Theory:Doctor Who television discontinuity and plot holes/Dalek

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This page is for discussing the ways in which Dalek doesn't fit well with other DWU narratives. You can also talk about the plot holes that render its own, internal narrative confusing.

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• The map of the US shown on van Statten's monitor is missing the upper peninsula of Michigan.

This is 2012, perhaps in the future the upper peninsula of Michigan has been destroyed, eroded, etc.

• The Dalek can find no trace of his race on the Internet. Has no one noticed the events of DW: Daleks in Manhattan / Evolution of the Daleks, Remembrance of the Daleks, Army of Ghosts /Doomsday or The Stolen Earth / Journey's End?

The Dalek is more likely looking for present information regarding Daleks on earth, in which case he is likely the only one in 2012 itself. In addition, dialogue within various Torchwood episodes, as well as Remembrance of the Daleks suggests that information about certain events was repressed from public knowledge.

• How can van Statten (who seems to own the President) not know what a Dalek is, even though they stole and attacked the Earth 3 years earlier in The Stolen Earth and Journey's End?

Again, History may have been changed. Also, there is as yet no indication that any Dalek "remains" survived the Medusa Cascade incident for study. And the episode establishes van Statten as a megalomaniac - he may have simply made up the name Metaltron because he liked it better than Dalek; he says he'd rather find out the Metaltron's real name, but he could have been testing the Doctor. Note he doesn't make a big deal of it once the Dalek's name is revealed. In addition, later stories (but earlier events) establish that some Daleks have names (Dalek Caan, for instance); who is to say van Statten wasn't looking for this information? ' '' Amy Pond in DW:Victory of the Daleks does not know of the Daleks' existence which leads one to believe the memory may have been wiped from the minds of all humans.

• The Dalek begs the Doctor for pity. It was established in DW: Genesis of the Daleks and other stories that the Daleks cannot feel pity, having no concept of it.

In this episode, however, the Dalek is knowledgeable about emotions to manipulate them without actually having any itself, hence why it was able to trick Rose into touching it. Plus a major point of the episode is how the Dalek takes on human characteristics after Rose touches it.

• Rose states that in 2012 she would be 26. yet she has to be 19 in 2005 to be 26. she should actually be 25 in 2012.

Her birthday has not necessarily passed in 2005. In Aliens of London, it says she disappeared in March. Her birthday is more likely to be after March than before. Also, the Doctor does not specify a date, so it could be an assumption. Rose may not be that good at maths - she said in DW: Rose that one of the only things she was good at was gymnastics, stating, "I got the bronze".

• If the Daleks can hover around the city and even space with ease (DW: Doomsday/DW: The Stolen Earth/DW: The Parting of the Ways), why is this one slowly getting around hovering? Since it also wants to get past the bulk head as fast as possible.

It's possible that this particular Dalek was of an older model, or that it was not 100% repaired when touched by Rose. Also, this Dalek hadn't hovered, or even moved in over 40 years, so it would likely been slower than others.