So Will The Next Doctor Be The Twelfth?

[Si Hunt]

Thinking about it, even if some of the Doctors regenerative energy in "Journey's End" was deflected to the severed hand, it all still got used up. Surely that means he's used up a regeneration?

So will this be addressed when Tennant's successor leaves? Surely now he only has twelve regenerations, since one of them has been used up. In a way, Rose's blue-suited shag IS the eleventh Doctor. Isn't he?

Si.

[Andrew Curnow]

Oh Si, you fan!!

FWIW I would say no, he's still the tenth Doctor - just as Pertwee used to lapse into deathlike comas from time to time, but was still the third Doctor, I would still count the Tennant version as number ten. He clearly DIDN'T regenerate.

[Dirk Gently]

I'm with Andrew even if I see the truth in what Si says. It's an issue that the BBC can easily side step & write around. As I believe you said yourself, Si, about only having 12 regenerations.

[Si Hunt]

Indeed, my point wasn't that it can't be written around. But the Doctor did actually state that the energy of one regeneration had been used up - enough to heal himself, the rest into the hand. He didn't RECLAIM the remainder, or hold it back, it was lost. So surely the Doctor has lost a regeneration. The "side step" will have to be one regeneration sooner now. Or will the BBC forget about it and cause a continuity gaff?

Si.

[Dave Tudor]

So what number is Doctor Donna, then...?

[Andrew Curnow]

Bloomin' Robert Holmes, wrecking our show with his crazy dozen regenerations theory!!!

[shada pavlova]

If I may reference the short story "The Touch of the Nurazh", in that, the Third Doctor was posessed by an alien entity which tried to kill him, resulting in him almost becoming Tom Baker two years early, but the energy of the regeneration killed the alien, so the Third Doctor simply reverted back.

It would seem like regeneration is like an elastic band. As the change progresses, the elastic band is pulled tighter and tighter, until it finally snaps and the process is complete. HOWEVER, if the process is interrupted or aborted before the elastic band has snapped, it will return to its natural, un-stretched state.

I think that clears everything up.

[Si Hunt]

Doesn't that mean that the Doctor could feasibly cut off a selection of limbs next time he regenerates, then every time he dies after that, simply direct the energy into one of his limbs and live forever?

Si.

[Llordllama]

That sounds like a plan/exploit that roleplayers would go for (were DW a RPG) Si!

"Yeah I'm gonna die, so I'll cut my hand off and store it in this pickled onion jar next to the bed..."

[shada pavlova]

Doesn't that mean that the Doctor could feasibly cut off a selection of limbs next time he regenerates, then every time he dies after that, simply direct the energy into one of his limbs and live forever?

Si.

Yes, that occured to me too.

But if you remember, the Second Doctor once said "A Time Lord can live forever...barring accidents."

Perhaps this is what he meant.

[Si Hunt]

I wouldn't be surprised if it actually WAS in the back of his mind when he said it.

Si.

[Dirk Gently]

Doesn't that mean that the Doctor could feasibly cut off a selection of limbs next time he regenerates, then every time he dies after that, simply direct the energy into one of his limbs and live forever?

Si.

He could, yes. But he would have to be in a condition coherent enough to do so. Pertwee was unconscious when he went in to Tom Baker for instance, as was Hartnell & Colin.

[Paul Monk]

That would be a pretty gruesome regeneration scene. Not to mention a less then classic pre-regenration speech.

"I'm regenerating. Pass the hacksaw!"

[Rob McCow]

Doesn't that mean that the Doctor could feasibly cut off a selection of limbs next time he regenerates, then every time he dies after that, simply direct the energy into one of his limbs and live forever?

The only reason the hand grew back is because he'd just regenerated. Eventually he'd run out of body parts to cut off!

[shada pavlova]

No, if he's within the first 15 hours vof his regeneration cycle, he can grow back whatever he cuts off and keep it somewhere.

[Si Hunt]

The new Doctors opening gambit to his next companion could be to whip out a selection of spare willy's he cut off when he'd just regenerated.

Si.

[Antony Cox]

In that case, surely the new companion would have to be called Nilly?

[Larry]

. Eventually he'd run out of body parts to cut off!

well if you started cutting off one toe at a time then once they'ed all gone one finger at a time it'd still take a long time before you ran out of bbody parts..

[shada pavlova]

Yeah, but they ALL GROW BACK.

that's the POINT.

[Si Hunt]

Yes, I was wondering why nobody got that.

But depending on how long the residual regeneration energy lasted, you might have to hack away quite quickly. And you'd be in shctuck if you hacked off both your feet and an ear before realising the effect had worn off.

Si.

[Rob McCow]

Yeah, but they ALL GROW BACK.

No, they ONLY GREW BACK because he'd completed his regeneration. He said that he had 'just enough' energy to grow back a new body part after he'd regenerated.

If he's directing that into body parts that he's lopped off, then he's not going to have energy to grow back anything he cuts off!

So if he did that trick with the half-regeneration then he'd have no power to grow back a body part afterwards.

At least, that's the way it seems to me.

[shada pavlova]

But depending on how long the residual regeneration energy lasted, you might have to hack away quite quickly. And you'd be in shctuck if you hacked off both your feet and an ear before realising the effect had worn off.

Isn't 15 hours long enough to hack off most of your body?

[Rob McCow]

15 hours? I haven't tried it myself!

[Zbigniev Hamson]

Jesus. RTD should be ashamed of himself for introducing such a bizarre point of discussion into fandom. The "how to have infinite regenerations by carrying around a hacked-off* body part" debate. It's quite a ridiculous bit of ret-conning that does strongly suggest that any Timelord could, the first time they regenerate, hack off a hand within 15 hours and then effectively live forever by spewing extra energy into a severed hand every time he tries to regenerate. Not only is this silly because it clearly never seemed to occur to ANY Timelord before in the history of the show, indluding the Doctor, but it's also the most hideously, hideously un-aesthetic idea to ever come out of the series. Or just about any series






*not as in "annoyed" of course.

[Zbigniev Hamson]

Isn't 15 hours long enough to hack off most of your body?

And who amongst us ever thought we would be asked this question? Actually I changed my mind. This is the single greatest thing RTD ever gave to the world