Doctor Who: The Church on Ruby Road 2023

Art & Craft

In terms of art and craft, reviewers highlighted uneven direction and sub‑par special effects, describing the goblin design as haphazard and the editing as verbose. While production values were acknowledged as solid by a few, the majority noted a lack of visual polish and inconsistent cinematography, leading to a generally negative assessment of the episode’s technical execution.

Character & Emotion

Character and emotion received strong approval, with repeated commendation for Ncuti Gatwa's portrayal and the chemistry between the Doctor and Millie Gibson. Multiple reviewers described performances as charismatic, nuanced, and engaging, emphasizing the freshness of the new lead and the companion's appeal. This consensus of high‑quality acting and relational depth underpins the high score for this aspect.

Story & Flow

Story and flow garnered mixed feedback; some praised the inventive premise and mythology building, while others criticized the episode’s pacing, incoherent plot points, and a song that disrupted narrative momentum. The goblin subplot was cited as both a creative risk and a source of logical inconsistency, resulting in a moderate overall impression of the storytelling.

Sensory Experience

Sensory experience was divided, with the musical segment polarizing audiences and creature effects described as cheap or unconvincing. While a few noted improvements in production quality, the majority cited dated visual design and a soundtrack that failed to enhance tension, leading to an average assessment of the episode’s auditory and visual cohesion.

Rewatch Factor

Rewatch factor leans positive; viewers expressed enthusiasm for future episodes and confidence in the showrunner’s direction, citing the new Doctor’s appeal as a reason to return. Nevertheless, reservations about story consistency and production hiccups tempered expectations, resulting in a solid but not unequivocal desire to revisit the episode.