Doctor Who’s Russell T Davies explains how Star Wars inspired the final twist

Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies has explained how the series finale was inspired by Star Wars.

The 14th series, the first with Ncuti Gatwa and Ruby Sunday in the lead roles, concluded on Saturday June 22 with “Empire of Death”, bringing some arcs to an end.

One such element throughout the series was the identity of Ruby’s parents, with the events of the finale revealing that they were just ordinary people.

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In an interview with ComicBook.com, Davies revealed that he took inspiration from Rian Johnson’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi when writing the script, particularly the storyline that saw Rey’s parents (Daisy Ridley) to be “people”.

“That’s kind of my reaction to (this film),” Davies began. “The second movie said that (Rey) was nothing special, that there was nothing special about her parentage. She was just an ordinary person in the Force. I really loved the version where she wasn’t special.

“When she is ordinary, she is not Sutekh’s daughter. She’s not the daughter of the Time Lords or Rassilon or anything like that. His mother is Louise Miller, 15 years old and pregnant, from a dangerous and violent home, and who left her child on the doorstep. Because I think it’s a better story.

Although the mystery of Ruby’s parents appeared to be solved, one riddle remained as to the significance of her neighbor, Mrs. Flood, although actress Anita Dobson hinted that more information would soon be revealed.

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“You’ll learn more about her as you go,” she said. “Actually, in this particular series, Season 2, that we’re (shooting) right now, we’re learning a lot about her.

“It will be interesting to see what people think. I’ve been in the dark for so long that I actually like it now! I never know what’s going to happen and that’s part of the fun.

Doctor Who is broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom and Disney+ somewhere else. Classic episodes of Doctor Who are available on BBC iPlayer in the UK.

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