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The Doctor chose his 'Matt Smith' face for Clara's benefit?
Hypnosss
Posts: 1,216 Forum Member
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Why was Vastra spewing this nonsense?
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Hypnosss
Posts: 1,216 Hypnosss
Posts: 1,216 Hypnosss
Posts: 1,216 Hypnosss
Posts: 1,216
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Saying that, it would explain why he's always been a white male who spoke English
What I took from it was he doesn't choose his face, but his subconscious trawls the faces of the people he's met and picks one for a reason - in this case because of the regret he felt for not being Clara's "boyfriend", hence choosing someone who is clearly a pretty close fit for her childhood pin-up.
This is all subject to change of course.... this is probably the arc of the season.
This would also suggest that the museum cleaner in the 50th special may be the original version of that face, and he'd met him prior to that era.
Of course there is the scene at the end of The War Games when choices were given to Two, but I don't really think the Doctor choosing what he looks like is an idea that should be pursued, really.
I agree he shouldn't and dosen't usually get to choose but I don't think thats what it meant. I took it more that when they talked about choosing they meant his subconscious desires/feelings (such as the desire to look young and be accepted) can feed into the regeneration, so not him actually choosing but unwittingly influencing it without realizing.
After all, it's not like ten stood there and said "I think i'll go younger this time"
I agree that the episode was rather harsh comparing Matt to peter. By the end of it he must have felt about 100 years old. At least we know he's a good sport though going along with all that dialogue. Im sure that's the kind of thing they would have changed/toned down if he had been really unhappy with it.
Not for Clara's benefit - for humanity's benefit.
"He flirted with you."
"How?"
"He looked young. Who do you think that was for?"
Clara says, "Me?"
Vastra corrects her: "Everyone."
Vastra wasn't spewing that nonsense - why are you?
No he didn't but the master certainly did when he regenerated, and Romana was also seen to choose her face.
I don't think he'd risk the bad press. Probably just thought it would be better to just suck it up for the first episode and hope for better later on.
Honestly, it was ridiculous how they went on and on about the age thing. Matt Smith doesn't really have a youthful face.
And Mels was concentrating on a dress size! I just think personally it's a bit of a bad idea generally. I mean, Two was positively ageist and sizeist in The War Games!
I'm not taking this too seriously, honest.
Tell that to Romana who could choose a specific face of someone they had just met.
Or the Time Lords who gave the 2nd Doctor a choice of a few different specific faces.
The usual theory is that the Doctor is just rubbish at regeneration compared to other Time Lords.
He does seem to be getting better and if the Curator is to be believed he'll eventually have the ability to choose a specific face.
It has been suggested before that the Doctor is somewhat influenced in his regeneration by his situation/surroundings. There was meant to be a line in The Christmas Invasion explaining that the 10th Doctor's accent changed from a northern one to a southern one due to him wanting to fit in better with Rose.
The same idea could be used to explain the 12th Doctors accent as the last person he was thinking about before the regeneration was Amy which could have influenced his new accent.
The Doctor never makes a conscious choice, he never chooses a face, he never knows quite what he's going to get, but they're guided by his subconscious. They're the faces he needs.
clamped!!!:D
I think the ability to choose his own face might have originated with the potion he drank on Karn and carried through his future regenerations.
Perhaps the Timelords have allowed him this favour for his new set of regenerations too? It would explain how he ends up as the Curator at some time in the future, and if they ever wanted to give McGann another go ..... . (ducks for cover)
Totally. As it has been established by the programme that Capaldi is very very ancient, when he is carted off they can bring back McGann
Romana also chose her regenerated appearance.
But it was ambiguous enough that it doesn't have to 'wash' with everybody. It's easily ignored if you don't like it.
Well, yeah, I know that.
Thought that scene was a bit silly and self-indulgent, really. Although Lalla in Tom's gear was quite amusing.
It was, and it was overdone.
Why would he be telling the audience they have to cast young people in Peter Capaldi's first episode?