Spoilers The Reality War grade and discussion thread

[jaime]

What was this genetic explosion thing they referenced that made them all sterile? Was that part of a story I've filed under too stupid to remember?

It’s a fifty-percent et on if when The Master set off the death particle in Chibnalls era. It’s also a call back to similar concept from the books that RTD himself pretty much dropped.

(Edit: it also makes the doctors speech last year about having kids in the future to become Susan’s parents even more nonsensical.)

(Edit edit: ret con not et on)

 

[VDCNI]

Time Lords being infertile dates back to the classic era. It was going to be part of the Cartmel Masterplan that Time Lords lost the ability to reproduce normally, so they used genetic Looms to reproduce.

Except it's never been shown on screen, the doctor has a grandchild, has referenced being a father in the past and we saw children on Galifrey in Day of the Doctor.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Points off for the Susan thing going nowhere.

 

[cultcross]

Interesting that she's credited as "Introducing Billie Piper" and not "Introducing Billie Piper as the Doctor," like usual.

Yes, apparently RTD and Piper herself are giving it "it's a mystery!!!"

So she probably isn't the "official" i.e. long running 16th, maybe a temporary Bad Wolf doctor like the War Doctor created by the return of that energy to the TARDIS for some reason and a "real" 16th will follow, a teleportation from an alternate reality, or some other lame handwave.

If you were worried there might still be some people not seeing this as a massive stunt, that's definitely the way to convert them.

 

[Steve Roby]

I liked it a lot more than I’d normally expect to like an absolute mess of a story that just handwaves away so many things now that they’re in real reality again. So much was set up and not really paid off. But it was so wonderful to see Jodie Whittaker again, and Ncuti Gatwa was so good. And Anita from the Time Hotel! Overall, though… all the feels, none of the thinks.

 

[Nerys Myk]

The next story is going have David Tennant too isn’t it? How could he not it’s too obvious

As a companion.

 

[cultcross]

Honestly, the Rose reveal might have seemed a teeny weeny little bit less ridiculous if we hadn't done this exact stunt only one regeneration ago.

River next, I'm calling it now.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Susan better be the Boss.

 

[jaime]

Honestly, the Rose renewal might have seemed a teeny weeny little bit less ridiculous if we hadn't done this exact stunt only one regeneration ago.

River next, I'm calling it now.

Tom Baker is still alive. He’s in his nineties, but I wouldn’t put it past the current production team to try to pull such a desperation stroke…

 

[Captaindemotion]

Tom Baker is still alive. He’s in his nineties, but I wouldn’t put it past the current production team to try to pull such a desperation stroke…

We’d all watch, let’s face it.

Though at a mere 74, Peter Davison is surely still viable…

 

[Tuskin38]

I thought the dialogue implied it was what the Master did during Jodi's run that caused the sterilization, not that they were always sterile.

 

[Redfern]

Without arguing the merits and quality of this outing, I'll just note this...

After doing my best impression of Tennant shouting "What?!" at last three times upon Billie Piper's reveal, the first thing I considered was action figure merchandising. Now, maybe it's nothing more than hearsay, but supposedly Piper was rather dissatisfied with the mass produced version of her likeness, the defiantly posed figurine that came with Character Options' first major DW toy release, the 5 inch tall RC controlled "Battling Daleks". In fairness to the actor, it was NOT a flattering sculpt. Reports, well maybe just anecdotes claimed she refused to have any follow-up figures released. Obviously, this isn't true because Character DID eventually sell a more neutrally posed action with greater articulation and a better recreation of her features. Or maybe it was her dissatisfaction that resulted in the time that spanned between those releases, time that allowed for a renewed contract and personal approval of the design. Honestly, I don't know, and I don't really feel like engaging in the deep dive research that will require to either confirm or denounce. But if there is any truth to that alleged incident, I can imagine there will be some intense review of the figure design before it (or if it) gets approved for mass production.

Even if this is a case of short term stunt casting, odds are a figure will be sold. I mean, how much screen time did either John Hurt or Jo Martin have" Yet, they both got action figures. So even if it's just of a holiday special, or even a single scene before Piper's Doc sneezes or something and regenerates again, Character Options will want to immortalize her in plastic...again.

 

[Steve Roby]

Something I forgot to mention in my previous post: damn, that music was both overbearing and bad. Bring back Segun Akinola!

 

[Nerys Myk]

Overbearing music is a Russell trademark

 

[Emperor-Tiberius]

 

[Captain Shaw]

So the doctor has forgotten about poor Jenny.

 

[26138]

2/10 only because Mel was in it.

 

[Captaindemotion]

So the doctor has forgotten about poor Jenny.

But IIRC she wasn’t a biological daughter and to the best of his knowledge she was dead?

 

[David cgc]

But IIRC she wasn’t a biological daughter and to the best of his knowledge she was dead?

She still would've had fresh Time-Lord DNA (though it may have been unusable for the same reason... wait, did they actually say with the Doctor or Rani wouldn't work for her plan and it had to be Omega, or did the Doctor just pivot to talking about not-Captain Poppy when they asked?).

 

[Turtletrekker]

So, that happened. Sadly, the Billie Piper thing got spoiled for here me by careless comments in the RTD thread before it became a spoiler thread, but the Jodie Whitaker thing absolutely stunned me in a good way. Absolutely amazing to see her again.