# 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:** 4
**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, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/61 "2020-01-07T20:17:07Z")
> [@amarinth](#): > > - I’m also confused on why anyone on Earth notices that they’re gone - they have a time machine, they can go back to the point where they left. (I know past Doctors have done it, why not this one? Was that explained sometime when I wasn’t quite paying attention) Mainly it’s due to the TARDIS being very finicky. For example, all the way back to when Rose was first a companion, he accidentally dropped her off one year after she first left. No one knew what happened to her. Also, some adventures are on Earth in the present day (just like this one). I don’t think they can go back to when the adventure first started; paradoxes and all that. ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2020, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/62 "2020-01-07T21:03:58Z")
I don’t recall exactly, but wasn’t there still a problem with going to Gallifrey, even after it had been brought back? Somehow I didn’t think the Doctor could just go for a jaunt home for the holidays… ---
**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, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/63 "2020-01-07T21:16:07Z")
> [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](#): > > I don’t recall exactly, but wasn’t there still a problem with going to Gallifrey, even after it had been brought back? Somehow I didn’t think the Doctor could just go for a jaunt home for the holidays… It’s still stuck in that pocket universe, so it’s not easy to get to. And the time lords can’t leave it either. Mainly because if it;s brought back to our universe the Time War will just start right up again. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2020, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/64 "2020-01-13T04:52:16Z")
> [@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 was **so** certain that they were going to somehow tie it to the Cybermen when Barton was giving his big speech. I’m glad they didn’t, but I ended up not not really getting what the light aliens plan really was. Did they ever answer why they were killing all of the spies? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2020, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/65 "2020-01-13T04:54:17Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > Did they ever answer why they were killing all of the spies? They were getting too close to The Plan. ---
**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 13, 2020, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/66 "2020-01-13T11:57:02Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > They were getting too close to The Plan. That, and the Master wanted the Doctor’s attention, and talked his allies into doing something so dramatic that MI6 would call the Doctor in. ---
**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 13, 2020, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/67 "2020-01-13T12:06:36Z")
Since The Master had to get from the 1940s to 2020 the hard way, did he get turned into The Master when everyone got turned into The Master? ---
**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 13, 2020, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/68 "2020-01-13T12:14:03Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Since The Master had to get from the 1940s to 2020 the hard way, did he get turned into The Master when everyone got turned into The Master? The Masterification only affected humans (the Doctor and the other aliens in that episode weren’t affected). ---
**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 13, 2020, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/69 "2020-01-13T12:35:41Z")
If he wasn’t clued in on the plan, that had to have been a weird experience. ---
**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 13, 2020, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/70 "2020-01-13T12:36:45Z")
Oh, wait–he was (probably) from _after_ that. ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2020, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/71 "2020-01-15T05:51:18Z")
Is there a thread for the rest of the season, or should I bitch about Orphan 55 here? Because man, what a load of poorly-scripted rubbish (and I don’t even mean the hit-you-over-the-head message of it all). ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2020, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/72 "2020-01-15T06:00:38Z")
> [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](#): > > Is there a thread for the rest of the season, or should I bitch about Orphan 55 here? Because man, what a load of poorly-scripted rubbish (and I don’t even mean the hit-you-over-the-head message of it all). To be fair, it was also very poorly directed. ---
**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 15, 2020, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/73 "2020-01-15T06:34:50Z")
> [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](#): > > Is there a thread for the rest of the season, or should I bitch about Orphan 55 here? Because man, what a load of poorly-scripted rubbish (and I don’t even mean the hit-you-over-the-head message of it all). Yeah, but it got partially redeemed by the best line of the season so far: **Tech guy:** You can’t build an ionic membrane from scratch! **Doctor:** If I had crayons and half a can of Spam, I could build _you_ from scratch! Now get out of my way! Now \*that’s \*the Doctor I know and love! ---
**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 15, 2020, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/74 "2020-01-15T13:40:27Z")
I think the best way to treat Orphan 55 is to never mention it again and try to forget that it ever happened. ---
**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 15, 2020, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/75 "2020-01-15T14:24:30Z")
> [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](#): > > Is there a thread for the rest of the season, or should I bitch about Orphan 55 here? Because man, what a load of poorly-scripted rubbish (and I don’t even mean the hit-you-over-the-head message of it all). > [@Alessan](#): > > To be fair, it was also very poorly directed. I was wondering if we were going to discuss it or purge it. Yes, except for some of the Doctor’s arrogance, in just the right way, I was disappointed by this episode. I started a big rant of things that bugged me and if we start discussing it, I can post it. Otherwise, maybe we just move along and hope for better next episode. Thanks for the discussion! ---
**Author:** ![c\_carol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e79b87/32.png) [@c\_carol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/c_carol)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2020, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/76 "2020-01-15T14:28:09Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > I think the best way to treat Orphan 55 is to never mention it again and try to forget that it ever happened. Yes, but if we never mention it again, we can’t complain about it. I am conflicted. ---
**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 15, 2020, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/77 "2020-01-15T14:38:28Z")
> [@c\_carol](#): > > Yes, but if we never mention it again, we can’t complain about it. I am conflicted. LOL! Me too! I seriously had nine points already before I thought better of going down that rabbit hole! 😃 ---
**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 15, 2020, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/78 "2020-01-15T14:58:41Z")
I kept checking for a thread on “Orphan 55”, because I couldn’t believe no one wanted to talk about what a crappy episode it was. ---
**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 15, 2020, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/79 "2020-01-15T14:58:52Z")
Okay, then–what _the hell_ happened with this episode? Possibly the top thing that stands out to me (okay, in the top five) was how the central plot of a big chunk of the episode was finding the old guy who was then off-handedly given a [Poochie](https://simpsons.fandom.com/wiki/Poochie) death. I mean, what could have happened? Did they forget to film half the scenes? Did the _actor_ die mid-filming? What could _possibly_ have lead to “Oh, your fiancé? Yeah, I killed him off-screen. Don’t worry, he wanted it.” ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2020, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763/80 "2020-01-15T16:15:16Z")
The thing is, it was as monumentally bad as episodes like _Kill the Moon_ or T_he Forests of the Night_, because the degree of stupidity in episodes like those two requires a certain amount of demented imagination and misguided confidence. _Orphan 55_ was just incompetent at all levels. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-2020-new-year-special-and-current-season-spoilers/845763.md?page=5)