Theory:Doctor Who television discontinuity and plot holes/42

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This page is for discussing the ways in which 42 doesn't fit well with other DWU narratives. You can also talk about the plot holes that render its own, internal narrative confusing.

Remember, this is a forum, so civil discussion is encouraged. However, please do not sign your posts. Also, keep all posts about the same continuity error under the same bullet point. You can add a new point by typing:

* This is point one.
::This is a counter-argument to point one.
:::This is a counter-argument to the counter-argument above
* This is point two.
::Explanation of point two.
::Further discussion and query of point two.

... and so on. 

• If the Doctor can turn Martha's phone into a super-phone like Rose's with the sonic screwdriver, why did he need to replace parts when he upgraded Rose's phone in TV: The End of the World?

Newer technology integrated into the sonic screwdriver, as it is a newer version.

Martha's phone was newer than Rose's so may not have needed the part Rose's did.

• The computer announces the time to impact at somewhat irregular intervals. Also, the time it took for the cast to move around the ship seemed to vary considerably between conveniently quickly or conveniently slowly according to plot requirements.

The episode is not told in real-time. Also, it is possible that regular announcements were made, but only some were audible to the viewers, while others were edited out.

• How does the oxygen in the infected peoples' bodies get changed into hydrogen? That kind of nuclear fusion would require a colossal amount of energy, and leave the bodies a lot hotter than 100 degrees in addition to creating a lot of neutron radiation. Furthermore, it would lead to the bodies literally falling apart at a molecular level.

They're being controlled by a being that lives inside the star, so probably whatever mechanism that the creature uses to avoid burning up itself is also protecting the bodies of the infected people.

Oxygen to hydrogen is not fusion, it's fission. And it would absorb massive amounts of heat, not release it.

Most of the other specifics mentioned in the question would be relatively easy to get around, but that still doesn't make anything even remotely plausible about converting oxygen to hydrogen or the effects of doing so.

The Doctor says the oxygen was "replaced by" hydrogen, not changed to it. A main sequence star would have plenty of hydrogen available to replace the oxygen it removed.

• Why is the light from the infected peoples' eyes not visible through their eyelids? And given that they seem to be able to see where they're going with their eyes closed, why do they need the masks with the visors?

Perhaps the suits prevent the possessed bodies from burning up too quickly. Also, maybe the light is somehow "turned off" when their eyes are closed.

• Why doesn't Abi run away from Korwin? There is enough time between her asking for assistance and her death for her to run out the door of the med-centre.

Neither she nor any of the rest of the crew realised at that point that Korwin could, or would, kill her.

• Why does the screen for the escape pod jump from "Jettison Reactivated" to "Jettison Initiated".

Reactivated and Initiated mean different things.

• Why are the controls to remagnetise the escape pod on the outside of the ship?

So that if they are using the escape pod to escape from someone, that person can't bring them back easily.

It is possible that this can usually be overridden by the person in the escape pod since the main controls on the inside were broken.

• Why don't the bodies incinerate instantaneously that close to the sun?

The ship has heat shields.

• If releasing the material taken from the star solves the problem, then why doesn't the star just do that in the first place?

The star seemed to be out for revenge, as well as after its material.

• At this point in human history, shouldn't the crew have had Oods?

Obviously not everyone has an Ood, there can't be that many.

It was stated in The Impossible Planet that "everyone" has one. Even if it was an exaggeration, the Ood in The Impossible Planet far outnumbered the humans, so a few would be expected here.

The crew seemed like they were behaving pretty shadily, they had illegal fuel scoops and I would imagine they wouldn't be beyond smuggling goods if they have that. They would have to avoid respectable places when cargo dropping to avoid having their fuel methods detected. Maybe Ood are only given out to ships and people which pass a standards test which they could not pass.

Or it's much simpler than that: the year is not specified, only the century - 42nd. The Ood sales were closed and the Ood freed in 4126 (Planet of the Ood), so this episode can take place later.

But, how do we know Planet of the Ood IS set in 4126? We only have the Doctor's word for that, and he often gets the year wrong. Especially as The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit is set in 4221 and the characters in that story still have Ood slaves. Seems more likely the Ood are conditioned as part of their enslavement to report any and all illegal activity, so the characters in this story, who are up to illegal activity, can't risk having them on board.

• Why didn't the Doctor wear the space suit into the room with the TARDIS?