Warning: Spoilers ahead forDoctor Whoseason 14, episode 7, “The Legend of Ruby Sunday.”
Summary
Doctor Whoseason 14, episode 7, “The Legend of Ruby Sunday,” features the return of an actor who debuted on the show almost 50 years ago, and his presence connects the episode to a story from David Tennant’s era as the Tenth Doctor. The penultimate episode ofDoctor Whoseason 14 revealsThe One Who Waits was Sutekh all along. Newer fans may not be familiar with Sutekh, as he’s only appeared in one TV story, when he faced off against Tom Baker’s Fourth Doctor in 1975’s “Pyramids of Mars” four-part serial.
Not only has the villain returned, but he’s also voiced by the original actor fromDoctor Who’s classic era. “The Legend of Ruby Sunday” marks the actor’s third appearance in theDoctor Whouniverse. However, Sutekh remains only one of two characters he’s portrayed in the long-running British sci-fi show. Interestingly,the actor has now appeared in all three of the main eras inDoctor Who’s storied history, but his return could also be even more important than that.
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Gabriel Woolf Plays Sutekh & The Beast In Doctor Who
Woolf lends his voice to Sutekh for a second time in “The Legend of Ruby Sunday”
Woolf originally played the villainous Osiran opposite Tom Baker in 1975. This time around, the actor is in his early nineties and offers only his voice to the classic antagonist in “The Legend of Ruby Sunday.” Between those two appearances, Woolf voiced another villain: The Beast inDoctor Whoseason 2, episodes 8 and 9, “The Impossible Planet,” and, “The Satan Pit.”
Woolf has voiced Sutekh inDoctor Whoaudio adventures too, but only the TV show and its associated spinoffs are considered canon.
Russell T Davies was the showrunner when the 2006 two-parter first aired, although the scripts were written by Matt Jones. With Davies back in the showrunner’s chair forDoctor Who’s Disney era, it’s tricky to ignore the possible parallels created by Woolf’s dual-casting as Sutekth and the Beast. Of course, it could be that the actor was simply well-suited to both roles, butcoincidence isn’t something that Davies regularly works with.
Carla Sunday References The Beast When Sutekh Appears In Doctor Who Season 14
Ruby’s adoptive mother somehow knows about Gabriel Woolf’s other character
Shared actor aside, Sutetkh’s return to the show brings with it another connection to Gabriel Woolf’s 2006Doctor Whocharacter. Even before Sutekh’s true form is revealed, Carla Sunday takes one look at the swirling cloud of ominous smoke and openly declares,“I know its name. It’s the Beast.“The only character Carla can really be referencing in this scene is the Satan-like figure from David Tennant’s era, but what’s compellingly unclear is how Ruby’s adoptive mother knows who the Beast is, let alone how she recognizes him.
Interestingly, while it’s only brief, a shape that looks reminiscent of the Beast can indeed be spotted in the shape surrounding the TARDIS while it’s in the Time Window.
Interestingly, while it’s only brief, a shape that looks reminiscent of the Beast can indeed be spotted in the shape surrounding the TARDIS while it’s in the Time Window. “The Legend of Ruby Sunday” doesn’t make it clear whether the Doctor hears Carla’s declaration, but if he does, he doesn’t react. Additionally,the lost UNIT soldier also tells Ruby “I am in Hell"when asked where he is, which feels like another direct reference to Woolf’s David Tennant-era character.
Could Sutekh & The Beast Be Connected?
Gabriel Woolf’s Doctor Who characters seem too conveniently similar
Given the evidence, it’s possible that the Beast and Sutekh share a strong connection, and could even be the same character. In “The Satan Pit,” the Tenth Doctor monologs about the Beast’s unconventional imprisonment, which is a story at least vaguely similar toSutekh’s initial defeat at the hands of Baker’s Doctorin “Pyramids of Mars.” Perhaps most saliently,Ten even mentions the word “Pantheon” while speaking to the Beastin “The Satan Pit.” WhileDoctor Who’s Pantheon of Godsmay be a fairly new concept, it seems as though its initial roots go back further than is initially obvious.
There’s also the point to consider that the Beast takes control of several avatars in the 2006 story, acting and communicating through them. This aligns with Sutekh’s abilities in “The Legend of Ruby Sunday,” as he quietly manipulates Harriet Arbinger and Susan Triad.Both Sutekh and the Beast are also impossibly old, and while the former was originally a member of a godlike alien race, it appears as though he has been retconned to become what is essentially an actual deity - similar to the Beast.
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However,there is still the faint possibility that Sutekh and the Beast are independent figures, although they could both still be affiliated. For example,Doctor Whohas already established that the Toymaker is the father ofJinkx Monsoon’s Maestro. Sutekh also mentions other Pantheon members in “The Legend of Ruby Sunday,” and the fact that certain other figures within the hierarchy also have offspring. So, even if Sutekh isn’t the Beast in another form, there is likely still a strong connection between the twoDoctor Whovillains.
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Doctor Who: Released on June 08, 2025, this series follows the Doctor and their companion as they journey across time and space, encountering a range of extraordinary friends and adversaries, expanding the universe of the long-running British science fiction series.
