Confusion
Confusion was a state of uncertainty.
Confusion could arise from where one individual encountered knowledge in another who they did not expect to have, such as advanced knowledge of transmats on Earth in 1996. (PROSE: Interference - Book One [+]Loading...["Interference - Book One (novel)"]) Or when someone defies common cultural expectation to "do what they want". (PROSE: Timewyrm: Genesys [+]Loading...["Timewyrm: Genesys (novel)"]) It could also lead to anger when an expectation of a person (or their nature or character) was at odds with the reality. (PROSE: War of the Daleks [+]Loading...["War of the Daleks (novel)"])
In explaining having seen (or rather not seen) "ghosts" Sir Reginald Styles attempted to explain it as tiredness and waking up confused. (TV: Day of the Daleks [+]Loading...["Day of the Daleks (TV story)"])
Sam Jones explained to Kathleen Bregman that dealing with aliens was a combination of confusion, paranoia and then acceptance, with some pretence that nothing was wrong. And then further exploration of a new set of rules governing the world as you know it. (PROSE: Alien Bodies [+]Loading...["Alien Bodies (novel)"])
On Avalon in 2991 the First Doctor suggested to Ian Chesterton that the colony some how confused real and mythical history, so as to suggest they were descendants of Arthur and Merlin. Although Ian countered no amount of confusion would make magic and dragons real. (PROSE: The Sorcerer's Apprentice [+]Loading...["The Sorcerer's Apprentice (novel)"])
Conflict-based confusion[[edit] | [edit source]]
On Earth in 2526 the Fifth Doctor used the conflict between duty and survival as a method to attack the Cybermen's androids, the conflict so confused the androids it allowed the humans to destroy the androids. (TV: Earthshock [+]Loading...["Earthshock (TV story)"])
Following his encounter with the Fifth Doctor the duplicate Stien begun to question the conditioning implanted by the Daleks, at one point exclaiming that he couldn't "stand the confusion in [his] mind". (TV: Resurrection of the Daleks [+]Loading...["Resurrection of the Daleks (TV story)"])
Cultural confusion[[edit] | [edit source]]
Confusion could occur if a concept which was not present in one individual's culture was encountered by another, to be a prisoner was a foreign concept to Kitzinger, when she encountered the Sunless, the very concept of being a prisoner both confused and horrified her. (PROSE: Beyond the Sun [+]Loading...["Beyond the Sun (novel)"])
Romantic and erotic gestures differed between species, in the case of mouth kissing Chris Cwej's advances to Dep momentarily confused her. (PROSE: The Also People [+]Loading...["The Also People (novel)"])
According to FeLixi, only people should have names, one should not name one's house, as it would become confusing. (PROSE: The Also People [+]Loading...["The Also People (novel)"])
The Eighth Doctor attempted to instil a sense of comedy by confusing three of the founders of Earth psychology with a musician whilst discussing Mictlan and the Celestis. (PROSE: The Taking of Planet 5 [+]Loading...["The Taking of Planet 5 (novel)"])
Emotional confusion[[edit] | [edit source]]
Whilst on the Space Orient Express the Twelfth Doctor lamented Clara Oswald's ambivalent smile – a sad smile, to which he found confusing. (TV: Mummy on the Orient Express [+]Loading...["Mummy on the Orient Express (TV story)"])
When the K1 robot failed to kill the Fourth Doctor and as Sarah Jane Smith explained to it that its orders were wrong, it expressed both confusion and pain. (TV: Robot [+]Loading...["Robot (TV story)"])
In the 1970s, when attempting to discern who Emil Keller was Chin Lee lamented that her mind became confused. The Third Doctor diagnosed it as post-hypnotic block; the Master's usual technique. (TV: The Mind of Evil [+]Loading...["The Mind of Evil (TV story)"])
Linguistic confusion[[edit] | [edit source]]
English's multiple meanings of words momentarily confused Dep when speaking with Chris Cwej on the Worldsphere when he referred to Roz Forrester as his "partner", and its meaning beyond a romantic sense. (PROSE: The Also People [+]Loading...["The Also People (novel)"])
That May Week was in June, Romana II found confusing. (TV: Shada [+]Loading...["Shada (TV story)"])
A complicated morass of structures or plants could be considered a confusion of them; without order or intent. (PROSE: The Also People [+]Loading...["The Also People (novel)"])
Medical confusion[[edit] | [edit source]]
After being treated with the Keller Machine George Patrick Barnham was left in a state of confusion and trouble with his memories. (TV: The Mind of Evil [+]Loading...["The Mind of Evil (TV story)"])
Following his awakening on Nerva Beacon Libri recoiled at the sight of Noah, which Vira explained as temporary neuro-ocular confusion. (TV: The Ark in Space [+]Loading...["The Ark in Space (TV story)"])
Following his his regeneration the Fifth Doctor became easily confused when not in the zero room. (TV: Castrovalva [+]Loading...["Castrovalva (TV story)"])
Scientific confusion[[edit] | [edit source]]
The Thirteenth Doctor explained that the giant spiders that were in Sheffield in 2018 were just confused due to their massive increase in size. (TV: Arachnids in the UK [+]Loading...["Arachnids in the UK (TV story)"])
Telepathy was traditionally confused with mysticism, due to its difficulty observing it in scientific study. ((PROSE: The Left-Handed Hummingbird [+]Loading...["The Left-Handed Hummingbird (novel)"])
Situational confusion[[edit] | [edit source]]
After recovering her memories the Fugitive Doctor looked to the Thirteenth Doctor who had accompanied her, and mused that she must be confused before explaining that the police box half buried was her TARDIS and that she was the Doctor, much to the (Thirteenth) Doctor's confusion. (TV: Fugitive of the Judoon [+]Loading...["Fugitive of the Judoon (TV story)"])
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Following their arrival near Desolation and subsequent arrival on the planet itself, the Thirteenth Doctor, Yasmin Khan, Graham O'Brien and Ryan Sinclair all admitted to being confused as to what they were engaged with and what the Rally of the Twelve Galaxies was. (TV: The Ghost Monument [+]Loading...["The Ghost Monument (TV story)"])
Upon finding the Third Doctor and Jo Grant on board their cargo ship Captain Stewart concluded that they were boarding parties. The conflict and confusion of this counter-to-logic facts was removed once the Master's hypnotic signal was broadcast at the ship, further confirming his assumption and removing the confusion present. (TV: Frontier in Space [+]Loading...["Frontier in Space (TV story)"]
Spatial confusion[[edit] | [edit source]]
Yasmin Khan was confused by the Doctor's TARDIS's altering dimensions when she entered and had to climb out of a partially sunken police box within its interior. (TV: Once, Upon Time [+]Loading...["Once, Upon Time (TV story)"])
Upon first entering the First Doctor's TARDIS in 1963 Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright were confused by its different dimensions between outside and within. (TV: An Unearthly Child [+]Loading...["An Unearthly Child (TV story)"])
The Eighth Doctor asked Sam Jones if she was confused by the TARDIS's dimensional transcendentalism, however she accepted its size and control space. (PROSE: The Eight Doctors [+]Loading...["The Eight Doctors (novel)"]) The Twelfth Doctor wondered to Maebh Arden that most people found the TARDIS's dimensional transcendentalism confusing, although she did not. (TV: In the Forest of the Night [+]Loading...["In the Forest of the Night (TV story)"])
Tactical confusion[[edit] | [edit source]]
The Fourth Doctor professed that the method of beating computers was to "make mistakes and confuse the enemy", and to always confuse the enemy. (TV: Destiny of the Daleks [+]Loading...["Destiny of the Daleks (TV story)"], The Armageddon Factor [+]Loading...["The Armageddon Factor (TV story)"])
Double agents, it was observed often got confused about which side they were meant to be fighting for. (PROSE: Timewyrm: Exodus [+]Loading...["Timewyrm: Exodus (novel)"])
The Master intended to use the confusion arising from the activation of the auto-jets to allow the Nestenes to land an invasion force on 1970s Earth. (TV: Terror of the Autons [+]Loading...["Terror of the Autons"])
On his first encounter with the Countess Scarlioni in 1979 the Louvre the Fourth Doctor created noise and confusion and stole her bracelet. (TV: City of Death [+]Loading...["City of Death (TV story)"])
To aid in battling Styggron on Earth in the 1980s the Fourth Doctor reprogrammed the android duplicate of himself so as to confuse Styggron as to which was the real person. (TV: The Android Invasion [+]Loading...["The Android Invasion (TV story)"])
In order to create a distraction on Sea Base 4 in 2084 the Fifth Doctor set their reactor to overload, his intent was in the ensuing confusion they could retreat to the TARDIS. (TV: Warriors of the Deep [+]Loading...["Warriors of the Deep (TV story)"])
In the 22nd century after Melanie Bush asked Pex to lead her to the swimming pool, he led them around much of Paradise Towers explaining he was trying to confuse anyone who might be following them. (TV: Paradise Towers [+]Loading...["Paradise Towers (TV story)"])
In around the 24th century Mechanus Vicki Pallister suggested that the First Doctor pretend to be the Daleks' robot duplicate in order to confuse them, allowing the time travellers time to escape. (TV: The Chase [+]Loading...["The Chase (TV story)"])
Whilst on Maitland's ship in the 28th century the First Doctor cautioned Ian Chesterton and Captain Maitland to keep their minds and emotions calm - otherwise the brain became confused allowing the Sensorites a path to attack. (TV: The Sensorites [+]Loading...["The Sensorites (TV story)"])
During the War in Heaven, confusion was both a result of tactics and a tactic in and of itself. The enemy used it to great effect, leading the Great Houses to stress the importance of the "Probability" Doctrine. The best large scale example was Utterlost, except no one could get close enough to view the consequences. (PROSE: The Book of the War)
When the Fourth Doctor evaded Hildred and the Chancellor Guard on Gallifrey Castellan Spandrell criticised Hildred and his men's actions as trying to confuse the Doctor. (TV: The Deadly Assassin [+]Loading...["The Deadly Assassin (TV story)"])
Technological confusion[[edit] | [edit source]]
After stowing in the TARDIS and travelling to 13th century England, the Third Doctor commented that Sarah Jane Smith would become awfully confused if she wanted him to explain the TARDIS. (TV: The Time Warrior [+]Loading...["The Time Warrior (TV story)"])
When the Tenth Doctor and Eleventh Doctor were both attempting reverse the polarity of a time fissure in 1562 the Tenth accused his future self of confusing the polarity. (TV: The Day of the Doctor [+]Loading...["The Day of the Doctor (TV story)"])
On Earth in the 1970s Zoe Heriot confused and ultimately destroyed one of International Electromatics' computers by feeding it data and confusing it. (TV: The Invasion [+]Loading...["The Invasion (TV story)"])
On Telos in the 26th century the Second Doctor used an electrical power cable to confuse and defeat Cybermats. (TV: The Tomb of the Cybermen [+]Loading...["The Tomb of the Cybermen (TV story)"])
Following damage in an ion storm the repair robots of the 51st century spacecraft the SS Madame de Pompadour became confused of how to repair the ship, confusing the name of it and the means to repair it, they modified the warp engines as a method of time travel to seek her out. (TV: The Girl in the Fireplace [+]Loading...["The Girl in the Fireplace (TV story)"])
Whilst on Nerva Beacon in 16,087 the Fourth Doctor wondered if they could alter the Gravity Static Field to confuse the Wirrn. (PROSE: Doctor Who and the Ark in Space [+]Loading...["Doctor Who and the Ark in Space (novelisation)"])
Decontamination chambers used ultra high and low frequency oscillations to confuses the microbes, according to the Fourth Doctor explaining their operation to Harry Sullivan. (PROSE: Doctor Who and the Ark in Space [+]Loading...["Doctor Who and the Ark in Space (novelisation)"])
Mechanoids were programmed without emotions, lest they be confused by them. (PROSE: War of the Daleks [+]Loading...["War of the Daleks (novel)"])
During the Omega-Arc of Infinity situation the Time Lords used a pulse loop to create some confusion on Gallifrey within the Matrix to allow the Doctor's TARDIS to depart Gallifrey. (TV: Arc of Infinity [+]Loading...["Arc of Infinity (TV story)"])
K9 briefly attacked Leela when his motivational circuits were confused after contact with the Swarm. (TV: The Invisible Enemy [+]Loading...["The Invisible Enemy"])
During the Last Great Time War when a Time Lord soldier had a headcam attached it confused the speech centres, preventing soldiers from vocalising. (TV: The Last Day [+]Loading...["The Last Day (TV story)"])
After placing Eldrad in the regeneration chamber on Kastria (and seemingly killing them) Sarah Jane Smith lamented that she was confused at the outcome that seemed to have killed Eldrad. (TV: The Hand of Fear [+]Loading...["The Hand of Fear (TV story)"])
On board the Shadow the White Guardian attempted to make contact with the Fifth Doctor and Tegan Jovanka, however his message was confused according to Tegan. (TV: Enlightenment [+]Loading...["Enlightenment (TV story)"])
Temporal confusion[[edit] | [edit source]]
While in the Doctor's TARDIS, as the Sixth Doctor and Gustav Lytton explained explained Mondas and the Cyberman's history both Peri Brown and Griffiths lamented at Mondas' movement and history, Peri saying she was confused by the information. (TV: Attack of the Cybermen [+]Loading...["Attack of the Cybermen (TV story)"])
The Seventh Doctor, and also Tenth Doctor have mused that time travel was confusing. (WC: Death Comes to Time [+]Loading...["Death Comes to Time (webcast)"], TV: Blink [+]Loading...["Blink (TV story)"])
Peri Brown also found the Fifth Doctor's musing on the future confusing. (TV: The Caves of Androzani [+]Loading...["The Caves of Androzani (TV story)"])
The Kasaavin were confused by artron energy (TV: Spyfall [+]Loading...["Spyfall (TV story)"])
Upon meeting the Second Doctor Jo Grant was confused looking to (her) Doctor (the Third Doctor), that they were the both the same Time Lord. (TV: The Three Doctors [+]Loading...["The Three Doctors (TV story)"])
When the Third Doctor was being interrogated by Brigade Leader Alastair Lethbridge-Stewart and Section Leader Elizabeth Shaw the latter accused him of attempting to confuse them as he attempted to explain parallel timelines. (TV: Inferno [+]Loading...["Inferno (TV story)"])
