Theory:Doctor Who television discontinuity and plot holes/Closing Time

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 Closing Time 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 Doctor has aged some 200 years since the start of his current regeneration, but shows no signs of ageing.

Maybe he moisturised.

Time Lords age more slowly than humans. The First Doctor was around 500, and he didn't look nearly that old.

He looked 50 or 60 years old. If he was 500 then this Doctor should look about 20 years older.

• The Doctor sees Amy and Rory in a shop on what must be April 20th two days before he is to die. At first glance, one must assume that this is the Amy and Rory from before the events of this season; after the events of The Big Bang, but before The Impossible Astronaut. We know that the pair hadn't heard from The Doctor for two months by that time - whether or not that means their wedding, or includes any later pops by to visit we don't know. So it's entirely possible enough time would have passed to invent and market a scent that has become popular enough to warrant getting her autograph. Small problem - the Amy from before the events of this season is not acquainted with the term Petrichor. If she was, she'd have recognized it when Idiris used it. Now there's no issue with The Doctor going back a day or two to get the letters in the post in time for them to arrive a day or two ago. Heck, he got one to Canton in America, one to River on Stormcage and himself on the TARDIS, so that's scarcely a problem. However, by the 20th, Amy and Rory should have already gotten his letter and be heading off to meet him (as seen in The Impossible Astronaut). So they shouldn't even BE here. Best guess, this is the Amy and Rory from AFTER the recent series' events, who were brought back a fair period of time BEFORE they left for America, which may also explain why The Doctor bought them a new house and car; to keep themselves out of their own way.

There is nothing in the episode to suggest that the events of Closing Time take place right before the events on Lake Silencio in terms of an earth calendar. Remember the Amy and Rory the Doctor sees giving the autograph are the Amy and Rory the Doctor left on Earth - therefore they have already experienced the events of Lake Silencio. All the episode says is for the Doctor it's the day before his "death". In addition, if this episode did take place in lake April, then the events of Miracle Day would be underway. As no reference is made to that, this must take place some time after.

Actually, note the date of Craig's paper - April 19, 2011.

If post The God Complex Rory and Amy were deposited on Earth before the events of The Impossible Astronaut there would be two sets of Amy and Rorys. Both live in the UK and one Amy (the post TGC one) became famous enough to be stopped on the street by fans. It seems impossible that pre The Impossible Astronaut Amy and Rory wouldn't notice that another version of herself has become famous. Just how far off in the boonies is Leadworth? Wouldn't post TGC Amy and Rory visit Amy or Rory's families in Leadworth at some point and meet themselves?

• When Craig is converted you can clearly hear the Cyber Conversion Unit's blades and knives cut him up but he is undamaged when he can hear Alfie.

Recycled sound effects; This type of unit is clearly different in appearance and function to the Cybus-type unit, so the same sound may be made by a different unrelated component, or it's simply there to remind the viewer what is supposed to be happening.