Theory:Doctor Who television discontinuity and plot holes/The Sensorites

You are exploring the Discontinuity Index, a place where any details or rumours about unreleased stories are forbidden.
Please discuss only those whole stories which have already been released, and obey our spoiler policy.

This page is for discussing the ways in which The Sensorites 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:

* This is point one.
::This is a counter-argument to point one.
:::This is a counter-argument to the counter-argument above
* This is point two.
::Explanation of point two.
::Further discussion and query of point two.

... and so on. 

• In episode 5 how did the 2nd Elder (the administrator) knew that the Doctor and Ian will use the weapons ? And how did Susan found out that the administrator was their enemy, did I miss something?
• In episode 1 near the end it is revealed that the high noise is made by the Sensorites' crafts but at the beggining of the episode when the Sensorites took the TARDIS' lock, the craft didn't make that sound. And how can they hear the sound if out there is space (in space you can't hear sounds if I'm not mistaken) . And also how are the Sensorites standind outside? They would have died.

Exposure to the vacuum of space is lethal to human physiology for many reasons. Cold, atmospheric pressure differential (i.e. the lack of it), lack of atmospheric protection against radiation, and lack of breathable air. There are animals even on Earth that can survive more significant pressure changes; not outer space, but between the ocean seems and the surface, for instance, and need to breathe less often. It is not implausible for Sensorite evolution to have yielded a race who can ensure hard vacuum for short periods, long enough for them not to bother with spacesuits for short EVAs just as you or I would want a submarine to explore the Marianas Trench but wouldn't necessarily bother with a full Victorian diving suit with brass helmet to wander around the local swimming pool.

• • The sound could have been a mental sound, more so than a physical one. Ie, their ships radiate psychic energy. It's also possible, given how quickly they steal the lock, that there were some Sensorites onboard to begin with, and the ship merely came to pick them up.
• The Sensorites are able to cut the lock out of the TARDIS doors, which has the somewhat counter-intuitive effect of completely sealing the ship. From season 2 onwards, the TARDIS is depicted as being effectively invulnerable to this kind of brute-force attack.

That may have been one of the faults included when the Doctor stole the TARDIS. He probably fixed it by season two.

As for the counter-intuitive nature of the fault, the First Elder points out that upon examination the TARDIS lock is not a simple lock at all but a device too advanced for even Sensorite science to comprehend. Combining that with later information about the trans-dimensional nature of the TARDIS exterior and interior, it could be inferred that the "lock" is an essential component to safely interface between the dimensions (In fact, the Doctor himself suggests this by pointing out that trying to force entry to the TARDIS could have seriously unpleasant effects).

• It is stretching credibility to the extreme to suggest that the Sensorites can only recognize each other by the sashes they wear. Visits to the swimming baths on the Sense-Sphere must be fraught with opportunities for social embarrassment.

As explained in the episode where the idea is used, the only reason that the Sensorites don't recognize each other is that these Sensorites don't see the ones that he is dressing up as very often, and even then from very far away, so they don't have that good a idea of what they look like.

• Despite this story being set in the 28th century, the astronauts wore contemporary-looking space suits. This is not a trend which is seen in other stories set in this time period.

Perhaps they could not afford more advanced space suits. Time is also in flux; things may have happened due to CIA agents changing history.

According to "Terror of the Vervoids" people would still be playing "Galaxian" two centuries later (albeit on holographic screens). More implausibly still, according to "Bad Wolf", in the 2001st century TV programmes such as "The Weakest Link" and "Big Brother" will still be well-remembered and gruesomely parodied to facilitate Dalek invasion plans. In comparison, a revival of 20th century clothing styles seems a relatively minor suspension of disbelief.

A space suit may just be one of those forms of technology that doesn't really change that much, even over centuries. To put it in context, the basic principles behind the wheel haven't changed in millennia.

• In episode 1, Susan is seen holding the TARDIS key, although we mostly see the Doctor holding the key and never giving it to Susan.

Susan may have had her own copy. They have copies all the time in the new series, and besides she is his granddaughter.

In fact, Susan had her own key which was destroyed in The Daleks but when the Doctor made a second key in Marco Polo, she was given the replacement. She was seen to drop her key after the Doctor left her at the end of The Dalek Invasion of Earth.

• At one point, one of the Sensorites refers to Susan as 'Carol', the name of the actress.

He is referring to Carol Richmond, not Susan.

• If the Sensorites are pacifists, why do they have a Warrior rank?

The Warriors are only meant for defence, which is confirmed in Big Finish Productions' audio story Sphere of Influence.

• When the crew Tardis first lands on the ship, the ship's crew don't even bat an eye-lid at the idea of Barb, Ian, Susan and Doc being time travellers, despite themselves only being from the 28th century. The Vortex Manipulator was not invented by the time agency before the 51st century, so they have a remarkably casual reaction to time travel.
  • The Vortex Manipulator is what allows people to travel through time, it does not equate to the existence of time travelers. Time travelers travelling back from after it was invented would make time travel a known phenomenon. Even just a couple of well documented high profile cases would make it something known and accepted. Even in the modern series the Doctor is a semi well known time traveler protecting Earth (depending on the writer).
• The melting points specified by The Doctor are one degree low and one degree high respectively - Iron melts at 1,538 °C while Molybdenum melts at 2,623 °C
• No one sees that Sensorite standing 10 feet away from them cutting the lock out of the Tardis then?