Warning: spoilers ahead for Doctor Who season 14, episode 8, “Empire of Death.”

Doctor Who season 14’s ending chronicles a battle for the ages between Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor and Sutekh, and leaves plenty to discuss as the deadly dust settles. Following the stunning twist that Sutekh had been hiding inside the Doctor’s TARDIS ever since the 1975 Tom Baker episode “Pyramids of Mars,” Doctor Who season 14’s finale begins with Sutekh executing his plan to extinguish all life in the universe. The leader of Doctor Who‘s Pantheon stands victorious, but the Doctor and Ruby Sunday hatch a plot to undo the damage caused by Sutekh’s Thanos-esque crusade across time and space.

The Fifteenth Doctor stumbles upon an unexpected opportunity to trap Sutekh after realizing the villain has possessed Mel’s body. Seizing the element of surprise and taking advantage of Sutekh’s burning desire to learn the identity of Ruby Sunday’s mother, the Doctor puts the universe’s baddest doggo on a literal leash and brings the so-called Empire of Death crashing down. As Sutekh burns to a crisp inside the Time Vortex, Ruby learns the name of the woman from the church on Ruby Road in 2004, bringing her TARDIS journey to an apparent end.

Who Is Mrs. Flood In Doctor Who?

Mrs. Flood Is Still A Big Mystery Heading Into Doctor Who’s Next Season

The biggest question left after Doctor Who season 14 is the identity of Mrs. Flood – a question that ultimately remains unanswered. Nevertheless, the Mrs. Flood mystery feels much closer to being solved after the curious role she plays in “Empire of Death.” During the previous episode, Flood had spoken to Cherry Sunday in a chilling, sinister manner worthy of a true Doctor Who villain, then revealed her awareness of Sutekh’s imminent return.

In Doctor Who season 14’s finale, Flood crumbles under Sutekh’s Death Wave along with the rest of the universe, but not before referencing her “true name” and lamenting, “I had such plans…” The very final moments of Doctor Who season 14 double down on the Mrs. Flood mystery, as she appears clad in a brilliant white coat and promises the ending to the Doctor’s story will be “absolute terror.” If nothing else, season 14’s conclusion strongly sets up Mrs. Flood as a major figure in Doctor Who season 15 – perhaps even the main villain.

“Empire of Death” all but confirms Flood is a godlike entity, as she promises the pious Cherry Sunday, “Tell your maker I will come to storm down his gates of gold.” Evidently, Anita Dobson’s character stands on the same level as Doctor Who‘s Pantheon gods, and her allusion to “such plans” confirms she is no passive observer. Flood has goals and motivations Doctor Who is yet to reveal, but is, for some unknown reason, biding her time. Considering her creepy final prediction that the Doctor’s story will end in terror, Mrs. Flood’s secret mission appears to have a very personal connection to Doctor Who‘s title character, perhaps indicating a long-held grudge.

Glimpsing the brilliant white outfit she dons in season 14’s final moments, it is impossible not to consider that Mrs. Flood might be the White Guardian – a Doctor Who deity from the Fourth Doctor era. On the other hand, Mrs. Flood speaks about the Doctor and Ruby’s “stories” on several occasions during “Empire of Death,” implying she could also be the Pantheon’s God of Stories. A final clue is the “Penzance” sticker on Flood’s suitcase, although its meaning remains hard to decipher at present.

The Truth Behind Ruby’s Mother Explained (& Why She Was Important)

Annoying Anticlimax Or Terrific Twist?

A Doctor Who season 14 mystery that does receive a full and proper explanation is the identity of Ruby Sunday’s birth mother, who, in a move that’ll have Rian Johnson silently nodding in approval, is revealed to be a normal woman free from any connections to deeper lore. Louise Miller gave birth to Ruby at 15-years-old after hiding her pregnancy, but chose to give the child away due to a troubled domestic situation concerning her step-father. In one last act of love, she pointed at the “Ruby Road” sign to indicate which name she wanted the infant to be given.

From a cosmic standpoint, Louise Miller was never powerful or significant. Because Ruby, the Doctor, and Sutekh all came to think Louise was special, however, it became so – a self-fulfilling prophecy. The Doctor compares this phenomenon to “every war, every religion, every love story,” where the power of belief brings a new reality into existence. As long as Sutekh, the Doctor, and Ruby believed the mystery woman was significant, she was.

The explanation Doctor Who gives for Ruby’s mother isn’t quite watertight. “Empire of Death” does not clarify how Ruby’s memories could make physical snow appear, why the Doctor’s memory of Louise changed in “Space Babies,” nor how she evaded detection from the Time Window. Doctor Who suggests the power of their belief is the answer behind all of these questions. Alas, not even the power of belief can explain why a 15-year-old in 2004 would have a swooping black cloak in her wardrobe and choose to wear it instead of a thick coat and hooded sweater.

Susan Twist Was Playing Sutekh’s Angels Of Death

Every Planet Gets A Twist, Thanks To Sutekh

The identity of Susan Twist’s Doctor Who character was more or less addressed in Doctor Who season 14’s penultimate episode, “The Legend of Ruby Sunday,” but the finishing touches are added in “Empire of Death.” Sutekh used his godlike powers to create a living being, then exploited the TARDIS’ perception filter – which blends the ship into its surroundings – to blend Susan Twist’s various characters into their respective worlds and timelines.

Every location the TARDIS visited, a new Susan Twist character would be seeded, ready for activation whenever Sutekh made his grand return. Sutekh describes the Susans as his “angels of death,” but none of them were ever aware of their true nature. Additionally, the Susans’ various identities were very much real – not just a false cover story to hide them from the Doctor. The Susans all had lives and families that, despite being the product of Sutekh meddling with reality, genuinely happened.

As an example, the Doctor landed the TARDIS on Baby Station Beta in 21506 during Doctor Who season 14’s “Space Babies” episode. Sutekh then sent a Susan into that specific time and place, and the TARDIS’ perception filter provided her backstory as the station’s former communications officer, Gina Scalzi. The TARDIS gave Scalzi a family tree, a job, and a place in history.

When Sutekh eventually revealed himself, Scalzi, much like Susan Twist’s other characters, transformed into Sutekh’s angel of death and cast deadly dust across the planet Pacifico del Rio, killing everyone. The cumulative impact of Sutekh’s Susan army triggered a ripple through generations, killing people and places the Doctor originally had no connection to, and even killing concepts like knowledge and facts.

Sutekh’s ability to scatter his angels of death across time and space, rewriting history each time, was set up by Doctor Who 60th anniversary episode “The Giggle.” During his confrontation with the Fourteenth Doctor, the Toymaker mentioned turning the protagonist’s timeline into a jigsaw, highlighting an ability to change reality on a whim. Sutekh sits above Doctor Who‘s Toymaker in the Pantheon pecking order, so must logically be more powerful. Sutekh’s superiority over the Toymaker explains how the God of Death could place sleeper Susans across the universe in all timelines.

Once Sutekh’s wave of death is undone, all Susans revert to being normal people and are able to continue their different lives normally. Triad even looks set for a role in Doctor Who season 15 after Kate Lethbridge-Stewart offers her a job at UNIT, London’s easiest place to get hired. “Empire of Death” barely mentions it, but Susan Triad was introduced to Doctor Who as a philanthropic tech genius, making her a natural addition to UNIT as an IT advisor who can take care of technical matters. Triad could feasibly even improve the Time Window – if Colonel Ibrahim can keep her away from the tea bags.

How The Doctor Defeats Sutekh In “Empire Of Death”

A Rope, A Spoon, A Glove & A Whistle Bring Down The God Of Death

The Fifteenth Doctor’s plan to defeat Sutekh changes several times throughout “Empire of Death.” When first escaping UNIT headquarters in the jacked-up Memory TARDIS, the Doctor has no real idea of how to overcome Sutekh. Only after fixing the makeshift time machine with a spoon does an initial plan begin formulating. The Time Window reveals flashes of Ruby’s biological mother, causing the Doctor to believe the mystery woman holds the key to victory. When they visit 2046’s DNA database to uncover the truth behind Ruby’s parentage, the Doctor is still just hoping something useful turns up rather than actively plotting Sutekh’s downfall.

The real solution begins to develop when the Doctor realizes Sutekh has taken possession of Mel, as this exposes just how desperately the God of Death wants to learn Ruby’s big secret. By exploiting Sutekh’s curiosity, Ruby gets close enough to leash him with a rope. The key, albeit very easy to miss, point is the Doctor describing this rope as “molecular” and holding it using his intelligent glove from Doctor Who‘s 2023 Christmas special. These two items grapple Sutekh on an atomic level nothing could possibly escape from, letting the Doctor punish the beast as he sees fit. The whistle represents a new addition to the Doctor’s arsenal, but the Time Lord does have a long history of using devices, sound-based ones especially, to signal the TARDIS.

Before killing Sutekh, the Doctor brings back every living thing that died by the God of Death’s hand, and he does this by using Sutekh’s power against him. Everything in time and space has died, so the Fifteenth Doctor drags Sutekh back through the vortex to retrace his steps, and, since Sutekh is the God of Death, his very presence kills the death Sutekh previously inflicted. By making death die, the Doctor creates life. Although not teased in “Empire of Death,” it is possible that this process accidentally revives Gallifrey and the Time Lords too, since the TARDIS went there many times.

Is Sutekh Really Dead After Doctor Who Season 14’s Finale?

Don’t Count Sutekh Out

Sutekh is cast into the Time Vortex, appearing to disintegrate upon impact. While Doctor Who‘s season 14 finale strongly gives the impression that Sutekh is dead, that fate is far from guaranteed. As the God of Death, one must question whether Sutekh can actually be killed, even by a force as powerful as the Time Vortex. Future Doctor Who seasons would certainly have little difficulty coming up with a canon explanation for Sutekh’s next return.

Indeed, “The Giggle” may have already revealed how Sutekh will perform his latest great escape. Before he knew Sutekh was hidden inside it, Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor split his TARDIS into two and gifted one to his predecessor. A part of Sutekh may, therefore, still exist inside David Tennant’s TARDIS.

Why Ruby Leaves The TARDIS At The End Of Doctor Who Season 14

Ruby’s Time As Doctor Who’s Companion Comes To An End… Maybe

The Fifteenth Doctor and Ruby Sunday part ways at the end of Doctor Who season 14’s finale, but her reasoning is not completely clear. Unlike past companions, Ruby does not walk away from the Doctor in anger, lose her memories, or find love. Ruby actually seems keen to continue gallivanting through time and space when she initially reenters the TARDIS, only realizing shortly after that her journey with the Doctor is over.

The implied reason for Ruby’s TARDIS exit is that her life shifts elsewhere. Ruby finds her biological parents and has 19 years to catch up on. That new focus upon family brings Ruby’s time-traveling days to a natural end, even if she doesn’t realize it straight away. It’s a very similar situation to Susan, who fell in love with a human on Earth, causing the Doctor to accept his granddaughter had found another purpose. On a deeper level, it could be argued that Ruby joined the TARDIS primarily because of the emotional void left by her mysterious past. When that void is filled, she no longer needs the Doctor.

Will Millie Gibson Return In Doctor Who Season 15?

Millie Gibson’s Doctor Who Future Is Uncertain

The issue of Millie Gibson’s Doctor Who future has been a contentious one both before and during season 14’s airing. The narrative importance of Ruby Sunday as a character indicated that she would stay for at least two seasons, as is typical for the first companions cast by a new Doctor Who showrunner. Rose Tyler had two seasons under Russell T Davies, Amy Pond did the same with Steven Moffat, and likewise for the Yaz-Ryan-Grahan trio with Chris Chibnall. Reports then emerged claiming Gibson had been replaced by Varada Sethu, and were backed up by leaked images from Doctor Who season 15 filming.

Alongside comments from RTD himself, an official announcement later confirmed Gibson and Sethu would both occupy the Doctor Who companion role in season 15, but season 14’s ending brazenly contradicts that by giving Ruby Sunday a heartfelt farewell scene. Based on the BBC’s official announcement, Millie Gibson must feature in Doctor Who season 15 to some degree. Examining how “Empire of Death” concludes her story, however, Sethu may be the more prominent, regular companion.