Theory:Doctor Who television discontinuity and plot holes/Human Nature

You are exploring the Discontinuity Index, a place where any details or rumours about unreleased stories are forbidden.
Please discuss only those whole stories which have already been released, and obey our spoiler policy.

This page is for discussing the ways in which Human Nature 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. 

• Didn't the Seventh Doctor have a remarkably similar adventure in the book, "Human Nature"? Bit unlikely that it would happen again so similarly.

The comics are often times not canon to the show. The comic actually inspired the TV episode, which is why it has many things in common.

It wasn't a comic, it was a novel. And this wikia considers all media as equally canon so your point is invalid in every way. And the production reasons are obviously known, but discontinuities are not about production reasons, they're about story. Please educate yourself about things like this before you try and contribute. Thank you.

This wikia doesn't consider everything equally canon, such as, if a book, audio story, comic, ect. contradicts a TV episode based off of itself, the book, audio story, comic, ect. won't be considered canon. So the book this episode was based on is not canon.

That comment is needlessly condescending. Please find a more positive way to talk to others. Thank you.

• John Smith's statement that his adventures with Martha take place in 2007 contradict the timeline.

Incorrect, they are time travellers. They were in 2007, a year in Martha's relative past, when the Family caught up to them. Martha's myspace blog states that they were attending the Eurovision concert of that year.

A related point is that is that it is "John Smith" and not the Doctor who is talking, and that he is relating a dream of his, not necessarily the literal truth experienced by the Doctor.

• Since the Family would have died out pretty soon, why didn't the Doctor and Martha hide out in the TARDIS, in the Time Vortex, both of which would be practically impenetrable, even for the Family, until it was over?

It is mentioned during John Smith's dream that the Family had stolen Time Agent technology, specifically, a Vortex Manipulator. Obviously they'd be able to follow them wherever they went and presumably infiltrate the TARDIS.

if they could break into the TARDIS why didnt they break in later on inside the episode: Family of blood

• How did the Family manage to time-travel when their actual form prior to possessing human was merely balls of gas?

• John Smith said that he learned how to draw on Gallifrey. The Doctor's conversation with Romana II in City of Death suggests that all drawings on Gallifrey are done by computers.

Actually it's said that painting is done on computer not all drawings.

Also, John Smith is just guessing he learnt to draw there, as it is the place he grew up.

• How did Martha get John Smith out of the TARDIS without him noticing where he was?

A shock most likely occured when the Doctor made himself Human thus causing him to faint and giving Martha the time to get him out of the TARDIS.

• When Martha enters the TARDIS. In the long shot you can see inside the TARDIS, the room inside is lit up but when Marth is inside the walls are dark.

That's a production error, not a plot discontinuity.