Theory:Doctor Who television discontinuity and plot holes/Revelation of the Daleks

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This page is for discussing the ways in which Revelation of the Daleks 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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• Davros and his Daleks recognised the Doctor. When the Renegade Daleks come to take Davros, he tells them to take the Doctor instead, but the Doctor's image does not compute with their known appearance of the Doctor.

Renegade Daleks and Imperial Daleks possibly don't share the same knowledge or Renegade Daleks simply didn't believe Davros.

Many fans see Davros' Daleks in this episode as Necros Daleks as it was before the Dalek Civil War [War Of The Daleks by John Peel] but also Davros mentions in the episode that he himself planned for the Doctor to come so he must of known of his appearance, were the Renegade Daleks did not.."

The Big Finish Productions Audio Drama Davros provides an explanation for Davros' recognition of the Doctor, and since Davros recognises the Doctor then the Necros Daleks, created after the audio, were probably programmed to recognise him too.

• Why doesn't Bostock die the first time he is exterminated?

A Dalek's gun can paralyze, too.

• How exactly does the fake head of Davros work, and what's the point of it?

Probably to fool people (especially assassins) into thinking he was crippled and weak, an easy target.

Davros flat out states its a diversion to draw would be assassins into a trap. He is an intergalactic war criminal, quite a few people are gunning for his head.

• How is Davros still alive? He clearly succumbed to the Movellan Virus in Resurrection of the Daleks and died, so he couldn't have gotten to an escape pod as he says in this episode.

In Destiny of the Daleks we learnt that Davros has a secondary life support system that enabled him to survive a direct blast from a Dalek in Genesis. Agree though that Davros' continued survival is implausible and tiresome.

Assuming Davros to be part-Dalek in some ways, perhaps the virus just caused him temporary sickness while whatever was left of his Kaled immune system eventually fought it off.

• Why do the Renegade Daleks bother to take Davros back to Skaro to 'stand trial' instead of simply exterminating him on the spot? Since when have Daleks observed Due Process?

They intend to make a spectacle of him to the whole of the Dalek race for propaganda purposes, or else Davros is in possession of certain useful information they wish to extract. Alternately, perhaps these are the same strain of more progressive Daleks who would later try and (apparently) execute the Master for his crimes (see the TV Movie). Additionally, we've seen before that Davros can survive being exterminated, so the trial might also be an excuse for the Renegade Daleks to devise a more permanent way of killing him.

In The Witch's Familiar it was established that the Daleks have a genetic weakness toward their creator. This would explain the desire for a trial, whatever that implies for a Dalek. Davros would likely not be killed but put under 'house arrest'.

• Would the Renegade Daleks really take the risk of leaving a man who might be the Doctor - their greatest enemy - alive simply because his physical appearance doesn't match their records of him, especially when they know full well this is perfectly mutable?

Being only a small incursion force, they have a limited supply of time/ammunition, or else, being so unimaginative, are constrained merely to adhere to the mission directive of capturing Davros they were dispatched with. They do leave behind one Dalek to keep him prisoner until after they have escorted Davros to Skaro, when they can give the matter a full investigation.

• When the Renegade Daleks encounter Davros, why does the Imperial Dalek run off?

There are several reasons why it might have done this; one is, perhaps one of the Renegades telepathically ordered it do, and with his leader captured, the Imperial decided to do it. Or perhaps it decided to escape while it can, where it went is a mystery though...

• Why does Davros lure the Doctor across the galaxy to drop a polystyrene statue full of fake blood onto him?

Davros was hardly sane when we first saw him. And it's quite clear that his insanity has rapidly degenerated since.

Davros has a wicked sense of humour and was bored?

Davros was being sadistic. And he'/s messing with the Doctor to make him angry, thus making him act without thinking which makes it easier for his Daleks to capture him.

• If she'd thought a moment, Peri would surely have realised that the Doctor couldn't possibly be killed on this visit, since the grave must already have had a body in it.

Maybe but her character isn't known for being level-headed in a crisis.

And Peri is naive.

• Davros does make some mention of turning the Doctor into a Dalek, but why not just capture him the instant he arrives?

Presumably down to his own arrogance, Davros wants to lead the Doctor on, so he can feel the satisfaction of defeating him both physically and mentally.

This question is literally asked (by a Dalek) and answered (by Davros himself) in the episode. Davros says it satisfies him more to see the Doctor's curiosity lead to his downfall. As stupid as it might seem it doesn't actually backfire much since the Doctor is successfully captured before he can interfere with any of Davros' plans.

• When captured, how does the Doctor know that Davros is still alive? (Natasha and Grigory can't possibly have told him, because they don't know either.)

He has already seen the Daleks are involved and being told of the advancements in Dalek production that have been achieved. Thus after facing Davros three times now, the Doctor recognises the hallmarks of his style. After all how many people are there in the universe, brilliant and insane enough to pull all this off, then set up the whole thing just to taunt the Doctor?

• Tasambeker stabs Jobel without pushing the plunger on the syringe.

She doesn't need to. It's not the fluid that kills Jobel but the piercing of the syringe into a vital organ.

• If Davros is aware of everything that goes on at Tranquil Repose by means of monitors and spies, how is it that he is unaware that Takis has sent for daleks from Skaro?

One can only assume Takis got "lucky" enough to get a signal through at such a time as Davros was distracted (either in cheerfully experimenting on / torturing Stengos and co, threatening his business associates, or seething at the DJ). Or perhaps for a while he considered Takis to be lowly enough to not merit surveillance, though either way he would probably deem it unlikely that anyone could be so suicidal as to make a 9-1-1 call to Skaro (and the Doctor certainly finds it incredulous).

• What exactly is Tasambeker's status? She describes herself as a "third-year student", yet apparently feels confident enough to issue orders and threats to Takis and Lilt: both high-ranking security personnel, and clearly on far more friendly terms with her boss than she is. Not that either of them seem massively impressed at her bluster.

Necro's entire purpose is based around funerals, to the point of catering the richest and powerful int the galaxy. As Tasambeker is already involved in embalming the corpses, its not hard to imagine she considers the role and thus by extension herself above mere security guards, regardless of how actually true this is in practice. Takis and Lilt's reaction gives credence to the idea this is not the first time they've had to deal with haughty technicians arrogantly assuming their inherently superior to those who have to deal with the real work. Presumably if she'd actually tried to follow through on her threats, they would have given her a crash course on how things really work.

• Why did Peri complain and want to leave when she's meant to be brave? And how'd you think she react if Davros compares her to his Daleks with how she killed the mutant and thought mroe of herself than any who're not human?