Regenerations...

[Volpone]

Done watching "Castrovalva." At first blush, the Doctor's inability to easily regenerate is a bit disappointing and only helps to cement #5 as a weak character. But then I got to thinking about it.

1>2 is the only "natural" regeneration he has. #1 is old and ready to go. 2>3 was forced (and effected under Time Lord supervision). 3>4 had the assistance of his mentor to make it happen.

When I got to thinking about that, The Watcher from "Logopolis" isn't as unprecedented as it seemed. The Doctor's mentor in "Planet of the Spiders" has his new body kicking around, functioning autonomously, just waiting to be used. As The Doctor has gotten older and more powerful, having a future projection of himself creeping around isn't that different.

A couple other random related tidbits I'll throw in in no particular order: I was a bit annoyed by nuWho Master for not having black hair, piercing eyes, and a goatee, but in retrospect, why should he? None of the Doctors had similar bodies. I blame Ainley for his Delgado mannerisms (and to a lesser degree, Roberts in the '96 TV movie). Also, it amused me, to realize Ainley-Master lasted through...4 Doctors. When you're on a borrowed body, I guess you're more careful with it than when you've still got regenerations to burn.

Finally, regeneration doesn't become really routine until 5>6 or so. I mean, a buttload of Time Lords just *die* in "The Deadly Assassin" (and to a lesser degree, "The Invasion of Time.") Yeah, maybe the retiring President was on his last regeneration, but what's everyone else doing in Gallifrey morgue instead of just popping into a fresh body?

Well, that's about it for now.

 

[Doctorwhovian]

Interestingly, the new series has also mentioned that Time Lords can be ressurected beyond their 'normal' regeneration cycle. The Master, for instance, was on his last regenerations in the Ainley era and the TV movie, and hence relied on stolen bodies to sustain him. in Utopia though he had a regeneration to switch from "Yana" to "Saxon". Also we have Rassilon, who came back in "End Of Time", so there's some kind of time lord "ressurection" thing at play, even beyond the regenerations.

 

[M.A.C.O.]

It's theorized that TARDIS' have something to do with Time Lord regenerations.


1. Regenerated in his TARDIS

2. Had it forced on him by the Time Lords.

3. Needed assistance to initiate the change.

4. Likewise needed the Watcher to help him regen.

5. Regened in his TARDIS.

6. Did the same as 5.

7. Was killed on an operating table and didn't regen until several hours later.
Presumably because he was away from his TARDIS.

8. Died in a crash and needed the Sister's of Karn's elixir to initiate the change.

War. Died of old age and regened in his TARDIS.

9. Regened in his TARDIS.

10. Died due to drowning in an AU timeline (Turn Left) and never regened. 10 died in The End of Time and had to change in his TARDIS.

11. Was dying of old age before the Time Lords gave him a new cycle. The regen hadn't kicked in yet but still the Doctor went back to his TARDIS, where the change ultimately happened.


Nothing official about Time Lords needing their TARDIS' or outside influence to trigger a regeneration but there is a pattern.

 

[The Mighty Monkey of Mim]

I mean, a buttload of Time Lords just *die* in "The Deadly Assassin" (and to a lesser degree, "The Invasion of Time.") Yeah, maybe the retiring President was on his last regeneration, but what's everyone else doing in Gallifrey morgue instead of just popping into a fresh body?

I think the idea was that the weapons referred to as "stasers" are designed to defeat regeneration. It would make sense that Gallifreyans would have weapons that would be effective against their own kind. There further is some suggestion that the Chancellery Guard and other support personnel are not proper Time Lords with regeneration abilities. (Neither of these is made particularly explicit in the TV show, though. The Castellans, et al, tend to refer to "the Time Lords" in the third person as if they themselves are not among that caste, that's about it.) Also, as Tennant notes in The End Of Time, regeneration is generally not possible if he's killed outright, too quickly for it to take effect.

 

[The Mighty Monkey of Mim]

It's theorized that TARDIS' have something to do with Time Lord regenerations.


1. Regenerated in his TARDIS

And afterwards told his companions the process (which he called "renewal") was "part of the TARDIS."

7. Was killed on an operating table and didn't regen until several hours later.
Presumably because he was away from his TARDIS.

This was said to be a result of the anesthetic administered to him.

 

[Doctorwhovian]

Castrovalva also introduced the Zero room (and later cabinet), which helps a bit with the regeneration. The Fifth Doctor is also more lucid in the room as well. Of course it also gets deleted, although I think some sources have the Doctor or the TARDIS restore the feature.


Sometimes the Doctor doesn't know if the regeneration will happen-again with the Fifth Doctor in "Caves of Androzani", he states "I might regenerate, I don't know. Feels different this time", although his hallucinary companions urge him to continue (although the Master doesn't).

 

[Sindatur]

At Lake Silencio, we see you can kill a Time Lord during Regeneration by using up his Regenerations (There's also an Unbound Audio, that has the 3rd Doctor shot repeatedly until all of his Regenerations are used up). In the Gallifrey Audio Series they bring up the idea that simultaneously destroying both hearts will kill a Time Lord outright, and prevent Regeneration, and as mentioned by Five to Peri, not every death is recoverable from via Regeneration.

I think Turn Left Ten drowning because Donna wasn't there, was a case of dying over and over again until his Regenerations ran out.

 

[Butters]

Lake Silencio shows nothing of regeneration. It's a time travelling robot from the future filled with miniature people. It's a trick. A light show.

 

[PorthosShadow]

Lake Silencio shows nothing of regeneration. It's a time travelling robot from the future filled with miniature people. It's a trick. A light show.

Didn't that event happen two different ways because River rewrote the fixed point? So basically, the "real" Doctor did die like he was supposed to but then there was the Teselecta Doctor.

 

[Butters]

Lake Silencio shows nothing of regeneration. It's a time travelling robot from the future filled with miniature people. It's a trick. A light show.

Didn't that event happen two different ways because River rewrote the fixed point? So basically, the "real" Doctor did die like he was supposed to but then there was the Teselecta Doctor.

No. It was always the Tesselecta on the shore with river. His decision to use the tessalecta is independent of rIver trying to change the fixed point.

The events at silencio in both episodes are identical, except in Wedding we also see the microcosm of the broken time line, which lasts but a second in normal time.

There is on nothing onscreen to suggest it wasn't the tessalecta all along. Except maybe for dellaware 3 not winking at Amy and Rory.
.

 

[Mark_Nguyen]

Also, while the decision to make Smith the Doctor's last incarnation had not yet been made, even then the Doctor could have just faked it. IMO the Doctor doesn't really think of himself as of a certain regeneration at most times, unless directly made to think about it. In making the Teselecta ruse, he probablly considered to make himself LOOK like he was regenerating as though that's what should have happened anyway (well, that and Amy / Rory / River having told him that's what happened). In my headcanon, the Doctor only really realized he was on his last regeneration after a century or two on Trenzalore and he'd had a while to think about it.

Anyway, I'm happy that the fandom at large has generally gotten over the whole "what'll happen when the Doctor reaches his final incarnation" thing - props to Moffatt for giving us an answer during his tenure, something he's probably wanted to answer himself. We knew as far back as "The Five Doctors" that the Time Lords had the ability to give someone a whole new cycle, and in "Utopia" we learn the Master ended up getting just that; and as far back as the end of the Troughton era it was established that Time Lords can live forever "barring accidents". Methinks that whenever we get to the 26th incarnation of the Doctor the fans will be less rabid about any perceived limit.

Mark

 

[Doctorwhovian]

There's also the Brain of Morbius face thing, which back then hinted that there might have been Doctor incarnations before Hartnell (and of course there's the Cartmel stuff and the new adventures which imply similar things).

And of course, the Valeyard which has never really been elaborated on, although some 'fanon' considers him a possible corrupt version of a Watcher/Cho-Je projection.

One thing that was sort of explained in Day of the Doctor is why the Doctor doesn't recognize his face when he regenerates or his future companions, even having teamed up with his future selves (Although the Doctor might have vague memories, as suggested in Time Crash and also Day of the Doctor).

 

[Candlelight]

It's theorized that TARDIS' have something to do with Time Lord regenerations.


1. Regenerated in his TARDIS

2. Had it forced on him by the Time Lords.

3. Needed assistance to initiate the change.

4. Likewise needed the Watcher to help him regen.

5. Regened in his TARDIS.

6. Did the same as 5.

7. Was killed on an operating table and didn't regen until several hours later.
Presumably because he was away from his TARDIS.

8. Died in a crash and needed the Sister's of Karn's elixir to initiate the change.

War. Died of old age and regened in his TARDIS.

9. Regened in his TARDIS.

10. Died due to drowning in an AU timeline (Turn Left) and never regened. 10 died in The End of Time and had to change in his TARDIS.

11. Was dying of old age before the Time Lords gave him a new cycle. The regen hadn't kicked in yet but still the Doctor went back to his TARDIS, where the change ultimately happened.


Nothing official about Time Lords needing their TARDIS' or outside influence to trigger a regeneration but there is a pattern.

Both of river's regenerations haven't needed a tardis, but then again she isn't a normal time lord.

 

[C.E. Evans]

...Tennant notes in The End Of Time, regeneration is generally not possible if he's killed outright, too quickly for it to take effect.

I think that a Time Lord can be so badly injured or sick that he or she doesn't have the strength to regenerate and could actually die slowly.

Sometimes the Doctor doesn't know if the regeneration will happen-again with the Fifth Doctor in "Caves of Androzani", he states "I might regenerate, I don't know..."

That and the regeneration from the Third Doctor into the Fourth Doctor was probably where I got the idea that sometimes a Time Lord might be too weak to regenerate and could die like anyone else.

 

[Doctorwhovian]

Also the Simm Master is able to 'cancel' his regeneration in Last Of The Time Lords(Although he of course had the back up plan in End Of Time).

In the Twin Dillema there's also the Doctor's old friend, who tries to regenerate past his limit but fails.

 

[Sindatur]

Lake Silencio shows nothing of regeneration. It's a time travelling robot from the future filled with miniature people. It's a trick. A light show.

Sure, but, that light show was part of the ruse, so naturally, he would make it go, as any onlookers (or history) would expect to go. Since the Universe at large (Those familiar with the Doctor), believed he still had at least 1 Regeneration left, he would naturally make the light show line up with that.

 

[DWF]

It's theorized that TARDIS' have something to do with Time Lord regenerations.


1. Regenerated in his TARDIS

2. Had it forced on him by the Time Lords.

3. Needed assistance to initiate the change.

4. Likewise needed the Watcher to help him regen.

5. Regened in his TARDIS.

6. Did the same as 5.

7. Was killed on an operating table and didn't regen until several hours later.
Presumably because he was away from his TARDIS.

8. Died in a crash and needed the Sister's of Karn's elixir to initiate the change.

War. Died of old age and regened in his TARDIS.

9. Regened in his TARDIS.

10. Died due to drowning in an AU timeline (Turn Left) and never regened. 10 died in The End of Time and had to change in his TARDIS.

11. Was dying of old age before the Time Lords gave him a new cycle. The regen hadn't kicked in yet but still the Doctor went back to his TARDIS, where the change ultimately happened.


Nothing official about Time Lords needing their TARDIS' or outside influence to trigger a regeneration but there is a pattern.

In The Power Of The Daleks the newly regenerated second Doctor claims that the TARDIS is an important part of the process and he couldn't change without it.

 

[DWF]

Sometimes the Doctor doesn't know if the regeneration will happen-again with the Fifth Doctor in "Caves of Androzani", he states "I might regenerate, I don't know. Feels different this time", although his hallucinary companions urge him to continue (although the Master doesn't).

There's a theory that the Doctor only regenerated to spite the Master's taunts that he sould just die. I rather like that idea.

 

[Ithekro]

The Doctor seems to not be a master of regeneration, not knowing all the ins and outs of it at all really. He doesn't seem to be able to do much with it himself while Romana can clearing pick and choose as she like when ever. The Master even seem to be able to someone effect his change. But the Doctor? Lottery isn't it?

But now, after the Time of the Doctor? He don't even know how many he has. He could regenerate, he might not. He might have a limit, he might not, he doesn't know anymore.

 

[C.E. Evans]

The Doctor seems to not be a master of regeneration, not knowing all the ins and outs of it at all really. He doesn't seem to be able to do much with it himself while Romana can clearing pick and choose as she like when ever. The Master even seem to be able to someone effect his change. But the Doctor? Lottery isn't it?

It was pretty much said so during the classic run.

"That's the trouble with regeneration--you never quite know what you're going to get."
--The Fifth Doctor (shortly after his regeneration from the Fourth Doctor)

And of course during the current run, the Doctor has tried a couple of times to regenerate into a ginger, but without any success.

But if we go with what the Twelfth Doctor said after his regeneration, not only did he not have any control over what he was going to look like, possibly somebody else did this time...

From "Deep Breath"
DOCTOR (to stranger in street) Um, have you seen this face before? (points to his own face)
STRANGER: No.
DOCTOR: Are you sure?
STRANGER: Sir, I have never seen that face.
DOCTOR: It's funny, because I'm sure that I have. You know, I never know where the faces come from. They just pop up. Zap! Faces like this one. Come on, look at it, have a look. Come on. Look. look, look. Look, it's covered in lines...but I didn't do the frowning. Who frowned me this face?