Classic series, new series, Whoniverse, expanded universe... 'tis all welcome here.
Please be considerate and tag spoilers wherever possible.
- Tag all spoilers for the latest episode, for any previews or content leaks, and for all off-topic works (e.g. if comparing a Doctor Who story to a Star Trek one)
- Spoilers for a season finale (or for any standalone special or expanded universe story) should remain tagged for at least a month after it's released.
When including spoiler tags, try to write so that tropers can make an informed decision before viewing them (e.g. which show and episode will they spoil?).
(Mod edit to add spoiler rules)
Edited by Mrph1 on Jun 12th 2025 at 5:03:16 PM
A whole person spawned for no reason isn't a paradox? The Doctor said it was one.
Sorry, I'm being pedantic. I'm not a big fan of time paradox plotlines.
edited 18th Nov '09 6:26:01 PM by BobbyG
Welcome To TV Tropes | How To Write An Example | Text Formatting Rules | List Of Shows That Need Summary | TV Tropes Forum | Know The StaffBut if it wasn't for Jenny, he'd never have gone there in the first place, and if it wasn't for him being there, Jenny wouldn't have existed.
Welcome To TV Tropes | How To Write An Example | Text Formatting Rules | List Of Shows That Need Summary | TV Tropes Forum | Know The StaffI'm pretty sure time can't possibly work that way, but OK.
This is why I wish they'd stop doing time paradox plotlines. They do my head in.
Welcome To TV Tropes | How To Write An Example | Text Formatting Rules | List Of Shows That Need Summary | TV Tropes Forum | Know The StaffBobby G, the Doctor appears to have a pretty liberal definition of paradox in this case. I think the thing is, its not really a paradox because what happened always happened. That is, the actions in the future caused the actions in the past, they didn't negateor contradict them.
I only really thought that Reapers turned up for big changes to the timeline. Not a Timey-Wimey Ball -type, "same story, different details" type change that happened in Waters of Mars. They turned up when Pete survived in Father's Day because,... well, we kind of saw what would have became of him had he survived. After all, if they turned up at every little contradiction in the timeline, they would be following the Doctor around a lot. At least before (and I use the word "before" loosely) the Time War the Time Lords had enough power to keep it all in check. Maybe thats what he meant when he called himself the "Time Lord Victorious". It's all his responsibility now. Oh boy.
edited 19th Nov '09 12:48:28 PM by MarcRS
Still confused, but OK.
But then, in "The Waters of Mars", the Doctor was taking a big risk. Changing the past like that, there was presumably a very strong possibility that the Reapers would show up.
Ninja'd, but the Doctor couldn't have known that, so I think my point stands.
edited 19th Nov '09 12:44:20 PM by BobbyG
Welcome To TV Tropes | How To Write An Example | Text Formatting Rules | List Of Shows That Need Summary | TV Tropes Forum | Know The StaffHe couldn't have known that, but given that he was making grand pronouncements like "We're fighting time itself, and I'm gonna win," I see no reason to believe he'd care. Insofar as he was thinking that far ahead at all, he probably figured he'd deal with them somehow when they showed up.
132 is the rudest number.Well 'the doctor' is getting old,he's only got 3 more regenerations left and then he will be on his 13th regeneration,and some fans speculate that the 13th regeneration will turn him into the valyard(an evil version of himself from the old series) so his personality is most definitely changing. His 9th incarnation was very dark and brooding,and after the events of the 'waters of Mars' it may push him futher into the Valeyard's persoanlity.
have a listen and have a link to my discord serverGosh, now my mind is all a flutter with whether I am ever going to see the 14th Doctor. Well, I'll only have to wait about..oh say, a decade?
We got to see a preview of the Christmas episode on Children In Need a few nights ago. He seemed much more chipper and apparently he'd gotten married... now we know why Queen Elizabeth was so angry at him...and why she might have to drop her usual nickname.
We knew this a while back. We need an entry for Timothy Dalton.
Also, "The End of Time, Part Two", will air in the US on 2 January 2010, a day after its UK airing.
edited 3rd Dec '09 1:17:17 PM by Silent Hunter
Going back to the question of paradox and the reapers, it's pretty clear that the reapers are only one of a host of possible bad things that can happen in the event of a paradox, ranging from a big explosion and Laser-Guided Amnesia (Mawdryn Undead) to suicidal urges or time running backwards and I'm still of the opinion that the Daleks were messing about in time when the Bad Wolf thing first happenned and time conspired to send Billie Piper over to turn them into dust.
Jenny is definitely a wound in time but what will happen with her is as unpredictable as it is dangerous.
^That's not to say the Doctor is.
Stable, I mean. You see, it's a sort of play on words.
edited 6th Dec '09 11:11:06 PM by DaeBrayk
Respect the Red Right Hand
Planescape Hijack
This was my interpretation as well. And it's one of the reasons I hope the "Time Lord Victorious" thing sticks, it sounds like it'd be a really interesting direction to go in.
Productivity is for people without internet connections. -Count DorkuI'm referring to the Time Lord Victorious. Time was stronger than him and solved his paradox by inspiring one little suicide.
There have been a lot of paradoxes in the series, most of them have gone badly, only one has involved reapers and it's the one everyone remembers. Given the comments about time compensating for things in the likes of Turn Left it seems reasonable that they aren't the normal effects of time meddling.

Oh... right... well... tiny one. Little bitty loop. Not even a paradox, really.