rmsgrey wrote:Given that the new Doctor was last seen plummeting from a great height, it's unlikely, but not entirely impossible, that her casting is just trolling, and she'll regenerate again shortly into the first episode.
Post-regeneration 'buffer energy' probably helps. Like Ten's hand. And, indeed, Ten's hand becoming Rose's 10½. Pre-Elevenising Ten also cleared up possibly equivalent fall-injuries (to which he was quite robust, towards, considering how Four became Five, although one is left wondering how much of Eight's strength let him live until becoming War). With Eight having been killed, before given the revived opportunity to become War, and Turn Left showing that there are other mundane factors that can be absolutely fatal (never mind the
intentions with the Impossible Astronaut and scene starting off The Pilot).
And think about the averted fall in Death In Heaven, if the Tardis isn't too Eleventh Houred to do that. (There's also Flying Sharks, other friendly aerial units (UNIT's?), either the Doctor's or someone else's abilities with matter transporters or even a wibbly-wobbly-timey-wimey
deus ex.) That fall is likely already keyed into a carefully planned grounding (NPI!) for how Thirteen deals with adventure.
I don't think the series could survive a quick-fire double-regen (well, outside of Curse Of Fatal Death-type parody), and await with interest/trepidation to see how they recover from the cliff-hanger. It probably won't be in a godawful manner, nor an actually inspired one. My expectations are exceptionally mediocre, in this regard, leaving me with wiggle-room for moderate surprise or disappointment when the time eventually comes.

(As to
starting to seriously watch the Female Doctor season, it's probably doable. They do tend to reset and ((dis)continuity nods and back-references aside) make it a case of "You
can start watching from here" upon each new version. That said, if you're only watching Thirteen because of who she is, you're missing the whole fun of The Doctor in general and you wouldn't even get to see where this differs from an always-was-female character like Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman or Xena, Warrior Princess. And you' ll be missing out on the likes of Blink!)