Theory:Doctor Who television discontinuity and plot holes/The Claws of Axos

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This page is for discussing the ways in which The Claws of Axos 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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• In episode 4, after the TARDIS dematerialises from the Nuton lab, it is still there during the UNIT gun battle which follows.

However, this is still during the time of the Doctor's exile, which means his knowledge of dematerialization and all that good stuff is gone or shaky at best, so he could have had trouble piloting it and accidentally, albeit briefly, rematerialized in the lab.

• As the Brigadier and his men leave the room where they've been held captive in episode 2, the wall shakes.

This is a production error.

• The TARDIS console room appears to have some kind of anteroom, as circular panelling can be seen beyond the closing doors.

Just another example of its programmable internal architecture.

This room is likely a pre-remodelling secondary control room - see The Masque of Mandragora (TV story) since the primary control console was removed at some point prior to The Ambassadors of Death (TV story) and doesn't seem to have been put back until after Day of the Daleks (TV story). This would explain the Doctor's velvet jacket and frilly shirt being left behind in it. The secondary control room is seen to have an empty space of some kind between it and the exterior doors- probably a feature of whatever architectural configuration systems allow both doorways to connect to the police box, depending which one's being used.

• Why is a replica of Filer made?

Possibly to gain the Doctor's confidence and make it easier to capture him, whereas sending a regular ol' Axon would have gotten the Doctor's guard up, and Jo wasn't available for them to replicate.

• The Nuton complex powers half the UK, but explodes without loss of life

Characters return to it only seconds after it has blown up.

It wasn't the whole complex that exploded, just the building housing the light accelerator. Admittedly though it's not made very clear in the dialogue, and it does seem a bit implausible that the accelerator building could have exploded without doing any noticeable damage to the rest of the complex.

• Why do the Axons need the Doctor to divulge the secret of time travel? Surely the Master is just as smart, and working for them to boot?

Probably because the Axons cannot exercise any leverage over the Master, whereas they can over the Doctor (Jo).

• How do the four Axons gain entry to Prof. Winser's lab just after he's been killed, without raising any alarms?

They can assimilate any form of energy, and so probably disabled the security.

• How did the Doctor get his dematerialisation circuit back? The last we heard of it, the Doctor had swapped it for the Master’s in Terror of the Autons. However in episode four of this story, it appears to be back in the Doctor’s TARDIS. Would the Master really have been carrying it around with him after getting his back at the end of The Mind of Evil?