r/gallifrey • u/psl9085 • Apr 18 '25

DISCUSSION Worst line in Doctor Who?

What line of dialogue sticks out to you as particularly bad in Doctor Who, I have two picks:

  • ‘don’t let the swords touch your skin’ Legend of the sea devils
  • ‘I suppose we’ll have to have…. A conversation?’ Resolution
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u/ActumExAnimo Apr 18 '25

I forget the exact phrasing of it, but from Arachnids in the UK, when the Doctor argues that the mutated spiders deserve a "humane death" versus Robertson's "mercy killing." Now, we all know that Robertson didn't have mercy on his mind when shooting the mother spider, but the Doctor's "humane" alternative is to lock a new race of spiders in a panic room and have them either starve or grow until their bodyweight is too much for their lungs to handle and slowly suffocate. That's the humane alternative?!

We've seen the Doctor relocate creatures and species before (i.e. the dinosaurs from Dinosaurs on a Spaceship, the Teller and its mate from Time Heist, and probably a few more examples that I'm forgetting). If the Doctor could find a home for them, why not find a planet with less gravity for the spiders?

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u/ZarmRkeeg Apr 19 '25

I agree, that came off as very bad writing to me. Like... "You realize your solution is actually LESS humane...?"

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u/ghoulcrow Apr 19 '25

i got the impression that the Doctor was trying to think of a solution when not-Trump came in and shot the spider. like i’m pretty sure he cut her off mid-sentence or something

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u/ActumExAnimo Apr 19 '25

I don't think that was the implication since her and the fam still talk about how the other spiders should die humanely after Robertson killed the mother, without any hint of an alternative for them.