The latest season of Doctor Who was very much a mixed bag, but we can all agree that the episode "73 Yards" was one of the finest installments. The episode stepped away from science fiction to tell a chilling British folk horror story.
Set in rural Wales, Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) is left alone after the Doctor vanishes. But exactly 73 yards away at all times, a mysterious lady follows her. The distant lady may not be an immediate threat, but she creepily lingers at the same distance. After folk in an inn put fear into her that she's disturbed an old fairy circle, Ruby learns that she must've let loose an ancient curse. Whoever Ruby speaks to about the lady either becomes incredibly hostile or flees in terror.
The episode was a high point for the series. It's currently the highest-rated episode of the new season on IMDb with a rating of 8.2/10. The secrets within its plot remain a mystery; even months after it premiered, fans are still trying to uncover elements of the story. "I think we've made episodes that echo, things like '73 Yards' you possibly think about for the rest of your life," showrunner Russell T Davies told SFX Magazine in a recent interview.
In the episode, when people confront the mysterious old lady, she would whisper something which would drive them crazy. What she says, we don't know, but Davies believes it goes beyond mere words. There's something much more powerful at work. "You're literally asking the wrong question because there's nothing a woman could say to you in 10 seconds that would make you run away from your own daughter," he explained. "That sentence doesn't exist. So, therefore, what is happening with the woman is far deeper and graver and malevolent and dangerous than a simple sentence."
Naturally, Davies isn't giving away his secrets. He does, however, lead fans towards one specific factor that's been overlooked: the TARDIS perception filter, which helps the Doctor and his companions translate alien languages. "I say I don't explain things, but you are then suddenly given that clue in episode eight that it's connected to the TARDIS perception filter, and suddenly that starts to make sense. But I'm not gonna go into any more detail," he teased.
It seems the mystery will indeed forever be a mystery. "73 Yards" is now streaming on BBC iPlayer in the UK and Disney+ in the U.S. and elsewhere. The next season of Doctor Who will begin on Christmas Day with "Joy to the World," starring Bridgerton's Nicola Coughlan!
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