# Doctor Who 2020 New Year Special (and current season)(Spoilers!) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 2, 2020, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763 "2020-01-02T03:11:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![JeffB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeffb/32/188_2.png) [@JeffB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JeffB)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2020, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/41 "2020-01-06T18:18:03Z")
> [@amarinth](#): > > The _later_ phone call from the public telephone box was the stupid one. That was intentionally designed to trap Barton’s henchmen. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2020, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/42 "2020-01-06T18:23:09Z")
> [@amarinth](#): > > Again, the grandson companion is an utter moron and should be jettisoned. (There was a semi-good reason to leave the phones where they were. There were no good reasons for him to stop Yaz from calling her mother and to stomp on the phone. Their location was known. All of the data inside the phone was known. That phone call was totally safe as it conveyed no new information to the people who were trying to kill them. The _later_ phone call from the public telephone box was the stupid one.) > > I liked it well enough - has the Doctor always been able to wipe memories? The phone call was not safe, because every moment on the phone was delaying running for their lives. Stomping it wasn’t necessary, admittedly, he may have thought that was the only way to stop the call so they could get running. The Doctor has wiped memories before (twice in the modern era). ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2020, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/43 "2020-01-06T18:31:14Z")
Okay, explain me this: The white ghost alien “spies” made a time map of all the people responsible for bringing computer technology to the human race. For what possible reason if all they needed humans for was to use their DNA for data storage drives? Also, an advanced civilization that can re-map human DNA to use for storage can’t create a synthetic DNA for storage?? I mean given the inherent flaw in human DNA for mutation, why even bother? Nothing at all made any sense about the entire premise. What am I missing? ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2020, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/44 "2020-01-06T18:32:14Z")
> [@amarinth](#): > > I liked it well enough - has the Doctor always been able to wipe memories? I can think of at least two times when he’s done it: 1. Reinette/Madame de Pompadour. 2. Donna Noble. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2020, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/45 "2020-01-06T18:47:04Z")
“A lot of illogic to overlook …” But fun enough that it can be … ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2020, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/46 "2020-01-06T19:37:57Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > I can think of at least two times when he’s done it: > > 1. Reinette/Madame de Pompadour. > 2. Donna Noble. I forgot Reinette - he also erased his own memories (of Clara) in “Hell Bent” ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2020, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/47 "2020-01-06T19:49:47Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > I can think of at least two times when he’s done it: > > 1. Reinette/Madame de Pompadour. > 2. Donna Noble. Although it’s a bit weird to establish that as a power the Doctor has, considering all the times he/she _hasn’t_ done it. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2020, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/48 "2020-01-07T00:15:56Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > Nothing at all made any sense about the entire premise. What am I missing? Modern science fiction emphasises the Fiction. You’re trying to emphasise the Science. That’s a fool’s errand these days, my friend. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2020, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/49 "2020-01-07T00:54:33Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > Also, an advanced civilization that can re-map human DNA to use for storage can’t create a synthetic DNA for storage?? Not to mention that squirrel DNA or cabbage DNA would work just as well. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2020, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/50 "2020-01-07T01:01:20Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > Okay, explain me this: > > The white ghost alien “spies” made a time map of all the people responsible for bringing computer technology to the human race. For what possible reason if all they needed humans for was to use their DNA for data storage drives? Also, an advanced civilization that can re-map human DNA to use for storage can’t create a synthetic DNA for storage?? I mean given the inherent flaw in human DNA for mutation, why even bother? Nothing at all made any sense about the entire premise. What am I missing? I think it’s implied that they are setting up things in the past so that human computer technology develops it will be compatible with the alien tech, and with whatever process is used to convert humans into walking databases. Mutation rates are pretty low actually - and because DNA is duplicated throughout the body, redundancy allows the error rate to be reduced even further. That being said, Darren’s point below is good. > [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Not to mention that squirrel DNA or cabbage DNA would work just as well. The only notion I have for this is that humans might interfere with alien use of squirrel DNA, so you’re going to have to take them out of the picture anyway - so you may as well combine the steps (besides, the Master is probably manipulating the aliens to lead them into destroying humanity just to piss off the Doctor) ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2020, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/51 "2020-01-07T01:43:18Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > The Master has been a psychopath quite a while - casually murdering people is his thing. The Master’s usual mode of operation is to find some phenomenon or group that seems important or powerful, and start fiddling with it/allying with them in the hopes that he ends up on top (see Logopolis, the Matrix, the Cybermen, etc.); in the old days, the Doctor didn’t even have to defeat him sometimes - instead, the Master’s plans would fall apart so badly that he’s have to call the Doctor for help. > > Yeah, Ada was obvious. Yes, but he was never a ranter and usually not a shouter. Delgado and Ainley were both subdued; Ainley threatened the entire universe in “Logopolis” with a soft-spoken threat. That’s the part that I find tedious; it makes him the same as the Pirate Captain from “The Pirate Planet” without Douglas Adams writing his dialog (also, the Bruce Purchase knew when to tone things down for effect). It’s like the difference between Michael Wisher’s Davros and David Gooderson’s. Wisher knows when to speak softly; Gooderson shouts from start to finish. Though I did like the new, improved tissue compression eliminator. I didn’t like the erasing of memories. Too pat a solution to the problems raised. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2020, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/52 "2020-01-07T02:06:35Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > … I didn’t like the erasing of memories. Too pat a solution to the problems raised. The characters were great but there is little question that they were put into the show as an educational service highlighting some often under-sung heroic and brilliant women of history. My WAG is that the writers wanted to be very clear that there is no implication in the Whonervise that Lovelace’s ideas, or Khan’s bravery, were a result of The Doctor’s visit. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2020, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/53 "2020-01-07T13:40:26Z")
> [@amarinth](#): > > Again, the grandson companion is an utter moron and should be jettisoned. Maybe - although have the helpless companion that needs rescue being male is a bit of a change. I did chuckle over Ryan saying that he could fly an airplane even if he couldn’t ride a bicycle. > [@amarinth](#): > > (There was a semi-good reason to leave the phones where they were. There were no good reasons for him to stop Yaz from calling her mother and to stomp on the phone. Except that Yaz talking to her mom was delaying running for their lives. > [@amarinth](#): > > The _later_ phone call from the public telephone box was the stupid one.) That was done deliberately to draw the bad guys to them. That’s why Graham was out of sight until he needed to start shooting (with _lazer shoes_… :rolleyes:;)😃 ) > [@amarinth](#): > > I liked it well enough - has the Doctor always been able to wipe memories? Yep. Not just the Doctor - the Time Lords wiped some of the Doctor’s memories about time travel to keep him exiled on Earth during Pertwee’s tenure. As well as other instances mentioned. > [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Not to mention that squirrel DNA or cabbage DNA would work just as well. That might work for the aliens, but not for the Master’s purposes. He really does not like humans. And he definitely does this sort of thing to get the Doctor’s attention. > [@DSeid](#): > > The characters were great but there is little question that they were put into the show as an educational service highlighting some often under-sung heroic and brilliant women of history. Yeah. I’m OK with that. > [@amarinth](#): > > My WAG is that the writers wanted to be very clear that there is no implication in the Whonervise that Lovelace’s ideas, or Khan’s bravery, were a result of The Doctor’s visit. And I’m actually thrilled with that - that human beings are capable, inventive, and can do great things without alien intervention. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2020, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/54 "2020-01-07T16:12:32Z")
I actually don’t hate the companions - one of the strongest moments of last season was Graham realizing that he would have to be the white bus rider whose presence inspired Rosa Parks’ civil disobedience. His pain at being complicit with Jim Crow was palpable, and a fine bit of acting from Bradley Walsh. And I enjoyed watching the dynamics of his relationship with Ryan evolve; it’s nice to see the writers explore a bond other than companion-Doctor. But I agree that this Doctor is lacking some essential quality (no, not a Y chromosome). I said it during the last season as well - the Doctor knows she’s always the smartest person in the room; I want to see that arrogance. I really like Whitaker, and I really want her to take the Doctor in new directions. But I want her to remain recognizably the Doctor. And I really really don’t want trolls.and incels to be able to say “See? See? Should have cast a man!” ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2020, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/55 "2020-01-07T16:25:17Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > But I agree that this Doctor is lacking some essential quality (no, not a Y chromosome). I said it during the last season as well - the Doctor knows she’s always the smartest person in the room; I want to see that arrogance. I really like Whitaker, and I really want her to take the Doctor in new directions. But I want her to remain recognizably the Doctor. There was a moment in the Tenth Doctor episode “Smith and Jones” (one of my favorites) where the Doctor had just met Martha Jones at the hospital and seen a spark of bravery and intelligence in her. He makes a snap decision: “Come with me.” And then, dismissively to Martha’s cowering friend: “Not her. She’ll just slow us down.” I don’t think he meant to be mean or nasty–it was just that his mind moves so fast that he can’t abide being slowed down by anybody who can’t at least make an effort at keeping up with him. You can be nice later, when everybody’s safe. I want to see Thirteen do that occasionally. I don’t want her to always be “nice” and try to put all the humans at ease. Sometimes when you _are_ the smartest person in the room and there are life-or-death problems to be solved, you can’t let yourself be bogged down trying to appease people who can’t help. ---
**Author:** ![vislor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vislor/32/5933_2.png) [@vislor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vislor)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2020, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/56 "2020-01-07T16:29:12Z")
I think it was Moffat who started the whole trend of making the Doctor take a back seat to the companions, a la the Ponds, then Impossible Girl. I don’t prefer it, either. I don’t think the writing has been great for Capaldi or Whitaker. It’s like they don’t know how to write for someone smart. I liked first season of Sherlock, by Moffat. After watching it, I had a tough time watching Elementary. (Later seasons of Sherlock ended poorly for me, but that’s another story.) Elementary did something with all of the characters around Sherlock (who is the human version of the Doctor, imo) which was impressive. They made them smart. They had them learn. In the first season, others can’t see what Sherlock does and he lays out what happened. By the end, the people around him were getting steps one, two, and three but it was still Sherlock that got step four. That’s what I want from the Doctor and his companions. I think it might be more interesting to have companions from different eras so that they can ask different questions. We only need one stand in for the audience. I don’t mind them but they don’t have their roles to fit into the group. I mean that, any of them could have gotten laser shoes or the airplane app and the dialog wouldn’t have to change. That’s what is bad about these companions. I think it was someone on this message board that said Moffat made them appreciate RTD more and I’m missing RTD as well. Having whined that, I thought part two almost made up for part one. If they had removed showing the Doctor make the airplane stuff, I think it would have been great. As it was, it did explain why she was trying NOT to be arrogant, and the Master is the perfect foil to that. It did have her be smart against the Master atop the Eiffel Tower. I think the characterization of the Master was all over the place. I do agree that Ainley or Delgado knew better when to scream or when to whisper. I’m willing to give him another chance, though. So, to sum up, I definitely liked part two better. I didn’t find it as cringe-worthy as the things that bothered me before and liked how they brought it together. Thanks for the discussion! ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2020, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/57 "2020-01-07T18:27:12Z")
it’s nice for Chibnall to actually acknowledge that there’s a history to this show, but I’m pretty disappointed they destroyed Gallifrey again. It feels like Aliens 3. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2020, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/58 "2020-01-07T19:11:43Z")
Forgive me if this is obvious but I’m a latecomer to Doctor Who. (I think I only started watching regularly during the David Tennant era.) I thought it was canonical that the Doctor was the one who destroyed Gallifrey (although apparently he had good reasons for doing so). ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2020, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/59 "2020-01-07T19:18:35Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Forgive me if this is obvious but I’m a latecomer to Doctor Who. (I think I only started watching regularly during the David Tennant era.) I thought it was canonical that the Doctor was the one who destroyed Gallifrey (although apparently he had good reasons for doing so). They retconned it a few years ago to that all the Doctors came together to suck Gallifrey into a pocket universe. All the Daleks surrounding Gallifrey firing on it ended up blowing each other up so it looked like the Doctor destroyed both. The Doctor at the time had no memory of it what actually happened (due to multiple Doctors being together). Only the 11th (Matt Smith) knew that Gallifrey was actually saved, and the 12th (Peter Capaldi) was the first to go back to it. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2020, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/60 "2020-01-07T19:48:34Z")
A while ago, there was supposed to be a multi-part episode where Sophie Aldred’s character was to go to Gallifrey to train up to be a Time Lord. The series went on hiatus, however, so it was never produced. This would have put her on more equal footing with the Doctor, but on the other hand it would have also marked her departure as his companion. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763.md?page=4)