Talk:Boom Town (Doctor Who)

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[edit] TV Movie similarities

Although they might not be exactly the same, the similarity is nevertheless curious, and the TV Movie seems an obvious inspiration for several elements in the episode. I see no reason why these parallels are unworthy of note.

This is especially true in the case of the "regression" phenomenon, which to my knowledge has never been seen in any other episodes of the series. The fact that the TARDIS could heal Grace and Chang in the movie has long been a contentious issue, as the TARDIS had never before exhibited even a similar quality; it has always struck as a silly deus ex machina, not really in the spirit of the canon to the series. And yet here, the TARDIS does something remarkably similar. Sure, the specific implementation is different; as you note, in the TV movie it's a yellow glow and here it's got to do with a bright light. I don't see how that's really relevent, however. The principle is the same.

Not really. Let's compare and contrast:
  1. In the TVM, the action happens in the Cloister Room, with no ripping open of the TARDIS involved (the Eye of Harmony is closed at this point in time). In Boom Town, the TARDIS console is "ripped open" by the turmoil caused by the rift.
  2. The "healing" manifests itself as a white glow instead of glittering pixie dust (in fact, if you want similarities, the nanogenes in The Doctor Dances resemble the pixie dust more than the white glow in Boom Town does - and they even bring Jamie back to life!).
  3. The bringing back to life of Grace and Chang Lee is a healing of sorts - they remember dying, so it isn't really reversal in that sense. Here, Blaine isn't being healed; she's being regressed.
The parallels are not as strong as you suggest. True, we've never seen regression in other episodes of the series, but that doesn't mean that it's the same function that we see in the TVM either. --khaosworks 14:30, Jun 5, 2005 (UTC)
That being said, in the spirit of some compromise, I've noted the television movie in a weaker manner that I hope is acceptable, along with some other instances. --khaosworks 15:14, Jun 5, 2005 (UTC)
Actually, the Doctor doesn't bring them back to life. If you'll remember the inside of the TARDIS is in a state of temporal grace (now realize the horrible pun that could have resulted in that scene... "What happened, Doctor?" "Just something temporal, Grace"...) And as far as age regression in or by the TARDIS never being seen before, I beg to differ. What about in Mawdryn Undead, when the Doctor tries to leave with Nyssa and Tegan from the space station... he not only makes them age, but they also get younger. Now, while this happens because of what they were infected with, it is still an effect of travelling in time, and in the TARDIS... now, where's my no-prize!? --travlr23
Ah, but as you pointed out,the Mawdryn Undead effect was not a product of the TARDIS, but an external infection. And temporal grace has to do with the prevention of weapons firing in the TARDIS, not regression or resurrection. And besides, "temporal grace" hasn't worked since Earthshock. --khaosworks 01:29, Jun 9, 2005 (UTC)
In 'The Infinity Doctors' two alien races get locked in a TARDIS and kill each other over and over again, until they realize that killing each other doesn't work, and they work out a peace accord, thanks to 'temporal grace'. So perhaps dying is allowed, but not killing... the Master 'kills' Chang Lee and Grace... maybe Grace returned the 'temporal grace' to the TARDIS... (it's a sentimental old thing...) Anyway, whatever caused the Slitheen to regress had something to do with the TARDIS itself, or maybe even with the Rift. --Travlr23 03:55, 9 Jun 2005 (UTC)
Odd example, though, as The Infinity Doctors doesn't even seem to take place in the same universe as everything else, and deliberately so. I don't doubt that the TARDIS was responsible - after all, the Doctor says even he doesn't know how powerful the TARDIS is, but it's certainly a new thing (sort of) as far as the show is concerned. --khaosworks 04:42, Jun 9, 2005 (UTC)
Well. After more recent events, clearly the similarities are growing. We've got the yellow "pixie dust" effect from the vortex. We've got Rose bringing people back to life, by manipulating time -- and Jack seems aware that he just died. And again, it comes from forcing open the console.* In Boom Town, the TARDIS apparently reacts in a defensive manner. In the TVM and Parting, it instead reaches out to the Doctor's companions (and Chang) -- which might or might not have something to do with the supposed "affinity" the TARDIS has for humans, in particular the Doctor's friends. Anyway. This all seems part of the same mechanism, one way or another. Whether responding to attack or bringing people back to life, it's still the TARDIS energies manipulating time in a focused area to some specific end.
And yet. This is all kind of beside the point I was making earlier. Regardless of the literal similarities, the intent on Davies' part to reference the TVM should be blatantly obvious by this point -- especially when you include the rough (yes, rough) plot outline of Boom Town and details like the "cloaking device" conversation, along with Davies' more recent fondness for smooching Doctors. And it's that -- the intent and influence; not the practical result -- that's at issue here. I don't see much room to argue that he wasn't directly influenced in writing this episode, especially given his professed fondness for the TVM on other occasions. The parallels are too many and too "cute" to conclude otherwise. About the only TVM issues Davies has yet to try to reconcile are the "half-human" and the Eye things, the latter of which is perhaps avoided by the new structure of the TARDIS and the former of which... might take some more work to deal with. To deny the influence because the practical implementations slightly differ is kind of backwards.
*: Which, frankly, seems the center of power in this incarnation. Earlier, at various times, the TARDIS had engine rooms and a link to the Eye of Harmony powering it. Things seem to have changed around a lot since 1989. I guess they must have changed even more dramatically since the Time War. Who knows how the TARDIS is configured now. The "heart" under the console, as portrayed in the new series, does seem to serve the same role as the Eye in the movie, though.

[edit] Sonic Screwdriver

I think there should be a list of all of the things that the Doctor has done with the sonic screwdriver on the sonic screwdriver page, possibly with episode references. --Jawr256 15:18, Jun 5, 2005 (UTC)

That would be quite a list. He's used it a hell of a lot, and minutiae like that would surely be fancruft. --khaosworks 15:26, Jun 5, 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Mickey and girlfriends

I think the plot summary doesn't reflect the interpretation that Mickey is possibly lying about Trisha, and is giving Rose the excuse to break their ties. GraemeLeggett 09:29, 6 Jun 2005 (UTC)

How are you going to phrase that, though? (personally, I don't think he's lying, but that's just me). --khaosworks 12:12, Jun 6, 2005 (UTC)
Our interpretations shouldn't really make it beyond talk pages though really ... --Vamp:Willow 12:33, 6 Jun 2005 (UTC)
I don't think there's much harm in saying "This is thought by some people to be...". I mean, in this case, I think we all agree that it is quite a possibility, not just a load of made up rubbish. --bjwebb 14:51, 6 Jun 2005 (UTC)
Problem is "thought by some" is so horribly vague, and I have serious doubts whether it's notable. I mean, a couple of people talking about it in a pub is technically "thought by some", and that's not notable. Besides, does it really matter? it's not like Trisha Delaney is the Bad Wolf of anything... :) --khaosworks 14:59, Jun 6, 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Extrapolator

Is it a
tribophysical waveform macrokinetic extrapolator
Or a
tribophysical waveform magnokinetic extrapolator? --Jawr256 07:39, Jun 19, 2005 (UTC)

[edit] The "Doctor who?" gag

Wouldn't it be more relevant to have this note at The Empty Child, given that that's the first instance of the gag in the new series? I know I could move it myself, but I thought I'd better ask as there might be a good reason for it to be here that I've missed. Angmering 01:01, 11 September 2005 (UTC)

Nah, go ahead and move it. I don't recall it in the Empty Child, however. Where was it? Sean 01:47, 11 September 2005 (UTC)
In the corridor at the hospital just after Rose and Jack have met up with the Doctor, and he's complaining at her for telling Jack he was called Doctor Spock. Angmering 01:59, 11 September 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Last bulletpoint before "Production"

That "Deadly Assassin" bit needs looking at.

I don't want to just delete it, because I assume there's a point about it that needs to be made but someone just forgot to fully include it. Anyone want to write something in if they know what the link is?