Hi hi! Here via ellen_fremedon, who mentioned (in a comment on my post on this ep) your theory that he might be old Eight. I like that theory. I'm also open to the notion that he's the regeneration after Eight and we never saw him because the Doctor has been basically dissociating from the part of himself which chose to push the metaphorical button and, you know, wipe out his entire people along with the Daleks. (Ellen also mentioned that the Master's had something like 17 bodies, so the "only 12 regenerations" thing is probably a matter of Time Lord Law, e.g. something that the Doctor can break without a second thought. *relief* :-)
I came out of this ep with SO many feelings. I continue to adore River Song beyond the telling. (And that kiss --! adkflja;fkdsaf;kj goddamn. :-) And I love your point that Clara is an ordinary girl who chose to become extraordinary. She chose to become the One Who Saves the Doctor, just as the Doctor chooses to be the One Who Saves Others. The title "The Name of the Doctor" is almost a red herring, in that way; the point is, his name is the name that he's chosen, the name we've always known, and what matters is the names / the identities we choose to embody.
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I came out of this ep with SO many feelings. I continue to adore River Song beyond the telling. (And that kiss --! adkflja;fkdsaf;kj goddamn. :-) And I love your point that Clara is an ordinary girl who chose to become extraordinary. She chose to become the One Who Saves the Doctor, just as the Doctor chooses to be the One Who Saves Others. The title "The Name of the Doctor" is almost a red herring, in that way; the point is, his name is the name that he's chosen, the name we've always known, and what matters is the names / the identities we choose to embody.