Optimism? Stupidity? Script writers?

[ffutures]

Okay, the episode's only just started... and this isn't really a spoiler per se... but the opening reminded me of one of the perpetual Who-verse questions.

Given that the TARDIS usually ends up in the wrong time and/or place, why in the name of Elvis do the Doctor and Rose repeatedly assume that they are in the right time and/or place, and act on that assumption, without checking?

Comments

[beccaelizabeth]

TARDIS does the translating, yesno? Puts things in their head?
Maybe TARDIS is overconfident, and projecting.

[pete-darby.livejournal.com]

Pfft, the tardis is in charge.

Doc points to where he wants to go, Tardis puts him somewhen nearby where he's needed. Presto.

And the many occassions on which it all goes ticketyboo don't make it onto Saturday night TV, and the fanwriters have plenty of fuel for fanfic for years.

[pauldrye.livejournal.com]

"Because it's less interesting that way", if one is a lazy scriptwriter. One of the little touches I liked about Buffy was how the characters acted upon "once burned, twice shy"...for example, Willow and Oz wearing Joan of Arc and "God" costumes on Halloween.

If I were forced to come up with a meta-reason, it's that we don't generally see the expeditions that go well. Certainly the two new series have made a point of Rose and the Doctor discussing other, unseen trips at the start of episodes.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

That's actually a good point, I suppose - but even so you'd expect that they'd learn not to rely on it getting things right.

[smallship1.livejournal.com]

This Doctor's an optimist, and Rose likes to bathe in the positive glow. Plus she gets to see his face when he works out that they've gone wrong again.

[lawbag.livejournal.com]

A bit too much London historical based action - where are the aliens and far off planets.

Too much alternate earth type scenarios.