Are regenerations still capped at 12?

[Nick Ryder]

Although what confuses me is why River Song was so worried about him using up his regeneration energy. She got all upset when he used it to heal her arm in the last story with the Ponds.

So I dunno I think there's still something afoot - either River's worrying about something she really doesn't or something's going to come from this Clara arc that he's going to need every bit of regen juice he's got to stay alive.

 

[MacLeod]

It all depends on where River got her knowledge of Timelords from, if it was from the Doctor he might mention the 12 regeneration, and that he is on his x th regeneration.

So if the Doctor things he is coming to the end of his life, why wouldn't others if he had told them?

 

[Klaus]

...and he was mad at her for using hers on him.

 

[Starkers]

Hear Hear!

I wonder if 13 was just something someone came up with to keep other Time Lords from believing they were truly immortal. If you knew you could die, come back, die, come back an infinite number of times you'd feel there was nothing that could hurt you and you wouldn't give a damn about anyone or anything.

Plus the last couple of regens seemed to be pretty nasty compared to his previous regenerations. 11th's explosive regen - but I do wonder this - maybe there is no limit - but each subsequent regen gets younger and younger until basically you're living your life again as a child. I mean other than the 5th it seemed like the Doctor got younger each time. McGann was younger than McCoy. Eccleston was younger than McGann, Tennant was younger than Eccelston, Smith was younger Tennant... so if my theory continues... then the next Doctor will be younger than Smith - maybe even significantly younger - early 20s even.

McGann was 36 when he played the Doctor, Eccleston was 41, so the Doctor got older. I'm pretty certain the 12th Doctor, whoever it is, won't be any younger than Smith, in fact I'd say it'd be a fair bet he'll be older than Smith was when he took the role, even if it's just by a few years.

Edited to add...

Looking at the Doctor overall there's definitely been a tred to go younger over time although the optimum age would still be around 40. Of course just taking the modern Doctors into account they're clearly getting younger but I'd still expect the next guy (or gal ) to be at least early to mid thirties. But never say never, someone like Smith could come along and blow the casting people away again.

 

[sidious618]

I hope to see an older Doctor again. It'd mix things up a bit.

 

[timelord1010]

True - he liked how he was as Tennant but why would he say 'I don't want to go' he could have just glowed out and disappeared like the rest of the timelords too. While yes I think he didn't want to lose his old self - when he's the last of his kind, who knows if his next regeneration is going to be his last or if that radiation he took in was going to regenerate him properly. He staved off a regen when he still had that hand in a jar - that was something no other Doctor did prior.

Jon Pertwee's Doctor got a massive radiation dose and he needed another Timelord's help to regenerate into Tom Baker's 4th Doctor so that could have Tennant's Doctor's concern.
Same as Peter Davidson's Doctor, he wasn't sure if he was going to regenerate.

On a side note it was a little crazy for Davidson's Doctor to set the TARDIS in motion when he was concerned that he might not regenerate. Peri would have been trapped in the TARDIS with a dead Timelord.

 

[diankra]

1) Tennant didn't know that he was going to get killed by radiation when he was worrying earlier in the story.
2) Davison setting the TARDIS going echoes Hartnell doing the same first time round (which, originally, was because the TARDIS, rather than travelling in time, was going to reverse time within its interior, de-ageing the Doctor... but that idea got tweaked into something a bit more mystical by the time it was shot. But nevertheless, the intent in Caves of Androzani was definitely to echo the Tenth Planet change: until it became obvious that there wasn't enough studio time left, director Graeme Harper was planning to reproduce the 'throbbing' console room lighting from the original change).

 

[Professor Zoom]

On a side note it was a little crazy for Davidson's Doctor to set the TARDIS in motion when he was concerned that he might not regenerate. Peri would have been trapped in the TARDIS with a dead Timelord.

Wasn't the planet erupting or something? Better to be alive in the Tardis than dead...

 

[Redfern]

Nope, not Eath anyway where the TARDIS stood. You may be thinking of Mondas, "The Tenth Planet", which did go "Fwoomp!" in that adventure. The situation had been resolved (the Cybermen shriveled to empty suits) and the Doctor, having been imprisoned upon a Cyberman transport staggers back to the TARDIS as he realizes his body is "growing a bit thin". ben and Polly enter the time capsule moments before it dematerializes and they find the Doctor collapsed upon the deck.

Sincerely,

Bill

 

[Redfern]

Oops! Sorry, I see you were talking about Davison's "swan song" serial.

Disregard my previous post.

Sincerely,

Bill

 

[FreddyE]

I would like a doctor thats tall and muscular for a change. I imagine a scene like this: With his last breath he mutters "If only I had been stronger...I could have protected everyone"...-> regenerates into 2 m 10, muscular guy ;-)

 

[Robert D. Robot]

I would like a doctor thats tall and muscular for a change. I imagine a scene like this: With his last breath he mutters "If only I had been stronger...I could have protected everyone"...-> regenerates into 2 m 10, muscular guy ;-)

Interesting! Then, instead of getting something like the First Doctor's classic speech:

"One day, I shall come back. Yes, I shall come back. Until then, there must be no regrets, no tears, no anxieties. Just go forward in all your beliefs and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine."

We might simply get:

"I'll be back."

 

[Redfern]

"Oh...snap!!!"

Sadly, I too imagined a hulk with an Austrian accent based upon that description.

Sincerely,

Bill

 

[FreddyE]

"Oh...snap!!!"

Sadly, I too imagined a hulk with an Austrian accent based upon that description.

Sincerely,

Bill

ouch...the very thought! We need someone with a bit more acting talent then Arnold...;-)

 

[Robert D. Robot]

Makes me wonder if one of the "Non-Arnold" Doctors could have gone to Mars and done a less bloody job of convincing that bastard Cohaagen to turn on the reactor... Cohaagen knows it makes oxygen!!