30.06 The Doctor's Daughter

[Dr.Jackson]

Yes, there were plot holes, but it was a cracking episode. I refrained from posting in the 'Trailer' thread having read an interview with Georgia Moffet and seeing a couple of quotes from the episode which, despite not containing any explicit spoilers, certainly led me to guess that The Doctor had only just become a father (or realised he was) and that Jenny would survive at the end. Still, why did they not get Donna to use the machine after they'd retreated if they were that concerned with manufacturing more soldiers?

The whole genetic extrapolation thing makes sense if you look at it from a mass colonising effort point of view. Rather than natural reproduction which, although fun does take a while, the machine extrapolates DNA and then reconfigures it, presumably given a base model, into an artificially created maturated offspring, thus meaning you can have a sizeable working colony up and running as soon as possible from a limited number of original crew members. I'm also assuming that someone reprogrammed the machines as I doubt you'd need soldiers for a terraforming operation.

Extra bit of Trivia for you, from the interview I read: Georgia not only originally auditioned for a role in next weeks episode, but she also auditioned for the role of Rose Tyler way back in 2004.

[ctg]

What is it with the Cthulhu mythos creatures and Doctor Who? I mean that the Oord are very Cthulhu like (they just lack on tiny wings), and the Hath very strongly resemble the Deep Ones.

On the Daughter issue, like the Doctor says, she's a paradox.

[Tillane]

Originally Posted by Dr.Jackson

Still, why did they not get Donna to use the machine after they'd retreated if they were that concerned with manufacturing more soldiers?

An effective soldier - wouldn't even need a gun. She'd just annoy the Hath to death.

[Ursa major]

(At least it wasn't a parable about the Haths and the Hath-nots.)


Speaking of parables and the like: was the seven days there simply to ring a bell in our heads? As far as I could see, there was no real need for the time period to be so short. A device capable of terraforming a planet with a few phosphorescent gases could have maintained itself for a bit longer than that.

[thaddeus6th]

Quite a good episode I thought. Bit of a predictably clean ending, and slightly puzzled as to why daughter-girl didn't just regenerate.

I hope when Davros returns (as he surely will at some point) they don't mess it up. I'll be irked if he gets killed by 'emotions' or an unfeasible plot device (see last season's finale).

Mind you, this season's been pretty good, especially the Sontaran episodes.

[Tillane]

Originally Posted by Ursa major

(At least it wasn't a parable about the Haths and the Hath-nots.)

*Till shakes his head, refusing even to groan*

Originally Posted by Ursa major

Speaking of parables and the like: was the seven days there simply to ring a bell in our heads? As far as I could see, there was no real need for the time period to be so short. A device capable of terraforming a planet with a few phosphorescent gases could have maintained itself for a bit longer than that.

Plays into the God theorem, doesn't it? And into the world-building thing, too. Interesting. Hadn't thought of that...

[Dave]

Originally Posted by Tillane

Plays into the God theorem, doesn't it? And into the world-building thing, too. Interesting. Hadn't thought of that...

It crossed my mind, and I do think it was deliberate.

Cloning - I don't like the way SF TV and cinema produce these adult clones, with full memories and learned skills. However, she wasn't a clone as such, as others have pointed out already. What she was exactly was quickly passed over by the Doctor, and that would certainly be a nifty machine to have. It would be an ideal machine to take along for planetary colonisation, so it fits perfectly with the story. I don't know why they didn't sample Donna either.

I agree that they need to be careful with the number of temping jobs building up for Donna.

As for Jenny leaving in a space shuttle at the end. She is not able to travel in time, so she isn't going to get very far. She will still be found in the year 6000 (or whenever it was stamped on the tunnels) and within a light-year of that planet. But why didn't she change appearance when she regenerated?


The Hath fish-people just seemed like silly aliens to me; someone must have thought them up while lying in the bath blowing bubbles. And why did the nice one who fell in the blueberry slush puppy not survive? He's a fish, couldn't he breath underwater?

I think I expected more from this episode than it provided. It probably will be better on a second viewing. I probably felt cheated by the whole clone business.

[Rane Longfox]

Originally Posted by Dave

And why did the nice one who fell in the blueberry slush puppy not survive? He's a fish, couldn't he breath underwater?

I would suggest that next time you find a tar-pit, chuck a fish in and see how long it survives, but I'll probably be reported to PETA and they'll murder my family.

[PTeppic]

Originally Posted by Dave

I don't know why they didn't sample Donna either.

Presumably they would have if the Hath hadn't arrived and tried to kill them all?

[Marauder77]

Heh, i liked the little stab at all Donna-haters out there with Donna's "I'm gonna travel with the doctor for a loooong time" quip to Martha. By the way Donna has grow to be my favorite companion of the "new" Dr Who series, as she actually is able to solve problems, and find clues on her own, not just tag along and help by following the Doctors directions.

As for Jenny not changing appearance after the "regeneration". The Doctor regrew his hand in the X-mas invasion story, claiming it was withing 23 hours of the regeneration process... (some set amount of time anyway). Now maybe the same is true of a time lordy-being for the same amount of hours after birth / creation? That would explain why she didn't change appearance as she didn't regenerate, just healed an otherwise lethal injury while the body was still "freshly made".

[Dave]

Originally Posted by Marauder77

As for Jenny not changing appearance after the "regeneration". The Doctor regrew his hand in the X-mas invasion story, claiming it was withing 23 hours of the regeneration process... (some set amount of time anyway). Now maybe the same is true of a time lordy-being for the same amount of hours after birth / creation? That would explain why she didn't change appearance as she didn't regenerate, just healed an otherwise lethal injury while the body was still "freshly made".

You are right, that is the answer.

As for companions, I think I liked it better when the Doctor hand a 'gang' - though I expect that is much harder to write for - keeping everyone occupied within the story and building team dynamics. The single female companion does seem to be the more usual combination.

[Ice fyre]

Well I did enjoy this episode Donna was on fine form and Martha was used well. Wasnt too sure about the aliens and as to the 7 days notion,I would have belived seven years.

As to the mini regenration another explanation could be the Doctor is unable to control his regenration, other timelords can regenrate almost at will. Maybe the machine corrected that flaw in the doctors make up?

Anyway another rather good episode.

[Selati]

I didn't think I was going to like this episode from the trailer last week, but I really enjoyed it after all. Jenny wasn't as annoying as I thought she'd be and I liked how Donna was a bit of a mum to her.

I couldn't work out why the leader didn't know the truth though. Surely he was older than 7 days (he looked around 50 to me) unless the machine just randomly made him older than the others or they age really quickly.

Edited to add that I think Martha is a bit of a meany for leaving the Doctor after he thinks his daughter has just died!

[Dr.Jackson]

Thinking about the offspring-generating machines this morning it occured to me, correct me if I'm wrong, that since they rework the DNA sequence into a new being of the same race - isn't that a form of 'genetic loom' as referenced in Lungbarrow?

[Harleyquin]

Jenny Regeneration conspiracy theory 3.. (though I really like the 23 hour explanation myself Marauder)...

female timelord, perhaps they dont regenerate in the same way as males do - aka new body, but instead just recreate themselves as is... though this is going to suck when the acresss moves on to a different role