Theory:Doctor Who television discontinuity and plot holes/The Celestial Toymaker

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This page is for discussing the ways in which The Celestial Toymaker 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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• When the Doctor imitates the Toymaker's voice, the last piece moves over slowly, whereas when the Toymaker commanded the pieces they moved instantly.

Perhaps because the Toymaker's voice is more commanding, or the piece moved slowly for suspense.

• Why does the Doctor not want to save the others trapped in the Toymaker's domain?

It is stated in the story that those who lose the Toymaker's games are condemned to become his playthings forever. They are, no doubt, beyond saving.

The Doctor had in his earlier adventures (An Unearthly Child, The Daleks) shown streaks of ruthlessness, willing to lie and maybe even kill to further his plans. This could simply mean that The First Doctor was less of a humanist than his future incarnations and thus, from time to time, less concerned with the wellbeing of others.

• In The Dancing Floor, Cyril tells Steven and Dodo that he was previously the Knave of Hearts and the Kitchen Boy. Were Joey and Clara, the King and Queen of Hearts, and Sgt. Rugg and Mrs. Wiggs also all one and the same pair?

This could well be the case, though it is never confirmed in the story. (However, it does also appear that the Toymaker is somewhat short of 'staff', as he seems to have only three or four people working for him, in a variety of costumes!)

• When the Doctor is on move 905, he moves a piece so it counts as move 906. However, when the Celestial Toymaker asks the pieces to go to move 930, they only jump 21 times so it should be move 927.

It cuts to the Toymaker after 21 pieces – more pieces may move (unseen) after it cuts to him.

• After the Doctor goes into the TARDIS, how come when the Toymaker steps on the electric board he is walking on, he isn't electrocuted?

(a) he's immortal, (b) he made this world so he could turn it off, and (c) the game was over so there was no need for electricity.

He knows this world, but they don't and so won't risk it.

• When the Doctor walks from his TARDIS to the Toymaker, he moves onto the electric floor and doesn't react.

The electric floor may well have been switched off since the game is over, and, even if it wasn't, the Doctor has shown a high resistance to electricity so it would not harm him.

• In one spot of the Trilogic Game, the smallest piece can be seen to be on top of the 5 piece. In order to get the minimum 1023 moves for the game, the smallest piece can never be put on top of another odd numbered piece – so the Doctor shouldn't be able to do it in 1023 moves.

• Also, at 1000 moves, there are pieces on all three edges of the board. In the optimum solution of 1023 moves, one of the edges should be blank at 1000 moves.