Does this mean he only has 1 regeneration left?

summer_stesummer_ste Posts: 5,524
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Personally I'm not really bothered about the 13 regeneration limit the way some people think it must be honoured or else we better get a big explanation. I'd be quite happy with a simple throwaway line of dialogue to get out of it, but just for talking's sake, if the Doctor is stil limited (or believes he is) to 13 lives, then does John Hurt's character mean he is one more regeneration down than we all thought?

Personally I don't think so. I think he is sort of like The Watcher or the Valeyard, in that he is an "in-between" Doctor who exists between 2 specific incarnations.
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  • ea91ea91 Posts: 2,363
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    All signs point to John Hurt being a legitimate incarnation of "The Doctor". So yes, if there were a 12 regenerations limit, that would mean the Doctor only has one body left to go.
  • Banks246Banks246 Posts: 521
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    Yeah I reaaaallly hope they end my favourite tv show simply because of a number they plucked out of the sky simply because they could not possibly have known it would ever get that far. :D
  • James FrederickJames Frederick Posts: 53,184
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    We don't know but I have a theory that during The Time War the Time Lords lifted the regeneration limit so they had a better chance of winning after all if you could wouldn't you want soldiers with unlimited life's

    Or maybe now they Time Lords are gone there is no limit.

    I think it would be good that after his 13th incarnation even he doesn't know if he will or won't regenerate
  • summer_stesummer_ste Posts: 5,524
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    Banks246 wrote: »
    Yeah I reaaaallly hope they end my favourite tv show simply because of a number they plucked out of the sky simply because they could not possibly have known it would ever get that far. :D

    Who said they would end the show?
  • DiscoPDiscoP Posts: 5,920
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    Didn't 10 use a couple of regenerations? So really his time is up :)
  • Banks246Banks246 Posts: 521
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    summer_ste wrote: »
    Who said they would end the show?

    I have seen may people certain the show will end after number 13!
  • Tom TitTom Tit Posts: 2,554
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    Common sense suggests he has more than one regeneration left.

    Banks246 wrote: »
    I have seen may people certain the show will end after number 13!


    But the accurate term for those people is 'stupid'. :rolleyes:
  • summer_stesummer_ste Posts: 5,524
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    We don't know but I have a theory that during The Time War the Time Lords lifted the regeneration limit so they had a better chance of winning

    I love that theory.

    Personally I kind of hope that The Doctor continues to regenerate beyond 13 with no on-screen explanation ever given, just because it will annoy fanboys ;)
  • CorwinCorwin Posts: 16,588
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    If the Limit of 12 Regenerations is still in place:*


    If Hurt is a proper incarnation and if (as established in Let's Kill Hitler and Angels take Manhattan) Regeneration Energy is a limited resource than the Doctor is already on his Last body.



    If Regeneration Energy is a limited Resource then the Creation of the Hand Doctor in Journeys End used up a Regeneration's worth of Energy meaning that the Doctor only has enough energy to have 12 Incarnations.



    *Pretty sure it's not, or at least the Limit is a lot bigger (507 say).
  • KarisKaris Posts: 6,380
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    Ten used up a regeneration to create half-human Doctor. So the Doctor only has one more regeneration left... Although I'm sure that'll get glossed over as well.

    Personally, I don't care about regeneration limits. Although a really cool season faffing with the last incarnation and more lives would be pretty interesting.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 41
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    Can't 11 just wave his sonic screwdriver a few times and Geronimo! he now has 20?
  • ea91ea91 Posts: 2,363
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    Can't 11 just wave his sonic screwdriver a few times and Geronimo! he now has 20?

    Shouldn't you put that in spoiler tags!!!! :mad::D
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 611
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    I'm sure when the time comes, the writers will make something up so we can have lots of future Doctors beyond the thirteen incarnation rule.
  • Captain StableCaptain Stable Posts: 2,242
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    I don't think the 13 limit has been mentioned since the show returned, has it?

    Besides, I always assumed it was the Time Lord Council (or something) that controlled the number of regenerations - didn't they offer the Master a reset on his if he helped the Doctor in 5 Doctors?

    So with them out of the way and no longer able to put a ban on it, he can regenerate as often as he likes :)
  • nydernyder Posts: 980
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    I don't think the 13 limit has been mentioned since the show returned, has it?

    Not specifically, but when River saved him from dying it was stated that she used up all her remaining regenerations in doing it. Therefore the limit is still in place.

    Besides, I always assumed it was the Time Lord Council (or something) that controlled the number of regenerations - didn't they offer the Master a reset on his if he helped the Doctor in 5 Doctors?

    So with them out of the way and no longer able to put a ban on it, he can regenerate as often as he likes :)

    Again, see the comment above regarding River.

    Obviously if the BBC wish to continue with the series then it would be simple to overcome this limitation. It is Sci-Fi after all.
  • sebbie3000sebbie3000 Posts: 5,188
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    nyder wrote: »
    Not specifically, but when River saved him from dying it was stated that she used up all her remaining regenerations in doing it. Therefore the limit is still in place.




    Again, see the comment above regarding River.

    Obviously if the BBC wish to continue with the series then it would be simple to overcome this limitation. It is Sci-Fi after all.

    Not necessarily. She wasn't a true Timelady - she was Human+. Also, just because she used up her regeneration energy doesn't automatically lead to her only having 12 regenerations. It could have been more, could have been fewer. I doubt there will be a need to tell us.
  • AlrightmateAlrightmate Posts: 73,120
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    Banks246 wrote: »
    Yeah I reaaaallly hope they end my favourite tv show simply because of a number they plucked out of the sky simply because they could not possibly have known it would ever get that far. :D

    Teams of writers all beavering away over the problem stressing out and sweating because they can't think of a solution to the big 13 'problem'.
    "It's all over. It says 13, and that's it, there's nothing that we can possibly do."
    The series must stop for good because some witless writer all those years ago had the stupid idea of coming up with the number 13 which means it's all over.:D

    Scene:
    Doctor: "I guess this is it then, goodbye, it's been fantastic"
    Timelord: "What do you mean?"
    Doctor: "I'm at the end of my 13th regeneration. It's all over for me now. I don't want to die, but 13 lives, it says in the rules."
    Timelord: "13th?....You idiot,... 30 you moron. 30!!!. You have 30 lives. tut"
    (Timelord facepalms and wearily shakes head):D
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 89
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    Corwin wrote: »
    If the Limit of 12 Regenerations is still in place:*


    If Hurt is a proper incarnation and if (as established in Let's Kill Hitler and Angels take Manhattan) Regeneration Energy is a limited resource than the Doctor is already on his Last body.



    If Regeneration Energy is a limited Resource then the Creation of the Hand Doctor in Journeys End used up a Regeneration's worth of Energy meaning that the Doctor only has enough energy to have 12 Incarnations.



    *Pretty sure it's not, or at least the Limit is a lot bigger (507 say).

    They could give a nod to the original 13 regenerations and say the time lords increased it to whatever MS said in Sarah Jane Adventures as a way of increasing their chances of winning the time war by not losing time lords in battle as they would just regenerate if injured ..... Maybe one of the reasons the Dr rebelled ...
  • Pull2OpenPull2Open Posts: 15,138
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    summer_ste wrote: »
    Personally I'm not really bothered about the 13 regeneration limit the way some people think it must be honoured or else we better get a big explanation.

    I don't think I've seen anyone take this stance! I would say, from reading past threads, everyone seems quite content that there will be more regenerations and already come to their own conclusions without the need for a big explanation. I believe the most popular and most likely is that regenerations were controlled by the Time Lords to ensure no TL becomes immortal and that the limit is suspended either because they needed as many as possible for the Time War or simply, they are no longer there to regulate!
  • Pull2OpenPull2Open Posts: 15,138
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    Scene:
    Doctor: "I guess this is it then, goodbye, it's been fantastic"
    Timelord: "What do you mean?"
    Doctor: "I'm at the end of my 13th regeneration. It's all over for me now. I don't want to die, but 13 lives, it says in the rules."
    Timelord: "13th?....You idiot,... 30 you moron. 30!!!. You have 30 lives. tut"
    (Timelord facepalms and wearily shakes head):D

    :D:D Tea spat all over the place!
  • ukgnomeukgnome Posts: 541
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    Well the Master was well and truly toast as the 8th (well 7th and then 8th) had a rip roaring time transporting him from Skaro and back to the Matrix on Galiffrey. Then during the time wars he was granted a new set of regenerations. Who know's, maybe when the Doctor was in charge of the council he copied the technology for future use.
  • James FrederickJames Frederick Posts: 53,184
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    Teams of writers all beavering away over the problem stressing out and sweating because they can't think of a solution to the big 13 'problem'.
    "It's all over. It says 13, and that's it, there's nothing that we can possibly do."
    The series must stop for good because some witless writer all those years ago had the stupid idea of coming up with the number 13 which means it's all over.:D

    Scene:
    Doctor: "I guess this is it then, goodbye, it's been fantastic"
    Timelord: "What do you mean?"
    Doctor: "I'm at the end of my 13th regeneration. It's all over for me now. I don't want to die, but 13 lives, it says in the rules."
    Timelord: "13th?....You idiot,... 30 you moron. 30!!!. You have 30 lives. tut"
    (Timelord facepalms and wearily shakes head):D

    Ah but what about in about another 50 years when we are on the 30th Doctor:D:p
  • DiscoPDiscoP Posts: 5,920
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    Actually I was of the opinion that the regeneration issue had been glossed over by ten's throw away line in SJA about being able to regenerate hundreds of times but now I come to think of it, it would be wasted opportunity not to make a story out of the Doctor running out of regeneration energy and needing to find some more. Would he try and revive the Time Lords to try and get a new life-cycle?

    The way the Doctor was talking about choosing his name in The Name of the Doctor, about it being more of a label or a promise reminded me of how Batman referred to his name in The Dark Knight Rises. Maybe the producers would actually kill off the Doctor as we know him and have somebody else taking up the name of the Doctor? It would certainly be a brave producer who decided to do that though and I doubt it would happen :)
  • Rossby41Rossby41 Posts: 955
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    Can't 11 just wave his sonic screwdriver a few times and Geronimo! he now has 20?

    Lol, an innuendo if I've ever heard one. Can't you get arrested for doing that in public.
  • Dalekbuster523Dalekbuster523 Posts: 4,596
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    Doubt it. He can't be a forgotten Doctor. It's impossible. It goes against established canon, it totally changes the numbering and it would be too confusing for casual viewers.
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