Who is John Hurt (SPOILERS)

mattmanw54301 wrote:

THERE..ARE....ELEVEN...DOCTORS!!!

I wish I could favorite this 100 times!!!

Seriously, how many people think McGann got shorted with only one tv appearance? Not only will he not be brought back, but we introduce another Doctor (for only one tv appearance) just to create 'tension' and another 'mystery'. I hope Hurt has more character depth than Clara does

bret_owen99 wrote:

mattmanw54301 wrote:

THERE..ARE....ELEVEN...DOCTORS!!!

I wish I could favorite this 100 times!!!

Seriously, how many people think McGann got shorted with only one tv appearance? Not only will he not be brought back, but we introduce another Doctor (for only one tv appearance) just to create 'tension' and another 'mystery'. I hope Hurt has more character depth than Clara does

McGann did get shorted with the TV movie however his work on Big Finish is way better than anything he could have done on TV.

mattmanw54301 wrote:

THERE..ARE....ELEVEN...DOCTORS!!!

You know, it's funny, I was thinking about what you said, that the preeminent truth of our age is that you cannot fight the system. But if, as you say, the truth is fluid, that the truth is subjective, then maybe you can fight the system. As long as just one person refuses to be broken, refuses to bow down.
But Can You Win?
Every Time I say "No."

Sorry, I just figured put in the superior of the two "Sci-Fi Torture Episodes" into the mix. Not knocking Chains of Command, it's a great episode, but in this instance I have to give the award to Bruce Boxlighter, who just steam rolls over Patrick Stewart.

Yes, Bruce was brilliant in that episode.

But, remember these guys, Captain Picard?



If Doctor Who continuity can never been re-written, there would be 17 Doctors.

Just because Philip Hinchcliffe intended these 8 guys to be early Doctors doesn't mean that needs to be respected by JNT when he said Davison was 5th and not 13th in Mawdryn Undead.

And until we see 8 regenerate into someone else, 9 can be anybody. That is only 1 of 2 regenerations never actually seen on screen. But 2 to 3 is kind of hard to dispute.

Did you notice during the Doctor's mental battle last week, there was what looked like a burst of energy before the current Doctor appeared? Not sure what that meant.

But Hurt could just as easily be a future Doctor, and Zygon Doctor or a creation like the Valyard or Dreamlord. Or even Omega. We may get a clue this weekend. Then we can spend the next 6 months saying how stupid or brilliant it is.

mattmanw54301 wrote:

THERE..ARE....ELEVEN...DOCTORS!!!

LOL

But...you know... the last time they asked... I SAW 12 DOCTORS!

Okay, just got through reading this thread. Fascinating stuff.

First, to Rust: Absolutely beautiful writing about the Time War and the Doctor. Truly wonderful!

All things considered, I'm actually enjoying this.

Weird stuff happens with regeneration... don't forget "The Watcher" in Logopolis, K'anpo and Cho-Je in "Planet of the Spiders", sprouting new hands, etc.

Personally, I really hope Hurt isn't a 'Classic' retcon, or that they're trying to suggest there were doctors prior to Hartnell. I don't think that's the case though. They said Hurt was the one who 'broke the promise' of the name of the Doctor... indicating that he comes from a point in the Doctor's life AFTER the Doctor took that as his name... in turn, suggesting he's not 'pre-Hartnell'.

Like others, I suspect he's another aspect of the Doctor like the Valeyard, one that 'split' from the Doctor for the sake of peace and sanity during the Time War. I'm hoping that's why they bothered mentioning the Valeyard at all, and not just as a red herring. Also, it would dovetail nicely with the theme of copies of Clara getting splintered through time, an elaborate storyline that would introduce 'new' fans to this concept.

I think he's a splinter of the Doctor, possibly created by 9 (if that article is remotely accurate) during the Time War in some drastic action. Perhaps he's trapped with the other Time Lords and Gallifrey and Skaro, etc. in the Time Lock?

AND/OR he's a splinter that FLED from battle... one who turned his back on the helpless and needy. An 'anti-Doctor' act if ever there was one. A great reason for 11's disgust and anger. The more I think about it, the more I think this is the direction the story will take. 9 was the 'warrior' Doctor, born in the fire of the Time War... who would later by 'healed' by Rose.

Or he's a future incarnation that's going to do something 11 doesn't like? How? Remember, Clara traveled throught the Doctor's WHOLE timeline/life, and the Doctor followed her, so he may know his own future now.

I'm a little unclear on WHERE exactly were 11 and Clara in that scene. A real physical place? or not?

I wonder if the Master is going to be in the 50th, and who is going to play him

I don't know about the Master, but John Simm was asked, and he said he's not in it. Then again it could all be a ruse, but time will tell.

I don't know if we have thought about this, but what is Hurt plays a "Doctor" who preceded 1? He could have done something on Gallifrey, Hand of Omega or something, injured, regenerates and fled in the Tardis. We know Coal Hill School is in the special. Perhaps this special goes back the beginning, and not the 8-9 gap.

It's been speculated, but the Doctor's dialogue kind of nixes the idea. "Your name, it's like a promise you make...he's the one who broke the promise."

Basically, he was already "The Doctor" when Hurt did what he did. That's not saying he couldn't be a pre-Doctor regeneration - heck, he could be The Other in full realization of the Carmell Master Plan - but the dialogue doesn't seem to suggest it.

Why can't he just be an aged version of 8. LIKE WHY.

Rocco wrote:

Why can't he just be an aged version of 8. LIKE WHY.

The same reason he's not going to be "Season 6-B" Troughton version of the Doctor. McGann's got a load of material to his credit as the Doctor, and it'd be dishonoring the role by somehow making him do something utterly monstrous that his other incarnations refuse to even identity with him.

Rust wrote:

Rocco wrote:

Why can't he just be an aged version of 8. LIKE WHY.

The same reason he's not going to be "Season 6-B" Troughton version of the Doctor. McGann's got a load of material to his credit as the Doctor, and it'd be dishonoring the role by somehow making him do something utterly monstrous that his other incarnations refuse to even identity with him.

I don't think it would dishonor the role if he did something terrible in the middle of a war that they refuse to identify with. And It would probably be more accepted than being a forgotten incarnation.

Rocco wrote:

Why can't he just be an aged version of 8. LIKE WHY.

Because if they're going to have an aged version of Eight, then I want to see Paul McGann playing him! I mean, John Hurt is great and I'm looking forward to seeing him in the special, but I'm personally hoping he won't be an aged Eight because there's no reason not to have Paul play an aged Eight. He never really got a fair shot at playing Eight on screen the first time around, so I for one will be very disappointed if this turns out to be the second time we get shortchanged on seeing him as Eight.

Isn't there a story that said there were 3 different 9th Drs?

What I wonder is why the TARDIS on Trenzalore has the current control room, when Idris said she archived... 30? This would mean this control room will remain 'til the end of the Doctor.

GAH.