Warning: Spoilers ahead for Doctor Who season 14, episode 1, "Space Babies."

Summary

• Ruby Sunday mirrors Rose Tyler from Doctor Who, with clear similarities in character traits and key moments.
• Doctor Who's 2023 Christmas special serves as a soft reboot, recreating early modern era elements for new viewers.
• Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor references Rose Tyler's iconic moments, highlighting the shared traits with his new companion, Ruby.

Millie Gibson's Ruby Sunday is strikingly similar to Billie Piper's Rose Tyler, and Disney's Doctor Who era. However, the comparisons run deeper than that, and Russell T Davies makes sure everyone notices in "Space Babies."

The 2023 Doctor Who Christmas special was essentially a soft reboot of the franchise. Although the show's canon remained intact after the BBC's deal with Disney, certain elements of the modern era's early stages have been recreated as a new audience is welcomed in. One of the most glaring similarities is the parallel between Rose and Ruby, because although they are completely separate characters, it's impossible to ignore the fact that both also share several identical attributes.

Ruby Calling Her Mother Copies The Ninth Doctor & Rose's First Adventure Together

Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor copies a trick from Christopher Eccleston's Ninth

In "Space Babies," the Fifteenth Doctor boosts Ruby's phone with his sonic screwdriver. This allows her to call her mother, despite being centuries apart. To newcomers, this may seem like a fresh scene, but it's essentially a recreation of a moment between Rose and the Ninth Doctor from Doctor Who season 1, episode 2, "The End of the World." Of course, Rose's phone is much more retro-looking due to originating in 2005, and the Doctor's sonic screwdriver design overhaul means the tool is almost unrecognizable, but the sequence hits almost every beat of the original from nearly 20 years ago.

Although Nine and Rose are looking out over Earth instead of an alien world, both sequences take place in space, as both companions take in a planet from afar.

Even the scene's staging in "Space Babies" is almost identical to "The End of the World." Although Nine and Rose are looking out over Earth instead of an alien world, both sequences take place in space, as both companions take in a planet from afar. It's no surprise to discover that Russell T Davies is credited as the showrunner and writer for both of these episodes, so it's likely the move was intentional to drive home Ruby's shared traits with Rose.

Gatwa's "Slap" Comment Is A Reference To Rose's Mother Hitting The Ninth Doctor

Jackie Tyler initially didn't trust the Ninth Doctor

Near the end of "Space Babies," Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor makes a statement, only half-jokingly, about being worried that Ruby's mother will slap him. Again, new viewers will likely see this as a joke, because Ruby's mother hasn't displayed any violent tendencies. Rose's mother, on the other hand, did slap Nine across the face when he returned Rose home a year late in Doctor Who season 1, episode 4, "Aliens of London." So, Fifteen's comment is likely a coy reference to this moment, but could also stem from a genuine worry that he's returned Ruby to Earth late.

In "Star Beast," the first episode of the Doctor Who 60th-anniversary specials, David Tennant's Fourteenth Doctor also finds himself on the receiving end of the fury of Donna's mother.

Nine isn't the only Doctor to have suffered the physical wrath of a mother scorned. Martha Jones' mother slapped David Tennant's Tenth Doctor in Doctor Who season 3, episode 6, "The Lazarus Experiment". Additionally, in "Star Beast," the first episode of the Doctor Who 60th-anniversary specials, David Tennant's Fourteenth Doctor also finds himself on the receiving end of the fury of Donna's mother. So, Fifteen has a right to worry about being assaulted, with his memories acting as an early-warning system.

How Ruby Sunday Is Similar To Rose Tyler

Ruby shares mainy traits with Rose

Sonic-boosted phone calls to home aside, Ruby and Rose share other parallels. For instance, both women are 19 years old when they begin traveling with the Doctor. Both characters are also blonde, and they each have color-based, four-letter first names. Additionally, neither Ruby nor Rose have a father figure in their lives, with Rose's father dying when she was young and Ruby's lineage being a complete mystery. However, Rose does eventually meet an alternate version of her father from another dimension, so this could be a promising sign that Ruby will eventually discover who her parents are.

The dispositions of both characters are also very similar, with both Ruby and Rose embracing the thought of adventures through time and space with open arms. While both had no experience of such a vast universe before meeting the Doctor, Gibson's character is just as unfazed as Piper's by what they witness - with the exception of some of the more horrific moments. So, while the Doctor's new companion may have only just made her debut, long-time Doctor Who fans will see her as more familiar than franchise newcomers will.