Decalog 3 #08 - “Continuity Errors” by Steven Moffat

The Doctor has met his match. In desperate need of a heavily restricted book, the Doctor finds himself at odds with Angela, the local librarian whose painful life has made her steely and reserved. Determined to get his book however, the Doctor resolves to make sure Angela sides with him, no matter what.

(CONTAINS SPOILERS)

Continuity Errors is notable for a number of reasons and perhaps most for it being the first published work of Steven Moffat in the Doctor Who universe. And for that reason alone, I’d call it a very interesting (if flawed) read. For one, you get to see the progenitor of a number of Moffat’s ideas and themes that he would later go on to use, such as a library comprised of every book in existence - a la Silence in the Library - as well as rewriting a person’s history in order to save somebody’s life - a la A Christmas Carol.

Beyond that, it’s also just a very unique read. Moffat’s prose is incredibly different and playful, constantly messing with format to create a very casual, unique reading experience. On top of that, the central idea of real life “continuity errors” representing changes in a timeline is really cool, especially when you as a reader begin to notice all the strange details that don’t quite make sense. I can’t deny that Continuity Errors is a fascinating and wholly unique read.

However, I have a few problems with the central message. It tries to ask questions about the Doctor’s morality and if he should be allowed the amount of power he has by showing him rewriting somebody’s entire existence, much as he does in A Christmas Carol, but I think it’s executed a lot worse here. Mostly because we are primarily seeing it unfold from the viewpoint of the person the Doctor is tampering with, which makes the whole situation seem a lot more terrifying and the simple length of the story doesn’t allow for the character building needed to make the whole situation not feel so insidious. One idea that I genuinely detest though is the seeming implication that people only like the Doctor because of a nebulous psychic effect he has on people, which is actively antithetical to his established character and genuinely quite unnerving. The story never seems to go back on this point and for whatever reason it just rubs me the wrong way, actively conflicting the moral messaging of the rest of the story.

I enjoyed Continuity Errors for what it was and appreciated the sheer originality of it, along with the added bonus of seeing early Steven Moffat formulate his ideas that would later run the show, but his exploration of the Doctor as a legendary figure is not refined enough yet and really struggles to justify the Doctor’s actions here, just making him feel like an altogether worse and more insidious character.

6/10

Pros:

+ Really interestingly written and formatted

+ Is a neat introspective look into early Moffat

Cons:

- Struggles to realise its central conceit

- It’s portrayal of the Doctor rubs me the wrong way