Doctor Who and more thoughts on "Utopia"...

[fajrdrako]

Last night I watched the Doctor Who episode "Utopia" again with auriaephiala, followed by the series 2 two-part story, "The Rise of the Cybermen" and "Age of Steel".

And auriaephiala and I had an interesting discussion of "Utopia", regarding how the Doctor, Jack and Martha could get the TARDIS back and escape from Malcassairo. We are novices when it comes to Doctor Who lore but we came up with a number of possible ways:

1. In "Blink", the TARDIS had emergency protocols programmed that allowed it to go to the Doctor, leaving its inhabitants behind. If the Doctor was able to trigger some such program with his sonic screwdriver (or by other means), it could come back for him.



2. In "Human Nature", the Doctor hid the TARDIS away and John Smith didn't know about it. The Master's own TARDIS may be right there on Malcassairo, hiding in plain sight, or not to plain sight, and the Doctor can find it and use it to leave.



3. The Doctor, being a genius, as he likes to tell us, might be able to use the Professor's lab technology and what remains of Jack's wristband Vortex Manipulator to rig something capable of time travel.



4. According to the Doctor, the TARDIS has enough independence of thought to have tried to get rid of Jack when he was hanging on to the outside. Does the TARDIS have enough free will to try to get rid of the Master and come back for the Doctor?



5. As an outside possibility, because of the reference to the Silver Devastation, the Face of Boe - knowing what was was going on - might have set something up to help the Doctor.

Comments

[beccaelizabeth]

I'm betting on 3, because all the parts for it have been left on the mantelpiece already in this episode.

The Master's TARDIS usually looks like an architectural feature, a pillar or something, because his chameleon circuit works. But if he'd been lugging a pillar around all his life I think he'd have noticed. So if he had a TARDIS it would logically be in the Silver Devastation where they found him.

If the emergency protocols or the TARDIS shaking him off happens then that's kind of too easy. I mean if he has a TARDIS to play with then the Master is all kinds of dangerous, but without it not as much, so leave it with him and the jeopardy gets greater. And then they have to win it back, instead of it just turning up.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I'm betting on 3, because all the parts for it have been left on the mantelpiece already in this episode.

I like choice #3 too, for various reasons. It uses the Doctor's skills, intelligence and ingenuity. It makes Jack's presence significant. And it's cool.

I think it is noticeable that if the TARDIS was trying to get rid of Jack, it didn't succeed in the least. I've always had the romantic notion that the TARDIS liked Jack a lot - he certainly lavished a lot of TLC on her. I'd like to think that she took him to the year hundred trillion to force the Doctor to face him and accept him again. Yeah, yeah, I know that's too sentimental. Can't help myself.

[beccaelizabeth]

Also I think the Doctor is wrong about TARDIS motivation. I mean the first time they pick Jack up is the first time they end up in a situation that can only be fixed by Jack. Got to be a cunning plan by someone. 'Writers did it' isn't very helpful, but it could be the TARDIS is the brains of the operation.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Also I think the Doctor is wrong about TARDIS motivation.... the first time they pick Jack up is the first time they end up in a situation that can only be fixed by Jack.

Yes! I like that reasoning very much indeed!

it could be the TARDIS is the brains of the operation.

Particularly when the Doctor is getting it wrong, and the TARDIS knows it.

[fruitbat813.livejournal.com]

Here´s another possibility how the Doctor, Jack and Martha get out of their current predicament.
Seconds after the TARDIS dematerialised, it rematerialises again, Saxon and a bunch of armed minions jump out, take them all prisoner and bring them back to present day London. Not an ideal solution for our intrepid heroes but still better than being the main feature at the next Futurekind barbeque and garden party.

I´ve never seen the old series so I´v got no idea how keen the master might be to get his hands on the Doctor and have him in his power but if he wanted to do that, he could just come back to the moment he left even after years went past on his own subjective timeline and make a grab for his arch enemy who is in rather dire straits right now and possibly even grateful to be rescued from becoming lunch.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Seconds after the TARDIS dematerialised, it rematerialises again, Saxon and a bunch of armed minions jump out, take them all prisoner and bring them back to present day London.

Yes indeed, very plausible! The Master knows where the Doctor is at that moment, he can pick him up any time.

Not an ideal solution for our intrepid heroes but still better than being the main feature at the next Futurekind barbeque and garden party.

Keeps them alive a little longer, anyway.

I´v got no idea how keen the master might be to get his hands on the Doctor and have him in his power

I don't know either but his chosen name, and the moment where he made the Doctor say his name - that implies that the personal-power issue is a biggie for him.

Yes, I like your suggestion.

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

I don't know either but his chosen name, and the moment where he made the Doctor say his name - that implies that the personal-power issue is a biggie for him.

Or he's just pissed off that he never finished his PhD, and is still only a Master… ;-D

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

My goodness - I think you've got it! And they were at the Academy, weren't they? The Master has been suffering from jealousy and shame ever since. Ooh, the ignominy!

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

My Whovian pals at university had great fun with this, when several of us were all working on our PhDs (sharrikamur, ggreig, myceliumme Louise and myself)… We were photographed as 'the Five Doctors' at flybynightpress's wedding!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Sounds like such fun!

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

That was 10 years ago this September!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

That sounds as if it should be a line in a song. Or the first line of a story. Or something like that.

Good news: your package arrived in the mail! The one with the wonderful Lusignan disc (!!!!) and the Doctor Who stickers and the article about the Hybrid Dalek. Thank you so much.

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

Good! There are more en route (including the sticker album).
Incidentally, Peter Edbury's more recent book on the Kingdom of Cyprus is available for small look-ups on Google Books.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I look forward to more stickers. I love these things.

As for Edbury - yes! Excellent!