Theory:Doctor Who television discontinuity and plot holes/The Poison Sky

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This page is for discussing the ways in which The Poison Sky 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:

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• We can see the Sontaran teleport discs are on the TARDIS doors but when we see it in the background of Skorr’s message one is on the front and one on the side.

A beep is heard when the teleport disks are attached to the TARDIS. This sound is heard three times, and three disks can be seen on the TARDIS on board the Sontaran Warship (just about).

• The thermal energy being released by igniting the entire planet's atmosphere should've had some negative effect as opposed to dissipating instantly; As in-story proof (not even counting real-world physics), when the effect was repeated on the Sontaran ship, it exploded violently.

The Sonataran gas was burnt up instantly on earth, so the fire could not continue burning as it had no fuel source (as in "real-world physics"). The Doctor had to recalibrate the device for Sontaran air, which may have been more flammable than the ATMOS gas, and the entire spaceship, not just the surface, was filled with this gas.

• When General Staal watches from the Sontaran spaceship, the ignition seems to start from the dark side of the Earth, although London is in clear daylight.

• Let's also note that since the poison gas was even on ground level rather than just those high in the atmosphere, igniting the atmosphere could have also meant burning all the gas on ground level.

Light a candle in a room where someone is smoking a cigarette and the smoke is attracted to the flame.

• On that same note, wouldn't burning all the gas in the atmosphere also end up burning all the oxygen too, thus suffocating the whole planet? Air consists mainly of Nitrogen, Carbon Dioxide, Water, Methane, and Oxygen.

Maybe the ATMOS gas was more reactive than air. Also, the doctor quite obviously realised it was very risky as he crossed his fingers, maybe it could have.

The gas wasn't being burnt, exactly, it was being run through a chemical process by the atmospheric converter designed to create an Earthlike atmosphere on another planet. "Burning the sky" is a bit of dramatic language.

• As confirmed in TV: World War Three nuclear release codes are held by the United Nations and needs an official agreement to be able to release them so how is it that UNIT can arm them so easily?

Given the ATMOS crisis and the declaration of Defcon One, it's easy to believe an official agreement was speedily reached by the nations of the world offscreen; it was already mentioned by Mace that they were planning a nuclear strike.

• Russia is not part of the nuclear grid, despite being a major nuclear power both in real life and in-universe. (Israel goes unmentioned as well, but Israel has never officially admitted to having nuclear weapons).

Russia may not have agreed to place their missiles under shared control.

If India, Pakistan, North Korea and the US agreed to work together, I see no reason Russia would pull out, especially for a literally global threat.

• How is it that the clone Martha can download enough control onto a handheld device so quickly and with no-one noticing?

If the Sontarans can create a clone in a matter of minutes, they've devised a way for fast downloads. In any event, there's no reason at that point for anyone to doubt her identity or motives, especially as she is linked to working with the Doctor.

The previous solution would be limited by units upload speed, but the software could be hosted on a server (cloud computing).

• Martha's clone doesn't express any concern for "her" fiance, Thomas Milligan as events unfold, which is understandable; less understandable is the lack of any obvious concern for his well-being by the real Martha.

Tom spent a year in an alternate timeline on the run from a renegade Time Lord; Martha knows he can look after himself. Also, just because we don't see her express concern doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

• If the TARDIS fixes itself to the spot it lands, how do the Sontarans teleport it, and how do they move it around the Sontaran Ship?

It has been quite firmly established that the TARDIS can be moved by external forces (numerous examples exist of it being carried and teleported).'

• Out of all the BILLIONS of planets in the universe, what made the Sontarans decide to convert the Earth into a cloning world?

Earth has loads of technology and loads of information.

Also why not?

In various other stories, on TV and off, both the Sontarans and the Rutans have explained why our solar system is of strategic importance in their war. They don't need to explain it in every single story.

• The TARDIS was on board the Sontaran mothership when it exploded. Surely its survival, return to Earth (we all know it is programmed to land on the nearest/largest gravitational centre in these situations).

The TARDIS was not on board the Sontaran ship when it exploded - the Doctor reversed the Sontaran teleport to remotely return the TARDIS to Earth, then used that same teleport to transmat himself to the Sontaran ship. When the ship blew up, the TARDIS was safely parked at UNIT HQ.

• When the Sontaran general looks at the sky catching on fire, the speed of the fire covers approximately 1/8th of the Earth's circumference in 5 seconds. This speed is approximately 1000 kilometres per second. This means that the sky over Manhattan or England should have ignited in about 0.02 seconds, which is highly inconsistent with the shots before and after. For the speed to be consistent with the shots, the ignition spread would have to be relatively slow at the start, suddenly speed up 50 times while the Sontaran general looks at the Earth, then immediately slow down again.

• Why would Donna be able to open the Sontaran door with human hands? Wouldn't superior technology prevent this?

• Why are the Sontarans using the Cordolaine signal during their attack on the facility? They want a battle and not a slaughter.

If you recall, The Doctor did previously admonish Staal for all that he was doing when he said "This isn't typical Sontaran behaviour now is this? Hiding? Using teenagers? Stopping bullets? A Sontaran should face bullets with dignity. Shame on you!".

Also, think back to when Staal and Skorr were watching the UNIT soldiers storm the factory. They referred to them as "toy soldiers", so maybe they may have thought the humans weren't as worthy fighters as the Rutans.

• The Valiant descends from the sky to hover just above the ATMOS Factory, however Cornel Mace says to Hawk Major "Engines to Maximum" wouldn't setting engines to maximum result in the Valiant going upwards?