Dr River Song Speculation/Discussion ( Spoilers needed for S6/32 discussion)

[pbellosom]

II read one fan theory that makes sense, that leaving the brakes on makes the TARDIS easier to fly for one person, and that while River was technically correct in ToA, she was basically just showing off and trying to get under the Doctor's skin, and under normal circumstances she would leave the brakes on like him.

I like that.

[immhotep]

Theres so many theories floating around i feel like i need to vent

Obviously theres the massive wife issue.
But it doesnt mean she is married to him.

Her being a timelord makes sense but just doesnt feel right. Her being the doctor also makes sense, but a female regeneration.
Also Rani and Romana would be exciting. But just seem wrong, unless she is a descendant of another companion of the Doctor.

The theory i like the most is that she is the child of the face of boe. Jack's Daughter, on sat 5 it said the face of boe had given birth and we know he can have children from CoE so that makes sense. She also has a great deal of knowledge from the Dr and is experienced in all kind of technology that is very jack not to mention having his gun and coming from the same time period. We dont actually know Jack's real name, because he stole the identity of a pilot so theres nothing in the sames that can disconnect them. Jack also went to the end of the universe with the Dr, and if he could pass on his memories when he finally evolves in to the face of boe, then he and the dr have thousands of years to travel together...plus Jack really explains the kink!

[Puddle-Jumper]

I doubt Steven Moffet would make her related to Jack, or anything to do with RTD.. from what Ive seen of Moffets first season it would seem that he's trying to carve out his own niche, while trying to keep the show true to the classic series more so then RTD's reign of awesomeness

Okay first off I think we can all agree that shes not the doctor (as its being stated countless times in the show that two things from different points in their own timelines can't really interact) shes not any one of the doctors family members (as theres without a doubt a sexual relationship between them, the handcuffs, the kissing reference in flesh and stone)

She's more then likely human, just a very intelligent human (Im judging this by the fact that the Doctor allows her to be imprisoned, that she was born into that society, that dispite her timetravel its her home era and that the doctor isn't going to step in when she breaks the laws of that time period, specifically killing someone) This also kinda helps explain how she was able to learn how to fly the TARDIS, we saw Jack is from that era (where time travel is possible) and in the Bad Wolf 2 parter he was able to operate the systems to get a shield online and at that time he was just a normal human albeit a time agent.

Its possible her first encounter with the doctor is when she is 18 or 19, and if she is travelling on and off with him for all those years, it could easily explain her being able to fly the TARDIS so well, and know gallifrayan etc, this could also mean that if Alex Kingston ever wanted to stop being in the show or couldn't do a full season, that they could easily introduce a younger version of her and continue on the story arc.

Though Steven Moffet has said that shes not what she seems, but whatever or whoever she really is, thats not enough to change how the doctor feels about her, and or make him trust her any less (e.g. the library)

[knowles2]

I do not think River is his wife.

My personal theory is that she will start off as being evil an perhaps as a prisoner of the doctor. She did say everything will change.
I hope she not connected to the past Doctor who characters an has her own story an that is original an independent, which IMHO would make it better.
I do hope she fully human, we have never really seen a smart intelligence human that could match or beat the doctor before.

As for her having knowledge, I just count that as her being from the future, an probably one of the golden ages of human kind an she was able to understand an interpets what the doc tells her, I would love seeing her teach herself Gallifreying through.

[Puddle-Jumper]

I do not think River is his wife.

In the Library 2 parter there was

• the x's on the psychic paper
• the fact she knew his real name (like he might have had to say in a wedding perhaps..)
• another character referred to them as 'an old married couple' *
• She said spoilers about the handcuffs (indicating an S&M sexual relationship)*
• she sacrificed herself to save him
• he gave worked out a plan to put her in a sort of heaven
• She calls him sweetie*

In the angels 2 parter

• Amy asked if she was his wife and the doctor said yes*
• More handcuffs*
• She knows gallifrayan
• She knows how to pilot the TARDIS
• She refers to them as 'We' a few times*
• She says it weird 'when he goes all baby face on her'
• He says 'I could kiss you', and river replies 'maybe when your older'*
• She says 'He thinks he's so hot when he does that'*
• Amy saying she talks to him like 'Hey old boy' and that no one else talks to him that way

In the Pandorica 2 parter

• The TARDIS re routes churchills call to her, showing that she is the most closely connected person to the doctor in all of time and space
• There was the 'are you married river song?'.... 'Are you asking?'.... 'Yes' thing*
• There was the 'Honey Im home'.. 'And what sorta time you call this then?' bit*

Theres just a few off the top of my head, and if you look at the ones with an * at the end, these don't directly say that she is his wife, but they indicate it, and thats over 6 episodes, Steven Moffet (and infact all writers) don't put things like that into their script for no reason, its an indirect way of telling us a partial truth about her, its not just to throw us off and then it turns out that shes the master or something, remember she must have a hell of a lot more adventures with him and by the time she dies, which must be pretty far into the doctors personal future, at which point she's using x's and still calling him sweetie.

She is his wife, theres just something else about her too, that shes a timelord or perhaps something else. Remember whatever she turns out to be, the doctor still loves her and trusts her enough to give her his screwdriver

[MattSilver 3k]

She said spoilers about the handcuffs (indicating an S&M sexual relationship)

Or she could've been referring to prison time. Hell, even Flesh and Stone ended with her in handcuffs too. No need to think S&M straight off the bat.

[Replicator Todd]

I don't know if I want to find out more about River....I love the mystery surrounding her.

[Puddle-Jumper]

Or she could've been referring to prison time. Hell, even Flesh and Stone ended with her in handcuffs too. No need to think S&M straight off the bat.

Well that was my attempt at some dry sarcasm

[Lahela]

I have no idea who she is - ideas pop into and out of my head but having watched Moffat's first season I'm not brave enough to latch on to any speculation.

I just adore her... and am terrified that she's going to turn out to be reeeeeeeeally bad.

[knowles2]

An Rive is all one big tease, who gets thrill from wineing up the doctor. An all can have other meaning. I been called sweetie plenty of times an I am not married.
Yes the Tardus rerouted churchhill call to her, but apart from Jack she the only other one who could help, an the Doctor never trusted Jack.


Unless Moffat is leading us up the wrong route.
For instant he said in a recent interview that River song is not what we think she is, an most people thinks she the doctor wife, to me this statement means more than what has been said in the episode. An more likely point to Moffat leading the fans down the wrong path.

She knows gallifrayan

She's archeologist from the future, she smart, she most likely learnt to read an speak to it on her own, may with a few tips from the doctor. But you do not need to be married to someone help them learn.

She refers to them as 'We' a few times*

May be as we in team an not wife an Husband. May be as escape convicts on the loose, may be because she seem more than a match for the doctor in the intelligence department they became equals when dealing enemies. Nothing neccessary requires them to be married.

He says 'I could kiss you', and river replies 'maybe when your older'*

Name a assistant of the new series who have not snog the doctor or thought about it. An last I check none of them married the doctor.

More handcuffs*

Prison, it been mention more than once that she been in prison. For murdering a man.

She knows how to pilot the TARDIS

So the doc finally gets a assistant with a few brain cells an decides to teach her to fly the Tardus on her own, He also taught other assistants the basic functions of the Tardus, may be she being from the future a era from where Time travel an a Time agencies exist, enable her to learn more about the Tardus than other assistence. Again you do not need to be married for this to happen.

She says 'He thinks he's so hot when he does that'*

Just proves they good friends an not neccessary married.

Amy saying she talks to him like 'Hey old boy' and that no one else talks to him that way

See the above. River has also shown a lack of respect for people in the paths, an seem to think she better than most. I would not be surprise ithis just a sign of admeration for the doctor as being someone that can match her.

she sacrificed herself to save him

I am pretty sure she is not the first, or the last person to sacrifice herself for the doctor. But you do not have to be married to feel the need to sacrifice yourself to save a friend. Plus she knew if she did not the universe be destroyed. Thats a far bigger reason than them being married.

She said spoilers about the handcuffs (indicating an S&M sexual relationship)*

The BBC get complaints about a bit of snogging in the show, you really think they are going to use the Handcuffs to point to sexual relations.
I can see the complaints already. Thats more Tourchwood that Doctor Who. Plus having a sexual relationship does not mean married.

Nothing I have seen or heard points to marries an all of the above for other more reasonable, perhaps even more exciting answers. Handcuff, I am thinking prison break episode. An again it to obvious.
The only things that points to them to being married is the dancing comment as end of the last season. But event that can be explained by them just going to a other wedding.
Rive likes having fun, nothing more than winding up the doctor.

[Puddle-Jumper]

• Okay so that guy in the library called them an old married couple and river's face dropped because?
  
• And the writers put that bit in the angels episode where Amy asks him if River is his wife and he yes... because?
  
• and the bit at the end of the big bang with the doctor asking if shes married was there because?

Writers don't put things like that in for fun, especially the likes of Steven Moffet, he's said that shes not what she seems, which is something anyone watching the show can see, even if shes not the doctors wife, the doctor obviously has huge respect/love for her in that so far we've seen that he has no real problem with her carrying a gun, or messing with timelines or going to jail for murder.

Russel T Davies described her as "one of the most important characters we've seen in the series"

Yes the other stuff can be explained away, but Im going to go with Occums Razor here in that the simplest explanation is the correct one. And plenty of your explanations for the others things are a bit of a stretch, yes other companions have kissed the doctor, but the way River said "when your older" hints to more then that, the same with the handcuffs, and in general she speaks to him as an equal in a way that no other companion has.

[pbellosom]

Russel T Davies described her as "one of the most important characters we've seen in the series"

Does Russel actually know who she is?

[Puddle-Jumper]

Does Russel actually know who she is?

Well he'd want to, he was head writer back when she was first introduced back in 2008, not to mention Steven Moffat has probably constulted with him a few times over his plans as head writer...

[MattSilver 3k]

Well he'd want to, he was head writer back when she was first introduced back in 2008, not to mention Steven Moffat has probably constulted with him a few times over his plans as head writer...

I'm thinking Moffat went all Scottish-talky on RTD for a few hours, RTD nodding and thinking about Daleks. Out the other side, RTD got the basics: River's Moffat's baby, she's an important character for the next doctor or two, and we'll meet her out of order to add a sense of mystique.

[SaberBlade]

I think RTD would need to know where the character and her relationship with the Doctor was going, as he was the showrunner at the time. I'm not sure if he'd need to know everything, assuming Moffet had everything already planned out. I guess it would really depend whether or not RTD had decided he'd be leaving when River was introduced.

That said, River could be Moffet's version of Jack. Jack once said he was called "the face of boe" yet RTD won't confirm the link because it removes the "what if" fun of it. River and all these husband/wife comments and suggestions could just be Moffet screwing around and it turns out she's his mother.