The plot is mostly tight in the episode ‘Heaven Sent,’ but even one as great as this has its possible issues.
Doctor Who is known for its plot holes. For example, who can forget the fact that, with all of the people in the city able to see her, the Statue of Liberty was able to keep moving in the episode ‘The Angels Take Manhattan‘? And just because the Doctor can’t travel to New York in the 1930s to see Amy and Rory does not mean that he can’t travel to a different location and/or time to visit them. Also, where have the Reapers been for most of New Who?
And now we come to the episode ‘Heaven Sent.’ The following are some examples of its possible plot holes:
1) The Doctor is dying, which is why he needs to expediantly connect himself to the machine before he does. After doing so, he only ever has enough time to write “Bird.” It’s unfortunate that he is never able to include additional information… like “Spade.” That would have saved him a lot of both pain and time. This is where the plot hole comes in: If he really does only have just enough time, how does he always complete his task before dying if the wearing down of the wall increases his laborious travel distance? And if he does have more time to live, then why doesn’t he start writing before he starts the burning process?
2) If the Veil’s established mode of reaching the Doctor is slowly lumbering throughout the castle, how does it end up coming out of the grave? I think that it may just be a matter of whoever is “pulling the strings,” so to speak, breaking the rules for dramatic effect. As the Doctor says, “This is theatre! It’s all about fear.”
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3) I’ve noticed some fans asking why the Doctor does not regenerate each time he dies, but that doesn’t seem like a plot hole to me. First off, in general, Time Lords can choose not to regenerate. In ‘Heaven Sent,’ however, he is too damaged with each death to regenerate, anyway. Besides, the machine needs all of his regenerative energy to operate. And even for the deaths during which he isn’t hooked up to the machine, the Veil/confession dial probably harnesses this energy in a similar manner. Only a skull remains, after all. And, speaking of theatre, this is why the skulls don’t burn. All of them combined are left as a theatrical clue for him. “Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio.”
4) But, wait! If he gets copied whether or not he’s connected to the machine, why does he even need to burn himself up at all? Perhaps it’s the only way to make “Bird” not get reset… ?
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Did you notice any other possible plot holes in ‘Heaven Sent’? Let us know in the comments.