Doctor Who: 8 Stories That Would Have Made Wonderful Regeneration Stories

5. "The Ultimate Foe"

Really, this story ought to have featured a regeneration just to see Colin Baker off with a little dignity. The serial came as the final instalment of the 14-part "Trial of a Time Lord" arc, in which the Doctor faced off against both the Master and the Valeyard, a manifestation of the Doctor's "darker nature." Really, the story was a lot of abstractions forced into a court setting: at some point, the trial turned from a hearing about the Doctor's habits of meddling with time to a debate over whether or not the Doctor committed genocide on some Vervoids - and if so, he would be sentenced to death. The other Time Lords found him guilty, as he was, despite evidence put forth by companion Mel, but of course, the Doctor gets off free for saving the Time Lords from the Valeyard and the Master. In fact, he's even offered his old position as president of Gallifrey. But shouldn't he have gotten some sort of punishment? At least a forced regeneration? The man did commit genocide and has tampered with countless historic events in the universe. Evidence showed he would one day become the Valeyard, the very threat he forestalled, and it would have made perfect sense had the Time Lords forced a regeneration. Plus, it would have, no doubt, been a much more suiting regeneration sequence than having Sylvester McCoy put on a wig to bump his head.