Theory:Doctor Who television discontinuity and plot holes/Earthshock: Difference between revisions

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Theory:Doctor Who television discontinuity and plot holes/Earthshock (edit)

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::The Cyber Leader does seem unduly proud of his emotionlessness, however, considering he clearly has a sadistic little chuckle at the thought of human beings dying in terror, and he is decidedly less than stoical in his own death scene. This is probably intentional scripted irony, though (possibly inspired by the equally hypocritical though rather less menacing Cyber Leader of "Revenge of the Cybermen"). Either the Cybermen have taken the Dalek lead that a little of the nastier emotions makes more effective killers, or their diminished power has made them sloppier at brainwashing their converts.
::The Cyber Leader does seem unduly proud of his emotionlessness, however, considering he clearly has a sadistic little chuckle at the thought of human beings dying in terror, and he is decidedly less than stoical in his own death scene. This is probably intentional scripted irony, though (possibly inspired by the equally hypocritical though rather less menacing Cyber Leader of "Revenge of the Cybermen"). Either the Cybermen have taken the Dalek lead that a little of the nastier emotions makes more effective killers, or their diminished power has made them sloppier at brainwashing their converts.
::To add to the above point, Cybermen have been seen to take strong-minded individuals to become Cyberleaders. These individuals have then also been seen to retain some of their emotions and/or personality after conversion.


*Why did they draw attention to the [[Cyber-bomb]] on Earth by having androids kill anyone who approaches it?
*Why did they draw attention to the [[Cyber-bomb]] on Earth by having androids kill anyone who approaches it?
::However, they don't start killing people until they've actually reached the cavern where the bomb is being held, so this may have been a last resort''.''
::As stated in dialogue, they don't start killing people until they've actually reached the cavern where the bomb is being held, so this may have been a last resort.


*Why didn't the Doctor take some troopers with him to talk to the Captain rather than trying to convince her with a pretty suspicious-sounding story?
*Why didn't the Doctor take some troopers with him to talk to the Captain rather than trying to convince her with a pretty suspicious-sounding story?
:He couldn't see that far ahead.
::He couldn't see that far ahead.


*When the Cybermen are deactivated or 'asleep', they are placed in large metal cannisters. When the Cybermen are woken up in Episode 3, they rip the canisters apart to get out, so why are none of the cannisters seen ripped open and instead seen in a normal state throughout Episode 4?
*When the Cybermen are deactivated or 'asleep', they are placed in large metal cannisters. When the Cybermen are woken up in Episode 3, they rip the canisters apart to get out, so why are none of the cannisters seen ripped open and instead seen in a normal state throughout Episode 4?
::Not all Cybermen may have been activated as the activated Cybermen evacuate the ship afterwards''.''
::Not all Cybermen may have been activated as the activated Cybermen evacuate the ship afterwards.
 
::In fact, the above is explicitly shown to be true when one of the remaining Cybermen is activated accidentally as the Cyber-Lieutenant leaves the ship.
*When Kyle falls onto the rocks from exhaustion, they shift and move around, as though made of lightweight material.
:This is more likely a production oversight.


*As Scott prepares to gun down the two Cybermen, the emotionless creatures seem to be gossiping, complete with hand gestures.
*As Scott prepares to gun down the two Cybermen, the emotionless creatures seem to be gossiping, complete with hand gestures.
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* During the cliffhanger, it's obvious that the three columns of Cybermen are mirror images: watch the middle one's right hand disappear
* During the cliffhanger, it's obvious that the three columns of Cybermen are mirror images: watch the middle one's right hand disappear
:It's a directorial trick, not intended to be believed in the first place. The director just did it to look cool, he wasn't implying that it actually looked like that.
::It's a directorial trick, not intended to be believed in the first place. The director just did it to look cool, he wasn't implying that it actually looked like that.
:: Although it was presumably intended to indicate three columns of Cybermen, it was indeed a conscious directorial choice. It isn't even a production error, and certainly does not qualify as a discontinuity or plot hole.


* The steel bulkhead the Cybermen destroy flaps around as thought made of cardboard — the pieces of door also look like cardboard.
* The steel bulkhead the Cybermen destroy flaps around as thought made of cardboard — the pieces of door also look like cardboard.
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*Not only does the Cyberdevice miraculously allow the freighter to travel through time, it also transports it to the side of the Galaxy that Earth was on 65 million years ago.
*Not only does the Cyberdevice miraculously allow the freighter to travel through time, it also transports it to the side of the Galaxy that Earth was on 65 million years ago.
:Time travel is usually shown to occur with fixed spatial coordinates relative to their start point in spacetime.
::Time travel is usually shown to occur with fixed spatial coordinates relative to their start point in spacetime.
:: As the Doctor indicates, the device is fixed on Earth. As it travels, it maintains that fix.


*If the Cybermen are fully anticipating the bomb to destroy the Earth, why are they concealed on the freighter in the first place?
*If the Cybermen are fully anticipating the bomb to destroy the Earth, why are they concealed on the freighter in the first place?
::The limited range at which they can remotely detonate the bomb/control the androids, means they would have to be within the boundaries of human space and the best place to hide is on an Earth ship.
::The limited range at which they can remotely detonate the bomb/control the androids, means they would have to be within the boundaries of human space and the best place to hide is on an Earth ship.
::The answer to this is explicitly given in dialogue. The bomb was initially intended to go off as the freighter was near to Earth. The Cybermen would emerge at that time, destroy any survivors, and then have Earth under their control. They only altered the plan because of the Doctor's involvement.


*The Androids seem to be good shots early on - killing 3 people in a matter of seconds - but when they reach the Doctor they completely miss!
*The Androids seem to be good shots early on - killing 3 people in a matter of seconds - but when they reach the Doctor they completely miss!
::During their initial assaualt the androids are not under fire themselves, but when they fire on the Doctor and the battle continues the androids are recieving fire from the remaining troopers Even though they are androids their accuracy will be diminished by having to evad incoming fire. Also, two words: character shield.
::During their initial assault the androids are not under fire themselves, but when they fire on the Doctor and the battle continues the androids are receiving fire from the remaining troopers. Even though they are androids their accuracy will be diminished by having to evade incoming fire.  
:::The last is almost canonial, at least for his 8th incarnation; in a few of the EDA novels, he recognizes that he gets very lucky far more often than he should; he's never able to figure out why, but he sometimes relies on it anyway.


*No-one in the Earth crew expresses any surprise at the size of the TARDIS- nor do they question the Doctor as to where he came from and how he got such technology.
*No-one in the Earth crew expresses any surprise at the size of the TARDIS- nor do they question the Doctor as to where he came from and how he got such technology.
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*What happened to the person viewing the scanner screen? And why do the radios stop working? - surely he'd alert them to another dot (when Adric came out of the TARDIS) coming on the screen
*What happened to the person viewing the scanner screen? And why do the radios stop working? - surely he'd alert them to another dot (when Adric came out of the TARDIS) coming on the screen
::As indicated earlier in the story, the signal from the androids disrupts the humans' communications. Even if the radios were working, Scott and his team were under fire from the androids and not really concerned as to what was appearing on the scanner at that time.


*The Cyber Leader says the sentence "Your technology is primitive next to ours, mistakes will not be made." in a distinctly sing-song type of voice.
*The Cyber Leader says the sentence "Your technology is primitive next to ours, mistakes will not be made." in a distinctly sing-song type of voice.
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*Why does the guy reading the scanner pick up only the Doctor as an alien? Nyssa is a Trakenite, is she not?
*Why does the guy reading the scanner pick up only the Doctor as an alien? Nyssa is a Trakenite, is she not?
::Maybe Trakenites are so similar to humans that they can't be distinguished by the scanner's technology, but Gallifreyans are different enough that they can. After all, she doesn't have two hearts, a different internal temperature, or various other reasonably easy-to-detect differences that he does.
::Maybe Trakenites are so similar to humans that they can't be distinguished by the scanner's technology, but Gallifreyans are different enough that they can. After all, she doesn't have two hearts, a different internal temperature, or various other reasonably easy-to-detect differences that he does.
::To add to the above, the only difference he explicitly comments on is that one of the signals has two hearts.


*where did the Cybermen get copies of Doctor Who clips from? And why do they show one from Wheel in Space, when describing the events of Tomb of the Cybermen?
*where did the Cybermen get copies of Doctor Who clips from? And why do they show one from Wheel in Space, when describing the events of Tomb of the Cybermen?
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*According to Plate Tectonics, the arrangement of continents and sea changes throughout time. But the earth shown in freighter's screen is highly similar to 21 century earth.
*According to Plate Tectonics, the arrangement of continents and sea changes throughout time. But the earth shown in freighter's screen is highly similar to 21 century earth.
::Could certainly be a recorded image (what the computer screen "expected" to see rather than what was there, similar to what happened to the TARDIS viewscreen in ''[[Full Circle (TV story)|Full Circle]]''). Alternatively, it could have been a view of Earth from a perspective that appeared similar to modern day.


*Several scientific evidences indicate that the asteroid(or the freighter, in Whoniverse) that caused KT extinction fell in Yucatan Peninsular, Mexico. But when the freighter smashed into the Earth, its screen showed Korea Peninsular.
*Several scientific evidences indicate that the asteroid(or the freighter, in Whoniverse) that caused KT extinction fell in Yucatan Peninsular, Mexico. But when the freighter smashed into the Earth, its screen showed Korea Peninsular.
::There is doubt about that even in the real Universe. In the Whoniverse, the explosion of the device may have occurred anywhere. an atmospheric explosion from an alien bomb may well have been enough, rather than it being an actual impact on the surface.
[[Category:DW TV discontinuity]]
[[Category:DW TV discontinuity]]
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