The end of last season’s Doctor Who was a muddled disaster that, in trying to wrap up 4 years of characters and plot, mostly just mucked things up and left viewers confused and unsatisfied. Just one of the things that bugged me to no end was the idea that a regenerated younger Doctor, full of genetic knowledge but lacking genetic love, could, with a few throws of buttons and switches, become a genocidal maniac. Or was that Doctor Donna? Hard to remember.

Anyway, since the show is all about consequences and loneliness and such, I propose a better alternative. Sure, the Doc can maintain his present (Tennant) form by short-circuiting the regeneration process. But in order to channel all that energy into his old hand (and save himself a regeneration cycle), two things happen. First, old Doctor dies. Dies dead, body lying there, really dead. Second, new Doctor does not inherit any of the genetic memory past his previous regeneration. So last thing he remembers is destroying the Daleks on the space station and saving Rose, and none of the last three years.

Now wouldn’t that be poignant?

And then, obviously, the Shadow Proclamation and various other allies and factors would come in and help clear the whole mess with the Daleks up, I suppose. Or maybe Sarah Jane’s “warpstar.” Whatever.