Thoughts on River Song pt I

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In an attempt to jog my memory about River and maybe pick up anything that makes a little more sense now, I watched Silence in the Library / Forest of the Dead last night. It's only the second time I've watched them since I didn't really rate them the first time round; I didn't enjoy them that much this time either, but all in all it fulfilled its purpose in reminding me of our (and the Doctor's) first meeting with River. It also inadvertently hinted at just how long this whole arc has been in the planning, and how insightful Moffat is. The characterisation for Eleven is already so firm and thorough throughout this episode (via River's expectations) that this is arguably the first Eleven encounter.

 

 

The thing that struck me most is that while it was pretty easy to see she was used to a different Doctor in these episodes the first time, watching it from this angle - having met that Doctor ourselves - made it blindingly obvious. While we saw that she was talking about a later Doctor then, it's only now we can understand how far apart one is from the other - a difference that must be heartwrenchingly wide when you're something like the Doctor's spouse. It is the utter nightmare of seeing someone you care for become unrecognisable before your very eyes; someone you know, and yet not someone you know at all. You can't greive, you can't move on; you just miss who they were, terribly.

 

The first thing I noticed is that their frisson is all wrong: River and Eleven are cheeky, jokey, and yet sincere; between her and Ten the mood is irritatingly tense and seems almost an accidental bi-product of their mishmash of personalities and expectations. What would get her an "Oh behave, River! winkyface" from Eleven gets her an "and another thing: SHUT UP!" from Ten. Pfffftttt. RUDE.

 

You can tell River isn't used to this Doctor: everything she says feel like it's testing the boundaries and she even has to remind him that there are still lives to be saved. Comparisons between Rusty's Doctor and the Moff's Doctor are unavoidable here, particularly when Ten dwells on how deserved an individual's fate is: "You just killed someone I liked. I'm the Doctor and that is not a good place to stand"; it's a far cry from Eleven's "I've never met anyone who wasn't important."

 

"God you're hard work young," River says.

 

Nevertheless, the important thing is that there's clearly some overlap: despite their differences, River still understands how a Timelord acts and what their role is; how they are perceived and where their weaknesses lie. She actively biffs Ten to stop him from damaging himself and their time lines, and knows that he may be the "Lonely God", but he can't always go it alone: "Luxe can manage without me but you can't!" Her maturity in that situation is compelling, and even with Ten it very much feels like one side of a working partnership.
 

When I first watched this episode, I felt saddened by how we'd met a character only for it to be her last outing, slightly upset that a life had to be sacrificed; I admit, I didn't feel much for a character that seemed overly know-it-all and smug. Watching it again, after River's revealed a little humility and how the worst day for her is when the Doctor no longer recognises her, it's devastating. He doesn't know who she is, and like she says to us later, "I think it's going to kill me." The saddest thing is that she keeps on looking for traces of that future Doctor, the one she knows and cares about, you can tell. Throughout the episode, it's like she's checking if any of it has got through to her Doctor. Maybe ironically for a time traveller, his life only goes forwards too, and there's no Eleven to be seen. Knowing that she's that persistent, that determined to recognise and care for him, I can't help but love her a little bit more.

Perhaps the most painful thing is how, even at the end, she still can't explain what's going on; it's the one time she needs him most, and even if she was able to explain who she was to him, how can she communicate who she needs him to be? She can't, so she keeps what she's had and takes strength in those. That's a strong character right there, all you Moff deniers. Her last word is the same as her first, and all because of the faith she has in those moments she shared with the Future Doctor; that they are too magical to go unhad.

TEN: No no no what are you doing?! That's my job!

RIVER: What and I'm not allowed to have a career I s'pose?

TEN: Why am I handcuff - why do you even have handcuffs?

RIVER: Spoilers.

TEN: This is not a joke! Stop this now! This is going to kill you! I'd have a chance - you don't have any!

RIVER: You wouldn't have a chance and neither do I!! (pause) I'm timing it for the end of the countdown. There'll be a blip
in the command flow. That way it should improve our chances of a clean download.

TEN: River, please, no!

RIVER: Funny thing is, this means you always known how I was going to die. All the time we've been together, you knew I was coming here. The last time I saw you, the real you, the FUTURE you, I mean, you turned up on my doorstep, with a new haircut and a suit. You took me to Derillium to see the singing towers. (sigh) The towers sang and you cried.

TEN: Let me do this!

RIVER: If you die here it'll mean I've never met you!

TEN: Time can be rewritten!

RIVER: Not those times! Not one lie, don't you dare. It's ok, it's ok. It's not over for you, you'll see me again. You've got all of that to come. You and me. Time and space. You watch us run.

TEN: River, you know my name;

(Auto destruct... ) 

TEN: you whispered my name in my ear.

(Nine... eight... seven...)

TEN: There's only one reason I would ever tell anyone my name;

(Five) 

TEN: there's only one time I could.

(Four)

RIVER: Hush now.

(Three) 

RIVER: Spoilers.

(Two... One...)

Comments

[indes-elfwine.livejournal.com]

ALL OF THIS. SO MUCH.

Eagerly awaiting Part II.

[travels-in-time.livejournal.com]

You are BRILLIANT! I didn't care at all for River's attitude during those eps, when I first watched them. But looked at through this lens--that she'd got used to a different version of him, and was still working in that dynamic--it makes so much more sense. All her attitude and dialogue would have gone over perfectly with the Eleventh Doctor.