Doctor Who

causing him to vanish and locking the Tardis.

Pretty sure that's been established.

If the Doctor isn't around, security measures lock it down, even preventing the use of keys.

After a long build up explaining just how serious the fairy circle is, it turns out no that’s just racist

I took that as a reference to how people don't believe in it, but that doesn't stop it from being real.

Dr Who magic isn't Tinkerbell magic, people don't need to believe in it for it to work.

So this woman makes everyone near her hate Ruby. Everyone. Why? Who fucking knows

I think it's not that she "says" anything, it's that standing next to an old her, and looking at present her "breaks their brains" due to fairy magic and perception filter being crammed together. They likely still just see the blur, but subconsciously the paradox ducks with them. Like how when multi doctor episodes happen, the younger versions forget it.

Then she goes back in time. How? Why? No idea. It just happens and you gotta deal with it.

Everything weird is because of the intersection of magic and time travel fields... Someone getting thrown back into time isn't that off the wall. Especially if viewing her life and the fairy circle as two never ending loops.

This. Makes. No. Sense.

It's Dr Who mate... Unbelievable things happen every episode, but will likely eventually be explained by really advanced tech

So as far as this season supposed to be supernatural...

1. That's not new, in Dr Who the British royal family are all werewolves and vampires are real just aliens.

2. Any sufficiently advanced tech is indistinguishable from magic. Even the Doctors tech is often confused with magic. It's entirely possible all the "magic" is going to be tech from some alien species (maybe more than one) living among humans for a very long time even under the Doctor's radar.

This year I think they're just waiting instead of explaining it away with timely whiney bits until later in the season when it all gets tied up with a bow.

Let me add the "teleporting" stuff during the train ride. Also, what determines in which direction the blurry woman appears? And why didn't Ruby - in all those years - not try to throw a stone or a bottle after her - just to see what happens? And if that scary lady really was "old Ruby", how did she endure days/weeks/years outside in the rain?

Thinking about this, when Ruby was pacing around inside the pub while the other guy went outside... that blurry lady must've floated around - always keeping exactly 73 yards distance from Ruby, right?

And how did the "scary" stuff even work with the trained UNIT elite professionals that were explicitly briefed to "not make eye contact, don't listen to anything", etc.? And it even worked via radio with Kate, the snipers, etc.. And suddenly, Kate wasn't even interested in the location of the TARDIS anymore? Nor did this head(!) of UNIT say anything at all about WHY she was abandoning Ruby.

Oh, and why did the PM abandon all his plans for buying WMDs and stuff when all other people that had contact with the blurry lady just abandoned Ruby? Where's the connection here? It clearly wasn't the reason for the blurry lady as she was still there afterwards.

Also what is it with The Doctor stepping on things? Didn't the fucking landmine teach him to watch his steps?

This episode was a mess IMHO. Like a fever dream - just that it was never suggested it was one.

More than that, if the old woman was Ruby, which I'm proud to say I clocked pretty early on, how did she maintain exactly 73 yards all the time? She doesn't have magical distance sensing powers.

And apparently the ability to teleport as we saw in the train scene.

BUT - We also had a 2nd appearance of the mysterious neighbor, so I expect there will be an episode later in the series that wraps all this up tight.

I kind of expect we won't be left without an answer before the end of the season.

It wouldn't make sense to leave these important storylines without any answers.