Theory:Doctor Who television discontinuity and plot holes/Midnight

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This page is for discussing the ways in which Midnight 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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• Before the Doctor boards the train, and is on the phone with Donna at the beginning of the episode, he has a "shadow" beard (a bit of light hair, very stubbly) on his chin, and once he boards the train, he is completely clean-shaven.

• The hostess twice opens the doors in the shuttle to the outside and lives, despite the Professor saying that the X-Tonic light would vaporise them in a split-second.

There is an air buffer that lasts for six seconds, the glass between the Crusader and the outside world lasts for a few minutes.

• When Rose appears on screen, didn't the others notice?

No-one would realise the significance of it except the Doctor - they may have assumed that the screen was faulty if they even noticed it at all.

• Why, after the Doctor shut down all the entertainment systems, was the screen working on which Rose appeared?

Her image is not constructed by the electronics in the screen, rather it is a projection from the alternate universe. Also, later on a monitor screen is clearly active - but showing a blank blue screen - on the wall behind Sky while the Doctor argues with the passengers over who he is.

• As noted, the episode takes place in the future, however the EXIT signs are standard 20th century style signs, and Donna's cordless phone clearly shows a modern-day plug-in jack for a cord.

The use of retro items have become useful again in the future, just like in Genesis of the Daleks, where a tape recording was used when Davros interrogated the Fourth Doctor.

• When the lights come back on, Sky stops repeating for a few seconds.

The moment the lights come back on was also the moment at which Sky started speaking in perfect time with everyone else, so she is speaking but it's difficult to hear her over the person she is copying.

• Why doesn't the Hostess just push Sky out with no need for self-sacrifice?

The Hostess probably panicked and did not try to coax the other passengers into helping her get rid of Sky as they were bent on removing the Doctor. Otherwise, she was probably afraid of not being able to overpower her. Also, if you've ever tried to wrestle someone of equal size, strength, and weight, it's much more easily possible to use your own weight to send you both toppling. Otherwise, you'd have to get some sort of advantageous hold on the other person, which the Hostess didn't have the time or knowledge to do.

• When the Midnight Entity is heard banging on the shuttle walls, Sky begins to panic and scream something to the effect of, "she's coming for me." Whom is she referring to? Why does she insist the entity is "coming for me?"

It's simply a case of her being scared.

Judging by her conversations earlier in the episode, it seems that what she was afraid of was her ex-wife, as she implies that it was hardly a clean divorce, which she is recovering from, she could be scared of her ex-wife coming to get her - threats in the future are presumably easier to follow up, or she's paranoid of that.

• Those idiots tried to kill the Doctor based on lies. By doing so, they nearly condemned their unvierse to the New Dalek Empire. How do you think they'd react to being on trial for it? And which do you think be a fitting punishment for them?