Lucky Day (Doctor Who)

"Lucky Day" is the fourth episode of the fifteenth series of the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who. It was written by Pete McTighe, and was directed by Peter Hoar. The episode was released on BBC iPlayer, BBC One and Disney+ on 3 May 2025. It features the return of companion Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson), who plays a leading role in the episode opposite Conrad Clark (Jonah Hauer-King), with both the Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and Belinda Chandra (Varada Sethu), the series' main leads, only appearing briefly. The episode focuses on Ruby, who begins a relationship with podcaster Conrad Clark as she attempts to find her place in the world after leaving the Doctor. When Conrad's true aim to turn the public against military organisation UNIT is revealed, Ruby and Kate Lethbridge-Stewart have to deal with the repercussions of Conrad's actions. "Lucky Day" was devised by showrunner Russell T Davies, and Davies enlisted McTighe to write it. McTighe used the episode to develop Ruby and Kate's characters while also exploring the spread and effects of online hatred. The episode's monster, the Shreek, was based on McTighe's childhood fears of dog-like creatures in the dark, with the Shreek being portrayed via costume and an animatronic head. Filming took place in November 2023 in Newton, Porthcawl and at Wolf Studios Wales; it was filmed back-to-back with the series premiere. "Lucky Day" received positive reviews from critics, who highlighted Gibson's performance, the twist regarding Conrad's true motives and the episode's social commentary, but were more critical of underdeveloped plotlines and the execution of Conrad as an antagonist.