33.16: The Time of the Doctor [Christmas Special]

[Perpetual Man]

I think TDZ summed it up perfectly, many of the little bits, especially at the end were really nice touches. The bit about the TARDIS and not being able to fly it - I was not sure if it was a joke. A bit of twisted humour from the new Doctor!

 

[Ursa major]

Yes, there were a lot of little nice bits, but the show was like a light fruit cake where all the sponge had suddenly been removed, and so, basically, insubstantial.

 

[Idoru]

Unfortunately I thought it was awful. A confused mess of a non-story that made no sense, the whole point of which was to lead up to a supposedly tear-jerking regeneration. However, no regeneration will ever be as heartbreaking as David Tennant's so the whole thing fell flat for me.

 

[Scorpiuscat]

Wonder if we will get a new TARDIS interior with the new Doctor?

 

[PTeppic]

I thought it improved on a second watching.

 

[Perpetual Man]

Wonder if we will get a new TARDIS interior with the new Doctor?

I think I read that they were not going to update it because they had just done it, but I might be imagining that.

I thought it improved on a second watching.

I agree.

Something that seems to be getting a lot of talk is the regeneration, and it made me think.

The Doctor is dying, at the end of his time and that's it. Originally we know he dies, and has his tomb on Trenzalore, but Clara talks to the Time Lord and they change time by sending the Doctor a new set of regenerations. (Is this his 2nd set or 3rd?*)

The regeneration energy comes through the crack and is absorbed by the Doctor that sets him off into reset mode. It would seem this is an incredible amount of energy, as the massive out-pouring of energy is enough to blow the Daleks out of the sky. As it is some kind of undetermined process I'll accept it. It was just the time lord body accepting the energy and resetting.

The actual regeneration was that. From that point on Matt Smith was done. The body reverted to his basic young template just for the reset. And then BOOM Peter Capaldi. It's a bit like returning something to factory settings. There is the extended moment when every thing is wiped then it turns off and on again and it's all new.

It's why I think it happens so fast, it's not a regeneration it's a reboot.

But...

It shows the Time Lords have the ability to give a second set of regenerations.

That the process is explosive

Although a bit drastic is it not possible that during the Time War, the Time Lords reboot a thousand of their own, and with all that excess energy blow the Daleks from the sky. It seemed as though the old pepperpots had no defense against it...

*In the classic episode The Brain of Morbius, the Doctor takes on rogue Time Lord Morbius in a battle of wills, that is run through a machine. Part of the battle, showing who is winning is the face of the participant who is losing being shown, travelling back through incarnations. As the Doctor starts to lose we see it go back from Tom Baker to William Hartnell, then more faces start to appear. It could have been Morbius, but he was definitely winning, so it should have been the Doctor... could it have been the Doctor was already on a second set of regenerations and now has a third?

 

[jastius]

The introduction of tom baker as the curator has introduced the idea that a doctor may 'retire'... however this may happen. perhaps that is the route that matt's doctor has chosen to take, though we don't see it yet. a cross regeneration line, perhaps?
As to peter's taking over the role, as matt would say, 'still not ginger..' and the rest is, as always with a new character, on probation.

however, the door is open now that tom baker can guest star, so there is one sugar plum left upon this christmas offering.

 

[Pyan]

however, the door is open now that tom baker can guest star, so there is one sugar plum left upon this christmas offering.

I just wish he'd offered Clara a jelly-baby...

 

[Brian G Turner]

Finally watched this.

Awful, awful, awful.

It was just so completely random, nothing made sense - did a class of primary children make this up as some kind of competition prize?

And, as usual, Moffat's Doctor doesn't really *do* anything.

 

[thaddeus6th]

Brian, I've been watching the first series of Farscape again and the show's miles better than New Who. The plots are more original, and certainly more coherent.

Some New Who's been good, or very good (two parter with the Silence and Blink spring to mind), but must agree with you that this special did not live up to the name.

Out of interest, it seems an odd time to have seen a Christmas special. How come you saw it in May?

 

[Brian G Turner]

Borrowed the DVD from a massive Doctor Who fan I know.

If I ever get to take over Who, he will be my research assistant.