Why Mrs Flood Will Be Crucial To Ruby Sunday’s Doctor Who Return

Doctor Who always provides an element of mystery and surprise throughout each season, and heading into 2025, one of the biggest questions is what will happen with Ruby Sunday. Her character stepped away from being the Doctor’s companion at the end of the previous season, and outside of a brief Christmas special cameo, she wasn’t involved in the “Joy to the World” episode of Doctor Who.

However, it has been confirmed that Ruby will continue to play a role in the show moving forward, which leads to the question of how she will be brought back into the mix. The answer to that question could lie with her mysterious neighbor, Mrs Flood, who has been suspicious from her arrival in Doctor Who.

Why Has Ruby Sunday Stepped Away From The TARDIS?

From the moment Ncuti Gatwa’s version of the Doctor arrived, Ruby was by his side. They started working together during Gatwa’s first Christmas special and remained side by side throughout season 14. The pair built up a strong partnership that audiences gravitated toward, with fans finding Ruby to be an excellent companion to the Time Lord. She appeared to love the adventure of traveling the universe and more than held her own during some of the most dangerous encounters they faced throughout the journey.

However, throughout the entire series, there was an underlying mystery of who her birth mother was. It’s something they worked hard to discover, and in the season finale, there were answers given to Ruby, which led to her making the tough decision to stop traveling with the Doctor. Audiences didn’t fully believe she’d step aside due to their friendship, but as this year’s Christmas special proved, she’s not going to be by the Doctor’s side moving forward on a regular basis.

She did appear briefly in that episode, being shown looking up at the star toward the end, but she had no interaction with the Doctor, nor did she have any impact on the overall plot of the episode. After finding her parents, Ruby decided she needed to focus on her family life and reconnect with her birth mother and father after not knowing them at all. Despite the loneliness that the Doctor has battled through at times, he encouraged Ruby to make that decision, but there is going to be more to come from Ruby in Doctor Who moving forward.

Who Is Mrs Flood?

On the surface, Mrs Flood appears to be nothing more than a kind, elderly neighbor of Ruby throughout season 14. She appeared in several quick scenes, often just interacting with Ruby, but the show has hinted that there could be a lot more than meets the eye with her. She’s already been featured in the trailer for season 15, and fans of Doctor Who are wondering what her true identity is and why she seems so fixated on what the Doctor is doing whenever he’s around.

She has spoken directly to audiences in the past by teasing that the Doctor’s future is one filled with “terror,” which has hinted that she knows more than she lets on. It has been suggested that she’s not just a normal human living on Earth but could be a far more powerful being with knowledge much greater than viewers first anticipated. There are a wide range of rumors about who she could be, including being the latest version of The Master, but nothing has been confirmed at this point. However, the one aspect of her character that’s clear is that she’s going to have a significant role to play in Doctor Who at some point in the future, whenever her true identity is revealed.

What Impact Could Mrs Flood Have On Ruby Sunday

It’s unknown how many episodes Ruby is going to be in throughout season 15, but she was shown in the teaser trailer for the next season of Doctor Who, which at least confirms she will be involved. While the Doctor will get a brand new companion, it wouldn’t be breaking new ground for him to have multiple companions by his side. That could lead to Ruby stepping back into the TARDIS to be alongside the Doctor for more adventures, but she’s going to need a reason to be pulled back into such a dangerous life.

That’s where Mrs Flood could come in, as Ruby is the connection between her and the Doctor. Mrs Flood has been watching the Doctor come and go from her street, but now that he has no reason to visit, it could prove difficult for Mrs Flood to continue doing that, which might stop whatever sinister plan she’s cooking up in the shadows. However, if she were to put Ruby’s life in danger, there’s a high chance that the TARDIS would end up back outside their homes in a flash.

This is why Mrs Flood will likely play a crucial role in bringing Ruby back into the mix for season 15 of Doctor Who. Whether that wraps up her story completely or kickstarts a new journey for Ruby will remain to be seen, but it seems logical that Mrs Flood will be the reason for Ruby returning and continuing to have a strong partnership with the Doctor. Their dynamic was brilliant throughout the last season of Doctor Who; therefore, the idea of continuing to develop that here is promising, and if it provides answers to Mrs Flood’s question at the same time, then audiences will be pleased.