Doctor Who‘s Ruby Sunday made the difficult decision to stop traveling with the Doctor at the end of season 14. Ruby was a new companion who was involved in a season-long mystery about who her birth parents were. After meeting the Doctor in London, she chose to leave her adoptive mother and grandmother behind to travel with him in the TARDIS. Like every Doctor Who companion in the post-2005 reboot, Ruby split her time between going on adventures and visiting her family, but was eager to continue traveling with the Doctor after every visit.

Although Ruby traveled in the TARDIS for only a short time, she and the Doctor had a solid relationship. The Doctor often took Ruby places she had requested to visit, such as Abbey Road in 1963 or a posh Regency-era ball, and facing the trouble that followed them together helped them quickly become close. However, every actor who plays Doctor Who eventually has to say goodbye to a beloved companion, and Ruby made the difficult decision to leave the TARDIS at the end of the season 14 finale.

Ruby Sunday Realized Her Life Was On Earth After Finding Her Birth Parents

The Doctor Convinced Her That Her Place Was No Longer With Him

Ruby had longed to find out who her birth mother was since before she met the Doctor, and by the end of the season 14 finale, she had found and reunited with her birth mother, Louise. Initially, Ruby planned to meet the woman only briefly before resuming her travels with the Doctor. However, when she learned that Louise had gotten in touch with her birth father, the Doctor convinced her to stay home to get to know her family of origin. Despite being heartbroken not to be traveling with the Doctor anymore, Ruby acknowledged that he was right.

Ruby was initially reluctant to leave the Doctor because she was afraid she would never see him again, but tearfully said goodbye after he promised he would visit in the future. It was difficult for Ruby to walk away from the TARDIS; her joy at meeting her birth mother was dampened significantly by her heartbreak over leaving the Doctor behind. However, the Doctor’s promise to return, along with the continued mystery around the identity of Ruby’s neighbor, suggest that this goodbye is not the end of her adventures with the Doctor.

Ruby Sunday Will Return In Doctor Who Season 15

She May Be A Recurring Character Rather Than a Regular

Showrunner Russell T Davies has confirmed Ruby’s return in Doctor Who season 15. According to Davies, the Doctor will have two traveling companions during the new season, and Ruby will be one of them. Additionally, Millie Gibson, who plays Ruby, has posted set photos from the new season showing her with the other actors involved in the episodes. However, it’s not yet clear whether Ruby will be returning full-time or whether she will appear on an irregular basis when the Doctor has reason to visit UNIT headquarters or the Sunday family home.

There has been widespread speculation about what brings Ruby and the Doctor back together. Davies has suggested there is more story to come revolving around Ruby’s birth and adoptive families. There are several popular theories about what this means, and one of the most promising is that Cherry reveals what she knows about Mrs. Flood’s true nature, and protecting her requires the Doctor’s assistance. Ruby might also work with UNIT on an unrelated matter, considering her new friendship with Rose Noble, or might discover something unsettling about one of her birth parents that brings the Doctor back into her life.

Ruby Sunday’s TARDIS Exit Sets Up Varada Sethu’s Doctor Who Companion

Sethu’s Character Could Be a Rival or a Friend to Ruby

Ruby’s exit clears the path for the Doctor’s next companion to enter the TARDIS. This new companion is played by Varada Sethu, who previously appeared in “Boom” as Mundy Flynn. Mundy was last seen taking over caring for Splice, a girl who had been orphaned by the episode’s events. It hasn’t been announced yet whether Sethu will be playing Mundy again or a different character. However, she is likely playing someone else, unless enough time has passed on her homeworld that Splice has grown up, as Mundy cannot abandon her responsibility to the child to travel with the Doctor.

The existence of this new companion could create problems in the Doctor and Ruby’s relationship when Ruby returns during Doctor Who season 15. Ruby was ambivalent about leaving the TARDIS despite knowing it was the right thing for her life and might be jealous that the Doctor is traveling with someone else or feel that he didn’t value her as highly as she thought if he quickly replaced her with a new companion. Ruby will likely have to put these feelings aside to fight a serious threat to her family’s safety.

Ruby had good reasons for remaining on Earth at the end of Doctor Who season 14, but her story is far from over. She will have to grapple with her dual desires for adventure with the Doctor and happiness with her chosen family when season 15 begins, and it is not clear how often she will be part of the Doctor’s life. Now that the Doctor has helped her find her birth family, the choice will be even more difficult for her, which should lead to some compelling stories in the new season.