Skip to main content

tardis - Why doesn't the Doctor go back to Gallifrey before the Time War?


According to How did Clara end up on Gallifrey?, it’s just the Time War that is time locked. So why does Eccelston's Doctor tell Rose:



My whole planet is gone. My people, my family, all gone. Don't you think I want to go back and save them?



Why hasn't he ever gone back to before the war?



All the other Doctors basically see Gallifrey as gone from them, and when you say the Doctor cannot go back on his own timeline, there will have been plenty of time periods he could go to; maybe to a time before they could regenerate, or maybe when Time Lords were using Tardises — as in "The Doctor's Wife" she says to Matt Smith:



I was already a museum piece when I stole you




Answer



One does not simply fly into Gallifrey.


In "The Day of the Doctor", when the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors arrived in the barn where the War Doctor was about to detonate the moment, this exchange happened:



TENTH DOCTOR: These events should be time-locked. We shouldn't even be here.


ELEVENTH DOCTOR: So something let us through.



MOMENT ROSE: You clever boys.



This dialoge indicates that Gallifrey is not normally reachable due to the timelock. In "Day of the Doctor" they were able to reach it due to the Moment doing something not explained (probably a timey-wimey thing) in order to let them through.


Now, AFTER the events of Day of The Doctor, Gallifrey simply is in another universe, unreachable for the Doctor (or anyone) so far. But it's my understanding, that in the past the time lock is still in place.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

harry potter - Did Dolores Umbridge Have Any Association with Voldemort (or Death Eaters) before His Return?

I noticed that Dolores Umbridge was born during the first Wizarding War, so it's very likely she wasn't a Death Eater then (but she is pretty evil -- who knows?). After that Voldemort was not around in a way that could affect many people, and most wouldn't know he was planning to rise again. During that time, and up through Voldemort's return (in Goblet of Fire ), did Umbridge have any connection with the Death Eaters or with Voldemort? Was she doing what she did on her own, or was it because of an association with Voldemort or his allies? Answer Dolores Umbridge was definitely not a good person. However, as Sirius points out, "the world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters". Remember that he also says that he doesn't believe Umbridge to be a Death Eater, but that she's evil enough (or something like that). I think there are two strong reasons to believe that: Umbridge was proud to do everything according to the law, except when she trie...

What is the etymology of Doctor Who?

I recently decided to watch Doctor Who, and started viewing the 2005 version. I have the first two episodes from the first season, and I can't help but wonder what is the etymology of the name "Doctor Who"? And why does the protagonist call himself "the Doctor" (or is it "the doctor")? Answer In the very first episode of Doctor Who (way back in 1963), the Doctor has a granddaughter going by the name "Susan Foreman", and the junkyard where the TARDIS is has the sign "I.M. Foreman". Barbara, who becomes one of the Doctor's companions, calls him "Doctor Foreman" (probably assuming that is his name given his relationship to Susan), and Ian (another early companion) does the same in the second episode, to which the Doctor says: Eh? Doctor who? What's he talking about? "Foreman" is most likely selected as a convenient surname for Susan to use because it happened to be on display near where the TARDIS landed....

story identification - Animation: floating island, flying pests

At least 20 years ago I watched a short animated film which stuck in my mind. The whole thing was wordless, possibly European, and I'm pretty sure I didn't imagine it... It featured a flying island which was inhabited by some creatures who (in my memory) reminded me of the Moomins. The island was frequently bothered by large winged animals who swooped around, although I don't think they did any actual damage. At the end one of the moomin creatures suddenly gets a weird feeling, feels forced to climb to the top of the island and then plunges down a shaft right through the centre - only to emerge at the bottom as one of the flyers. Answer Skywhales from 1983. The story begins with a man warning the tribe of approaching skywhales. The drummers then warn everybody of the hunt as everyone get prepared to set "sail". Except one man is found in his home sleeping as the noise wake him up. He then gets ready and is about to take his weapon as he hesitates then decides ...