Warning: Spoilers ahead forDoctor Whoseason 15, episode 8, “The Reality War.“Ncuti Gatwa had two main companions during his time asDoctor Who’s lead actor, and they both had stories that were the complete opposite of each other.Millie Gibson starred as Ruby Sunday alongside Gatwaas the Fifteenth Doctor inDoctor Whoseason 14’s cast. Varada Sethu’s Belinda Chandra then replaced Ruby among theDoctor Whoseason 15 cast. Both women have various traits that separate them, but they’re also tied together by how perfectly their opposing arcs complement each other.
Now thatGatwa has regenerated into Billie Piper, it seems that Fifteen has now had all the companions he’ll ever have. His era consisted of just two seasons, each with eight episodes, plus two Christmas specials and what was essentially a fleshed-out cameo for his debut in “The Giggle.” Russell T. Davies repeated a common trend from his original stint as showrunner by only allowing Gatwa’s Doctor to remain with a companion for one season before swapping them out, althoughRuby continued to appear after her departure. Belinda doesn’t look set to return anytime soon.
How Belinda’s Doctor Who Story Was The Exact Opposite Of Ruby’s
Motherhood was a big theme in Gatwa’s era
Fifteen held both Ruby and Belinda when they were babies. However, the way their stories diverge also connects to the very concept of parenthood and children. Although Gatwa’s first season was pretty dense with mysteries, one of the most prominent storylines was Ruby trying to find out the identity of her birth parents. Specifically, she was trying to find her mother, who the Doctor had spotted with her face obscured, when she dropped Baby Ruby off at the church on Ruby Road.The identity of Ruby’s motheris revealed at theend ofDoctor Whoseason 14.
Belinda was confirmed to be a mother trying to get home to her daughter, and Ruby ended up getting home to her recently identified birth mother.
Belinda, on the other hand, is revealed to be a mother at theend ofDoctor Whoseason 15, and is trying to get home to her daughter. That said,Belinda’s story ultimately seems as though it was changed by Fifteen altering realityto restore Poppy (Sienna-Robyn Mavanga-Phipps) to the universe. Before then, Belinda had only ever said she was trying to get home in time for her nursing shift the next day. Regardless, Belinda was confirmed to be a mother trying to get home to her daughter, and Ruby ended up getting home to her recently identified birth mother.
Interestingly, theDoctor Whoseason 15 finale, “The Reality War,” also solidified Steph de Whalley’sAnita Benn as the Fifteenth Doctor’s third companion. Steph and Fifteen spent a full year together in “Joy to the World,” which likely tops how long Ruby and Belinda traveled with the Doctor, probably even combined.Anita is revealed to be pregnant when she returns to help the Doctor and UNITin “The Reality War,” which also gives her a strong connection to motherhood.
Both Ruby & Belinda Left Doctor Who With Unanswered Questions
Doctor Who season 16 can still solve the remaining mystery of both the Gatwa-era companions
Gibson and Sethu have leftDoctor Whoalong with Gatwa, although they will likely return at some point in the future, as can often be the case withDoctor Whocompanions in all eras. I’d like to see them again, as they both departed with unresolved mysteries in their wake. For instance,the snow that followed Ruby through time and space in season 14 was never properly explained. Plus, her father hasn’t made an appearance yet, and the way he’s only ever mentioned and not shown suggests there is a hidden importance to him.
Belinda’s dad also has yet to show up, and he was mentioned with increasing frequency asDoctor Whoseason 15 progressed. Furthermore, the mystery ofwhy Belinda looks so much like Mundy Flynnfrom season 14’s “Boom” was only ever given a token explanation. They’re distant relatives, but Fifteen seemed very intrigued by the phenomenon. Most prominently, the matter of whetherthe Doctor and Belinda had a daughterremains strong in my mind, as I’m convinced there is more to Poppy thanDoctor Whohas already revealed.
