consult@uwmacc.UUCP (07/02/84)
I have a question for avid Whovians:
In the early part of the Tom Baker era, we were told that
TARDISs are isomorphic. (1-1) They will only respond to the
will of their "owner." (Or "appropriator" in the Doctor's case.)
Now, in the early part of the Peter Davidson era, I have seen
Adric, the Master, and his stewardess friend pilot the TARDIS.
Did John Nathan-Turner forget?
Signed,
Difficult Sleeping in Madison
(Um, Rob DeMillo...)matt@oddjob.UChicago.UUCP (Matt Crawford) (07/04/84)
In the episode where the Doctor said that his TARDIS was `isomorphic', it was perfectly obvious that it was a bluff. ___________________________________________________________ Matt University ARPA: crawford@anl-mcs.arpa Crawford of Chicago UUCP: ihnp4!oddjob!matt
fitz@utastro.UUCP (Mike Fitzpatrick) (07/04/84)
Rob DeMillo writes >> In the early part of the Tom Baker era, we were told that >> TARDISs are isomorphic. (1-1) They will only respond to the >> will of their "owner." (Or "appropriator" in the Doctor's case.) >> Now, in the early part of the Peter Davidson era, I have seen >> Adric, the Master, and his stewardess friend pilot the TARDIS. That bothered me at first, too. However I think that the isomorphism had more to do with *getting into the TARDIS* than it did with who controlled it. The key that Tom Baker wore around his neck was the only means of getting into the tardis if the door was locked. In "The Visitation" (if that's the one with the frog-looking people who want put all of humanity on a micro-chip) Peter Davidson's Doctor gave Tegan a key in case they were separated. It's entirely possible (probable) that John Nathan-Turner forgot about the isomorphism. But it wouldn't be any fun if only the Doctor could work the TARDIS. -- ------------------------------------------------------ Mike Fitzpatrick {ihnp4,noao,ctvax}!ut-sally!utastro!fitz (USENET) utastro!fitz@ut-ngp (ARPANET)
5863mp11@sjuvax.UUCP (mccann) (07/04/84)
Apparently, this error can be attributed to the fact that each show is written by a different author. In the Pyramids of Mars, the doctor told Sutec(sp.) that only he could pilot the tardis, but, as was pointed out, later in the series, other people have piloted the tardis. The idea of the isomorphism would also create a bit of a problem concerning how the doctor appropriated the tardis in the first place. On several occasions, the tardis has been shown to possess artificial intelligence, and has acted on its own (in The Time Monster, the tardis rescued the Doctor when the Master trapped him in the space-time vortex, it also helped in the second regeneration of the docotor, when he was too weak to get help) and perhaps this is what the doctor meant (i.e. it would have recognized sutekh as an enemy and shut itself down). In any event, it seems that this most likely occured because the authors didn't remember the actions of past shows.
consult@uwmacc.UUCP (07/05/84)
Well, let's see...it I believe that in the "Pyrimids of Mars" episode,
Baker told "what's-his-face", the Egyptian god imprisoned on Mars, that
he could not run the TARDIS without him. This is why the god took
over The Doctor's body, in order to force the TARDIS to Mars...
...unfortunately, I guess the simplest explaination is that Turner
"forgot," or else, it was too cumbersome a storypoint to continue.
(The Doctor always had to be in good condition to fly the TARDIS.)
However, I think it would be more fun if only the Doctor could
fly it...sortof adds to the mystery of the TARDIS...
"...at any rate, it's only a movie!"
-- Rob DeMillo MACCjjsk@ihuxn.UUCP (jim kent) (07/06/84)
Look I don't need five hundred words to answer this one. It had nothing
to do with the authors. The Doctor was LYING to Sutekh. The TARDIS isn't
and never was isomorphic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Doctor T.5863mp11@sjuvax.UUCP (mccann) (07/08/84)
If you think about it, since Sutekh was so very powerful (able to destroy planets, etc.) and since he was able to quite readily control the Doctor, it is logical to conclude that he must be able to read the doctors mind (how else could he, controling the doctor, pilot the tardis?). Therefore, one is able to assume that Sutekh would have known it was a bluff and wouldn't have gone to all the trouble of taking over the good doctor, and instead would have used him for a bit of amusment while what's his name(the archeologist) took the tardis and went to the pyramids. Of course, this is just my opinion, others are intitled to theirs (incorrect though they may be)
perl@rdin.UUCP (Robert Perlberg) (07/12/84)
<>
It's been a while since I last saw the Sutekh episode ("Pyramids
of Mars"?) so I can't comment on the mind-reading stuff, but
I remember reading that TARDIS's are set-up somehow so that only
the owner can pilot them. Anyone have more on this?
Robert Perlberg
Resource Dynamics Inc.
New York
philabs!rdin!perl