Really? Is this something that has to be mentioned? Fine. Regeneration, the act of rebuilding ones body following a trauma that would usually cause death. This rebuilding process can often change both appearance and personality. It can also cause almost unbearable pain to those who witness it. Too formal? Alright. Every few years, fans fare forced to deal with the agony of losing their hero. Its a tough process that follows the usual five steps of grief. First, they ignore it, pretend its not going to happen before then getting angry that the man who plays The Doctor would even think of leaving them. Next, fans will start to hope that they have one more series, one more Christmas special, one more opportunity to tell The Doctor just how much they love them so that maybe he will stay. Viewers will generally be saddened by the exit often leading to tears and sorrow, before declaring that theyll never watch the show again. Finally, they accept it; they watch the New Doctor and he wins them over because, in truth, those who write the show know just what type of actor (or maybe actress?) will be able to take over the mantle. The fact is, Doctor Who is unlike any other show on television. In most cases, if the lead actor dies then you grieve and you move on to another show. If the title character leaves the show then, generally speaking, the show is over. Sometimes the show has changed in a way that means that the formerly lead character is no longer the only main character in the show anymore, but with Doctor Who that is never the case. Every week, fans tune in to see a mad man in a box. When he dies, they grieve but are then immediately presented with a replacement that they have to accept in order to continue watching the show. Its like when a gold fish dies and parents go and buy a replacement, except that the goldfish doesnt travel through time and fight Daleks! Regeneration, especially your first ever regeneration, is one of the hardest parts of being a Doctor Who fan. You accept The Doctor for who he is, and he seems to be just hitting his stride when the news hits. But if you can accept regeneration, if you can fight past that grief, then you have definitely earned the right to call yourself a true Whovian. Are there any other things you think that we have to accept to be Whovians? Id love to hear your ideas in the comments below.
