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At the end of season 1, Rose looks into the Time Vortex and is able to see and manipulate things throughout all of space and time. Why did she not foresee and save herself from her separation from the Doctor at the end of season 2?

For extra points: Why did she not stop a whole slew of other things, like the Cybermen and Dalek invasions at the end of season 2?

Michael
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Possible explanation 1: Rose isn't really in control of her time sense. She's overwhelmed by it. She can see everything, but that means she can't really see individual events with any clarity, and she certainly isn't coherent enough to take specific actions or safeguards against them.

Possible explanation 2: See this quote from The Parting of the Ways (s01e13):

Rose: I can see everything. All that is. All that was. All that ever could be.

The Doctor: That's what I see, all the time. And doesn't it drive you mad?

If you ask that question about Rose, shouldn't you have to ask it about the Doctor as well? But I don't think anyone claims that the Doctor can see all of creation, from start to finish, all history and all future. Just times and places he's been to, but he's got a sense for time, for when he is and what comes next, what is a fixed point in time and what isn't. That might be what Rose can sense when she is inhabited by the time vortex.

Certain-but-boring explanation 1: Russel T. Davies hadn't written those events yet. :)

Community
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Avner Shahar-Kashtan
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  • Re: PE1: True, but she was coherent enough to spread hints of the bad wolf throughout time as hints to her earlier self. – Michael Feb 12 '13 at 18:12
  • Re: PE2: The big difference here is that while the Doctor always sees these things, he presumably does not have the ability as Rose had to have such sweeping influence. I have wondered similar things about the Doctor, who has mentioned things about not being able to return to certain timelines. – Michael Feb 12 '13 at 18:14
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    I agree with Avner's PE1... she may have had the power, but she was *hardly* skilled in wielding it. – eidylon Feb 12 '13 at 19:05
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    @Michael I always thought the hints of Bad Wolf were more of a predestination paradox. "I am the Bad Wolf. I create myself. I take the words. I scatter them ... in time, and space. A message to lead myself here." It wasn't that she was in control of her time sense, rather she knew where to place hints due to seeing them before. – Steam Feb 13 '13 at 13:58
  • @Yawus It definitely raises origin questions. She does, however, say that she can see all of space and time (had the knowledge) and say that she did spread the words in addition to wiping out the Daleks (had the ability). – Michael Feb 13 '13 at 17:39
  • Pfft .. if Russell T Davies had already written those events would be just as much an explanation :P – Lightness Races in Orbit Feb 13 '13 at 22:27
  • If you believe in fixed time lines, and I have no choice but to believe that for the Whoniverse because the TARDIS can tell you everything that's going to happen is is generally omniscient, then it's not hard to believe that Rose saw the future and was powerless to change it. - Though I don't believe "powerless" here refers to not having a choice, but rather understanding why she makes that choice. Sort of like the Matrix. – Sheph Feb 15 '13 at 02:41
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    I think the Whoniverse goes for semi-fixed timelines, where there is a set future that most actions will lead to, but drastic actions in specific places can change it. – Avner Shahar-Kashtan Feb 15 '13 at 06:12
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Given the fact that where she ends up is "Bad Wolf Bay", it is tough to argue that she did not foresee, or possibly even cause the events that led to her separation.

In the present time, she was heartbroken by her separation, but in the long run she lives happily ever after with her Doctor-clone. It is perfectly reasonable to suspect that Rose saw this as a possible outcome, and determined that this was the most favorable of all of them.

Ashterothi
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    I had suspicions along the same lines when she said they were in "Bad Wolf Bay". As far as speculative answers go, so far this is the one I'm most inclined to believe. Hope she lives happily ever after! (I've only just finished season 2.) – Michael Feb 12 '13 at 19:14
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    Also bear in mind that in the parallel universe, her dad's alive. – Paul D. Waite May 20 '13 at 12:52
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As much as a physical god she was at the time, her body was still dying in linear time. Even when she destroyed the Daleks, she scattered their atoms in seconds (practically an eternity), she didn't scrub them out of all of space and time, causing a paradox. She was powerful, but not omnipotent.

Besides, she was busy fixing the past, helping the doctor avoid the worst thing he ever had to do

  • The moment was just a box, the Bad Wolf Blinked back in time to help him. And nothing you say will change my mind. –  Jul 16 '15 at 05:37
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The Doctor : There is fixed points in time.

So, we can ask ourselves how The Doctor knows which point is fixed and which is not.

While she was looking into the heart of the Tardis, Rose saw what the Doctor sees, so she was as aware of this fact as him.

Think about what could happened if Rose saved herself to disappearing from this universe: the Doctor would surely stay with her as long as possible. So he would probably not meet his other companions, especially not Amy.

No Amy to... have fun in the Tardis, no River. No River, no Doctor, 'cause he would probably died in "The name of the Doctor", killed at the door of his tomb.

So, in my mind, Rose was aware that she was going to disappear. But she has also conscious that she can't do anything against it without destroying the Universe.

Saphirel
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  • This is very difficult to understand in its current form. Could you try to clarify it a bit? – Chenmunka Jul 20 '15 at 14:17
  • Sorry, i'm French! I will try it :) – Saphirel Jul 20 '15 at 14:34
  • I appreciate that it isn't easy. – Chenmunka Jul 20 '15 at 14:36
  • Nice theory, and the beginning of a nice and plausible explanatory storyline. Thanks for suggesting it! Do you know of anything backing up the idea that he would never have met Amy? It seems that since he had a time machine and Rose would have been explicitly aware of Amy to make such a consideration, she'd have had ample time to prepare the Doctor to meet Amy still. – Michael Jul 21 '15 at 15:47
  • Sure. But she forget everything she saw in the heart of the Tardis... – Saphirel Jul 28 '15 at 11:11
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She was written out of the show, she quit. So that is how the director takes a character out of a show when they decide to leave....... If you have watched the show (the mentalist) and seen the episode (nothing gold can stay) you would know this

The doctor
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