Nu Who Meta: Jack's "wrong"-ness as a fixed point in time

[kilodalton]

Comments

[kelkat9]

I always wondered about this. Was it something that effected his time sense or was it the result of training he received on Gallifrey? I always imagined it was a little of both. I think he said that just looking at Jack made him uncomfortable and yet he was standing a few feet away which means he adapted. If it was solely a physical reaction that caused pain, could he have adapted the way he did? Perhaps it was a mental adjustment he made in controlling his senses. Also, Jack did accuse him of prejudice which indicates to me that maybe this was a bit of a Time Lord thing unrelated to a physical reaction.

I think initially he reacted as he was trained to react, avoid it, run away. I have it as my head canon that Nine ran as he was about to regenerate and didn't have time to worry about this wrong thing and when he became Ten, he didn't want to deal with it. I also think he didn't want to have to disclose to Rose what she had done. The Doctor is all about moving on and forward. He doesn't like to look back to much.

[viomisehunt]

True. The Time Lords are not known for their understanding and acceptance of other species. Their usual reaction to something they couldn't understand or control was to try and destroy it.

[tenthrose]

I see it as a purely physical, sensory thing. The Doctor has more senses than humans do, and I've gotten the impression that the time sense, however it works, is a primary one for him. A fixed point is something which comes across very strongly and unpleasantly on that sense

[viomisehunt]

or was just a queasy, generally "I don't like the way it feels being around you" sort of thing?
I don't think it hurt or makes him sick. I think it makes him more "aware" of his connection to time than he is comfortable with

[fogsblue]

I've always felt it had to do with the way the Doctor sees Time. In 'Fires of Pompeii' he mentions he sees the could be, can't be, must be etc. Which, to me, implies some kind of sense meant to see/feel/read time. He recognises fixed events eg. Pompeii

[nostalgia_lj]

I assumed it was meant to be about homophobia, in which case the Doctor couldn't really feel *anything* or the comparison wouldn't be as neat. He gets over it, after all. Additionally I can't see the Master hiding any reaction to "The Freak" so... yeah, basically I think it was all talk. Ten's just being a dick to someone for something that isn't actually their fault. Then they call him on it and he accepts that he was a dick and moves on.

Or maybe it's just a belated "save" for the Doctor leaving Jack for dead on that space station. I don't think anyone has ever been as swiftly-forgotten as Jack was then (except maybe Mickey). It looked like a dick move to get rid of the competition and/or someone the Doctor never really liked all that much. (This is me sat here wondering why 9/Jack/Rose was so popular at the time.)

Either way the Doctor is a dick. :)

[viomisehunt]

Utopia seemed very much about Jack taking the opportunity to share with someone the clay at the base of the Doctor's feet. Jack is quick to tell Marrha what a dick the Time Lord is. It was amazing how Jack sensed instantly that the Doctor was treating Martha like a second thought, and he knew exactly what to say to Martha about the Doctor's asthetic preferences, realizing that revelation would wound them both. I think he very purposely, --and at first just because he was angry--worked to widen the wedge between the Doctor and Martha. However, after the Doctor yelled at Martha about Yana's watch, I think Jack became geniunely protective of her. I wonder if he knew aobut Farringham-- he would have been working for Torchwood then.

MARTHA:
But the thing is, how come you left him behind, Doctor?

THE DOCTOR:
I was busy.

MARTHA:
Is that what happens, though? Seriously? Do you just get bored with us one day and disappear?

JACK:
Not if you’re blonde.

MARTHA:
(sarcastic) Oh, she was blonde? Oh what a surprise?