[Dr. Who] A theory on regeneration

[The Guid]

This is the theory..the theory that is mine.

When the Doctor regenerates he is not renewing the cells in his body but he is also trying to adapt to the change in the environment - some part of him locates what killed him and tries to make his next regeneration not culpable to dying by the same thing. This theory does not hold up to all regenerations, but if others could help by making suggestions I would be most grateful.

The Hartnell - Troughton regeneration

Hartnell's Doctor died due to running out of energy. Can you imagine a more energetic Doctor that Troughton's? Alternatively you could see this as regeneration in it's natural state - very little change. Then again there was a real shift in personality - those who know Hartnell's last story might be able to enlighten me more.

Troughton - Pertwee

This one could easily be excluded as the Time Lords changed his appearence for him. However you could see it as the Doctor needing to take life a little bit more seriously. He had finally found an enemy he couldn't talk his way out of with charm - his own race. Pertwee's Doctor was easily the most serious of them all; a direct contrast to the his predecessor. He was also the most physically imposing.

Pertwee - Baker T.

Pertwee's Doctor needed to regenerate because he had to go and do something brave and honourable. His persona lead him to taking a risk with his life for no real good reason. Tom Baker may have been flippant but he was no fool in this regard.

Baker T. - Davison

This one I can only put down to Baker's Doctor growing old, being overcome by the more dextrous Master leading to a younger and quicker on his feet Doctor.

Davison - Baker C.

Davison Doctor needed to regenerate largely because he had put himself after Peri, his assistant. So why not regenerate into the self centered nasty arse that was Colin Baker's Doctor. I may be exaggerating but immediately after his regeneration this was true. It may be that the Doctor was able to reign back this dangerous persona.

Baker C. - McCoy

What killed Colin Baker's Doctor was a cheap shot by the Rani. He didn't see it coming so why not transform back to the old ideal of Troughton and Baker - very quick witted and tricky to pin down.

McCoy - McGann

So you're a Time Lord nearly killed by inferior human medcine. Well that was a dodgy regeneration, better make ourselves half human to make sure THAT doesn't happen again! This is my personal favourite part of the theory as it helps to explain the TV Movie's line of "I'm half human" without then forcing it to be true of the other Doctors.

McGann - Eccelstone

Unknown why regeneration occurs. It's possible that it came from Daleks and therefore Eccelstone's pathalogical hatred for Daleks can come through.

Eccelstone-Tennant

OK this one has me stumped. If your last persona had died sucking in the entire time stream, what do you turn into? A mockney cockney?

So, SDnetters.... who will bite?

[Bob the Gunslinger]

Tennant's doctor seems a little bit more crazy and a little less focused than Eccleston's. Call him the ADD doctor, if you want. Maybe that's how a Time Lord regenerates in response to such an obsessive personality who ending up nearly killing himself and others just to stop the Daleks, but instead died sucking the time vortex energy out of his assistant.

I don't know, maybe Tennant's chronically positive attitude is a natural inoculation against "too much timestream"?

[2000AD]

One personality change between Ecclestone and Tennant is that the point when they give 'people' chances has been switched.

Ecclestone's was initially unforgiving, but willing to give second chances if he thought the 'person' had changed. In 'Dalek' he initially tries to harm the dalek once he finds it helpless, but at the end of the episode lowers his weapon and lets the dalek make it's own decision. Simularly in 'Boomtown' he is totally unsympathetic to the slytheen's plight once it is returned to it's home world, but after it is de-aged he is willing to give it another chance.

On the other hand, Tennant's Doctor gives 'people' the chance first, but is unsympathetic if they spurn his offer ('No second chances'). In 'The Christmas Invasion' he is willing to let the Syrocrax retreat after besting their chief, but is quick to dispose of him after he tries to stab him in the back. In the episodes with the Family of Blood he gives them the chance to leave him alone and die quietly, but when they don't heed that he meats out a horrible punishment.
Off the top of my head the only enemy who doesn't fit this pattern is The Master, where it seems the Doctor is willing to give him a chance, despite his crimes being a lot more severe than other enemies he has faced while played by Tennant.

[General Zod]

Off the top of my head the only enemy who doesn't fit this pattern is The Master, where it seems the Doctor is willing to give him a chance, despite his crimes being a lot more severe than other enemies he has faced while played by Tennant.

Perhaps it's due to the Doctor being reluctant to be a perpetrator of genocide. In Evolution of the Daleks he tells Dalek Caan that he'll help him if he asked because he didn't want to see yet another species exterminated.

[Patrick Degan]

On the other hand, Tennant's Doctor gives 'people' the chance first, but is unsympathetic if they spurn his offer ('No second chances'). In 'The Christmas Invasion' he is willing to let the Syrocrax retreat after besting their chief, but is quick to dispose of him after he tries to stab him in the back. In the episodes with the Family of Blood he gives them the chance to leave him alone and die quietly, but when they don't heed that he meats out a horrible punishment.

"I'm so old. I used to have so much mercy in me." That's what he tells Ffinch in "School Reunion".

[Tychu]

Off the top of my head the only enemy who doesn't fit this pattern is The Master, where it seems the Doctor is willing to give him a chance, despite his crimes being a lot more severe than other enemies he has faced while played by Tennant.

Perhaps it's due to the Doctor being reluctant to be a perpetrator of genocide. In Evolution of the Daleks he tells Dalek Caan that he'll help him if he asked because he didn't want to see yet another species exterminated.

I blame the face of Boe. "All things have their time" I took this as well 1) The Boe species must end 2) There will come a time when the Time Lords are extinct 3) Everything will eventually become extinct

In my opinion the Doctor dosent seem to be the one who makes everything extinct. But he'll kill you if you screw up

As in the Christmas Invasion when he says "No Second Chances..... Thats the kinda doctor I am" For me and I think most fans that was our first clue as to what this Doctor was all about (as stated before the anti-eccelston)

[Stark]

One personality change between Ecclestone and Tennant is that the point when they give 'people' chances has been switched.

Rose's influence is detectable here. The Ninth Doctor was a moody and bitter, but Rose changed him: the Tenth openly admits he needed someone around to tell him when to 'stop'. The Doctor didn't 'spare' the Dalek after all - Rose's intervention allowed him to see what had happened and he instantly knew the Dalek would kill itself. That's not 'mercy', that's realising you don't have to kill someone because they'll do it themselves. The Ninth Doctor was about second chances for *himself*, moving past his own terrible guilt, not about letting badguys go (which he doesn't do, rather killing many of them in cold blood).

The OP's 'theory' is so bad at describing regeneration effects even it's own examples are quite weak. The Time Lords have some conscious control over regeneration (Romana had perfect control, for instance), so it's not surprising that there might be some knock-on effect from the nature of the death or the state of mind beforehand, but I think the OP is overstating this effect.