Doctor Who - The Regeneration Edition - Part 14

[Primal Slayer]

"Raggedy man, goodnight" gets me everytime.

I really want some one off specials of 11/Ponds journeys. They wrapped up that fairytale nicely with that scene.

 

[AnneFan]

Overall, I liked Time of The Doctor. It managed to get across why we loved Matt Smith’s Doctor. Spitting out his wine, doing the drunken giraffe dance, fish fingers and custard, etc. The episode easily could have been a two-parter, but the briskness seems to work here I think in context.

In many ways this is Clara’s story, from her viewpoint. She just wants the Doctor, the face she knows and loves, around for Christmas lunch. He comes around, and then they’re both whisked away. When she returns to him, which is only moments for her, he’s visibly older. When she returns again, he’s ancient and barely recognisable. To the extent he needs help to pull open that same Christmas cracker. When he does de-age, he quickly regenerates into someone else.

Gran’s speech rams the point home: "I wanted everything to stop. I wanted nothing to change ever again. If he could just keep standing there, so beautiful. Long time ago.”

For her, it’s all in the space of one day. Clara was trying to hold onto something she couldn’t control. When you think of the episode this way, it’s sad. To her, 11 was the Doctor. The other faces were just who he used to be. Capaldi’s Doctor is going to be a shake-up for her and the viewers.

The aged Doctor reminded the audience this is how The Doctor really is, behind the youthful appearance and catchphrases. It kind of boggles the mind the length of time 11 spent on Trenzalore, 600 plus years. I go back and forth as to whether Moffat overdid things here. Though it plays well for future Matt Smith appearances, being able to appear at any stage of his life, being future proofed for eternity. Though these adventures would have to be Trenzalore centric, or him being pulled away by other visiting Doctors for adventures briefly, where he forgets shortly after.

The regeneration sequence itself delivered for me. 11 taking the tie off was perfect, goose bump inducing. We know the significance of that item, and it signified the end without a work having to be spoken. Drinking the fish fingers and custard as a last meal, also excellent. Reminded me of 8 drinking from his goblet before regenerating.

Not a perfect episode, but one that I like. Farewell Matt. Welcome Peter.

 

[antondlt]

Overall, I liked Time of The Doctor. It managed to get across why we loved Matt Smith’s Doctor. Spitting out his wine, doing the drunken giraffe dance, fish fingers and custard, etc. The episode easily could have been a two-parter, but the briskness seems to work here I think in context.

In many ways this is Clara’s story, from her viewpoint. She just wants the Doctor, the face she knows and loves, around for Christmas lunch. He comes around, and then they’re both whisked away. When she returns to him, which is only moments for her, he’s visibly older. When she returns again, he’s ancient and barely recognisable. To the extent he needs help to pull open that same Christmas cracker. When he does de-age, he quickly regenerates into someone else.

Gran’s speech rams the point home: "I wanted everything to stop. I wanted nothing to change ever again. If he could just keep standing there, so beautiful. Long time ago.”

For her, it’s all in the space of one day. Clara was trying to hold onto something she couldn’t control. When you think of the episode this way, it’s sad. To her, 11 was the Doctor. The other faces were just who he used to be. Capaldi’s Doctor is going to be a shake-up for her and the viewers.

The aged Doctor reminded the audience this is how The Doctor really is, behind the youthful appearance and catchphrases. It kind of boggles the mind the length of time 11 spent on Trenzalore, 600 plus years. I go back and forth as to whether Moffat overdid things here. Though it plays well for future Matt Smith appearances, being able to appear at any stage of his life, being future proofed for eternity. Though these adventures would have to be Trenzalore centric, or him being pulled away by other visiting Doctors for adventures briefly, where he forgets shortly after.

The regeneration sequence itself delivered for me. 11 taking the tie off was perfect, goose bump inducing. We know the significance of that item, and it signified the end without a work having to be spoken. Drinking the fish fingers and custard as a last meal, also excellent. Reminded me of 8 drinking from his goblet before regenerating.

Not a perfect episode, but one that I like. Farewell Matt. Welcome Peter.

Very well said. A lot of people didn't like The Time of the Doctor that much. Probably because of the plot (didn't see a problem with it) and Matt's leaving. But, I liked it.

Matt's speech at the end was like breaking the Fourth Wall. It was like he was trying to reach out to us fans and tell us 'Everything's going to be okay.' and give us one last hug. And the sudden change into Capaldi was very amusing! Amnesiac and color-conscious, he gave us few of the many reasons that he'll give his best to try to be the Doctor everyone wants.

 

[KevanG]

Just finished all of 11's series. The 50th was amazing and the finale was well done. Looking forward to Capaldi.

 

[antondlt]

The 50th Anniversary Special made me go all

With the brotherly partnership of the Tenth and Eleventh, and the grumpy, old attitude of the War Doctor, it was perfect!

 

[KevanG]

I loved it but I was hoping the Ninth would show up after the War Doctors regeneration just for a second and say "Fantastic". A shame he didn't.

 

[antondlt]

Oh! I was hoping for that to happen too. I had my face really near the screen, but Ninth didn't show up. It's too bad Eccleston turned down the offer of appearing, if I remember correctly.

 

[AnneFan]

It's funny, with Chris not showing up and inserting the War Doctor, I think 9's been made richer.

I like the idea 9 went on a dark tour for a good length of time, where he visited famous deaths and disasters following the end of the Time War. JFK's assassination, etc. It wasn't until he warned a couple about to board the Titanic and they lived that he realized he could be the Doctor again. His reaction to his reflection in "Rose" is because that's the first time he's taken a good look at himself since regenerating; he couldn't bear to before. Literally not being able to look himself in the mirror.

Just imagine how explosive and emotional it would be to have 9 meeting the War Doctor.
Something similiar to his reaction to the Dalek in 'Dalek', I presume.

 

[KevanG]

From the way 9 acted I'm pretty sure he would throttle the WD. Just leap on him screaming and strangle him in rage.

 

[Darkness Falls]

still can't watch eleventh's regeneration scene without getting teary eyed
"I will always remember when the doctor was me" as well as "Raggedy man, goodnight" gets me everytime

such a perfect sendoff for matt, i love the music in that scene aswell

 

[Manic]

After thinking about it some more, I think my only real problem with "Time of the Doctor" is how long he spent on Trenzalore. I mean, centuries of defending a small town under siege? And the town didn't look any more robust or fortified as time went on. It was just year after year, century after century of aliens capable of laying entire planets to waste, and they were hardly damaging this one town. The population still thrived and everything.

And not once in all that time did the Doctor (a man who drives off invasions before breakfast) manage to dissuade a single army from leaving. I mean, his ultimate goal shouldn't have been to defend the town (I mean, it was, but that should've been secondary). His goal should've been finding a way to lure everyone away from Trenzalore and make a clear path for his people to return, but it didn't seem like that was even on his mind.

It didn't even seem to occur to him to take everyone in Christmas away to safety. Surely the Church would've helped evacuate the town once everything went south. I mean, the invading forces weren't interested in the people. They were interested in stopping the Doctor from telling his name to a crack in the universe. Get all the people off the planet and find a way to solve that. Did anyone try finding a way to block the transmission so the invading forces would think the threat of the returning Time Lords was gone?

I could understand if this story took place over the course of days, weeks, or months for the Doctor. But centuries? It defies all logic.

 

[AnneFan]

After thinking about it some more, I think my only real problem with "Time of the Doctor" is how long he spent on Trenzalore.

Yeah, I know. As an instant plot device it is fine, and for Matt's future appearances, but in real time it boggles the mind. Day by day, week by week, month by month....and so it goes on. It is insane. For such a small town, what was there for him to do all that time? It wasn't going to be war 24/7, it was a siege. Remember, during 'The Power of Three', 11 tried to live a 'normal' life with the Ponds, but couldn't sit still. He did seem resigned to his Trenzalore fate, not thinking it could be changed. And he was right, it took intervention from the Time Lords. In any case, he got the most out of his body, especially knowing it was his last. Because of that he may have viewed it as retirement, with occasional work on the side.

 

[antondlt]

I could understand if this story took place over the course of days, weeks, or months for the Doctor. But centuries? It defies all logic.

Yeah. It was long and unnecessary, in my opinion. If only the TARDIS showed up on time, the story would've been cut way shorter. But, hey. That's how the episode was written.

It's funny, with Chris not showing up and inserting the War Doctor, I think 9's been made richer.

I like the idea 9 went on a dark tour for a good length of time, where he visited famous deaths and disasters following the end of the Time War. JFK's assassination, etc. It wasn't until he warned a couple about to board the Titanic and they lived that he realized he could be the Doctor again. His reaction to his reflection in "Rose" is because that's the first time he's taken a good look at himself since regenerating; he couldn't bear to before. Literally not being able to look himself in the mirror.

Just imagine how explosive and emotional it would be to have 9 meeting the War Doctor.
Something similiar to his reaction to the Dalek in 'Dalek', I presume.

Yeah. Ninth was a really emotional Doctor. Both sad and angry because of the Time War and his role in it. I would be. And I see your point on his "Disaster Journey" before meeting Rose. It kinda gave him reflections about how he is and what he should be - the Doctor.

And he was a fantastic Doctor.

 

[AnneFan]

And he was a fantastic Doctor.

He really was fire, ice and rage mixed in with wonderful excitability seeping through.

 

[RetroNaz]

After thinking about it some more, I think my only real problem with "Time of the Doctor" is how long he spent on Trenzalore. I mean, centuries of defending a small town under siege? And the town didn't look any more robust or fortified as time went on. It was just year after year, century after century of aliens capable of laying entire planets to waste, and they were hardly damaging this one town. The population still thrived and everything.

And not once in all that time did the Doctor (a man who drives off invasions before breakfast) manage to dissuade a single army from leaving. I mean, his ultimate goal shouldn't have been to defend the town (I mean, it was, but that should've been secondary). His goal should've been finding a way to lure everyone away from Trenzalore and make a clear path for his people to return, but it didn't seem like that was even on his mind.

It didn't even seem to occur to him to take everyone in Christmas away to safety. Surely the Church would've helped evacuate the town once everything went south. I mean, the invading forces weren't interested in the people. They were interested in stopping the Doctor from telling his name to a crack in the universe. Get all the people off the planet and find a way to solve that. Did anyone try finding a way to block the transmission so the invading forces would think the threat of the returning Time Lords was gone?

I could understand if this story took place over the course of days, weeks, or months for the Doctor. But centuries? It defies all logic.

Agreed. I would have preferred that he didn't age, but instead was unable to save anyone in the small town over a period of weeks of trying - which is the moment where Clara finds him sitting on his chair, defeated with an imminent death from the Daleks and ready to accept his fate as the "last" Doctor.

 

[Manic]

Agreed. I would have preferred that he didn't age, but instead was unable to save anyone in the small town over a period of weeks of trying - which is the moment where Clara finds him sitting on his chair, defeated with an imminent death from the Daleks and ready to accept his fate as the "last" Doctor.

That probably would've been a better way to go, and it makes more sense. However, it was a Christmas episode and a kind of finale written by Moffat, and that dude doesn't like to write dour endings.

 

[antondlt]

Agreed. I would have preferred that he didn't age, but instead was unable to save anyone in the small town over a period of weeks of trying - which is the moment where Clara finds him sitting on his chair, defeated with an imminent death from the Daleks and ready to accept his fate as the "last" Doctor.

That would have been way better. Would've been really dramatic and the episode would've cut to the point. But, yeah. Just like what Manic said:

That probably would've been a better way to go, and it makes more sense. However, it was a Christmas episode and a kind of finale written by Moffat, and that dude doesn't like to write dour endings.

it was a Christmas special, and everyone wants a happy special. Especially because of the holiday season. I guess it just wanted to make the point that the Doctor would always be there to save Christmas. Even if it means having him go through pain.

And new beginnings.

 

[Gold Samurai]

Agreed. I would have preferred that he didn't age, but instead was unable to save anyone in the small town over a period of weeks of trying - which is the moment where Clara finds him sitting on his chair, defeated with an imminent death from the Daleks and ready to accept his fate as the "last" Doctor.

Fans watching this version of time of the doctor




*Credits*

Moffat- Merry Christmas fu@kity bye!



That's like killing a character on Downton Abbey on Christmas day

Oh.....

 

[RetroNaz]

I think it would have worked well as a tragedy tale and I definitely would have had the entire "the long song" playing from the moment he stepped up the tower to the moment he changes - which then kicks into (potentially) 13's new theme.

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

I don't know, I think everyone dying under his watch in his last story really would have put me off and felt out of place. I don't know what the point of it would be other than tragedy for tragedy's sake.

 

[Llama_Shepherd]

Moffat specifically did not want a tragedy because End of Time was approached as a sad story. He didn't want a rehash of Ten's swansong, he needed it to be reflective of Eleven and his tenure, which is pretty much that of a space fairytale.

 

[Scarlettess]

i agree, in essence you wanted an ending opposite to that of tennants, and thats exactly what it was really.

just watched name of the Doctor again, still the strngest of the trilogy episodes i think. Baffles me how great an episode it is, yet how season 7 was so lackluster. hopefully season 8 will be great again and be on par with season 5.

 

[antondlt]

i agree, in essence you wanted an ending opposite to that of tennants, and thats exactly what it was really.

just watched name of the Doctor again, still the strngest of the trilogy episodes i think. Baffles me how great an episode it is, yet how season 7 was so lackluster. hopefully season 8 will be great again and be on par with season 5.

"You're always here, to me. And I always listen. And I can always see you.”

 

[AnneFan]

Check this out. A tale which explores some of the threats 11 faced on Trenzalore. I'm very interested in how these adventures will be varied.

http://www.doctorwhotv.co.uk/doctor-who-tales-of-trenzalore-57946.htm

 

[antondlt]

^Nice! Will get this as soon as it's out. To keep me company while waiting for Capaldi! :>