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Why did the alien speak English in The Woman Who Fell to Earth?
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In Doctor Who S11E1, "The Woman Who Fell to Earth", how come the alien spoke English?
Most other instances where aliens speak English are explained by saying the TARDIS has an automatic translation circuit, but in the episode
the TARDIS was nowhere to be found.
Also, in-universe, there was no reason for him to have learned this language - he never really needed to speak to people to gather information etc. All he ever did was boast and sneer.
doctor-who
edited 3 hours ago
TheLethalCarrot
33.1k13185227
asked 3 hours ago
Mr Lister
5,28322865
add a comment |Â
up vote
4
down vote
favorite
In Doctor Who S11E1, "The Woman Who Fell to Earth", how come the alien spoke English?
Most other instances where aliens speak English are explained by saying the TARDIS has an automatic translation circuit, but in the episode
the TARDIS was nowhere to be found.
Also, in-universe, there was no reason for him to have learned this language - he never really needed to speak to people to gather information etc. All he ever did was boast and sneer.
doctor-who
edited 3 hours ago
TheLethalCarrot
33.1k13185227
asked 3 hours ago
Mr Lister
5,28322865
5
Since it's a psychic link through the time vortex, technically, the TARDIS is always nearby, only the door that allows access to it get lost sometimes.
– Sava
3 hours ago
Are we discouting the possibility that Tzim-Sha had a universal translator of his own? if so why?
– Ummdustry
2 hours ago
@Ummdustry Possibly, but why would he have that? It's obvious that he didn't come here to mingle. If anything, bringing a universal translator could be considered cheating.
– Mr Lister
2 hours ago
2
How can one boast effectively if the boast recipient can't understand you?
– Clint Eastwood
1 hour ago
Probably the same out of universe reason aliens in TV always speak English- get the language barrier out of the way and move on with the story.
– Nu'Daq
19 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
4
down vote
favorite
up vote
4
down vote
favorite
In Doctor Who S11E1, "The Woman Who Fell to Earth", how come the alien spoke English?
Most other instances where aliens speak English are explained by saying the TARDIS has an automatic translation circuit, but in the episode
the TARDIS was nowhere to be found.
Also, in-universe, there was no reason for him to have learned this language - he never really needed to speak to people to gather information etc. All he ever did was boast and sneer.
doctor-who
edited 3 hours ago
TheLethalCarrot
33.1k13185227
asked 3 hours ago
Mr Lister
5,28322865
In Doctor Who S11E1, "The Woman Who Fell to Earth", how come the alien spoke English?
Most other instances where aliens speak English are explained by saying the TARDIS has an automatic translation circuit, but in the episode
the TARDIS was nowhere to be found.
Also, in-universe, there was no reason for him to have learned this language - he never really needed to speak to people to gather information etc. All he ever did was boast and sneer.
doctor-who
doctor-who
edited 3 hours ago
TheLethalCarrot
33.1k13185227
asked 3 hours ago
Mr Lister
5,28322865
edited 3 hours ago
TheLethalCarrot
33.1k13185227
asked 3 hours ago
Mr Lister
5,28322865
edited 3 hours ago
TheLethalCarrot
33.1k13185227
edited 3 hours ago
TheLethalCarrot
33.1k13185227
edited 3 hours ago
TheLethalCarrot
33.1k13185227
33.1k13185227
asked 3 hours ago
Mr Lister
5,28322865
asked 3 hours ago
Mr Lister
5,28322865
asked 3 hours ago
Mr Lister
5,28322865
5,28322865
5
Since it's a psychic link through the time vortex, technically, the TARDIS is always nearby, only the door that allows access to it get lost sometimes.
– Sava
3 hours ago
Are we discouting the possibility that Tzim-Sha had a universal translator of his own? if so why?
– Ummdustry
2 hours ago
@Ummdustry Possibly, but why would he have that? It's obvious that he didn't come here to mingle. If anything, bringing a universal translator could be considered cheating.
– Mr Lister
2 hours ago
2
How can one boast effectively if the boast recipient can't understand you?
– Clint Eastwood
1 hour ago
Probably the same out of universe reason aliens in TV always speak English- get the language barrier out of the way and move on with the story.
– Nu'Daq
19 mins ago
add a comment |Â
5
Since it's a psychic link through the time vortex, technically, the TARDIS is always nearby, only the door that allows access to it get lost sometimes.
– Sava
3 hours ago
Are we discouting the possibility that Tzim-Sha had a universal translator of his own? if so why?
– Ummdustry
2 hours ago
@Ummdustry Possibly, but why would he have that? It's obvious that he didn't come here to mingle. If anything, bringing a universal translator could be considered cheating.
– Mr Lister
2 hours ago
2
How can one boast effectively if the boast recipient can't understand you?
– Clint Eastwood
1 hour ago
Probably the same out of universe reason aliens in TV always speak English- get the language barrier out of the way and move on with the story.
– Nu'Daq
19 mins ago
5
5
Since it's a psychic link through the time vortex, technically, the TARDIS is always nearby, only the door that allows access to it get lost sometimes.
– Sava
3 hours ago
Since it's a psychic link through the time vortex, technically, the TARDIS is always nearby, only the door that allows access to it get lost sometimes.
– Sava
3 hours ago
Are we discouting the possibility that Tzim-Sha had a universal translator of his own? if so why?
– Ummdustry
2 hours ago
Are we discouting the possibility that Tzim-Sha had a universal translator of his own? if so why?
– Ummdustry
2 hours ago
@Ummdustry Possibly, but why would he have that? It's obvious that he didn't come here to mingle. If anything, bringing a universal translator could be considered cheating.
– Mr Lister
2 hours ago
@Ummdustry Possibly, but why would he have that? It's obvious that he didn't come here to mingle. If anything, bringing a universal translator could be considered cheating.
– Mr Lister
2 hours ago
2
2
How can one boast effectively if the boast recipient can't understand you?
– Clint Eastwood
1 hour ago
How can one boast effectively if the boast recipient can't understand you?
– Clint Eastwood
1 hour ago
Probably the same out of universe reason aliens in TV always speak English- get the language barrier out of the way and move on with the story.
– Nu'Daq
19 mins ago
Probably the same out of universe reason aliens in TV always speak English- get the language barrier out of the way and move on with the story.
– Nu'Daq
19 mins ago
add a comment |Â
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
up vote
3
down vote
While Astralbee's answer may be right, there is a much simpler explanation.
Tim Shaw Tzim Sha is on Earth to:
hunt and capture a selected earthling, so as to become leader of his race.
We know he has put extensive preparation into this. Learning English would not be an unreasonable preparation to make.
To be more specific:
It would generally be useful to understand the local language to track his quarry, and while he has the tentacly thing, he is not supposed to have it, and if he hadn't done the normal things expected of a hunter (e.g. learning the language) that might arouse suspicion in whoever is overseeing the contest. Plus the tentacly thing might not work, for all he knows. His future is on the line. It makes sense for him to be prepared.
answered 1 hour ago
DJClayworth
7,71022740
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
In the ninth Doctor episode The End of the World The Doctor described the translation matrix as a "gift of the Tardis, a telepathic field that gets inside your brain — translates".
If it is a gift this suggests that the translation ability could be passed to you, so the Tardis wouldn't have to be present for you to have the ability once you have travelled in it and received that "gift". That it is described as a field even inside your brain suggests that it still has a range.
Now, in this episode only The Doctor had travelled in the Tardis, so to discount the possibility that Tzim-Sha could actually speak English we have to explain away the individual spoken encounters he had with humans.
Rahul's Warehouse
Rahul asks Tzim-Sha "where's my sister" and Tzim-Sha responds "ask me again". Rahul does ask the same question again. If you don't want to accept they are speaking the same language you could reason that Tzim-Sha didn't know what Rahul asked him. He may have imagined Rahul was begging for his own life, in which case he would have likely responded the same way. Likewise, if Rahul did not understand Tzim-Sha's response the chances are he would have repeated his question anyway because that is what he wanted from him.
Kebab man
The kebab man makes a number of comments to Tzim-Sha but he says nothing back.
Rooftop encounter
The Doctor converses with Tzim-Sha at length but the others do show that they understand both sides of the conversation - for example Ryan directly responds to Tzim-Sha over the issue of access being granted to Earth. The telepathic field inside The Doctor's brain must have covered the others in this encounter.
Crane scene
Again, Karl demonstrates that he understands Tzim-Sha by responding when he calls him insignificant. But as in the last scene, The Doctor is present.
answered 2 hours ago
Astralbee
5229
Don't you mean Tim Shaw? :P
– tilley31
2 hours ago
In Rahul's warehouse, why would Tzim Sha say exactly those words in a language he didn't speak, whether he understood what was said to him or not?
– DJClayworth
1 hour ago
add a comment |Â
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
3
down vote
While Astralbee's answer may be right, there is a much simpler explanation.
Tim Shaw Tzim Sha is on Earth to:
hunt and capture a selected earthling, so as to become leader of his race.
We know he has put extensive preparation into this. Learning English would not be an unreasonable preparation to make.
To be more specific:
It would generally be useful to understand the local language to track his quarry, and while he has the tentacly thing, he is not supposed to have it, and if he hadn't done the normal things expected of a hunter (e.g. learning the language) that might arouse suspicion in whoever is overseeing the contest. Plus the tentacly thing might not work, for all he knows. His future is on the line. It makes sense for him to be prepared.
answered 1 hour ago
DJClayworth
7,71022740
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
While Astralbee's answer may be right, there is a much simpler explanation.
Tim Shaw Tzim Sha is on Earth to:
hunt and capture a selected earthling, so as to become leader of his race.
We know he has put extensive preparation into this. Learning English would not be an unreasonable preparation to make.
To be more specific:
It would generally be useful to understand the local language to track his quarry, and while he has the tentacly thing, he is not supposed to have it, and if he hadn't done the normal things expected of a hunter (e.g. learning the language) that might arouse suspicion in whoever is overseeing the contest. Plus the tentacly thing might not work, for all he knows. His future is on the line. It makes sense for him to be prepared.
answered 1 hour ago
DJClayworth
7,71022740
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
up vote
3
down vote
While Astralbee's answer may be right, there is a much simpler explanation.
Tim Shaw Tzim Sha is on Earth to:
hunt and capture a selected earthling, so as to become leader of his race.
We know he has put extensive preparation into this. Learning English would not be an unreasonable preparation to make.
To be more specific:
It would generally be useful to understand the local language to track his quarry, and while he has the tentacly thing, he is not supposed to have it, and if he hadn't done the normal things expected of a hunter (e.g. learning the language) that might arouse suspicion in whoever is overseeing the contest. Plus the tentacly thing might not work, for all he knows. His future is on the line. It makes sense for him to be prepared.
answered 1 hour ago
DJClayworth
7,71022740
While Astralbee's answer may be right, there is a much simpler explanation.
Tim Shaw Tzim Sha is on Earth to:
hunt and capture a selected earthling, so as to become leader of his race.
We know he has put extensive preparation into this. Learning English would not be an unreasonable preparation to make.
To be more specific:
It would generally be useful to understand the local language to track his quarry, and while he has the tentacly thing, he is not supposed to have it, and if he hadn't done the normal things expected of a hunter (e.g. learning the language) that might arouse suspicion in whoever is overseeing the contest. Plus the tentacly thing might not work, for all he knows. His future is on the line. It makes sense for him to be prepared.
answered 1 hour ago
DJClayworth
7,71022740
edited 21 mins ago
answered 1 hour ago
DJClayworth
7,71022740
answered 1 hour ago
DJClayworth
7,71022740
answered 1 hour ago
DJClayworth
7,71022740
7,71022740
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
In the ninth Doctor episode The End of the World The Doctor described the translation matrix as a "gift of the Tardis, a telepathic field that gets inside your brain — translates".
If it is a gift this suggests that the translation ability could be passed to you, so the Tardis wouldn't have to be present for you to have the ability once you have travelled in it and received that "gift". That it is described as a field even inside your brain suggests that it still has a range.
Now, in this episode only The Doctor had travelled in the Tardis, so to discount the possibility that Tzim-Sha could actually speak English we have to explain away the individual spoken encounters he had with humans.
Rahul's Warehouse
Rahul asks Tzim-Sha "where's my sister" and Tzim-Sha responds "ask me again". Rahul does ask the same question again. If you don't want to accept they are speaking the same language you could reason that Tzim-Sha didn't know what Rahul asked him. He may have imagined Rahul was begging for his own life, in which case he would have likely responded the same way. Likewise, if Rahul did not understand Tzim-Sha's response the chances are he would have repeated his question anyway because that is what he wanted from him.
Kebab man
The kebab man makes a number of comments to Tzim-Sha but he says nothing back.
Rooftop encounter
The Doctor converses with Tzim-Sha at length but the others do show that they understand both sides of the conversation - for example Ryan directly responds to Tzim-Sha over the issue of access being granted to Earth. The telepathic field inside The Doctor's brain must have covered the others in this encounter.
Crane scene
Again, Karl demonstrates that he understands Tzim-Sha by responding when he calls him insignificant. But as in the last scene, The Doctor is present.
answered 2 hours ago
Astralbee
5229
Don't you mean Tim Shaw? :P
– tilley31
2 hours ago
In Rahul's warehouse, why would Tzim Sha say exactly those words in a language he didn't speak, whether he understood what was said to him or not?
– DJClayworth
1 hour ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
In the ninth Doctor episode The End of the World The Doctor described the translation matrix as a "gift of the Tardis, a telepathic field that gets inside your brain — translates".
If it is a gift this suggests that the translation ability could be passed to you, so the Tardis wouldn't have to be present for you to have the ability once you have travelled in it and received that "gift". That it is described as a field even inside your brain suggests that it still has a range.
Now, in this episode only The Doctor had travelled in the Tardis, so to discount the possibility that Tzim-Sha could actually speak English we have to explain away the individual spoken encounters he had with humans.
Rahul's Warehouse
Rahul asks Tzim-Sha "where's my sister" and Tzim-Sha responds "ask me again". Rahul does ask the same question again. If you don't want to accept they are speaking the same language you could reason that Tzim-Sha didn't know what Rahul asked him. He may have imagined Rahul was begging for his own life, in which case he would have likely responded the same way. Likewise, if Rahul did not understand Tzim-Sha's response the chances are he would have repeated his question anyway because that is what he wanted from him.
Kebab man
The kebab man makes a number of comments to Tzim-Sha but he says nothing back.
Rooftop encounter
The Doctor converses with Tzim-Sha at length but the others do show that they understand both sides of the conversation - for example Ryan directly responds to Tzim-Sha over the issue of access being granted to Earth. The telepathic field inside The Doctor's brain must have covered the others in this encounter.
Crane scene
Again, Karl demonstrates that he understands Tzim-Sha by responding when he calls him insignificant. But as in the last scene, The Doctor is present.
answered 2 hours ago
Astralbee
5229
Don't you mean Tim Shaw? :P
– tilley31
2 hours ago
In Rahul's warehouse, why would Tzim Sha say exactly those words in a language he didn't speak, whether he understood what was said to him or not?
– DJClayworth
1 hour ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
up vote
1
down vote
In the ninth Doctor episode The End of the World The Doctor described the translation matrix as a "gift of the Tardis, a telepathic field that gets inside your brain — translates".
If it is a gift this suggests that the translation ability could be passed to you, so the Tardis wouldn't have to be present for you to have the ability once you have travelled in it and received that "gift". That it is described as a field even inside your brain suggests that it still has a range.
Now, in this episode only The Doctor had travelled in the Tardis, so to discount the possibility that Tzim-Sha could actually speak English we have to explain away the individual spoken encounters he had with humans.
Rahul's Warehouse
Rahul asks Tzim-Sha "where's my sister" and Tzim-Sha responds "ask me again". Rahul does ask the same question again. If you don't want to accept they are speaking the same language you could reason that Tzim-Sha didn't know what Rahul asked him. He may have imagined Rahul was begging for his own life, in which case he would have likely responded the same way. Likewise, if Rahul did not understand Tzim-Sha's response the chances are he would have repeated his question anyway because that is what he wanted from him.
Kebab man
The kebab man makes a number of comments to Tzim-Sha but he says nothing back.
Rooftop encounter
The Doctor converses with Tzim-Sha at length but the others do show that they understand both sides of the conversation - for example Ryan directly responds to Tzim-Sha over the issue of access being granted to Earth. The telepathic field inside The Doctor's brain must have covered the others in this encounter.
Crane scene
Again, Karl demonstrates that he understands Tzim-Sha by responding when he calls him insignificant. But as in the last scene, The Doctor is present.
answered 2 hours ago
Astralbee
5229
In the ninth Doctor episode The End of the World The Doctor described the translation matrix as a "gift of the Tardis, a telepathic field that gets inside your brain — translates".
If it is a gift this suggests that the translation ability could be passed to you, so the Tardis wouldn't have to be present for you to have the ability once you have travelled in it and received that "gift". That it is described as a field even inside your brain suggests that it still has a range.
Now, in this episode only The Doctor had travelled in the Tardis, so to discount the possibility that Tzim-Sha could actually speak English we have to explain away the individual spoken encounters he had with humans.
Rahul's Warehouse
Rahul asks Tzim-Sha "where's my sister" and Tzim-Sha responds "ask me again". Rahul does ask the same question again. If you don't want to accept they are speaking the same language you could reason that Tzim-Sha didn't know what Rahul asked him. He may have imagined Rahul was begging for his own life, in which case he would have likely responded the same way. Likewise, if Rahul did not understand Tzim-Sha's response the chances are he would have repeated his question anyway because that is what he wanted from him.
Kebab man
The kebab man makes a number of comments to Tzim-Sha but he says nothing back.
Rooftop encounter
The Doctor converses with Tzim-Sha at length but the others do show that they understand both sides of the conversation - for example Ryan directly responds to Tzim-Sha over the issue of access being granted to Earth. The telepathic field inside The Doctor's brain must have covered the others in this encounter.
Crane scene
Again, Karl demonstrates that he understands Tzim-Sha by responding when he calls him insignificant. But as in the last scene, The Doctor is present.
answered 2 hours ago
Astralbee
5229
answered 2 hours ago
Astralbee
5229
answered 2 hours ago
Astralbee
5229
answered 2 hours ago
Astralbee
5229
5229
Don't you mean Tim Shaw? :P
– tilley31
2 hours ago
In Rahul's warehouse, why would Tzim Sha say exactly those words in a language he didn't speak, whether he understood what was said to him or not?
– DJClayworth
1 hour ago
add a comment |Â
Don't you mean Tim Shaw? :P
– tilley31
2 hours ago
In Rahul's warehouse, why would Tzim Sha say exactly those words in a language he didn't speak, whether he understood what was said to him or not?
– DJClayworth
1 hour ago
Don't you mean Tim Shaw? :P
– tilley31
2 hours ago
Don't you mean Tim Shaw? :P
– tilley31
2 hours ago
In Rahul's warehouse, why would Tzim Sha say exactly those words in a language he didn't speak, whether he understood what was said to him or not?
– DJClayworth
1 hour ago
In Rahul's warehouse, why would Tzim Sha say exactly those words in a language he didn't speak, whether he understood what was said to him or not?
– DJClayworth
1 hour ago
add a comment |Â
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5
Since it's a psychic link through the time vortex, technically, the TARDIS is always nearby, only the door that allows access to it get lost sometimes.
– Sava
3 hours ago
Are we discouting the possibility that Tzim-Sha had a universal translator of his own? if so why?
– Ummdustry
2 hours ago
@Ummdustry Possibly, but why would he have that? It's obvious that he didn't come here to mingle. If anything, bringing a universal translator could be considered cheating.
– Mr Lister
2 hours ago
2
How can one boast effectively if the boast recipient can't understand you?
– Clint Eastwood
1 hour ago
Probably the same out of universe reason aliens in TV always speak English- get the language barrier out of the way and move on with the story.
– Nu'Daq
19 mins ago