Theory:Doctor Who television discontinuity and plot holes/Oxygen


 * Why isn't the Doctor using his regeneration powers to repair his eyes?
 * Because it isn't life threatening and would be a waste of a full rejig.
 * Yet, the Doctor was able to use his regeneration powers to heal Rivers broken wrist.
 * There's never been any indication that a Time Lord can direct regeneration energy to repair a single part of their own body. We have only ever seen the Doctor do this to other people (i.e. River Song's wrist, reviving Davros), never to himself.
 * When the 10th Doctor was exterminated in The Stolen Earth, he actually repairs himself, and keeps the same body.
 * Which did count as a full regeneration.
 * But, still debateable as he had surplus energy which when into the hand! It's debateable that he used a whole regeneration to repair, and stop a "full" body change!
 * No, this is not debateable. It is explicitly stated in The Time of the Doctor that it did count as a full regeneration.
 * Well, he did restore his hand after it was sliced off at Christmas during the Sycorax invasion, but that stil required him to have triggered a complete regeneration beforehand. Point stands: he'd have to trigger a regeneration to heal the condition but such is a waste since he's isn't going to die from being blind.
 * In The Christmas Invasion the Doctor established he had residual regeneration energy to heal himself so long as he did so within 20 hours of regenerating. As the nature of the Doctor's regeneration cycle is ambiguous since Time of the Doctor, and the Doctor already lost so much regeneration energy in The Witch's Familiar, it's questionable he has enough to repair his eyes. The above reasons also apply.


 * The Doctor apparently can't see now. So why did he appear to see fine when in the TARDIS?
 * He was bluffing. He probably knew he was in the TARDIS from the noise it makes.
 * He appeared to be looking at them just fine, and the camera (from his perspective) gave off near perfect eye sight as well.
 * The Doctor knows his TARDIS perfectly fine. If he didn't give away that he knew they were in the TARDIS before, he might have been saving it in case he couldn't get his sight back, and he had to do this very bluff. He also can hear where people are, so it's not very difficult to look in their direction while talking.


 * When the doctor found there was no oxygen on board the ship, why did he not go back to the TARDIS and get the space suits?
 * Two things - one; he desired to find out if there were any survivors, prioritising them as he lectures Bill and Narole about - two; by the time they are about to go back, the TARDIS is evicted and they are cut off from it before getting the chance.