8X03 "Robot of Sherwood" Grading/Discussion)(SPOILERS!)

[The Mirrorball Man]

: Even melted down, gold would be a very poor chemical propellant. I can only surmise the gold acted as a medium or conduit for some kind of advanced gravity drive, perhaps of a type that projects a mini-gravity pull in the direction desired. Much in the same way the TARDIS console requires (or required) liquid mercury as a conduit for its advanced systems. While capable of lifting the vessel, its gold stores at takeoff were just barely insufficient to provide the field energy required to achieve orbital speed. The gold arrow (likely supplemented with a tracking device identical to what the Doctor used at the archery tournament) directly interacted with the energy field enveloping the vessel's outer hull on contact and provided the 'spark,' if you will, to achieve escape velocity.

Not sure if serious.

 

[Nightowl1701]

Only half-serious. Just speculating. Playing 'If I had to novelize this story, how could I possibly plug this plot hole?'

Still crap either way.

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

It's not a plot hole, it's silly fairy tale logic. Trying to explain it only makes the whole thing more ridiculous, as if you were trying to find a rational explanation for Santa Claus using parallel worlds and mutations.

Still, a fantastic episode.

 

[ITL]

Gatiss had this to say in an interview:

"My one proviso before I embarked on it, I said, “I will not do a drab Robin Hood.” I find it so depressing when people try to make it realistic. Robin Hood is a great fairytale and that’s what we tried to do with this."

 

[Mr Awe]

It's not a plot hole, it's silly fairy tale logic. Trying to explain it only makes the whole thing more ridiculous, as if you were trying to find a rational explanation for Santa Claus using parallel worlds and mutations.

Still, a fantastic episode.

No, the story has to work according to some internal logic, or else it falls apart. You calling it a fairy tale doesn't get it around that necessity.

Mr Awe

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

No, the story has to work according to some internal logic, or else it falls apart.

It did work according to some very clearly stated rules. It may not have satiated some viewers' hunger for technobabble, but it didn't fire one single Chekhov bullet from a single Chekhov gun that wasn't laid first on a Chekhov table.

You calling it a fairy tale doesn't get it around that necessity.

My calling it "silly fairy tale logic" was a nice way of stating that theories involving "chemical propellants", "energy fields" and "escape velocity" are even more ridiculous than the problem that they're trying to address.

 

[Mr Awe]

^ There needs to be some internal logic though. So, the ship needs lots of gold that's melted down and incorporate. Ok, that's out there, but alright. But then you can shoot it with a gold arrow to make up the difference. It's a bridge too far. And, I enjoyed the story!

You're already dealing with lots of implausibilities inherent in the Doctor Who series, the plot of the week should at least make internal sense!

Mr Awe

 

[Stoo]

I guess Gatiss really wanted to resolve the climax with firing an arrow. Because it's a Robin Hood episode, after all.

But I agree, it's kind of distracting how the rules for use of gold suddenly change. At first it was being melted into some kind of specific machinery component. Then at the end, we just need to have a certain mass aboard, anywhere around the ship?

 

[Psion]

Agreed, Stoo.

They should have had a fault in the "circuitry", perhaps introduced when some medieval laborer mistakenly put something down in the mold, or as a result of the Sheriff's duel with Robin. Then, when as the ship is taking off, the Doctor and his gang of Merry Men are much closer and able to see the faulty circuit sparking. The Doctor, seeing this, recognizes the problem. "We need to shoot the arrow right there!" And the rest of the scene proceeds as written. NOW everything ties up neatly and is a tiny bit more believable.

 

[Stoo]

Yep. Or maybe just shoot the arrow through a window, knowing the robots will know what to do with it, ie stick it in a conveniently sized gap in the circuitry.

 

[YellowSubmarine]

It's not a plot hole, it's silly fairy tale logic. Trying to explain it only makes the whole thing more ridiculous, as if you were trying to find a rational explanation for Santa Claus using parallel worlds and mutations.

Still, a fantastic episode.

What? WHAT? I loved Time Lord Santa with his TARDIS chimney. It's the only way to explain how a bulky man like him fits into it, TBH. But when you learn that each Christmas takes thousands of years for him when to all you people it's just a single night, you start to feel for him. Badly. And it explains why he always looks different! Couldn't visit you all without dying so many times. It's a sad story.

But he's clever sometimes. To avoid too many trips, sometimes he simply tours all the years in your house with all the presents for you in one go. That's why you think the chimney is always there. But it isn't!

Or was that last thing called "A Christmas Carol"?

 

[diankra]

It could maybe have done with an extra few lines, something like...
Robin: "I can hit it. Even with my arm like this."
Doctor: " You don't just have to hit the ship, we've got to hit a precise spot to trigger a chain reaction... "
Clara: "Can you do it together?"

Still technobabble, but it makes the Doctor's contribution more than just making up for Robin's injured arm.

 

[Sindatur]

It could maybe have done with an extra few lines, something like...
Robin: "I can hit it. Even with my arm like this."
Doctor: " You don't just have to hit the ship, we've got to hit a precise spot to trigger a chain reaction... "
Clara: "Can you do it together?"

Still technobabble, but it makes the Doctor's contribution more than just making up for Robin's injured arm.

It actually was made very clear, IMHO, that the Arrow had to hit within that square (Unless you mean you even more precise than that, and exactly where within that square it had to hit?)

 

[davejames]

Honestly I had more of a problem with the massive distance the arrow had to travel, more than whatever it was supposed to do once it got there. Because realistically the arrow would have barely made it past the middle of the lake, let alone as high up and far away as the spaceship.

At the very least, they could have had the Doctor wave his Sonic Screwdriver over it and explain it was now "ultra-magnetized" or something. Or attach some kind of magical doodad from his pocket that would get it to travel much further.

 

[YellowSubmarine]

Obviously, the arrow was a trap and had a tracking device inside.

 

[diankra]

It could maybe have done with an extra few lines, something like...
Robin: "I can hit it. Even with my arm like this."
Doctor: " You don't just have to hit the ship, we've got to hit a precise spot to trigger a chain reaction... "
Clara: "Can you do it together?"

Still technobabble, but it makes the Doctor's contribution more than just making up for Robin's injured arm.

It actually was made very clear, IMHO, that the Arrow had to hit within that square (Unless you mean you even more precise than that, and exactly where within that square it had to hit?)

I've only seen it once, and not under the best of circumstances (death in the family) so may well have missed something.

 

[The Wormhole]

It's not a plot hole, it's silly fairy tale logic. Trying to explain it only makes the whole thing more ridiculous, as if you were trying to find a rational explanation for Santa Claus using parallel worlds and mutations.

Still, a fantastic episode.

What? WHAT? I loved Time Lord Santa with his TARDIS chimney. It's the only way to explain how a bulky man like him fits into it, TBH. But when you learn that each Christmas takes thousands of years for him when to all you people it's just a single night, you start to feel for him. Badly. And it explains why he always looks different!

So when do we get a black Santa? Or a female Santa.

Actually, to continue this silliness, I have actually tried to mix real world stuff to Santa. Him and Mrs. Claus are in a loveless sham marriage, conferences in the North Pole where officers from all the world's Air Forces try to determine safe flying zones for Santa, the Elves having a labour union, Rudolph's red nose being the result of genetic experimentation.

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

What? WHAT? I loved Time Lord Santa with his TARDIS chimney. It's the only way to explain how a bulky man like him fits into it, TBH. But when you learn that each Christmas takes thousands of years for him when to all you people it's just a single night, you start to feel for him. Badly. And it explains why he always looks different! Couldn't visit you all without dying so many times. It's a sad story.

But he's clever sometimes. To avoid too many trips, sometimes he simply tours all the years in your house with all the presents for you in one go. That's why you think the chimney is always there. But it isn't!

Or was that last thing called "A Christmas Carol"?

That was great

 

[Sindatur]

It's not a plot hole, it's silly fairy tale logic. Trying to explain it only makes the whole thing more ridiculous, as if you were trying to find a rational explanation for Santa Claus using parallel worlds and mutations.

Still, a fantastic episode.

What? WHAT? I loved Time Lord Santa with his TARDIS chimney. It's the only way to explain how a bulky man like him fits into it, TBH. But when you learn that each Christmas takes thousands of years for him when to all you people it's just a single night, you start to feel for him. Badly. And it explains why he always looks different!

So when do we get a black Santa? Or a female Santa.

Actually, to continue this silliness, I have actually tried to mix real world stuff to Santa. Him and Mrs. Claus are in a loveless sham marriage, conferences in the North Pole where officers from all the world's Air Forces try to determine safe flying zones for Santa, the Elves having a labour union, Rudolph's red nose being the result of genetic experimentation.

I'm actually on board for about all that. I do wonder, though, why the loveless sham of a marriage? I don't see any influence from it? Would you mind elaborating on how that would manifest in the Portrayal?

 

[Lonemagpie]

You know how I said Robot Of Sherwood bore repeated viewings to catch everything? I've seen it about four times now, and still didn't notice this: http://originallonemagpie.tumblr.com/post/97291137192/the-chief-mooseketeer-captain-jack-harkness