Well if there is such thing as a 'fan-gasm', i just had one this morning. I, like many of you, have been crying for them to bring back McGann for the 50th and I got my Christmas present early! McGann is now a total 'BBC produced' canon (although there was still flashbacks in TND and a couple other places, i know) LOL! Guess now the big question is will they show Hurt regenerating to Ecc in the special? otherwise people will wonder if there is still even another unknown after Hurt since that loop is still open.
Speaking of the devil, he either hasn't seen the clip yet, or is still fan-gasm-ing. Great clip though. Spoiler: questions Clearly a younger Hurt version then. So he's still "#8" due to the potion?
Yes. 1 War Doctor 11 Doctors Probably after the war the War doctor decided "So much death. I believe a doctor is need" Ecchelston arrives. This marks the return of "The Doctor"
Well, there WAS a regeneration. So no, I'm thinking the War Doctor (heh, that's really catchy) is number nine. The Doctor has delayed his regeneration before / since, so this is just counting that. Also, McGann regnerated a) outside his TARDIS, and b) not completely on his feet. Oh Moff, you CAN buck a trend! Mark
Also also - ooh! He's got the same sonic screwdriver he started with, or one close enough to it. CONTINUITY! Mark
Eight, actually, counting the 7th Doctor's appearance in his Continuity Errors short story for one of the Decalogs.
ON EDIT.. I didn't reply fast enough, but this was directed at Samurai's comment... ^^ Is that the official explination, and I misunderstood what happened on screen or just supposition? I fear this will be a new "hot debate" topic around fandom... I read into this as he was dead.. The sisters brought him back just long enough to he could regenerate as he normally would... And then they juiced him up with some magic potion so that the regeneration could be controlled to give him the OOOMPH he needed to end the war.. Dammit, now I'm confused..
As much as I would like to believe Moffat is pulling a fast one in us again with Eccleston, I highly doubt it simply because Eccleston said he's not in it. Unlike McGann, who went along with the game, Eccleston strikes me the type of person who wants to maintain integrity with his fans by not lying.
I do believe they will show the regeneration. If they went through the trouble of showing McGann turn into Hurt, I think its just as possible for the Hurt-Eccleston regeneration to occur. Whether Eccleston himself would've been up for it or not, that... is another story. And based on what we've heard about him, highly doubtful.
I think the dialogue is vague enough so that it works two ways. For the fans who have no knowledge of the spin-off materials, it's a reference to "The Brain of Morbius" and for those who've heard his audio dramas, it's a reference to those two stories, I imagine that's how the line is meant to work.
That's what I want to believe happened. The 8th doctor said "No more Doctor. Time for a warrior" So he takes on a different title for specific mission. To be the "War Doctor" When the war's over he turned back into the Doctor The war doctor is a detour/combo breaker before continuing to be the doctor. Now I want to see Derek Jacobi and John Hurt fight!
I wonder though...if 9-10-11 were actively not acknowledging the existence of the War Doctor, when 10 describes the atrocities of the Time War to the Master in End of Time, is he recalling the experiences of that incarnation or did he perhaps observe these things when he was still 8? Would the Doctor still refer to those memories even as he is trying to forget being that version of himself?
That. Was. Freakin. Awesome. As for regenerating into Nine, I think they could still easily do it without Eccleston, and simply CG his head from a prior episode onto someone else's body. It would likely just be a quick two second shot at the end of the special anyway.
No Fu*KING WAY! 2AM here and I think I woke up half the building. Brilliant. More 8th Doctor! Give us a series! Liked how the regeneration was different this time. Loved everything. Just needed to be longer!
Indeed.. How cool would it be to have a series based on 8th's life through the Time War, leading up to his regeneration into Hurt... A full blown series would be too much to ask for but maybe a shorter, web-based series or something...
What if at the end of the War Doctors usefulness, he reverts/regenerates/degenerates back to McGann (8)?