Am slowly working my way through this. Am afraid I've not got anything to say, really, except that this is all excellent.
Actually, that's not quite true. I think that for the Tenth Doctor it comes down to control - Nine's final sacrifice was about relinquishing control (to the Daleks, to giving his life for Rose), and Ten seems to react against this, trying to control situations and people by setting up parameters (no second chances). Also, on a deeper level, if he can *control* things then maybe he can *fix* them, stop them going wrong (stop losing people) - this of course not blossoming completely until WoM.
And having just finished 'The Writer's Tale', I found it very interesting to discover that originally all the 'test subjects' in 'New Earth' were supposed to have died, but RTD changed his mind since he thought it too bleak for the first episode with a new Doctor. But the thought is there underneath, and - as you point out - much more fully realised in TW.
no subject
Actually, that's not quite true. I think that for the Tenth Doctor it comes down to control - Nine's final sacrifice was about relinquishing control (to the Daleks, to giving his life for Rose), and Ten seems to react against this, trying to control situations and people by setting up parameters (no second chances). Also, on a deeper level, if he can *control* things then maybe he can *fix* them, stop them going wrong (stop losing people) - this of course not blossoming completely until WoM.
And having just finished 'The Writer's Tale', I found it very interesting to discover that originally all the 'test subjects' in 'New Earth' were supposed to have died, but RTD changed his mind since he thought it too bleak for the first episode with a new Doctor. But the thought is there underneath, and - as you point out - much more fully realised in TW.