Doctor Who: 5 Unexpected Things In The Time Of The Doctor

4. Dying Of Old Age: The Child Dies As An Old Man

When we all saw the previews and posters for the episode, there was one thing we were all sure of €“ the Doctor was going to die in battle. It was inevitable - how else could he die? The episode instead reiterated a rule that some Whovians have long committed to: Never underestimate Moffat - at least not in his capacity to surprise the audience. Maybe if we all just abided by this rule, it would be better for us all and we can just watch Doctor Who with the guarantee that we will end the episode going €œWhat?!€ If you don€™t already do that, that is. In this case, I€™m talking about why the Doctor regenerated. While we all thought that the Daleks, Cyberman, Silence, and everyone else who staked out Trenzalore would be the reason that the Doctor died. How ironic that it wasn€™t the Doctor that everyone wanted €“ it was the entire Time Lord race. And the way to stop everyone? The Doctor had to stand in the way. For three hundred years. Even though the enemies of the Doctor did try to get in and kill him, he was just a roadblock in their attempt to get to the crack that held the Time Lords in the other universe. And with help, it was inferred that many times the enemy never got to the Doctor. This not only changed everything we thought about how the regeneration would be, but it essentially €“ if only for an hour and half €“ changed how the Doctor lived. He took the long way round. He didn€™t have his TARDIS, he wasn€™t running from anything, he was protecting what he loved and cherished the most €“ his race. In this, he became old, and ironically didn€™t die in battle, or even from getting hurt. He regenerated because he was old, and the Time Lords allowed a thirteenth regeneration. The youngest Doctor, the most childish Doctor, the one who reminded us all of what it was like to be young, died an old man, who, fittingly, was still a child at heart.