I definitely see your point. However, my only two arguments to that well-thought explanation are that while it is infuriating that such a path was chosen, there wasn’t much to do about the casualties, and the tension between the humans and robots was so thick, not even a knife would be enough to cut it.
Moreso, getting the robots to actually see the humans’ point of view would be kind of a tall order, since they aren’t capable of understanding humanity in a whole, sapience notwithstanding.
I now understand your view on the episode, but this is what I think of those flaws you pointed out.
@Dirty Bit
Alright lemme see if I can articulate my problem with the solution.
So the robots (I know their name but I’m not sure how to spell it) have been killing people because their purpose is to make humans happy essentially but grief sadness they’re outside their understanding so they simply kill the perceived threat of sad humans with understanding it’s making people sad who now have to die fine it’s a vicious cycle I’ll buy that.
And people are upset at their friends and family have been murdered and are afraid for their lives it’s only natural.
So when the confrontation happens one of the robots is destroyed pissing the other bots off which cause the Doctor to realize they’ve reached sapience.
Now here’s where my problem comes from.
The Doctor’s solution is to wipe the memories of these robots that he says are an emerging species so they don’t even remember being made by humans and the planet is their so the people who built them and who’s loved ones have been killed have to “pay rent” to the murders but it’s fine because they don’t remember that.
Do you start to see the problem?
First off the Doctor wipes the memory of in he’s own words an “emerging species” he as Bill put it “turned them off and on”.
So they’re a sapient species but it’s okay to still treat them like a buggy machine? What the hell is the message here?!
Secondly the robots are NOT the victims here these people have lost family because of the robots as exemplified by the kid looking for his mum which we know was killed but in the end the Doctor basically says “forget about it because they did so it doesn’t count anymore now make nice with your families killers”.
Fucking wot m8.
It’s such a lame easy fix that has sketchy morality implications.
Wouldn’t a better solution be to make the bots understand the humans’ point of view?
I mean when the one robot gets wasted the others become angry and grief stricken and you have a kid who lost his mother.
Why not have the Doctor tell the kid about his mum then explain to robots why he’s upset “do you see? What you’re feeling it’s the same as this boy the same as all those people. They took someone from you you took many people from them. Do you understand now? You’re creating a never ending cycle of grief and pain.” and then work on peace talks from that point.
But no it’s quick fix punctuated by cash register sound effects cause LOL!
@Darth Prime
At this point, I’ve resigned myself to “just be nice to the murderous creature” endings for about 50% of episodes until someone other than Moffat takes the helm.
Oh you bastard, all this years complaining about past sins….
I definitely see your point. However, my only two arguments to that well-thought explanation are that while it is infuriating that such a path was chosen, there wasn’t much to do about the casualties, and the tension between the humans and robots was so thick, not even a knife would be enough to cut it.
Moreso, getting the robots to actually see the humans’ point of view would be kind of a tall order, since they aren’t capable of understanding humanity in a whole, sapience notwithstanding.
I now understand your view on the episode, but this is what I think of those flaws you pointed out.
Alright lemme see if I can articulate my problem with the solution.
So the robots (I know their name but I’m not sure how to spell it) have been killing people because their purpose is to make humans happy essentially but grief sadness they’re outside their understanding so they simply kill the perceived threat of sad humans with understanding it’s making people sad who now have to die fine it’s a vicious cycle I’ll buy that.
And people are upset at their friends and family have been murdered and are afraid for their lives it’s only natural.
So when the confrontation happens one of the robots is destroyed pissing the other bots off which cause the Doctor to realize they’ve reached sapience.
Now here’s where my problem comes from.
The Doctor’s solution is to wipe the memories of these robots that he says are an emerging species so they don’t even remember being made by humans and the planet is their so the people who built them and who’s loved ones have been killed have to “pay rent” to the murders but it’s fine because they don’t remember that.
Do you start to see the problem?
First off the Doctor wipes the memory of in he’s own words an “emerging species” he as Bill put it “turned them off and on”.
So they’re a sapient species but it’s okay to still treat them like a buggy machine? What the hell is the message here?!
Secondly the robots are NOT the victims here these people have lost family because of the robots as exemplified by the kid looking for his mum which we know was killed but in the end the Doctor basically says “forget about it because they did so it doesn’t count anymore now make nice with your families killers”.
Fucking wot m8.
It’s such a lame easy fix that has sketchy morality implications.
Wouldn’t a better solution be to make the bots understand the humans’ point of view?
I mean when the one robot gets wasted the others become angry and grief stricken and you have a kid who lost his mother.
Why not have the Doctor tell the kid about his mum then explain to robots why he’s upset “do you see? What you’re feeling it’s the same as this boy the same as all those people. They took someone from you you took many people from them. Do you understand now? You’re creating a never ending cycle of grief and pain.” and then work on peace talks from that point.
But no it’s quick fix punctuated by cash register sound effects cause LOL!
@Darth Prime
How was the ending disappointing?
Edited
At this point, I’ve resigned myself to “just be nice to the murderous creature” endings for about 50% of episodes until someone other than Moffat takes the helm.