That is what a lot of people - including me - thought. However in 'The Time of the Doctor', #11 clarifies and puts it in unmistakable terms that it did count as a regeneration, citing 'vanity issues' as why he regenerated entirely back into himself. Hence why #11 was the 12th face*, but an extra (13) regeneration in.Chrill wrote:Yes, I stumbled across that episode with Pompeii and noticed that Capaldi featured. Fun bit of trivia, that.
He never fully regenerated, did he? That's how I interpreted it anyway. He somehow redirected the energy into his own severed hand.Redirect Left wrote:Spoilers - Series 4 - In 'The Stolen Earth', Doctor #10 (Tennant) is shot by a Dalek, and regenerates without changing appearances, which is alluded to again in the below episode, seemingly confirming it entirely with nothing left to imagination.
*Spoilers - 2013 Specials - The 'war' doctor was never given a numerical identity in the show, so the latest doctors are +1 face than their # is, and another regen was lost then too.