Doctor Who Christmas special ending explained

The Doctor Who Christmas special’s ending is a busy affair – there’s time travel, goblins, and more. So, here’s a handy breakdown of everything that happens during the finale of “The Church on Ruby Road.” Warning: Major spoilers for the Doctor Who Christmas special to follow…

The 2023 Doctor Who Christmas special signposts its third act’s chronological chicanery up front, during its opening flashback.

Here, we see the Fifteenth Doctor’s (Ncuti Gatwa) future companion, Ruby Sunday, deposited on a church’s doorstep on Christmas Eve as a baby. The Doctor himself then shows up, hinting that wibbly wobbly, timey-wimey shenanigans are afoot.

This does indeed turn out to be the case, after time-traveling goblins enter the fray and seemingly erase Ruby from existence. So, what exactly goes down during the Doctor Who Christmas special’s closing moments?

Doctor Who Christmas special ending explained

“The Church on Ruby Road” ends with the Doctor rescuing baby Ruby from the goblins, restoring the original timeline (and her place within it) in the process.

The Doctor first clocks that something is wrong when the grown-up Ruby (Millie Gibson) suddenly disappears. He becomes even more concerned when Ruby’s adoptive mother, Carla (Michelle Greenidge), and grandmother Cherry (Angela Wynter), no longer remember her.

From here, the Doctor soon figures out that the goblins travelled back in time to the night Ruby’s mother left her at the church, snatching (and presumably eating!) her. Our hero then declares that this act “cracked the timeline” and vows to fix it.

Journeying to Christmas Eve 19 years prior, the Doctor emerges from the TARDIS as Ruby’s mother walks away – just like in the Christmas special’s opening. He’s too late to stop the goblins from hoisting baby Ruby away, however, he manages to yank their ship back to Earth.

Both the aircraft and its commander, the Goblin King, wind up impaled on the church’s main spire, and the Doctor retrieves Ruby. As the goblins’ ship fades away, the Doctor places Ruby back on the church steps, setting the Whoniverse’s core timeline straight.

His mission complete, the Doctor heads back to the TARDIS. However, before he departs for the present day, he spares an emotionally charged glance at Ruby’s mom, whose identity remains a secret.

Arriving back in 2023, the Doctor confirms Ruby is safe and sound. Convinced he’s destined for a life of solitude, he slips away again. However, he ultimately changes his mind and reunites with Ruby, setting the stage for their shared adventures in Doctor Who Series 14.

What happens in Doctor Who: The Church on Ruby Road’s mid-credits scene?

There’s still a little more story left in “The Church on Ruby Road,” though. The Doctor Who Christmas special includes an extra scene midway through the credits that adds yet another mystery into the mix.

In the scene, Ruby’s neighbor Mrs. Flood (Anita Dobson) has a humorous exchange with another local, Abdul (Hemi Yeroham). Adbul is understandably shocked after seeing the Doctor and Ruby vanish in the TARDIS, while Mrs. Flood is remarkably nonplussed.

But things get really interesting after Abdul leaves, and Mrs. Flood looks directly at the camera. “Never seen a TARDIS before?” she asks, smirking. This suggests Ruby’s neighbor knows more about Time Lords like the Doctor than was previously apparent – although it could also be a cute gag and nothing more.

Doctor Who: The Church on Ruby Road is now streaming on BBC iPlayer (UK & Ireland) and Disney+ (everywhere else). For the latest Doctor Who news and updates, check out Dexerto’s full coverage here.