DR Who. Last of the timelords (30/06/07) [ major spoilers ]

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

My other huge annoyance with the episode is that the TARDIS got fixed so easily. The Doctor stated that he fused the time circuits permanently in the last episode. The Master has had eighteen months with it, and couldn't fix it. The Doctor gets it back, and within a few days has not only stripped out the Paradox Engine parts, and has fixed the damage Jack did, and has rebuilt the time circuits? Nope, that was just too much for me.

I thought the TARDIS might just have reverted back with the rest of the universe. Maybe building the Paradox machine itself is already a paradox (makes sense, somehow - that you can start building something that will defy the laws of causality - this should be impossible in the first place), so if you destroy a Paradox machine, you revert the components to whatever they have been before you begin building it.

 

[Morrus]

I thought the TARDIS might just have reverted back with the rest of the universe.

That's pretty much what I assumed without thinking. In fact, it didn't even require assumption - the universe reverted back. End of story. I was suprised to find discussion about this particular issue.

 

[Pseudonym]

I think the confusion comes from the fact that while the universe reset itself, those in the 'eye of the storm' as The Doctor put it were not and still remembered everything. The TARDIS was in the very center of that storm, so it shouldn't have gotten the big reset.

 

[Morrus]

I think the confusion comes from the fact that while the universe reset itself, those in the 'eye of the storm' as The Doctor put it were not and still remembered everything. The TARDIS was in the very center of that storm, so it shouldn't have gotten the big reset.

Well, it wasn't in the same room, and the Doctor mad eit clear that only those five or so people were in the "eye" and would remember. There was a whole aircraft carrier full of people who would forget.

[Edit= actually, thinking about it: you're right. Jack[I] was[/I] in the same place as the TARDIS, as were a couple of soldiers. ]

 

[Pseudonym]

That creates an unresolved plot issue as well, as far as the world is concerned, the American President was just killed and the Prime Minister of the UK is dead now with seemingly no explanation, and the whole world tuning in to see the aliens. How did they gloss that one over?

 

[Morrus]

That creates an unresolved plot issue as well, as far as the world is concerned, the American President was just killed and the Prime Minister of the UK is dead now with seemingly no explanation, and the whole world tuning in to see the aliens. How did they gloss that one over?

Yeah. Too many plot issues.

Anothe rone occured to me - why, exactly, did Martha need to go to all those elaborate lengths to make sure she was on the carrier at the time of the countdown? The chanting was going to take place regardless of her location at that point; all she did was create a convoluted plan, involving a spy, to make sure she was under The Master's gunpoint at the time.

 

[horacethegrey]

That creates an unresolved plot issue as well, as far as the world is concerned, the American President was just killed and the Prime Minister of the UK is dead now with seemingly no explanation, and the whole world tuning in to see the aliens. How did they gloss that one over?

Methinks they will bring this up in Torchwood series 2. If they don't however I shall be sorely disappointed.

But I do agree, they ended the episode without resolving these plot threads in a manner that leaves no doubt. Like I said, Davies is good with drama, but horrible at crafting a coherent plot.

 

[delericho]

I thought the TARDIS might just have reverted back with the rest of the universe... so if you destroy a Paradox machine, you revert the components to whatever they have been before you begin building it.

Okay, I can buy that, except that the universe reverted to 8:02 on the day the President died, at which point in time the TARDIS had been canibalised into a Paradox machine, and had non-functional time circuitry.

I think I would have been inclined to end the series with the TARDIS non-functional, and throw in a scene where the Doctor tells Jack he can't fix it because he needs 'components X, Y and Z', which aren't available on Earth and can't be fabricated here.

Then, at some point in Torchwood series two, have the team deal with a malavolent band of time travellers (or similar aliens), and have Jack mention he's got to "go see an old friend".

Then, at the start of the Christmas special, the Doctor has just finished integrating the components "Jack brought us", and he wants to take the TARDIS out for a shakedown cruise. Martha, of course, declines to come with him, it being Christmas, so he says he'll be right back. She, of course, doubts him...

And there we go: fixed TARDIS, little nods for the fans of both shows, Martha written out of the Christmas special, and the whole thing fully explained and consistent. It does, however, have the weaknesses of not teasing the Christmas special (not sure if that's really necessary, though), and it also ends the season on a real downer. I suppose if you're going with a big reset button you might as well go the whole way and have the mega-happy ending.

 

[Fast Learner]

Loved it! Great fun all around, nicely touching, and lots of little fun things, most of which have already been mentioned.

One not mentioned was the use of the quarry at the end. Nice!

 

[Mark Hope]

Loved it! Great fun all around, nicely touching, and lots of little fun things, most of which have already been mentioned.

One not mentioned was the use of the quarry at the end. Nice!

There was a big quarry in Utopia as well, which made me laugh. Good to see that the show has not lost contact with its roots