History Recap / DoctorWhoS27E11BoomTown

%% * GettingCrapPastTheRadar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

%%%%%* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: The scene where an English woman gets excited at having correctly pronounced a place name, while a grumpy Welsh woman rolls her eyes.

* FilmTheHand: Margaret/Blon tries to block a camera pointing at her face with her hand during the Blaidd Drwg press conference and scolds the photographer "No photographs! What did I say? Take pictures of the project, by all means, but not me thank you," with the implication that she's been avoiding photographed so she's not found out as being still alive. Unfortunately for her, the photo, with her face clearly visible, winds up on a newspaper where the Doctor can see it, alerting him to her presence.

* ApocalypseHow: When the Extrapolator rips open the Rift, the threat rapidly escalates from a city-wide ApocalypseHow/Class0 to a planet-threatening ApocalypseHow/Class4 to ApocalypseHow/ClassX. Jack notes earlier in the episode that Margraet's original plan with the power station could've caused a Class X with the Rift if it had come to fruition.

** Margaret points out that the Doctor messes with people's lives so much, one of the reason he is always running is because he "daren't look back". Davros mocks the Tenth about this in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E13JourneysEnd Journey's End]]", and the Dream Lord tells Amy this about the Eleventh in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E7AmysChoice Amy's Choice]]".

* DeusExMachina: The resolution is a deliberate example, regressing Margaret so she can start anew, although Russell T Davies remarked that the resolution did not come completely out of nowhere as the TARDIS' psychic link had been already established.

* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Of course the whole Slitheen family is evil, Margaret included, but she makes it clear early on that she really grieves for them and that she didn't see them as evil ...

* FilmTheHand: Margaret/Blon tries to block a camera pointing at her face with her hand during the Blaidd Drwg press conference and scolds the photographer "No photographs! What did I say? Take pictures of the project, by all means, but not me thank you," with the implication that she's been avoiding photographs so she's not found out as being still alive. Unfortunately for her, the photo, with her face clearly visible, winds up on a newspaper where the Doctor can see it, alerting him to her presence.

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

* PoisonedChaliceSwitcheroo: Margaret[=/=]Blon tries this on the Doctor by poisoning his glass but it fails as he switches the glasses when he turns back to her.
* PoisonRing: Margaret first attempts to kill the Doctor by pouring some poison out of a compartment in one of her rings into his drink when he isn't looking. He switches glasses as soon as he turns back around. So she then attempts to use some of her species' natural poisons and those fail as well.

** Mickey ''really'' lets Rose have it in this episode, and you can't blame the guy. He spent a year not knowing where she was and everyone thought he'd killed her! She gave him a kiss and a smile and ran off with another guy, making him feel like he was nothing, and the worst thing is, she actually expected him to ''wait'' for her.

* ArtisticLicenceLaw: In real life the Lord Mayor of Cardiff is not an executive position, but the chair of the city & county council, and carries out diplomatic functions.[[note]]From 1999 to 2003 the position was combined with that of Leader of the Council, which would make a ''bit'' more sense for Margaret's role.[[/note]] Even when this is put aside, the construction of a nuclear power plant would be in the hands of higher government.[[note]]There's also no way that such a project would advance so far in just six months.[[/note]]

* NotSoDifferent: When the Doctor accuses Margaret of occasionally sparing an individual to help her live with herself for wiping out a whole planet, Margaret snaps that only someone who's also killed large groups of people could possibly make such an accusation. She also tries it earlier, pointing out that if the TARDIS group takes her back to her home planet — where they know that the death penalty is waiting for her — they'll be killers, just as she is.

* ProtagonistCentredMorality: {{Lampshaded}} and [[PlayingWithATrope played with]]. Margaret has no problem killing people who investigate her scheme too closely, but when a young reporter nearly cracks the case and, while unknowingly waiting to be murdered, mentions that she's pregnant with her soon-to-be husband's child, the alien takes pity and lets her go instead. Later, Margaret tries to use that act as a sign that she's capable of change, but the Doctor isn't convinced, pointing out that sparing one person is an easy way to forgive yourself for killing countless others. Margaret immediately turns the tables and snaps that [[NotSoDifferent only someone who had done that very action]] could possibly speak so eloquently about it. And as the above examples show, she's absolutely right — the Doctor ''has'' wiped out whole species or planets and left a select few alive, apparently making him a "good" guy for his merciful actions (despite doing most of the killing/wiping out himself). The distinction, of course, is that he never does it for something as selfish and petty as material self-enrichment but because there's a threat to innocent lives or the space-time continuum. Besides, the Doctor doesn't consider himself "good" after what he did in the Time War.

->''"What are you captain of? The innuendo squad?"''

* OhCrap: Implied by the offscreen [[DramaticDrop dropped teacup]].

* ProtagonistCentredMorality: {{Lampshaded}} and [[PlayingWithATrope played with]]. Margaret has no problem killing people who investigate her scheme too closely, but when a young reporter nearly cracks the case and, while unknowingly waiting to be murdered, mentions that she's pregnant with her soon-to-be husband's child, the alien takes pity and lets her go instead. Later, Margaret tries to use that act as a sign that she's capable of change, but the Doctor isn't convinced, pointing out that sparing one person is an easy way to forgive yourself for killing countless others. Margaret immediately turns the tables and snaps that [[NotSoDifferent only someone who had done that very action]] could possibly speak so eloquently about it. And as the above examples show, she's absolutely right — the Doctor ''has'' wiped out whole species or planets and left a select few alive, apparently making him a "good" guy for his merciful actions (despite doing most of the killing/wiping out himself). The distinction, of course, is that he never does it for something as selfish and petty as material self-enrichment. Besides, the Doctor doesn't consider himself "good" after what he did in the Time War.

* WantsAPrizeForBasicDecency: The Doctor's retort when Blon brings up how she spared the reporter is that decent people don't have to spare people because they never consider killing them in the first place, and that a killer occasionally deciding not to murder a potential victim for whatever personal reason is nothing new.

* WantsAPrizeForBasicDecency: The Doctor's retort when Blon brings up how she spared the reporter is that decent people don't have to spare people because they never consider killing them in the first place.

* FreudianExcuse: Exploited by Blon. In her previous appearance she was just one of many Slitheen who planned to initiate a nuclear holocaust simply so they could sell the radioactive remains of the Earth as starship fuel. When the heroes meet her again, her motives haven't improved much; she intends to nuke Cardiff (tearing apart the rift) in order to escape the planet. She certainly never pulls any sort of HeelFaceTurn, but attempts to forestall her own execution by explaining how horrible her life has been (she would have been killed if she'd refused to be a killer like the rest of her family) and how unnecessarily cruel her death will be (dissolved in boiling vinegar). In the end she does get a sort of second chance, as she is regressed to an egg and can start her life over.

-->'''Margaret:''' I almost feel better about being defeated. We never stood a chance.

* BecomingTheMask: Margaret has been in her human disguise for so long that she's starting to empathise with humans, particularly [[UsefulNotes/{{Wales}} the Welsh]].

* AluminumChristmasTrees: In-universe, Mickey is a bit surprised that the TARDIS' disguise is based on a real thing.

* ProtagonistCenteredMorality: {{Lampshaded}} and [[PlayingWithATrope played with]]. Margaret has no problem killing people who investigate her scheme too closely, but when a young reporter nearly cracks the case and, while unknowingly waiting to be murdered, mentions that she's pregnant with her soon-to-be husband's child, the alien takes pity and lets her go instead. Later, Margaret tries to use that act as a sign that she's capable of change, but the Doctor isn't convinced, pointing out that sparing one person is an easy way to forgive yourself for killing countless others. Margaret immediately turns the tables and snaps that [[NotSoDifferent only someone who had done that very action]] could possibly speak so eloquently about it. And as the above examples show, she's absolutely right — the Doctor ''has'' wiped out whole species or planets and left a select few alive, apparently making him a "good" guy for his merciful actions (despite doing most of the killing/wiping out himself). The distinction, of course, is that he never does it for something as selfish and petty as material self-enrichment. Besides, the Doctor doesn't consider himself "good" after what he did in the Time War.

* ApocalypseHow: When the Extrapolator rips open the Rift, the threat rapidly escalates from a city-wid ApocalypseHow/Class0 to a planet-threatening ApocalypseHow/Class4-[[ApocalypseHow/ClassX X]]. Jack notes earlier in the episode that Margraet's original plan with the power station could've caused a Class X with the Rift if it had come to fruition.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar:
** Mickey notes a woman staring at him, the Doctor, Rose and Jack when they exit the TARDIS.
--->'''Jack:''' Probably wondering what four people were doing inside a small wooden box.\\
'''Mickey:''' What are you captain of? The Innuendo Squad?
** Mickey suggesting to Rose that they go to a hotel to spend the night.

* DeusExMachina: An interesting variant in that while it's clearly an out-of-the-blue version in this episode, its appearance here acts as justification for the one in the season finale.
%%%%%% This is not a forum. Do not ask questions "For non-British viewers, what exactly is this supposed to remind us of?"

* FreudianExcuse: Invoked intentionally by Blon. In her previous appearance she was just one of many Slitheen who planned to initiate a nuclear holocaust simply so they could sell the radioactive remains of the Earth as starship fuel. When the heroes meet her again, her motives haven't improved much; she intends to nuke Cardiff (tearing apart the rift) in order to escape the planet. She certainly never pulls any sort of HeelFaceTurn, but attempts to forestall her own execution by explaining how horrible her life has been (she would have been killed if she'd refused to be a killer like the rest of her family) and how unnecessarily cruel her death will be (dissolved in boiling vinegar). In the end she does get a sort of second chance, as she is regressed to an egg and can start her life over.

* MonsterSobStory: Invoked intentionally by Blon. In her previous appearance she was just one of many Slitheen who planned to initiate a nuclear holocaust simply so they could sell the radioactive remains of the Earth as starship fuel. When the heroes meet her again, her motives haven't improved much; she intends to nuke Cardiff (tearing apart the rift) in order to escape the planet. She certainly never pulls any sort of HeelFaceTurn, but attempts to forestall her own execution by explaining how horrible her life has been (she would have been killed if she'd refused to be a killer like the rest of her family) and how unnecessarily cruel her death will be (dissolved in boiling vinegar). In the end she does get a sort of second chance, as she is regressed to an egg and can start her life over.

* FilmTheHand: Margaret/Blon does this when a photographer tries to take her picture during the Blaidd Drwg press conference, with the implication that she's been avoiding photographs so she's not found out as being still alive. Unfortunately for her, the photo, with her face clearly visible, winds up on a newspaper where the Doctor can see it, alerting him to her presence.

* BiTheWay: The Doctor enjoys his first flirt (of ''many'') with a male companion in the new series. This is a beautiful case of AdaptationalSexuality, as the Eighth Doctor was portrayed as very bisexual in the ''Literature/EighthDoctorAdventures'' novels (and Eight was the first Doctor to be explicitly shown having ''any'' kind of sexual or romantic interest in anyone at all). Also a case of AuthorAppeal for gay ShowRunner Creator/RussellTDavies.

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: The scene where an English woman gets excited at having correctly pronounced a place name, while a grumpy Welsh woman rolls her eyes.
** ...For non-British viewers, what exactly is this supposed to remind us of?

* CharacterDevelopment: Or OutOfCharacterMoment, depending on how you look at it. The Doctor had been (mostly) vegetarian since "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS22E4TheTwoDoctors The Two Doctors]]", but orders a steak in this episode. This was deliberately done by Creator/RussellTDavies, who didn't want to just blindly inherit Creator/JohnNathanTurner's concept of the series. Still, it doesn't quite connect that the previously vegetarian Doctor who was so outraged and heartbroken by the suffering inflicted on an innocent pig just in the last previous Davies story [[Recap/DoctorWhoS27E4AliensOfLondon "Aliens of London"]], would here cheerfully order a steak that came from a similarly innocent animal being butchered.