Posted in: BBC, Disney+, Doctor Who, TV | Tagged: bbc, disney, doctor who, Millie Gibson, Ncuti Gatwa, russell t davies, tardis

Doctor Who Showrunner RTD Dishes on "73 Yards," Mad Jack Theories

Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies dishes (somewhat) on the mysterious episode "73 Yards," fans' Mad Jack theories, and much more.

The new Disney+ era of Doctor Who is long past us, and the entire new first season is available for everyone to stream. We're long past spoilers at this point, and so is showrunner Russell T. Davies, who sat down for a post-season exit interview with SFX Magazine, had a lot to say about the dynamics of producing the new show. Inevitably, Davies was asked about "73 Yards", the most mysterious and talked about episode of Doctor Who for decades. Viewers are still arguing about the central mystery. Of course Davies knows the answers, but he's not offering all of them upfront.

Doctor Who Returns to Gothic Horror

"I think we've made episodes that echo, things like "73 Yards" you possibly think about for the rest of your life," said Davies. He worked out the answers to himself, but he was writing a script that was more in keeping with British folk horror than Science Fiction.

What Did the Old Woman Say that Drove People Away from Ruby?

"What does the woman say to her?" is what every viewer keeps asking. Davies said, "You're literally asking the wrong question because there's nothing a woman could say to you in 10 seconds that would make you run away from your own daughter. That sentence doesn't exist. So, therefore, what is happening with the woman is far deeper and graver and malevolent and dangerous than a simple sentence."

It's All About Magic in the End, With a Bit of TARDIS

"I say I don't explain things, but you are then suddenly given that clue in episode eight that it's connected to the TARDIS perception filter, and suddenly that starts to make sense. But I'm not gonna go into any more detail. What everyone leaves out of the equation is that, actually, we're now in a universe in which fairy circles are real and have power. I will tell you that Mad Jack was just a dog. There is no Mad Jack. I love people making up theories about Mad Jack."

So, Mad Jack was not a serial killer or evil spirit. There is no evil spirit. It was just somebody's beloved dog whose death they commemorated in the fairy circle. You need to know what fairy circles are. They're offerings to the Fair Folk in traditional folklore. Their other names are, of course, the Fae or the Fairies. When The Doctor and Ruby accidentally step on the circle and break it, they break a taboo, and the fairies take The Doctor. Somehow, the TARDIS perception filter interacted with the magic and kept a field around Ruby that turned her into a time-space anomaly that people couldn't tolerate somehow. You can guess the rest. And keep guessing since Davies has kept all the other answers to himself to keep you guessing forever. He's perfectly happy with driving you mad as long as you keep watching.

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