Behind the Scenes | Empire of Death | Doctor Who 

12th doctor yapping about why do we talk out loud when we are alone must´ve shocked Sutekh so much xD

"The Doctor is a legend woven throughout history. When disaster comes, he's there. He brings the storm in his wake and he has one constant companion." "Who's that?" "Death."

Love that the Memory Tardis had the "Carol Singers will be Criticised" sign in it.

A little disappointed we never saw Sutekh’s classic mask. That was always an underrated Doctor Who villain design.

Ncuti saying "my wife" in reference to river gave me serotonin I didn't know I was missing. Also 110% on board with the headcanon that the Doctor stole River's shoes.

It really was a hit-and-miss episode. While it was mostly good, the ending felt like they had written them into a corner and struggled to find a way out. For all the mystery about Ruby , her name, and her Mum- surely she could have just left a note "call her Ruby"

I love the tiny 13th doctor console that’s just kinda on the floor of the remembered Tardis. It’s so cute. I want one.

Please bring back more episodes. 8 is way too few.

Any chance there’s a one-on-one with Gabriel Woolf, Sutekh’s actor? He came back after almost fifty years and played the Beast in The Satan Pit. I’d love to hear his thoughts on the character and Who in general

I really liked this version of Sutekh which is why I´m a bit dissapointed that the didn´t have more screen-time. Like in his first story his presence was terrifying but it was also funny how they essentially put him on a leash and dragged him of the TARDIS like a misbehaving dog.

I have never heard of people using vr to sketch a creature design before and that’s so cool honeslty

Two thoughts: - I love Bonnie in this one. I would literally drink carrot juice if she asked me to, she’s amazing - An „I love you too” was deserved, really

CGI Doggo went from menace to goofy in the span of 2 minutes all because of a leash XD

My biggest questions: - Why didn't they just go to 2046 right at the start of the series? - Why did it actually snow? - Why bother pointing at the sign? Nuns didn't see her so no one would know she was naming her - What happened to Sutekh when the TARDIS was split? - What happened to the memory TARDIS? - 14 and Donna must have been turned to dust, wonder what he thought of that lol - Sutekh was mystified by this random woman even though he could see ALL of time and space. Why couldn't he see 2046 when the mum took the DNA test? Surely he could find out who she was -If the Toymaker was outside the universe until WBY with the Salt, when did he ever have chance to 'play a game' with Sutekh? He didn't want to go up against the one who waits, who “was there in the dark”, but Sutekh wasn't in the dark, he was on the TARDIS lol It was all very meh tbh We NEED a Susan cameo this era, surely!

So all throughout the Time War and what not, he was just hanging out? That time the TARDIS exploded and destroyed the universe or whatever Moffat was up to, that must have been a rough day for him.

The memory tardis is gorgeous, I need a 360 video of that interior. It felt so cramped and so full of love and history. I don't hate 15s wallpaper, but it is rather empty feeling at times.

Coming up next, The Doctor's other greatest enemy woven throughout history... Christmas

Up until now the Juggernauts was my favourite Mel story. But damn did Bonnnie pull off a heck of a performance. Hats off to her.

I love being able to say “the Doctor dragged a puppy deity of death through the time vortex with a bungee cord attached to a telephone box” my friends think I’ve gone mad when I recap the show, and they’re right, I’ve gone wibbly

That "real mum" line about Louise to the Doctor by Ruby is one of the cruelest and worst lines of dialogue I've ever seen on this show and I'm a) still hung up on it, and b) not likely to ever forgive it easily. Carla's been there for twenty years. In the main timeline, never ever left. (IT was literally a plot point regarding Carla/Ruby at the start of the season that Ruby was the kid who'd stayed and Carla had never left her). Absolute galling that this show resolved Ruby's story (for at least six months, possibly for a year, possibly forever) with THAT.

Sutekh was a nice change from the usual villains of The Master, the Daleks, etc...

I just realized that this TARDIS has a different bottom, most of the other TARDIS exteriors have been flat on the bottom! (apart from the 50th anniversary TARDIS which had handles on the bottom)

Good episode, it could have been better with more time, but I enjoyed it. Overall I loved this season, even though there are things that need to be improved. I especially liked the relationship between Ruby and the doctor, as well as the new and different ideas they showed. Thank you for your hard work. See you until next season.

One question though, Sutekh was clinging to the Tardis and the Tardis was cloned/ split in two when the new Doctor arrived, does that mean there might still be a Sutekh clinging to the original tardis that Tennant's Doctor has sitting in Donna's yard? Allowing him to come back again at some point

You mean to tell me I have to wait until Christmas

Can we please have a plushy of doggo Sutekh or a mini figure of him clinging onto the TARDIS? 🥺❤️❤️

Absolutely LOVED the number of interesting, fun, juicy roles for women over 50. I hit the end tableau and realized I hadn't actually seen that before in an adventure show, and especially as so many fans are aging ourselves, it was really really cool. Cheers!

The only thing more evil than Sutekh is you making us wait another 6 months for more Doctor Who!

I am loving Bonnie Langford in the 2020s! She seems like an absolute joy for the new DW kids to work with. I thought she was actually getting emotional when she saw the Sixth and Seventh Doctor costumes in the Memory TARDIS. And she absolutely nailed her possessed-by-Sutekh part of "Empire of Death". That "wet hair look", as Ncuti Gatwa drew attention to, worked really well for her undead image. Generally, Mel is providing a different but still entirely valid look at meeting the Doctor again decades later in her own life, compared to Elisabeth Sladen's Sarah Jane Smith. I'm here for it. I wonder what it'd be like to bring back a classic male Companion slightly younger than Ian, such as Steven or Turlough. That should be an even more different perspective Bringing some characters back would be difficult due to character death (e.g.: Adric), actor death (e.g.: Barbara and now also Ian), or other shenanigans (e.g.: Jamie and Zoe), but there's still options for further exploration. Please bring back Carole Ann Ford as Susan Foreman, even just to have her regenerate. Work with her to give her the DW story experience she wants to have and be known for. All this "Susan" and "get the help of a kind woman" and "the Doctor thinking about his family more than usual" teasing is playing so much with my extremely human heart. The VR sketch work looks like an awesome tool. My guess is that that environment really lets the artist step into their own mind space and just freely create what they see. Sutekh looked amazing in modern rendition! Great job keeping him wrapped around the police box due to the extended lore that Davies wrote!

There is the Toymaker, the god of games There is Trickster, the god of traps There is Maestro, the god of music There is Reprobate, the god of spite There is Mara, the god of beasts And the threefold deity of Malice and mischief and Misery There are gods of skin and shame and secrets There is Incensor, the god of disaster and her children called Doubt and Dread And standing on high is the mother and father and other of them all For the god of all gods has returned. And his names are many. His name has been Set. And Seth. And Sithifer. And his one true name for evermore is... Sutekh

So, Just a question. When the 15th created a new Tardis, did that also create a new Sutekh? Or did he hop onto the 15th since the 14th retired?

Bonnie wants to do her own stunts.😆

disappointing finale but a good season

Just remember the doctor defeated the god of death with a whistle and rope…… peak television

The visual effects looked incredible, massive props to the VFX artists!!!

My headcannon is that when the 14th doctor sprinkled the salt and it allowed gods and myths to come through it also allowed belief to become powerful. The audience believing ruby’s mom was important and mythical is what made her so; our belief gave her the power. She became the most powerful myth able to rival a god’s power. It makes sense since the 11th Doctor goes to a planet where memories are held as currency and emotions are powerful enough to defeat gods just saying.

Thanks to all of them who brings this marvelous universe to life year after year. I've been watching this since I was a kid and now the kids in my house are watching it with me. Thanks! You're fantastic 🫶

Really enjoyed the use if 11’s ‘Never tell me the rules’ music from his last episode. Missed Murray.

Mel got to play a baddie ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Here's a thought - That ship in Wild Blue Yonder... was it Osirian? The alien had an equine head, but the Osirians were not uniform in Egyptian mythology, they had all sorts of heads, like they were into human 30th century Body-beepling or something (read DW novel Original Sin). In fact Egyptologists aren't even sure what animal Sutekh was, they call it a Sha, but the jury is still out on if it was a dog with weird ears, an aardvark, a giraffe, a desert antelope, or a jerboa rat.

This was a great "behind the scenes" I thought. Was expecting just something to watch while I had a cup of tea, but there were plenty of moments that made me smile.

Thanks so much for this! I'm an American fan who saw the show when our local station aired it M-F in the early 80s. I was in college and Pyramids of Mars scared the crap out of me! Glad you waited to bring back Sutekh. And Gabriel Woolfe is still around! Wonderful!

Love this show, just wish the audio mixing was better as it’s sometimes hard to hear lines over the amazing music lol

I adore hearing these performers talk shop about the realities of what they do. It in no way breaks the fantasy for me and if anything, enhances it. Their jobs of actors and writers and directors like these are a crossroads between hard-earned vocational skills, practical tradecraft and passionate creativity and even if every iteration of the Doctor doesn't always speak to me personally, I'm always able to love this thing all the same. That said, Cutie--I mean Ncuti only took about 2 episodes to grow on me so I'm glad I didn't put it off just because I naturally gravitate the salty Scottish physicist.

So happy for ruby that she finally found her birth mother cant wait to see more of ruby next year

Hope rogue returns

It's amazing how much work and creativity go into it Well done team 👏

I think sutekh's design was amazing in this episode but the only thing i thought was a missed opportunity was not making his eyes green to link back to pyramids of Mars.

I know he's not a cat but the way he sits on the tardis reminds me of my cat on his cat tree

I really want Bonnie to do a season run with Ncuti! She's really great in this and the big finish audios. She can totally do another season of Doctor Who. I really want to see that happen. I feel like there's so much that can still be done with Mel in regards to her origins, what happened with her family and where she is now with her life.

Sutekh being wrapped around the TARDIS since The Pyramids Of Mars, gives a new meaning to the phrase "The Oncoming Storm" Yup the "sand" Storm!

Still can't get over that there's a goblin song now.

Saw it in the cinema and loved it, bring on the next season

It was so good to have these behind the scenes videos, that's nice to know how it's done 😁

Your writing of how some of these gods are created, really do amazing work. Not to mention the design is amazing.

So, one of the oldest and greatest enemies the doctor has ever faced, a god, omnipotent, fair enough, but he wont kill the doctor or Ruby because he needs to know her mother's name? Then her mum turns out to be an ordinary person? Am I missing something?

We all loved surteks mask. It looks. REALLY GREAT. A FANTASTIC. BAD GUY.

I honestly so excited to see VR painting being used in a profesional setting for concept art! I heard about that idea being bounced around back when it was first invented, but I haven't seen much use of it since.

Sutekh's original (unmasked) design looked more menacing to me because he looked closer to a human than animal. It passed that uncanny valley. Humanoid body, two green eyes (instead of four) with a malicious stare, a face that resembled a canine but with rectangular ears (instead of triangular) so you knew it was something unearthly. Very sapient. The new Sutekh just growls like a mindless animal. Speaks very occasionally and in the climax he's just on all four legs "running" in the vortex like a dog. Mutated CGI Scooby Doo on a leash. Quite the "evolution".

after how empire of death unfolded, russell talking about how the christmas special is mad and goes to so many places has me thinking he's literally talking about moving from an exterior scene to an interior one

Spoiler alert . . . > 1. like how many times did Sutekh created Susan on Gallifrey and how many times Have Gallifrey been destroyed by dust ? 2. we know what consequences are from destroying Tardis , and we know that Tardis is a living machine , so what happened to 14th Doctor ? was he travelling at that time with Donna , or did Sutekh killed 14th , Donna and Tardis too ( without consequences ) and if so , then how ? 3. Basically , if Sutekh was always here after his defeat , when did Toymaker meet him ? How he knows about the one who waits ? and how in the hell he was not able to notice Sutekh around the Tardis

Just epic ....RTD2 I wasn't feeling at first ....but now after rewatchibg both parts like a full film I get this era a lot more ....really is now I wonder who now will challenge to be the head of the Pantheon

I need to build a lego MOC of the Memory TARDIS immediately to add to my 18 console and 45 minifigure Doctor Who display💙

I'm glad the episode took the time to answer my questions about Sutekh's evolution into godhood. I was like, "Wait, he was just a powerful alien before! How did he become head of the Pantheon?" And I like the explanation they gave.

That new Sutekh looks awesome.

Good job love the new design of Sutekh 💕

Love the memory Tardis

i know everyone hates this episode but god i love it so much

Sutekh would make a crazy Soulsbourne boss

Simply Splendid !! Luv all the shows so GLAD The Doctor is back ! 😎❤💯👀 All the performers are perfect ! 🕺🌹🌹🥨🔥🎯🪅🎩💎

The episode is starting to grow on me

Cant wait for more Doctor Who stuff!

Nice season, But 9 episodes!!! come on!!! Give us the old 13 episodes back!

Not as good as Legend, but this was still a very good, solid finale. 8/10 for me

Thank you so much Russell for bringing back Bonnie and giving her a proper role not just as a screamer. Mel is adorable

Bonnie's an absolute tonic. More of her please!

Hope they'll publish all these amazing concept arts of Sutekh somewhere

One off the Greatest villains, get put on a leash and taken for a walk through the time vortex

Is Clara Oswald returning? for the Christmas special? That "You clever boy" line got me thinking if the old lady was Clara.

Really hoping this isn’t the last we see of Sutekh’s new design.

Loved the Memory TARDIS. Great idea. Especially for past fans. It also gave me CBBC Broom Cupboard vibes from my childhood. 10/10 for that golden nugget👍🩵

I was born in 1976 sooo more than a year by birth date, but I got in the Doctor ❤❤❤on the 80's and then he was gone. So I watched the back episodes this week thank you BBC.

Thanks for interesting and valuable video as always ❤❤❤

I think if you'd told me when I was 13/14 that Bonnie would be in the series - or even that it would be running at all - in the 21st century, I would have given you an old-fashioned look. She was a controversial choice back then, I think she would admit, but time has given credibility to this show and all its facets. A good mixture.

Pantheon seems cool. If doctor who was an MMO it would be like a boss dungeon.

So sad ruby is leaving already. Idk if we would have loved rose or Clara like we do if they hadn’t gotten to spend time a while with the dr after their arc ended

Loved the finale. Great to see how much effort has gone into the design of it.

Love this show so much. Ncuti and Millie were so good together and such a joy to see Bonnie back as Mel

Gatwa is such a mood when he realises the prop he's gotta steal lol

A Sutekh model wrapped around a TARDIS would be a great collector's item... That and a Meep plush... ...Just saying >.>

I think this story needed one more episode because of how similar it was to the Utopia 3 parter. That story had a big cliffhanger where a classic villain returns, steals the Tardis and starts enacting his plan. Then there’s a full episode about who this guy is, what he wants to do and what his relationship to the Doctor is. Then there’s a full episode where they explore the ruined Earth after he won and the Doctor uses his deus ex machina Jesus powers to undo it all This story followed the same structure beat for beat, except with only 2 episodes. So the last episode had to introduce Sutekh properly, have him get defeated and also resolve Ruby‘s story without much time to breathe Don’t really wanna blame the writing since they only had 8 episodes to work with, but I hope the seasons can be longer again

That was the greatest finale ever. My TOP 10 highlights : - Kate Stuart's death. I am so glad she came back to life. - Ruby Sunday was named after a road sign - goosebumps. Brilliant idea! - Sutekh death. Best villain death ever. - Mrs Flood at the end. Very cool ending - Rose ❤❤❤ - Mel's comeback - the doctor screaming - The universe is dead. I've never heard of that idea before - Ruby's hair - Mel's outfit

1975 terrifying green eyes 2024 now has red eyes smh

I overall really liked this episode. It may be flawed but i had a great time watching it

Im glad bonnie had a lot of fun with the goodie turned baddie role xD

Almost spooky to hear Gabriel Woolf voice Sutekh again. Such a great voice. I want that remembered Tardis for my 62nd birthday which is in few days time, so hurry up! LOL!!

The resolution of Sutekh was a little rushed but I loved Rubys ending. I feel like if they spent more time on Kate and Mel’s deaths and also sutekh in general would have been so much better. Honestly the episodes need to be just that much longer.

The only thing I was disappointed about was what the mom was pointing at because how was she naming ruby. Just didn't make any sense was really goofy.

Spoiler Alert: I loved the reunion of Ruby and her mother.

Of all the things the RTD2 era has done right - and there are many - the best has been giving Bonnie Langford a chance to really shine.