Some of the greatest episodes of Doctor Who barely feature the Doctor at all. Just take 2007’s “Blink”, in which Carey Mulligan’s Sally Sparrow is left to fend for herself against the Weeping Angels . Or 2008’s “Turn Left”, where Catherine Tate’s Donna Noble is sent to a parallel universe in which she never met the time lord.
Today’s episode “73 Yards” – a haunting folk horror – joins that brilliant list. After landing on the rugged coast of Wales, Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor suddenly vanishes, leaving Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) to fend for herself. Of course, this is when the requisite monster turns up, taking the shape of a mysterious spectre – blurred to human perception and referred to as ‘The Woman’ – who follows her victims at an exact distance of 73 yards.
Her prey just happens to be – you guessed it – Ruby. Rich in menace and atmosphere, this is one of those simple, creepy ideas that boss Russell T Davies does so well. Ruby is stuck: she cannot approach The Woman at the 73-yard distance; nor can she ask other people to.
When anyone gets close enough to The Woman to hear her speak, they end up fleeing from Ruby in terror. With no Doctor to save her, Ruby travels home to London to try and shake her stalker, but she can’t, and her own mother Carla (Michelle Greenidge) ends up changing the locks and taking out a restraining order. The cause of the Doctor’s disappearance turns out to be the same as the reason for The Woman’s appearan.
