Wonderful piece by Emily Asher-Perrin, and utterly deserving of your attention. For my money the Christmas apecial—and the regeneration—were beautifully handled.

But does regeneration make sense, even if you're no good at it? I think it does. In fact, I'd argue that the events leading up to each regeneration have a very heavy impact on how the next incarnation turns out. Though he can't pick out faces and then discard them the way other Time Lords can, subconsciously, the Doctor is clearly and cautiously reconstructing himself, adapting according to his triumphs and failures each time.