Theory:Doctor Who television discontinuity and plot holes/Colony in Space: Difference between revisions

{{Discontinuity}}

::Although the TARDIS typically "fades" in and out, this is not always the case. Sometimes by intent, sometimes due to mechanical/pilot error, the effect can appear different. Two examples of differing materialization/de-materialization effects are ''[[The Christmas Invasion]]'' and ''[[The Runaway Bride]]''.

::Why not? Again, the doors make different sounds at different times. Presumably, the SIDRAT door was developed based on TARDIS doors, so the sound may very well be a standard "default" one for TARDISes.

::Thought that still doesn't explain why the Daleks picked the same sound effect for their doors, unless they were ripping off Time Lord technology even earlier than the Celestial Intervention Agency had feared ...

::In [[Genesis of the Daleks]], the Kaleds use magnetic tapes, so its not beyond possibility that governments have returned to that medium for storage, much like records/vinyls becoming popular again in the 21st Century in our world. Also, it is strongly implied that the future has become a grim, over-populated place in which resources have to be very carefully managed, in which case it is by no means unlikely that obsolete equipment would be returned to service in lieu of more sophisticated but more expensive alternatives (hence also the use of obsolete firearms).

::With the exceptions of 'Logopolis' and 'Parting of the Ways', when the TARDIS is being specifically directed to materialize around someone/thing, the TARDIS never materializes around an object or person, or even inside solid matter. It is reasonable to assume that the TARDIS performs some kind of scan of the area it is about to arrive in and thus deflects its exact point of materialization accordingly to avoid causing damage or harm to anyone/thing.

::In the short time that she has known him, the Doctor has shown little ability to make it mobile when he wants it to be.

:::In the previous story, from Jo's perspective, the TARDIS dematerialized...and then rematerialized in the same place. From her viewpoint, it's questionable whether it could move or not.

::The Master has shown that he would rather kill the Doctor with a more personal touch. Remote control from a distance away, without being able to gloat about it, would be unexpected.

::The label refers to some other designation then, such as the model of ship that it is.

::It could also refer to the order the survey ships were sent out. It's not unlikely; after all if you look at our current airplanes, there is a plane number and a flight number, and most of the time they're different.  

::He set the system up himself, and somewhat recently (it was not there in ''[[Terror of the Autons]]''). He clearly would not set it up so that it went off when he simply closed the door, but only when something breaks the beam from in between the sensors.

::Don't forget that he might have keyed to not respond to his genetics. It probably works on the same principle as the main TARDIS systems, that is, able to identify its owner by a genetic scan and therefore allow access.

::Having never been on an alien planet personally, it's hard to say that none of them would have ground like that. A flat, rock surface with a shallow layer of sand does not seem unreasonable.

::It's quite plausible that the planet has some form of life which sounds similar enough to seagulls; Mary Ashe does say in Episode 1 there are birds on Uxarieus.

::As indicated, he feels that letting the Master have the weapon would be an unacceptable risk to all life.

::Like the Daleks before them, the Uxarieans have evolved into symbiotic dependence around a technology that has become their living hell. By the stage of this story, they are clearly unable even to feed themselves and would be dying off but for the colonists, yet they cannot even survive without the city / weapon that seems to function as some sort of network hub to their telepathic communion: they just seem to wander aimlessly as soon as it is deactivated and set to destruct. Since the city / weapon is also rendering the planet's soil toxic, Ashe's food donations are merely delaying the inevitable. Faced with a choice between saving his people by following the Dalek example and becoming living weapons, or a mass mercy killing / suicide (depending on how telepathically linked the Uxarieans may be), the leader makes an understandable choice.  

::There is no formal declaration that he's a prisoner, but it's likely that the reason the Doctor is driving is so he can be watched. It's easier to have the Doctor drive and have easy access to a weapon than try and drive and hold a weapon at the same time.

::Its possible that in the future of the Whoniverse, a Calender changeover similar to the changeover from the [[Julian calendar]] to the [[Gregorian calendar]] which caused eleven days ([[2 September]] through [[14 September]] [[1752]]) to get "lost" will occur.