Theory:Doctor Who television discontinuity and plot holes/The Three Doctors

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This page is for discussing the ways in which The Three Doctors 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. 

• The fact that he has been brought into his own future and telepathically linked with the Third Doctor leads to questions of the Second Doctor learning of his eventual capture, trial, and exile by the Time Lords.

Season 6B is an attempt to reconcile the issues arising from this plot hole. In DW: The Five Doctors and DW: The Two Doctors, the Doctor appears not to remember meeting himself; in DW: Time Crash, however, he does remember.

• How come the Brigadier mentions to the Second Doctor about both the Autons and the Nestene Consciousness when the Second doesn't remember these events?

The Brigadier doesn't know that - he's trying to get his head round the sudden reappearance of the old Doctor, and is confused about the face changing.

• In episode 4, the two Doctors take less time to get to UNIT than the others did in Bessie.

• If the organism was to find the Doctor, why send the monsters as well?

In case he put up a struggle or some how he could defeat the organism.

• The explanation of why Ollis is taken doesn't really hold up, and it is painfully obvious that they just needed a good way to start the story.

The explanation was not really an explanation, that was merely the Doctor hypothesising.

• In the end the Third Doctor says he will need to build new forcefield circuit before he can travel again, so how does he materialise in Carnival of Monsters?

The forcefield circuit is probably less complex than the materialisation circuit. There is clearly at least a small amount of time that passes and the Doctor obviously rebuilt the forcefield circuit in that time.

• There are shots that make it quite obvious that there is not interior to the TARDIS prop.

• The split screen effect used to allow Patrick Troughton's arm to reach for the recorder before he fully appears is rather obvious; additionally, just before his arm appears, a boom mike drifts into the shot directly above John Levene.

• The Brigadier says UNIT HQ is "a Top Secret establishment". It's therefore a surprise to see a large sign outside informing the world not only of its function, but also the name of the commanding officer.

"Top Secret" usually refers to the work going on inside the faclity, not to the location of the facility itself. Anyone going near the location of Area 51, for instance, will be greeted with signs declaring the area a security location and off-limits. There is no way to deny the existence of the Area 51 facility, just what they actually do there.

• The footsteps of those returning to Earth via the singularity can be heard as they walk down the steps after they've disappeared.

• Jo's knickers can be seen in episode one.

• How does the First Doctor know that the blob is a bridge?

He worked it out for the other incarnations.

• The view from the TARDIS scanner is from the far side of the lab and includes the TARDIS itself.

• When UNIT HQ vanishes, there is grass where the building used to be.

• There are many times when behind the scenes actions are seen

• When the gel creature is chasing Tyler, it bumps into a wall right before the cut to the next scene.

Some species have bad sight.

• When the Doctor and Jo find Bessie, her tyres are covered with white dust, showing she was driven into the quarry, not transported.

• The Chancellor tells the First Doctor that "all three are needed to defeat Omega". But how does he know who the enemy is?

Just as the Time Lords monitored different points in time, they may have been able to see what happened in Omega's universe and the Doctor's confronting him.

• Although it is later revealed that Omega has no physical shape, the actor's mouth can be seen on several occasions, notably when he is working out who the Second Doctor is.

• Everyone is supposed to be returned to where they were when they were taken. But the Third Doctor was outside the TARDIS when he was taken and is returned inside it, while the Brigadier and Sgt Benton were inside the TARDIS when they were taken and are returned outside of it.

They were taken back to where they were supposed to be, not from where they were taken.

• When the Doctors flee Omega's lair, they open the door, which is smooth on its outer surface. But outside shots reveal the door to be textured.