Summary

• Millie Gibson's departure from Doctor Who is reminiscent of Christopher Eccleston's sudden exit in 2005.
• While fans may be disappointed, Gibson's departure is not unexpected considering past cast changes under Davies' leadership.
• Gibson's exit breaks the trend of companions staying for at least two seasons under new showrunners, showcasing Davies' willingness to break from the formula.

Millie Gibson's sudden departure from Millie Gibson's Doctor Who exit. Davies' long history with the franchise means he's had various obstacles to overcome from creative and istrative standpoints. As such, the loss of Gibson's character so soon into Ncuti Gatwa's run as the Doctor won't be a surprise to the veteran showrunner.

Doctor Who season 14 would appear to be the only installment with Millie Gibson's Ruby Sunday as the Doctor's companion. This will come as disappointing news for those who enjoyed her debut performance in the Doctor Who 2023 Christmas special, "The Church on Ruby Road." While it's possible that she could return in future seasons, as other ex-companions have, Gibson will seemingly stop being a Doctor Who regular. Davies has dealt with quick cast turnarounds before, but he may have to look almost two decades into his past to deal with this latest development.

Millie Gibson's Doctor Who Exit Is A Reminder Of Christopher Eccleston's Shock Departure

The Ninth Doctor only appeared in one season of Doctor Who

Although he's since left and returned as showrunner, Russell T Davies was the man in charge of the Doctor Who 2005 revival. During his first season, disaster struck when Christopher Eccleston, the Ninth Doctor, announced his desire to step back from the show with almost immediate effect. As a result, Eccleston left after Doctor Who season 1. Millie Gibson's departure doesn't seem to be quite so dramatic, but the quick turnaround is certainly reminiscent of the Christopher Eccleston scenario in 2005.

The loss of a companion is something that can happen more than once during a Doctor's reign.

The situations of Millie Gibson and Christopher Eccleston aren't identical. Not only does the relationship between actor and showrunner appear to be ending on good in Gibson's case, but she's also not playing the Doctor. The loss of a companion is something that can happen more than once during a Doctor's reign, but Eccleston's sudden end as the Ninth Doctor was arguably more impactful due to the fact he was leading the show at the time.

Millie Gibson's Doctor Who Exit Breaks A Companion-Showrunner Trend

Ruby Sunday is setting an unusual record

Gibson's time coming to an end isn't exactly breaking new ground, but the point at which she's leaving is a first for the newer era of Doctor Who. Ever since Davies' first spell in charge, each incoming showrunner's new companion has remained in place for at least their first two seasons. For instance, Billie Piper's Rose Tyler stayed for Davies' first two seasons, Karen Gillan's Amy Pond stayed for Steven Moffat's first two seasons, and so on.

Ruby Sunday breaks this trend due to the fact that she'll only be present for Davies' first season back. While it's not the most interesting of patterns, it still goes to show that the current showrunner is more than willing not to tie himself to the constraints of the past. By bringing in Varada Seethu to replace Millie Gibson so soon, Davies is proving he's determined to stray from the modern Doctor Who formula.

The classic era of Doctor Who is available to stream on Tubi, while the revival era is on Max. All Doctor Who episodes from 2022 onward are on Disney+.