To be exact, I'm talking about this blog and not a Steven Moffat plot thread; what with the rather glorious wedding of two good friends Heather & Pete, followed by Mrs T's birthday celebration weekend, and all the travelling and catching up with beloved folks there hasn't really been time or drive to check in here. So now's the time!
In case you were wondering, that paragraph right there, that's all I'm saying for now about October in the UK. Sorry but I've got a bigger itch to scratch...that's right it's UNNECESSARY GEEK RANT TIME!!! ...and on today's agenda: the Doctor's regenerations.
Ah, I can sense those web tabs closing and my limited sex appeal dwindling, as I draw in my hypothetical breath to begin.
In a nutshell, everyone (er.. who exactly would that be Monkeyboy?) is going on about the limit on the Doctor's regeneration power; how many there are, what it means for the future of the series as the Christmas arrival of Peter Capaldi's 12th Doctor draws ever closer, how that itself is affected by the introduction of John Hurt as another possible (assumed earlier) Doctor in the closing moments of the "Name of the Doctor" finale, and finally how the devil the series will be able to continue when all the regenerations are used up.
As I'm sure you've guessed, this is going to be sheer unapologetic self indulgence on my part, with subject headers and everything... you have been warned.
"How many regenerations in a Time Lord life cycle are there?"
Short answer: 12 (that was simple), despite claims a couple of years ago that Moffat was going to throw that rule out or that his predecessor Russell T Davies had retconned this into a much higher number to keep the show going, Moffat has recently stated in interviews that the original 12 regenerations rule still stands.
Incidentally, I've watched that "Death of the Doctor" episode which the Guardian newspaper was going on about, and how a "serious" journalist can write an entire article based on one throw away comedy line in a kids spin-off show I'll never know.
"Peter Capaldi is to be the 12th Doctor; what happens when he leaves?!"
We get a 13th Doctor; remember it's 12 regenerations... 12 transformations. Doctor #13 will then be the last Doctor until he dies (that actor leaves.. cynical moi?), or a plot device/ loop hole is introduced to help the character (and the show) continue.
"Waitaminute! If John Hurt is playing an earlier Doctor, doesn't that make Capaldi the 13th Doctor?!"
Holy Heck You're RIGHT!!! JOHN HURT is blatantly the REAL 9th Doctor; sandwiched in off screen between Paul McGann (8th) and Christopher Eccleston (believed 9th, now possibly really 10th). Therefore Tennant is really 11th, and Smith 12th... That means it will all end in 3 years time when Capaldi gets bored and goes away!!! AHH! AHH!! BOLT ALL THE DOORS!! NAIL CROOKED PIECES OF WOOD OVER ALL THE WINDOWS!!! But then again, what about this chap?
If we are on Doctor #13 and the final days are already here then when the heck would this guy happen? Though surely no one would be happy with this bit of continuity actually coming to fruition? "Fixed points in time" and all that aside, let's hope for a alternate reality/ personality plot-line to explain/ excuse this guy and keep the Doctor essentially a good guy.
Till then there can't be an ending in sight, so that brings us to the real nerdgasm part, the hypothetical wild guess bit:
"How will Steven Moffat (or any successor) explain any future regenerations for the Doctor?"
Right, so Steven Moffat himself has thrown out the unlimited regenerations nonsense which the Guardian newspaper was fretting about, so theory 1 is off the table.
I'm also ruling out the idea of the Doctor taking over another body (like the Master used to pre-2005); the Doctor wouldn't do that to another living being, and plot-wise that wouldn't create a new regeneration cycle.. so thats 2.
Moffat has been quoted saying: "He can only regenerate 12 times… I think you should go back to your DVDs and count correctly this time. There’s something you’ve all missed."
If we ignore his charming yet slightly smug smile which accompanies this quote; this means that he's found a thread to use, or even something he has implemented himself in the last 4 years which will be used to explain the regeneration cycle continuing. Some folks seem to think that it is the scene in "Let's Kill Hitler" which has Melody Pond/River Song using up her remaining regenerations in one go to save the Doctor's life, and so she passed them on for him to use instead.
With the announcement of David Tennant and Billie Piper being in the 50th Anniversary episode: Day of the Doctor", inter-web using type geeks seem keep raising the issue of the rather awesomely named "Meta-Crisis Tenth Doctor": last seen living the quiet life with Rose Tyler in an alternate universe. The suggestion being that he is actually the one who becomes John Hurt's Doctor (who Moffat has also been quoted as saying is a "Part of the Doctor".. what, like a severed hand type part?). This is slightly elaborate notion, which personally I think doesn't work for at least 4 reasons:
- He's trapped in an alternate universe.
- He is part Human, and so lacks a regeneration cycle.. how would he become John Hurt?
- This isn't set in the DC comics universe (meta-crisis indeed).
- ... er, it's just lame.
There is something which I haven't actually heard anyone mention yet. I've been bleating on about it since 2007 to anyone naive enough to raise the regeneration topic in my presence, and so help me I'm gonna do it again! Anyone seen this little trinket before?
Well done you at the back! Yep, it's that fob watch from the Human Nature/ Family of Blood 2 part story. Quick episode recap: To hide from pursuers "The Family of Blood", the Doctor and Martha go to 1914 England and the Doctor transforms into a human being named John Smith with no memory of who he is. To save the day (and a boarding school of children), he opens this watch which not only returns his memories, but also gives him a Time Lord's body again (albeit with Tennant's face).
My point: new Time Lord body = new regeneration cycle = more actors can play more Doctor Who! It also mean's that the addition of John Hurt as an unseen Doctor (sorry, going to join the band wagon on this one.. he is the Time War era Doctor, though I don't think the 50th will be about the Time War itself).
They did the same thing with The Master later that same season (when the dying Yana used another fob watch), so it stands that the same thing happened with the Doctor. The only reason The Master hasn't regenerated in his new body is because he refused to.. and then was cremated.
Well... I thought it was clever, though it does mean that David Tennant was now actually the 1st Doctor in a new cycle, and Smith 2nd (makes sense with the bow-tie I guess... God, by that logic Peter Capaldi be in Crush Velvet??)
Anyway as I said earlier, this is all just geeky hypothetical chatter. Whatever Steven Moffat has planned as an explanation I'm sure will be clever, continuity relevant, and hopefully original... If not, just saying you could have had that idea for free bud!
Till 23rd Nov #savetheday
Laters, M.x
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