fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #3050 ]

⌈ Secret Post #3050 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

01.

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02.

[Michael Keaton, Eddie Redmayne]

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03.

[Touken Ranbu (DMM)]

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04.

(Watership Down)

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05.

[Republique]

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06.

[Cardcaptor Sakura]

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07.

[Donkey Kong Country (TV series)]

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08.

[Türkisch für Anfänger]

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09.

[Tom Waits (left), Mark Lanegan (right)]

Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 02 pages, 038 secrets from Secret Submission Post #436.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Well, I'd say that reaction would perfectly reasonable for someone who was regenerating for the first time. The Doctor, however, had regenerated nine times previously, and each time his reaction to realizing he was dying (when he was conscious) was little more than "crap, oh well..." Generally it was *after* the regeneration that he had a major crisis due to being extremely discombobulated by having his personality rearranged. For example, Five spent some time randomly morphing into his various earlier regenerations' personalities. And always being unsatisfied with his new self or going "ugh, that old self was terrible what was I thinking." Which yeah, is pretty creepy but also expected for his species.

Two pitched a big screaming fit before regenerating, but that was more because the Time Lords were forcing him to regenerate and about to send him into exile.

As for what regeneration is really like...well, I don't think anyone can answer that because people don't have a frame of reference. It's in the eye of the beholder. But it had never been a big deal for him before, and there was no real reason for it to be a big deal for him then, so I assume it was more about him personally having a big psychological existential meltdown about Waters of Mars or something and just fixating on regeneration. I headcanon it as control freak stuff -- him wanting to stick to this one regeneration and not have a personality shift decide things for him, and to go out on his own terms, without that prophecy stuff taking things out of his hands.

Edited 2015-05-12 02:32 (UTC)

I guess I'm confused by the argument that it's never been a big deal before so it shouldn't have been one that time. It's acknowledged that there are differences in their personalities so why shouldn't some of them be more dramatic about it than others? I'd have an easier time understanding the complaint if it was a matter of it seeming out of character for Ten specifically.

Interesting question. For me, reason #1 is that the regenerations are part of what IMO belongs in the realm of the Doctor-as-a-single-entity, not Ten-as-one-regeneration. Regeneration reactions are some of the most consistent things between regenerations - he feels confused, he's weirded out by his appearance, he reaches out for new clothes, paraphanalia, etc, to ground himself and figure out who he is now and stabilize his sense of identity. Sure, every regeneration has different personalities, but The Doctor also has a personality that overrides all those different regeneration personalities. The regeneration personalities are subsets of The Doctor's personality. I could totally see Ten being more dramatic about his regeneration than some other regenerations, but it's more about the big stink he raises about it, yelling at Wilf and talking as if he's really dying, and doing so without being called on it or contradicted, that just doesn't really sit right with The Doctor, who overrides Ten.

Reason #2 is that the episode was all-around unsympathetic and hamfisted and corny, in a bad way, regardless of characterization and continuity.

For me it's more an issue of under-explanation. If there was a better-explained reason for why Ten threw such a shit-fit this time I wouldn't mind it as much, because you're right that it is a fascinating idea to explore. It's really creepy and raises all sorts of existential questions about identity and what makes me, me, etc.

[ SECRET POST #3050 ]

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