Regeneration. Who teared up?

[Electric Coleslaw]

"I don't want to go" really pulled at my heartstrings. I was saying, "I don't want you to go" at the same time.

When I saw the goober replacing him, that's when I teared up! Although, I do remember being dubious about Tennant when he first showed up. By the end of his first episode, I was applauding the choice. We'll see how the new guy does.

I didn't mind the protracted death tour at the end. It was a nice way of saying goodbye to the RTD years. Also, any reason to see Rose again is always a plus for me!

 

[Mitty]

Watched last night again with a friend of mine, we both ended up bawling our eyes out particularly when he said "I don't want to go" my friend let out a particularly big sob. My partner was there was well and is as effected by such things and was laughing at the both of us.

 

[23skidoo]

I actually teared up not so much at the actual regeneration, but rather Tennant/Doctor 10's comments about regeneration in Part One. I'm sorry, but anyone who still condemns RTD for his work on Doctor Who after hearing him nail the concept in a way never before approached in 45 years in that scene in the pub should hang up their anorak.

Alex

 

[Thor Damar]

I did, on the third viewing. Mostly down to Wilf's reactions to the Doctors death and because of the father-son relationship that the two had.

"I would be proud..."

Great stuff. The fact that I was ever so slightly drunk may have had something to do with it of course. Still, Ten will be missed.

 

[HighteeHeller]

I cried from the four knocks on. I know when i watch it again with my kids i will cry even harder, and they will laugh and mock me as they usually do. Brats, the both of them.

I do have to hand it to my son, who is 11, when he saw the return of the time lords in the first half he was shocked. Didnt think he would have cared all that much, but he seems to have picked up more then i had given him credit for. He is going to be so pissed when he finds out i watched the second half without him.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

I actually teared up not so much at the actual regeneration, but rather Tennant/Doctor 10's comments about regeneration in Part One. I'm sorry, but anyone who still condemns RTD for his work on Doctor Who after hearing him nail the concept in a way never before approached in 45 years in that scene in the pub should hang up their anorak.

Alex

Exactly.

What RTD and nuWho in general brought to DW is some thematic and emotional depth.

 

[Marc]

and the next big question - who denied to their significant other that they cried during it?

 

[Sci]

A part of me wanted to think that it was a little immature of the Doctor since he'd gone through the process nine times before and none of the other Doctors had to be dragged out kicking and screaming like him, but really, I don't want to die either, so it's hard to blame him too much.

To be fair to the Doctor, every other time he regenerated, it happened too suddenly to have a strong reaction. The First, Third, Fourth, Sixth, and Seventh Doctors all regenerated suddenly in the course of a mission. The Fifth and Ninth Doctors regenerated as a result of a deliberate decision to save a companion in response to immediate, unanticipated danger. We don't know under what circumstances the Eighth Doctor regenerated. Really, the Second Doctor was the only other incaration to find out in advance that he'd be forced to regenerate, and he fought tooth and claw against it, too.

And none of the other Doctors ever faced a situation where they knew in advance they'd be forced to regenerate or die, gone through the thing they thought would kill them or regenerate them, thought that they'd escaped death/regeneration and would be totally okay -- and then suddenly had that hope snatched away from them with the realization that they would have to die/regenerate afterall.

 

[Starkers]

Actually it seems pretty clear from the Logopolis that the 4th Doctor did realise his time was up. He talks to the Watcher after all so I think it's safe to say he knows what's coming.

And Pertwee doesn't regnerate suddenly, didn't he deliberately travel to Metabilis 3 knowing it would kill him?

 

[CmdrAJD]

I finally got to watch End of Time yesterday, and I was fighting tears from the four knocks onward. My son, who had no idea this was coming (I managed to keep it from him for over a year, which is either quite an accomplishment or sadistic. Possibly both) started shouting at the screen, "No! Don't you regenerate!" That and the "I don't want to go" pretty much did me in. Now, though, I think I'm taking it worse than my son. As soon as we watched the trailer for Eleven's upcoming season, he got excited. He thinks it looks action-packed and that Eleven will be his kind of Doctor.

 

[Haggis and tatties]

I loved the "I don't want to go" line, and all the emotion he had with it, my jaw dropped when he said it that way, it was almost like the same way RTD caught us out with the regeneration scene in season 4, i remember i was on the edge of the chair when that happened, same with this regeneration.

Brilliant stuff.

 

[iguana_tonante]

Too long. I started to get a bit chocked at the four knocks, expecting to get all weepy when the regeneration would start (I got no shame of my manly tears), but then it went on, and on, and on... and I started to feel numb. When the actual regeneration began, I felt very little. Would he absorbed the radiation, limped to the TARDIS, and regenerated, I would have been one soggy bitch. But the scenes overtired my capacity to emote. My girlfriend felt exactly the same.

 

[Photoman15]

I got close first when the Master says, "get out of the way", realizing it was his people who drove him mad since he was a kid.
Goodbyes/Rewards:
Martha/Micky - nothing
Sarah Jane - eh. Realized she knew what was going to happen and smiled
Verity - pretty close
Donna/Wilf/Sylvia - no. But thought it was cool the Dr cheated and gave her a winning ticket.
Rose - no
Ood - close. Closure to the whole Ood knowing the doctor's song was ending.
I Don't Want To Go - a little.

 

[Kibbin]

A part of me wanted to think that it was a little immature of the Doctor since he'd gone through the process nine times before and none of the other Doctors had to be dragged out kicking and screaming like him, but really, I don't want to die either, so it's hard to blame him too much.

To be fair to the Doctor, every other time he regenerated, it happened too suddenly to have a strong reaction. The First, Third, Fourth, Sixth, and Seventh Doctors all regenerated suddenly in the course of a mission. The Fifth and Ninth Doctors regenerated as a result of a deliberate decision to save a companion in response to immediate, unanticipated danger. We don't know under what circumstances the Eighth Doctor regenerated. Really, the Second Doctor was the only other incaration to find out in advance that he'd be forced to regenerate, and he fought tooth and claw against it, too.

And none of the other Doctors ever faced a situation where they knew in advance they'd be forced to regenerate or die, gone through the thing they thought would kill them or regenerate them, thought that they'd escaped death/regeneration and would be totally okay -- and then suddenly had that hope snatched away from them with the realization that they would have to die/regenerate afterall.

Actually it seems pretty clear from the Logopolis that the 4th Doctor did realise his time was up. He talks to the Watcher after all so I think it's safe to say he knows what's coming.

And Pertwee doesn't regnerate suddenly, didn't he deliberately travel to Metabilis 3 knowing it would kill him?

Also five seems to know that it's him or the companion when it comes down to it.
And despite it being non-cannon I can't help but think of the build up to Zagreus where 8 willingly sacrifices himself without the promise of a regen in order to save his companion (plus all time and space).

 

[Top41]

Oh yes, absolutely. And while I hear the complaints that it was an overly long send off, I still liked it, and thought it a fitting farewell to an excellent Doctor.

 

[davejames]

The first time through, I definitely got emotional watching him collapse to the floor of the chamber in agony, but the actual regeneration didn't really effect me much.

It wasn't until later viewings that the enormity of the event really started to hit me. And even then, I'm not sure if it was the execution of the scene itself, or just the emotion I projected onto it because of my love for Tennant's Doctor...

Either way, I thought it was pretty effective.

 

[Elayis]

Okay. I was doing fine until the damn Ood choir kicked in. Then the waterworks really opened up when the Doctors hand started to glow.

Anyone else?

Oh, yeah. It wasn't the actual regeneration that wrenched me, but when Wilfred saluted the Doctor... I couldn't help but cry with all that emotion in Bernard's eyes. That scene, as well as Sarah Jane's expression, and the build-up to the actual regeneration (the Doctor's exhaustion, the glowing hand, his own sadness, "I don't want to go", and the last coat throw)... all tear-jerkers.

I think it might've been better if we hadn't have had all those send-offs from different characters (wasn't a fan of the Alonso bit, or the fact that they cheated and showed us a past Rose, and not the current one), or if they weren't quite as long, but I guess they were fine.

My only real complaint about the whole scene was the Doctor's last line. While it was very, very sad, I almost didn't like the direction they went with the Doctor. The Doctor I know wouldn't really fear death, he wouldn't have been self-pitying and... frankly... downright cruel when he was steaming at Wilfred.

But then again, before he knew he was regenerating, he thought he might actually die. Not just regenerate, but full-on die. Because that's what was prophesied. Not his regeneration, but his death.

But I think it was the job of all of the build-up since Planet of the Dead for the Doctor to dread his death (and the audience, too). And in The Waters of Mars, he thought he might be able to avoid it, since he thought he could alter history, even fixed points in time, so he almost thought he wouldn't have to die.

I might not have liked a lot about this last (underwhelming) year of Tennant and Co. Who, but the final 22 minutes of Tennant's run were brilliant.

I didn't like Matt Smith's intro, though. I had the luck (I guess) to watch the relaunch after Tennant was well into his run, so I knew Eccleston would leave the show at the end of Series 1 (though I didn't know about regeneration as a nu-blood), and I knew from friends that Tennant was very good, so I had certain expectations about Tennant (plus, I'd just come off of watching him perform brilliantly in Casanova, so I already knew he was a fantastic actor) and what he would bring to the Doctor. Plus, we had the Children in Need special which had a perfect little scene with the Doctor explaining to Rose that he was the same man (more or less), and I also got to watch the special the next day so there wasn't any waiting and wondering.

I just didn't like the vibe I got from Smith. He didn't come off as iconic or nuanced or anything that both Eccleston and Tennant brought to the role, so I have some trepidation about him coming on. And the trailer didn't do much to assuage me of my doubts (Smith's Doctor seems to teeny-bopper, too "kewl"). Plus, I'm not very confident in Moffat. I think Davies did an excellent job of revamping Doctor Who, and I'm not sure I want anyone else's hands on it. And while most of Moffat's episodes were good, it just seems like there's a sense of "only My Doctor is the definitive Doctor, and Davies didn't really get Who, and his Doctor sucks" that oozes from his writing, particularly the River Song two-parter. And with the entire revamp of the show (new TARDIS, new logo, new theme song, new companion), I'm not sure what the nu-Who is going to look like.

I'm certainly excited, as it'll be the first time I'm actually up-to-date and watching the show for the first time like everyone else, but I'm just not sure what it'll be that I'll be watching.

Plus, Matt Smith has now eyebrows!! What the fug is with that!!

 

[Elayis]

It was when Wilf's eyes filled up with tears, that's when I felt my eyes filling up too

Me as well. And it wasn't just filling up... it was outright gushing (at least for me).

I watched it by myself, but I'll be watching it again with my brother tonight. And he's only six, so he obviously won't care that much about him "dying".

No.

Yes. My opinion.

No. Mine.

Mine, too. I wasn't too impressed with Smith's opening minute, while I was with both Eccleston and Tennant.

Eccleston might have been my first Doctor (and therefore "my" Doctor), but Tennant just brought the role to such an iconic and tenacious level, that when I think of the Doctor, I now think of Tennant, and not Eccleston.

Smith really has to be great to rival them, and from his brief intro in The End of Time and the trailer, I'm not feeling the vibe I got from Eccleston or Tennant. He just doesn't feel like the Doctor to me. More like Doctor, Jr.

A part of me wanted to think that it was a little immature of the Doctor since he'd gone through the process nine times before and none of the other Doctors had to be dragged out kicking and screaming like him, but really, I don't want to die either, so it's hard to blame him too much.

To be fair to the Doctor, every other time he regenerated, it happened too suddenly to have a strong reaction. The First, Third, Fourth, Sixth, and Seventh Doctors all regenerated suddenly in the course of a mission. The Fifth and Ninth Doctors regenerated as a result of a deliberate decision to save a companion in response to immediate, unanticipated danger. We don't know under what circumstances the Eighth Doctor regenerated. Really, the Second Doctor was the only other incaration to find out in advance that he'd be forced to regenerate, and he fought tooth and claw against it, too.

And none of the other Doctors ever faced a situation where they knew in advance they'd be forced to regenerate or die, gone through the thing they thought would kill them or regenerate them, thought that they'd escaped death/regeneration and would be totally okay -- and then suddenly had that hope snatched away from them with the realization that they would have to die/regenerate afterall.

This.

And thanks for the history lesson; I haven't seen any of the old Who (tried to watch the First Doctor, but I barely managed to finish the first episode... it was awful!).

I'm just glad the Tenth Doctor had precedent to behave how unDoctory he was (he acted like a human, not a Time Lord).

 

[Australis]

I just didn't like the vibe I got from Smith. He didn't come off as iconic or nuanced or anything that both Eccleston and Tennant brought to the role, so I have some trepidation about him coming on.

A couple of people have said this or similar, so I'll stick my nose in for a moment (I'm not supposed to be here).

1. In the change from 9 to 10, I too had trepidation, especially after the goofy stuff at the end of PotW and the opening minutes of TCI. And we know how that panned out.

2. Smith will be much more nuanced once the regen has settled down. 'Twas ever thus. Check out the season 5 traler on YT. It's exciting.

3. The Moff wrote and produced 'Jekyll', which is a damn fine bit of TV. Very dark, but very well done (and I really liked the twist ending). If you haven't seen it, as a SF/F viewer, you should really try it out.

I liked Smith's appearance. After all the sadness, leaving on an up note in anticipation of what happens next. Trust me, it'll be fine.

 

[Candlelight]

Odd things all most bring a tear to by eye - the rescue in Gridlock is one of them.

That is the only time I ever got a lump in my throat for Dr Who.

Tennant's regeneration was long, boring and definitely in the bottom three. The lack of companion and thus companion reaction to the change is all too crucial to avoid.