Theory:Doctor Who television discontinuity and plot holes/Survivors of the Flux


 * When Yaz, Dan and Eustacius broke into the tomb where they discovered the pot, why and how were all the candles lit in the place?


 * There is something of a contradiction here. In the story, Lethbridge-Stewart is referred to a corporal in 1967, which does not fit with him being a Colonel in that same year (The Web of Fear) neither would it be possible to rise in rank from Corporal - a junior non-commissioned officer - to Brigadier - a very senior army officer in just few short years. Also, it is very unlikely that an enlisted man - even if he gained a field commission - would ever rise to such a high rank in the British Army; without having attended the academy at Sandhurst.


 * This could be written off as part of the UNIT dating controversy.


 * With the TARDIS owned by UNIT in 1967, it is kept out in the open and never brought up to the Third Doctor when he later joins? Or is this a case of they did and he told them not to worry about it, assuming it was part of his future?


 * Why are Dan, Yaz, and Jericho trying to find the end date of the world? Not only does the Doctor never ask for it but it is never needed.


 * While it is plausible that people on Earth have been having visions of the Flux and the end of the world, why are there some people going to such lengths to stop them? And why do they have the Grand Serpent's tattoo? Are they working for him? And if so, why? He has nothing to gain from the information, that is already hard to find, being further hidden.


 * What is the point of the message 'Fetch your dog,' and 'Fetch your Human'? It could be seen as worth leaving the message by the Great wall of China as in the future it might mean something to Karvanista, but they are creating a large message that is expected to last for 117 years and go unnoticed so neither Dan or Yaz have any knowledge of the message--that should have been noticed as a worldwide curiosity as it is a very large message written in English in China that makes little sense. This is made even stranger by the fact that even when he does get it, Karvanista is unable to do anything with this information, leaving me to wonder what the point of either messages was? The message was also seen by Karvanista's ship computer long after he had arrived on Earth, why would it only be seen then?


 * Joseph Williamson's tunnels never go fully explained. That he has been building tunnels to link holes in time--that require the instillation of a door, it seems--makes sense but why are the holes there in the first place and why in such density? He also says they all started shifting on Halloween--but he is in 1820 and the Halloween in question was in 2021?


 * The Grand Serpent is going to a lot of lengths to infiltrate UNIT, but for what, exactly? If it is just to shut down Earth's defences in 2021 then why does he go back to UNIT's founding to set himself up there and risk being discovered--which he is! If he has time travel abilities and alien technology then why not use them to turn off the defences?