Is the Doctor 1103 now?
- Thread starter Joe Washington
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there's gaps for the Tenth too, how long passed between Runaway Bride and Smith and Jones? or between Voyage of the Damned and Partners in Crime? or between Journey's End and Planet of the Dead? or Planet and Waters? or Waters and End of Time?
i'm convinced he's lying about his age. possibly because he doesn't know any more or possibly because he's vain and doesn't like having passed 2,000.
it's also ridiculous to thing he's under a thousand when he actually said to Rose "nine hundred years of phone box travel" in Aliens in London, which means it's nine hundred years since "An Unearthly Child" and he was already over 80 then.
i'm convinced he's lying about his age. possibly because he doesn't know any more or possibly because he's vain and doesn't like having passed 2,000.
it's also ridiculous to thing he's under a thousand when he actually said to Rose "nine hundred years of phone box travel" in Aliens in London, which means it's nine hundred years since "An Unearthly Child" and he was already over 80 then.
In the 'Doctor's Wife' though, Idris states that they have been traveling for 700 years, so if the first Doctor steals the Tardis when he is like 230 then travels for another 200 plus years then regenrates (at about 450 years old) that seems to make sense. I can understand the Doctor lieing but the Tardis lied too??
I think since the new show came back in 2005 they have really tryed to firmly establish the Doctor was 903 now to 909 years old.
I think since the new show came back in 2005 they have really tryed to firmly establish the Doctor was 903 now to 909 years old.
Yeah, how would a superintelligent Time Lord be able to keep track of his own age. Fucking idiot. Mind you, this is the same man who thought it was a brilliant idea of his that we got our word for "doctor" from the Doctor acting in our history throughout time.
Yep. Later in the episode, when he gives his age to Wilf, he's only two years older than the last time he gave it (in one of the earlier specials, IIRC).
The 953 vs 900 thing isn't a problem. He could simply have switched from Gallifrey years (which the Rani and Romana would no doubt also use) to Earth years, as it's now the only planet he calls home. In my own fanon 900 years is about 1200 years under the old system.
As for burning through regenerations, he does seem to have done that - at least three and possibly four within about six or seven years. Maybe he was living more dangerously than usual, or maybe he tends to go through spurts of activity separated by lots of relative downtime.
Also, yeah, he should have some idea of his own age. But then, he's an old hand at pretending to be an idiot. There's also the occasional lack of synchronicity between his ageing and that of the TARDIS as seen in The Girl In The Fireplace (a few hours) and that episode after Utopia (18 months).
As for burning through regenerations, he does seem to have done that - at least three and possibly four within about six or seven years. Maybe he was living more dangerously than usual, or maybe he tends to go through spurts of activity separated by lots of relative downtime.
Also, yeah, he should have some idea of his own age. But then, he's an old hand at pretending to be an idiot. There's also the occasional lack of synchronicity between his ageing and that of the TARDIS as seen in The Girl In The Fireplace (a few hours) and that episode after Utopia (18 months).
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And in the Space Titanic thing, he lists himself as 903.
I see it as very Doctorish that he often forgets how old he really is. It's not like people actually ASK him how old he is - indeed, in the modern series I think only Rose's mum has done so. As such, I could believe that every few decades or so he'll latch onto a suitable number (or actually find out) and ride it for a few years, at least until he forgets again, which is something the current incarnation is certainly liable to do.
So, his ninth incarnation fell on a round 900 year count and he's been sticking to it for the last ten years or so (from his perspective), which is a blink of an eye to him. He stuck to similar numbers for a time when he was 749 (when he was "actually" 759 according to Romana, who doubtless looked him up before joining him from Gallifrey) but there are certainly whole centuries when he didn't really bother figuring it out.
Older people on THIS planet have a tough time figuring their ages sometimes. Why not the Doc?
Mark
I see it as very Doctorish that he often forgets how old he really is. It's not like people actually ASK him how old he is - indeed, in the modern series I think only Rose's mum has done so. As such, I could believe that every few decades or so he'll latch onto a suitable number (or actually find out) and ride it for a few years, at least until he forgets again, which is something the current incarnation is certainly liable to do.
So, his ninth incarnation fell on a round 900 year count and he's been sticking to it for the last ten years or so (from his perspective), which is a blink of an eye to him. He stuck to similar numbers for a time when he was 749 (when he was "actually" 759 according to Romana, who doubtless looked him up before joining him from Gallifrey) but there are certainly whole centuries when he didn't really bother figuring it out.
Older people on THIS planet have a tough time figuring their ages sometimes. Why not the Doc?
Mark
^ I like to think that Idris was using Earth years. It would have been hilarious if she'd called him on the age thing, though.
It's a bit vague to hang everything on, though. It's a nice theory.
Any time outside of that Titanic picture that he dressed in period costume? Especially a costume that looks fairly similar to Paul McGann?
I like to think a large amount of time passed between "Journey's End" and "The Next Doctor." I know originally there was a cliffhanger at the end of Journey's End with the Cybermen in the TARDIS, but with that gone, there's room for some extra time. It makes sense to me considering the major change in Ten's mood between leaving Wilf and his arrival in the 19th Century. I don't remember anything in the episode specifically contradicting the idea that some years could have passed.
Since I really liked Ten, I prefer to think that the 900+ figure he gave was the age of his incarnation. I support this in two ways. First, in "The End of Time" when he talks about regeneration with Wilf, he makes it very clear that he considers it to be a kind of death. I don't remember his exact words, but it's something to the effect that he will be gone and a whole new person will be there in his place. If that's the case, maybe he sees his regeneration from Nine as his birth. My second bit of support is to slam my eyes shut, stick my fingers in my ears, and shout, "La la la! I can't hear you!" at anyone who tries to convince me otherwise.
Since I really liked Ten, I prefer to think that the 900+ figure he gave was the age of his incarnation. I support this in two ways. First, in "The End of Time" when he talks about regeneration with Wilf, he makes it very clear that he considers it to be a kind of death. I don't remember his exact words, but it's something to the effect that he will be gone and a whole new person will be there in his place. If that's the case, maybe he sees his regeneration from Nine as his birth. My second bit of support is to slam my eyes shut, stick my fingers in my ears, and shout, "La la la! I can't hear you!" at anyone who tries to convince me otherwise.
Thing is, both RTD and Moffat have been consistentally aging the Doctor starting with Aliens of London where he says he's 900. Next he says in Voyage of the Damned that he's 903, then 906 in the End of Time, 907 in Flesh and Stone, and finally 909 in The Impossible Astronaut.
I just assume that was Nine's first post-regeneration adventure, where he was still wearing his old outfit.
A superintelligent yet legendarily scatter-brained Time Lord? I happen to think both those things are brilliant ideas, and since I provided the Moffat quote and clearly agreed with his reasoning, you're calling me a "fucking idiot" too. You'll forgive me if I don't take too kindly to that won't you.
That's the other theory, but it casts doubt on the mirror thing.
