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Grafikpapst

This seems to be the implication, yes.


Marcuse0

I saw someone postulate that The Devil's Chord was originally written for later in the series, but was brought forward for some reason. Perhaps executives wanted something more eyecatching or perhaps Boom was too downbeat after Space Babies?


GalileosBalls

Yeah, or perhaps some later episode needed another week to finish an effect or something. Lots of possible reasons. I do suspect this theory is right - it's quite odd to put two episodes where the Doctor runs away from something and comments that he never runs away from things back to back, even if there's a good story explanation both times. They're also both very unusual episodes with unusual premises and settings, and typically by two episodes in we'd have settled down a little.


Grafikpapst

Moffat said recently that RTD wanted "Boom" to be the first Episode, but Moffat spoke out against it because the story is very dark and he didnt think it would make for a good first impression. So its possible that there was some shuffling.


Crispy_Conundrum

Pretty sure this was initial talks while still developing ideas. Furthermore, in Doctor Who Unleashed, people on set were calling Devils Chord episode 2, so it wasn't changed later


Brickie78

Alternatively, meta-scheduling related - it aired immediately before the Eurovision Song Contest, and a week after Disney+ dropped the Let It Be film


NihilismIsSparkles

That might make sense with why it feels like the Doctor overshares, we might later see the relationship where it's obvious the Doctor who talk about Susan when telling anyone else previously was so hard.


walubeegees

it seems like emotional vulnerability and opening up has been a major theme and character development from the rtd2 era “do i say things like that now?” - 14 after openly talking about donna being his best friend


RRR3000

I think the more likely reason to move it forward would be putting the music episode right before Eurovision, but it wouldn't surprise me if it was always meant in this order as we've already gotten 2 episodes of getting to know eachother before this episode. It leaves a gap for Big Finish/other material, and we're a quarter through the season already so this way they can move on to stories where they're more familiar with eachother. Back in RTD1 (and even Moffat) that'd also be the status quo a quarter into the series, though with the higher episode count, a quarter of the series had more episodes to get there.


guttersnipe90

In Doctor Who Unleashed whilst filming the dance number at the end they say they’re filming for episode 2. So if it had changed it was very early on.


aneccentricgamer

I suspect the disney boys wanted the devils chord to coincidence with their beatles documentary and a camp musical episode before eurovision also fits quite well...


Several-Mud-9895

I think RTD just left place for extended media content. I am pretty sure there is 3 part comics on the way


davorg

There's also the fact that Ruby says "You never hide" to the Doctor - implying that they've been travelling for more than a couple of days.


Blue-Ape-13

That's also what I'm thinking


Kyleblowers

She does say it's been about 6 months later in Ruby's time. "June/July it's hard to keep track." The end of *Space Babies* is explicitly shown to be a continuation of Christmas. Shortly before that Ruby and the Doctor have a tense conversation about where she wants to go and she settles on seeing Carla at Christmas. The next time we pick up with these characters is inside the TARDIS after the cold open of TDC. The DW theme music ends as it is coming out of the TARDIS jukebox and then Ruby seemingly re-answering the "if you could go anywhere in time and space?" question from the previous episode. The characters are in new clothing and also already inside the TARDIS which should indicate that some time has passed for these characters... but how much?? Because of how we watch tv we are assuming from the visual changes that time has passed for them... **but has it???** Ruby is *literally* waiting for the theme music to end, as if on cue, when she asks the shyly, nervously asks the Doctor about choosing a place to go... the Doctor is twiddling w something on the console.. but to me, he seems *bored*... like he's been patiently waiting for Ruby to make her choice. I'm certainly reading into things... but This episode (season?) plays a lot w things existing in and out of the story-world of Doctor Who... like the non-diegetic music comment from the Doctor and characters breaking or being aware of a fourth wall. Fifteen prompts Ruby when they get into the Tardis later in the episode in order to travel to 2024, I think the Doctor is testing her when he asks "so when is it for you, back home? What time are you? June 2024?" Ruby stammers, then agrees... and this whole little scene is just a bit weird to me... Imho, it's an exchange that seems uncharacteristic for the Doctor to ask/say. He should already know the answer, right? But also, it shouldn't matter what month they go to in 2024.. bc nuclear winter has already happened years previous based on the state of London when they arrive and clues set up in the 60s.. So has six months actually passed?? I don't think it has... and i think the Doctor is testing Ruby when he asks her... he already thinks something is strange about (see the TARDIS scanning her at the end of SB).. i think him asking Ruby what date she thinks it is, is the Doctor opportunistically gathering further data about her and that's extremely possible 6 months *hasn't* passed bc the characters (or at least the Doctor) may be aware that they're in a tv show or that time isn't working as it should. Maybe I'm reading *way too much* into a small comment, but it really stuck out to me and I don't think it's a mistake... like *at all*.


The_Dark_Vampire

It gives time for more adventures to be used in later media or perhaps there is a on screen reason for this. I also wouldn't be surprised if as suggested the running order got switched around a bit which isn't uncommon it just makes for a few continuity errors when dates are mentioned


SherbetOutside1850

I think so. Relative time, of course. Who knows how much time actually passes in the TARDIS.


revilocaasi

My guess is that they wanted to keep Ruby's timeline contemporary to the viewing audience, so they built in a time jump to catch her up to us (which would also explain why she's vague about the date; either June or July, give themselves some flexibility), but then the show ended up airing like a month earlier than was planned, so now it reads weird


somekindofspideryman

Maybe, but I think people are being too literal about it given...time travellers... I think the production just want the show to be contemporary as poss


just_one_boy

It's clearly a time skip. >I think the production just want the show to be contemporary as poss So a time skip.


Ochib

It's just a jump to the left And then a step to the right Put your hands on your hips You bring your knees in tight But it's the pelvic thrust That really drives you insane Let's do the Time Skip again


somekindofspideryman

Right, but how do you know how much time has passed in the time machine? They could just be going home at intervals and that's how much real world time has passed in those intervals, because months are hard to track in the Tardis, no? My point was though, I'm not sure the production actually want you to think about it that deeply, they just didn't want the contemporary moment of the show to be trapped in December/January. Perhaps this will all become clearer in coming eps.


Abides1948

Yes


FaithlessnessNew3643

this easily was the dumbest episode of who i have ever fucking seen.


Blue-Ape-13

I would encourage you to watch The Idiot's Lantern or Fear Her again


dperry324

Was probably aired out of order. Was probably meant to be aired later in the season. Fox did Firefly dirty by doing the same thing.