Doctor Who Season 14: ‘Space Babies’ ending explained

Here’s everything you need to know about Doctor Who Season 14 Episode 1, with the full ‘Space Babies’ ending explained.

The first true episode of Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteen era is here, marking the start of a whole new series of adventures for the quirky Time Lord.

The first episode of Doctor Who Season 14 sees the Doctor and Ruby Sunday land on a space station, which also happens to be a baby farm that was abandoned for budgetary reasons. Cue talking babies, a childhood monster that lives under the pipes, and lots of crying.

So, how do the Doctor and Ruby get out of this one? Here’s the full ‘Space Babies’ ending explained, starting with what happens after the duo head down to the lower levels of the station to confront the beast. (Warning: major spoilers ahead!)

How does Doctor Who Season 14: ‘Space Babies’ end?

‘Space Babies’ ends with the Doctor realizing that the monster known as “The Bogeyman” was made from the babies themselves, and actually saves it from being sucked out into space through an airlock.

The Doctor and Ruby discover that the monster was created by the space station in an effort to fulfill the babies’ needs — including a childhood monster to be afraid of. The system essentially recycled the babies’ snot from the constant blowing of their noses. Nice! Since The Bogeyman was literally designed to be frightening, that would explain why even the Doctor was deeply afraid of it.

Unfortunately, the only other adult onboard, Jocelyn (who has been operating the ship’s systems as Nan-E), makes the decision to eject The Bogeyman out of an airlock in order to protect the babies. Trapping The Bogeyman inside, she begins the process of opening the doors.

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The Doctor attempts to get it out, but realizes that he’s left his typically handy sonic screwdriver elsewhere. Upstairs, the babies cry at the sight of The Bogeyman being pulled towards the door, which they can see on the monitors.

The Doctor saves the day

The Doctor — empathizing with the creature for being A) the only one of its kind, much like him and B) made from the babies themselves — instructs Ruby to run upstairs and stop Jocelyn. Meanwhile, he remembers what he told the baby Poppy — that there’s something special about being the only version of himself — opens the door and climbs into the airlock.

As the airlock continues to open, threatening to send both The Bogeyman and the Doctor out into the vast emptiness of space, the Time Lord climbs towards the button that’ll close the door, struggling to reach it. But he manages it, saving them both. All the while, Ruby has reached Jocelyn and is comforting her. Upstairs, the babies celebrate and howl at The Bogeyman’s rescue.

Later, the Doctor, Ruby, and Jocelyn rejoin the babies. They all celebrate, and Jocelyn is reunited with them after hiding away for years for fear of witnessing them die of starvation when the food supply runs out. The Doctor explains that, although the space station was previously unable to fly away due to a lack of functioning engines, the used nappies from the babies have been clogging up the system.

He presses some buttons (classic), and a huge wave of methane releases into the atmosphere, allowing the ship to fly away, where the babies and Jocelyn can start a new life on a new planet.

The Doctor and Ruby start their adventures

The Doctor and Ruby return to the TARDIS, where he offers Ruby her own key. He asks her to come with him on his adventures, reminding her that, with him, she’ll have no boss, no job, and nothing to tie her down — just fun. She says yes and they run inside, where the Doctor lays out the terms and conditions: the biggest rule being that they can never go to the church on Ruby Road on the night she was dropped off by her birth mother.

He explains that if they were to go back and change anything, even a single snowflake, they would fall into the “deepest darkest paradox”. They cannot see her mum. But Ruby disagrees, telling him they are going to see her mum at Christmas — her adoptive mother, Carla Sunday.

Back at home, Carla and Ruby’s grandmother Cherry are in the living room, discussing Ruby’s previous disappearance with the Doctor. Just then, the TARDIS shows up in their kitchen and Ruby steps out.

The Doctor remains in the TARDIS for a moment, starting a DNA scan of Ruby which is projected onto the wall of the machine. After he leaves, snow starts falling inside the TARDIS, marking the beginning of what will no doubt be a central mystery surrounding Ruby’s lineage.

That’s the ‘Space Babies’ ending explained! For more on the newest Who, find out when the new episode of Doctor Who Season 14 is out, how to watch Doctor Who Season 14, and check out our ‘The Devil’s Chord’ review.