River's Timeline (spoilers up to most recent episode)

[Teddybrown]

I saw that too and I read upto Amy and River getting the letters then I stopped.... which took every bit of will power that I had.

Lol, i read it after the episode just to see if id missed anything, too bad I skipped half of it and went to where I thought was the end of Ep 1 but then after reading a few lines realised it was part 2.
I 'accidentally' hit the power switch on my computer so i couldnt read anymore of it lol, it drew me in.

[Spimman]

River: When I first met the doctor, long long time ago, he knew all about me. Think about that. Impressinable young girl and suddenly this man drops out of the sky and he's clever and mad and wonderful and knows every last thing about her, imagine what that does to a girl.

Little girl isn't river becasue the doctor doesn't know River yet, and like River said they are travelling in opposite directions.. it would seem to indicate that the last time the doctor sees River is the day she first meets him, and the day the doctor first meets river is the day that she last sees him.

I still agree that it isn't River, but you tend to think you're theories must be correct, when your evidence could be wrong.

We did see a version of the Doctor from over 200 years into his future who could very well know everything about River, or enough about her to make a little girl think he knows everything.

I still don't think it is her, but we don't really know enough to rule anything out.

[Puddle-Jumper]

I still agree that it isn't River, but you tend to think you're theories must be correct, when your evidence could be wrong.

We did see a version of the Doctor from over 200 years into his future who could very well know everything about River, or enough about her to make a little girl think he knows everything.

I still don't think it is her, but we don't really know enough to rule anything out.

We also saw that future doctor die. Unless he comes back at the start of next episode, tells him past self to take a hike and then spends the day with the young girl... The evidence is not wrong.. Nor am I.. Cept once but that was a long time ago

[Galileo_Galilee]

I think Moffat's gonna throw us a curve ball on the girl is and it probably won't be River.

Because I don't think River was a little girl like that when they first met. I think, but am not certain that the first time they meet they'll meet as adults, with her possibly being a young adult.

Because in all honesty, the Doctor should help children, and not kidnap them, like he almost did with Amy.

[DigiFluid]

So, to get back on topic (debating WHO River is should probably go in the River speculation thread): any fresh speculation on where the newest two episodes fall in River's timeline?

I'm still guessing post-TPO/TBB for reasons already stated, unless the reverse thing is meant to be taken literally rather than generally (which I'm still not convinced on).

[Cold Fuzz]

So, to get back on topic (debating WHO River is should probably go in the River speculation thread): any fresh speculation on where the newest two episodes fall in River's timeline?

I'm still guessing post-TPO/TBB for reasons already stated, unless the reverse thing is meant to be taken literally rather than generally (which I'm still not convinced on).

With the Silence's memory wipes, I think River's perception of her own timeline may at odds with actual events. Given the large amount of buildup we saw with the Silence, I'm sure we haven't seen the last of them either so there may be very significant gaps in River's own timeline that she herself isn't aware of.

[SaberBlade]

So, to get back on topic (debating WHO River is should probably go in the River speculation thread): any fresh speculation on where the newest two episodes fall in River's timeline?

I'm still guessing post-TPO/TBB for reasons already stated, unless the reverse thing is meant to be taken literally rather than generally (which I'm still not convinced on).

I believe the reverse thing should be taken literally. First time we meet her, she dies. Second time we meet her, she mentions if they've done the Pandorica thing. Third time we meet her, they do the Pandorica thing. It makes things interesting that every time time they meet River, they can't tell her what they've done in previous episodes because it's spoiling her future just as she'd spoil theirs. Amy was introduced to River, but River was never introduced to Amy. Regardless of going backwards in her life, they have yet to reach when she first meets Amy and Rory, and yet to reach the time where the Doctor learns who she is.

I love the idea, that as the Doctor gets older she gets younger. Eventually there will come a time she joins him full time. He'll be older and know everything about her, she'll know nothing about him and the relationship she is always suggesting will happen.

[paisley]

I place The Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon before Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone since she was clearly surprised that the doctor didn't know to kiss her goodbye at Stormcage while in Flesh and Stone she knows better than to expect her kiss and is possibly covering her anxiety about slowly losing the Doctor by keeping him off balance. I would tentatively place it after The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang since that seems to be when she first met Rory. However, since that's not part of the linear timeline I suspect "before" and "after" may not really be appropriate descriptors relative to other events. And with those events not really counting she may have first met Rory at some other event as well. So, picking my words carefully, it might be most accurate to say the series six opener occurred some time after Team Tardis acquired memories of the series 5 conclusion, but before the Crash of the Byzantium.</pedantry>

I don't buy that River and the Doctor's timelines are perfectly reversed. That's just too tidy. They're both timetravellers bopping around and meeting up sporadically. Logically there is no reason for the sequence in which they meet up to be anything but random since neither of them seem able to intentionally navigate to specific parts of the other's timeline. The most probable reason for the relationship to be back to front is purely literary. It presents a really interesting narrative situation. It also allows the audience to build on their understanding of River and her relationship with the Doctor in a meaningful sequence, something that just wouldn't be possible if their timelines were really jumbled up. I like the narrative situation, but suspension of disbelief does not cover the ridiculously unlikely possibility of two timetraveller's timelines converging perfectly in reverse order. I can grant Moff timelines that move in broadly opposite directions, but any more than that and he's going to have to provide a reason for such an unlikely situation to occur.

[DigiFluid]

Done an update as I've reasoned out, but I'm receptive to discussion on this. I try to avoid spoilers, but I know she's making at least one more appearance this year. I don't know anything about the story though, so I won't try to place it until it airs

[Galileo_Galilee]

I don't buy that River and the Doctor's timelines are perfectly reversed.

Their timelines aren't perfectly reversed, they are jumping around out of order.

[4thDoctor]

It can never happen of course, but can you imagine the dynamic if River were to meet the first Doctor?

[pbellosom]

It can never happen of course, but can you imagine the dynamic if River were to meet the first Doctor?

It might be something that can happen, after all River's been giving pictures of all the Doctors in case she meets them so the laws of time might allow it. Of course this is very much a fanw*nk answer concocted because I want this to happen so much. River suddenly bursting in on a One, Susan, Ian and Barbara adventure would be the best thing ever!

[4thDoctor]

It would, but they would have to find another William Hartnell look-a-like to pull it off, so I doubt it would happen. But Doctor #1 probably wouldn't take to this "child" calling him sweetie.

[DigiFluid]

Updated again, though I'm no longer convinced of when River telling the Doctor her true identity takes place.

[fumblesmcstupid]

Rule #1 The Doctor lies.

Rule #2 Doctor Song can't change rule number 1.