Years pass by and Ruby gets older. At the end of Doctor Who 73 Yards, it is finally revealed that the mysterious old woman is none other than Ruby herself. As she goes back in time to the moment when the Doctor disappears, an older Ruby finds herself trying to communicate with her younger version, proving that she is the mysterious woman following her all along.

---

What was the motive of the mysterious old woman in Doctor Who 73 Yards?

A still from "Doctor Who 73 Yards" (Image via Disney+)

After the Doctor's disappearance, Ruby returns home, and decades pass. She also uses the fearful influence of the mysterious old woman to thwart Roger ap Gwilliam, a dangerous politician the Doctor had warned about. However, this victory does not restore balance.

At the end of Doctor Who 73 Yards, Ruby eventually dies of old age, revealing that she was the woman all along. As she passes, Ruby sees the woman approaching her close, which causes her to travel back in time to when the TARDIS first arrived in Wales. She tries to warn her younger self and the Doctor not to enter the fairy circle that caused his disappearance. Despite her frail voice, she connects with her younger self, preventing the Doctor from stepping in and erasing the timeline where he vanished.

The mysterious old woman's strange action of keeping a 73-yard distance and driving people away possibly reflects the paradoxes seen in previous Doctor Who episodes where direct interaction with one's past self is perilous. It was necessary for the older Ruby to maintain a certain distance from her younger self in order to prevent the cursed timeline and set things right.

---

What caused the Doctor's sudden disappearance?

The Doctor and Ruby Sunday (Image via Disney+)

In Doctor Who 73 Yards, the Doctor and Ruby step out of the TARDIS onto a Welsh clifftop, where the Doctor inadvertently steps on a strange circle made of cotton, charms, flowers, bird skulls, and scrolls. As Ruby reads the scrolls, the Doctor vanishes, leaving her alone with a mysterious woman watching from 73 yards away.

Seeking answers, Ruby heads to a nearby pub and learns the circle is a fairy circle, steeped in Welsh superstition. Folkloric beliefs warn that stepping into a fairy circle can provoke the fairies' wrath, resulting in a curse.

Some superstitions suggest that trespassers will be eternally trapped within the circle, while others believe they may be transported to the fairy realm or rendered invisible to the mortal world. Additionally, some traditions claim that entering a fairy circle can bring misfortune or an untimely death.

By stepping into such a fairy circle, the Doctor found himself cursed and thus disappeared from reality.

Doctor Who 73 Yards masterfully blends folklore with sci-fi, reminiscent of episodes like The Dæmons and Battlefield. The clifftop, a boundary between land and sea, mirrors the mystical boundaries explored in the 60th-anniversary specials, highlighting the show's rich engagement with superstition and myth.

---

Who is Mad Jack in Doctor Who 73 Yards?

Aneurin Barnard as Roger ap Gwilliam (Image via Disney+)

When the Doctor and Ruby arrive at the clifftop, they inspect the fairy circle, which contains a few scrolls. One of them reads "Rest in Peace, Mad Jack," and the Doctor explains that Mad Jack was someone who caused nuclear destruction after becoming Prime Minister.

The Doctor disappears and years pass by. By the 2040s, a man called Roger ap Gwilliam is seen on TV, making alarming political promises and harassing staff members. After hearing him call himself "Mad Jack," Ruby believes that her purpose in this alternate timeline is to stop Gwilliam.

Ultimately, Ruby confronts him at a football stadium, standing precisely 73 yards away. She manipulates the mysterious woman who always maintains this distance to appear right next to Gwilliam. Terrified by her sudden proximity, Gwilliam flees and resigns as Prime Minister, marking Ruby's victory over the dangerous politician.

---

Doctor Who 73 Yards is currently available to stream on Disney+.