I'm in the process of watching it now on the west coast, but from what I've seen/heard, I think I'm okay with him not wanting to leave this particular incarnation. My brother and I have a theory that the Ninth Doctor fell in love with Rose and when he regenerated into Ten, he subconsciously controlled his appearance to make himself appeal to her. Young, slim, handsome...that Doctor got all the girls, including the one he wanted, Rose.
Now he has to give that up. He has to let go of the face, the very man who Rose Tyler, the great love of his life, fell in love with. He likes this body, this personality, this incarnation. He doesn't want to change.
More than that, all the things he's seen and done and realized as Ten have led him to realize that an endless life (as he says in "The Lazarus Experiment") is not necessarily a better one. I think the Tenth Doctor is tired of being a Time Lord. Regenerating just reminds him that he will never be anything more or less.
He also sees himself blurring the lines between what's right for time and space and what's right for his moral compass, as in "The Waters of Mars." He's a bit scared of himself, and maybe (because he knows his next incarnation will remember the lessons, but will have a different personality and perhaps a different take on things), he's afraid that next time he won't be able to stop himself from going over the edge.
It's not just that he didn't want to change that bothered me so much but the begging and the fact that for all of the things he's experienced in this life/body he still doesn't seem to have learned or changed. He still runs instead of facing his past or saying goodbye. He tries to change what he shouldn't and doesn't try to change what he could and then complains that the universe is unfair.
Honestly I'm having a very similar problem with this as I did with the end of BSG last year. There's a very good idea in it somewhere - and I think you've pulled it out - but what we actually get on the screen evidences none of that kind of level of thought. We're expected not to care or to make up our own excuses for people who don't give a crap about our opinions.
Now he has to give that up. He has to let go of the face, the very man who Rose Tyler, the great love of his life, fell in love with. He likes this body, this personality, this incarnation. He doesn't want to change.
More than that, all the things he's seen and done and realized as Ten have led him to realize that an endless life (as he says in "The Lazarus Experiment") is not necessarily a better one. I think the Tenth Doctor is tired of being a Time Lord. Regenerating just reminds him that he will never be anything more or less.
He also sees himself blurring the lines between what's right for time and space and what's right for his moral compass, as in "The Waters of Mars." He's a bit scared of himself, and maybe (because he knows his next incarnation will remember the lessons, but will have a different personality and perhaps a different take on things), he's afraid that next time he won't be able to stop himself from going over the edge.
Or maybe I'm overthinking it;)
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Honestly I'm having a very similar problem with this as I did with the end of BSG last year. There's a very good idea in it somewhere - and I think you've pulled it out - but what we actually get on the screen evidences none of that kind of level of thought. We're expected not to care or to make up our own excuses for people who don't give a crap about our opinions.
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