One spoilery complaint about "Listen"

[dbskyler]

Okay, it's a silly thing to be obsessing about, but I can't get over how the TARDIS was able to land on Gallifrey without all the alarms going off and guards showing up that we used to get.

For example, this scene from Deadly Assassin (start at 1:10).

Also, can the Doctor just go land in Gallifrey's past whenever he wants now? I thought it was still Timelocked / in another universe or something?

Comments

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but when the TARDIS lands in Deadly Assassin, it lands *in the Citadel* where there's massive security. Don't see any reason for the Doctor's family home to have that kind of security, not least when it's on an entirely different continent to the Citadel.

And the TARDIS being able to land on Gallifrey in the past is something I'm just going to overlook as one of those little irksome things that don't in any way detract from my overall enjoyment of the episode. I do the same with the little irksome things in Blink - and for me, this episode was as good as Blink. I liked the way that the episode shows up so many of Clara's strengths, and also the relationship between Clara and Twelve - her calling him a stick insect, and him boasting of his "dad skills" just because he sent Rupert to sleep (which contrasted nicely with Clara's genuine mothering skills).

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

Oh, I know it all magically disappeared due to the needs of the episode (as did the transduction barrier), but it still irks me. I think it's an issue because I've always loved having Gallifrey be the one place in the universe where the Doctor can't just land unannounced. Besides, it just makes sense that Time Lords would be the one species who can track the arrival of a TARDIS.

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

Well that's typical of Who - continuity be damned and everything else too, if the plot requires *this* to happen.

And I agree it does make sense... It just doesn't bother me that much.

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

Fair enough. And actually, it's not even that I'm overly bothered myself -- I think I just like the alarms, so I missed them.

I agree that for the most part, this was a very strong episode. Clara was great in it.

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

Oh yes! I loved seeing Clara's parenting skills in action - actually MORE useful than Twelve's "dad skills"!!

[john_amend_all]

I've seen it suggested that the barn wasn't on Gallifrey, because it's on a world with a blue sky (though The Five Doctors provides an obvious counterexample). Presumably, if it was somewhere else, the Doctor would have been there on the equivalent of a field trip.

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

Ooh, interesting theory!

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

Now that you mention it, in "Day of the Doctor" I did get the impression that the barn wasn't on Gallifrey. Hmmm.

[thisbluespirit]

As Pers says, it's not in the Citadel. Also, we don't know how many years in the past it is - obviously at least about 740! I mean, even for Time Lords, that's plenty of time to change policy and defence systems! So, maybe they haven't invented the transduction barrier yet, or have much need for it - maybe TARDISes are still only on early models & the chances of an unexpected materialisation aren't high. Or maybe this TARDIS is developing skills beyond TARDISes back in the day - she's been through a lot since then & may be able to get round all sorts of things. I'd agree if it had landed smack back in the Citadel as when we see that in the 70s and 80s, but it isn't. We don't know for sure that it even is Gallifrey, just that it's somewhere the Doctor went during his childhood. Which makes Gallifrey likely - but then I kind of thought the barn in the 50th wasn't, and that's where it was, isn't it?

Besides, it just made me cry so much I can't stop, mostly in a good way, so I don't care!

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

maybe TARDISes are still only on early models

Yes, they're probably only on Type 27, the kind that catch on fire every time they materialize somewhere.

Besides, it just made me cry so much I can't stop, mostly in a good way, so I don't care!

Aw, I'm really glad you enjoyed the episode so much! I mostly did too.

[thisbluespirit]

Yes, they're probably only on Type 27, the kind that catch on fire every time they materialize somewhere.

:Lol: I wonder how many other disastrous TARDIS Types there were? :-D

And, ha, I did love it, but it also just hit a chord at the right time, and set me off. Which was a good thing, though.

[pedanther]

I don't have an answer to your point (pick one of the several good options already provided), but I want to mention that you've made me realise something else about the episode:

From a Watsonian point of view, the TARDIS probably couldn't have done that (quite apart from whatever external alarms and guards there may or may not have been) if the Doctor hadn't disabled the safeguards earlier.

From a Doylist point of view, I wonder if the whole business with the planet at the end of history, where TARDISes never go, was at least partly a feint to make people go "Oh, so that's the consequence of the Doctor disabling the safeguards" and not expect what happened next.