Theory:Doctor Who television discontinuity and plot holes/The Web Planet

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This page is for discussing the ways in which The Web Planet 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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• In Escape to Danger one of the Zarbi can be heard hitting the camera.

It probably hit something off screen that made a sound similar to a camera.

Not only that, but at the same time as the sound, the camera moves up but then rests back down, for no reason.

It's a point of view shot from the first person perspective of another Zarbi, which the first one bumped into?

• In Crater of Needles as Ian is buried in a rock fall someone can be heard laughing.

• For most of the story shadows can be seen across the sky.

Perhaps dark cloud formations appear across the planet as the exact skyline is unknown; this also may have been intentional to add a mystery and fright to the scenes.

• When Vicki asks for a sedative Barbara gives her an Aspirin.

There weren't any sedatives, and Vicki, being from the future, probably doesn't know about aspirin.

As a minor, Vicki shouldn't be given sedatives on a regular basis just to stop her being hyperactive. Of course, if she's still under sixteen at this point she shouldn't be being given aspirin either, but the odds of her developing Reyes syndrome are unlikely, and Barbara may well not even be aware of the risk.

• A Zarbi abdomen clangs on the studio floor.

We have no idea what Zarbi exoskeletons are made of. They could be some kind of organic metal.

Alternatively, it could simply be their rock hard exoskeletons knocking against the partially metal ground.

• One of the imprisoned Menoptra, judging by its gestures, is merrily chatting to a Zarbi guard.

It could be trying a tactic to get out, possibly a type of seduction.

Alternatively as the Zarbi are not sapient, it be more accurate to describe it as an attempt to build affection akin to telling a dog its a good boy.

• The Zarbi are scared of tiny dead spiders.

Many humans are also easily frightened by comparatively tiny, dead spiders.

An instinctive survival reaction to some creature with the general shape and predatory behaviour (though not necessarily size) of a spider which the production team had the sense to realise they would never manage to pull off ... unless that was supposed to be what the Animus was meant to resemble.

Despite being used by the Animus, the Zarbi are still effectively animals. Them being frightened of a dead spider is no different to a horse panicking at seeing a plastic bag flapping in a tree.

• In episode two, when Hroonda is killed, his wings fall off.

Maybe in some cases of Menoptera deaths, their wings may weaken and fall off.

• For five seconds in episode two, nothing appears to be happening in 'Web HQ'.

How is 'Nothing happens for a few moments' a continuity error?

• The Animus seems to think that the doctor and Vicki are the menoptra, yet the menoptra talk of it like they have met it, wouldn't it remember they look near nothing a like?

It likely believes they are working with the Menoptra - and in a sense it is right.

Very significant to the story is that alien life is not all mammalian in form; the natives of Vortis that we see are all arthropods of one form or another, and the Animus appears to be something between an arachnid, a jellyfish, and a good old fashioned eldritch abomination. Menoptra, Humans, and Gallifreyans are all upright bipeds with a fairly similar arrangement of limbs, head, eyes, etc. To the Animus, a being altogether alien to all of the above, the three species may look pretty much the same to it.