The Long Goodbye
Dec. 26th, 2015 10:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ellestraThis was the time when some of The Husbands of River Song met and I loved that Alex Kingston got the first billing in the intor (I also liked the added snow).
So we learn River had at at least three husbands and two wives. She does get around when Doctor is not around. And she keeps stealing his ride. Of course I don't know why he acted so surprised he gave her the keys so why wouldn't she take rides when she needs to and she was never shy to mention her conquests (but I loved how they threw the names at each other).
I took great pleasure in Doctor getting all peeved by the fact that River had another husband. And was borrowing his TARDIS when he wasn't looking and he never noticed. And that she shown great disregard for him (and lives of people in general). And then he gets completely heartbroken when he hears River believes he never loved her back (or really cared that much). Do I think she meant any of it? Yes and no.
Yes - because she always treated him in a kind of utilitarian way - he's her ticket to adventure, ride when she need it and when she says love is an easiest lie you can tell a man and that he is terribly useful it hurts him right in the feels. She also obviously has a lot of her own adventures (in TARDIS and without it and plenty of other spouses) and life without him (even when she's in prison she gets out for things that are not dates - see Byzantium). I never really cared about complains that her life completely revolves around him (birth, childhood, death, prison) because that's only the part we see - the Doctor part. I always figured out she did stuff, a lot of stuff, neither we nor the Doctor knew about. It's easy to believe that Doctor is the hero of every story because he is the hero of every story we see but he's not the hero of every story of River Song life. To her he is Damsel in Distress and a ride. It was nice to get it confirmed. Sometime all she needed was TARDIS.
And yes - because we see that fragility and uncertainty about how much he cares before. The Time of Angels only just happened to her and she tried to hide her injury because he wouldn't like it and even after this she was surprised he saw her in The Name of the Doctor. There is this ever present doubt that he doesn't care nearly as much as she does. That he is only there for the fun part not the hard ones. It's not completely unfunded but she also does everything she can to hide it and he always try to show her how much he cares (heals her hand with his regeneration energy, tells her he always sees her but it hurts too much and tells her there is always a song when you need).
No - because River lies and exaggerates. When she tells Hydroflax about what she will do with the diamond she gives a Doctor-like speech about giving it back to good people and then just steals it and sells it to highest bidder. She has a reserved space on a ship for mass murderers but she tries to save it from crashing. She says what is necessary or just sounds cool at the moment. Or just to distract people or gain time. It doesn't make what she says true. It doesn't mean there isn't a core of truth in there but she also knows how much he cares about the humans he is close to, how much he would sacrifice for them. To her they last saw each other in Manhattan - she saw what the loss of her parents meant and what he'd do for her. We see her say outright lies or just half truths all the time (including this episode) with full conviction and it's often hard to say when she lies (remember how she pretended she didn't know why they were at Lake Silencio or who was the girl in spacesuit or that Doctor is alive). I'm not even 100% sure she really didn't recognised him (95% sure but not 100%). (So I can believe they could meet again before this for River and after for him.)
So I think there truth in all she says about him but it isn't the whole truth. The first part is exaggeration for lulz and the second is exaggeration of her fears for time. Just enough to fool the lie detector. Not enough to full encompass the flowchart of their feelings.
I liked how Doctor smiled and laughed when he met River. He’s so happy to see her again. And then she keeps refusing to recognise him and he can observe how she is when she’s not with him and what she calls him - Damsel (in Distress) who needs rescuing all the time (I suppose from her point of view that happens a lot) - and how she behaves - steals andkillstires to kill (like a good psychopath she was raised to be) and how much he loves him. And they can’t stop flirting even when one of them doesn’t know who the other one is. Or even when both of them think the other one just doesn’t love them as much as they love them (it breaks my heart and makes me feel fuzzy inside at the same time). And then they get even worsebetter. And he finally stops avoiding it (he always avoids things he doesn't like) and just like with his death (until the Brigadier died) and Clara (until she erase herself from his memories) so with saying goodbye to River (so many times) there has to be something forcing his hand. But there is always last time. For everything there is always first and last time.
Of course I’m biased because I love River.
"What do you think by the way?"
"About what?"
"My new body."
"Oh, I'll let you know. I've only seen the face."
General observations:
I love how Doctor said people need flowchart for their relationship.
River carries fez in her bag and she knows where he keeps alcohol/has secret storage for alcohol in TARDIS cotrol room (every control room - the new design doesn't seem to faze her). And once again she knows better what console levers and buttons do (let's all avoid deck 7).
Some people seemed to be (pleasantly) surprised River had wives but River has been based in 51st century when Jack's from) most of her life and this is 54th - it'd be surprising if she didn't.
Doctor mentions the haircut and suit just before he recognises River. She's not impressed. But she likes the new one he wears for their last night/(beginning of) 24 years.
People complain she seemed much nicer and caring about human lives in Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead. This is last time they meet for the Doctor and second to last for River - next time it's Ten and she dies - but we don't know how long it is between these two events for River. She is still mostly Doctor here and she is very insistent on Professor then so it might be a while (and the 24 years).
This is their last goodbye (as far as we know). The first one was when Ten met her but it didn't mean much as the Doctor (and we) didn't know her yet. The final goodbye for the River was in The Name of the Doctor (for her and Eleven) and now this is the Doctor seeing her for the last time (this is why she said "Spoilers" in TNotD). Now he (and we) know how much it really hurt.
"Sonic trowel. Do you realize how ridiculous that sounds?" says a man with sonic sunglasses.
Also the Williams family and trowels
Just made me all misty eyed a bit.
So we learn River had at at least three husbands and two wives. She does get around when Doctor is not around. And she keeps stealing his ride. Of course I don't know why he acted so surprised he gave her the keys so why wouldn't she take rides when she needs to and she was never shy to mention her conquests (but I loved how they threw the names at each other).
I took great pleasure in Doctor getting all peeved by the fact that River had another husband. And was borrowing his TARDIS when he wasn't looking and he never noticed. And that she shown great disregard for him (and lives of people in general). And then he gets completely heartbroken when he hears River believes he never loved her back (or really cared that much). Do I think she meant any of it? Yes and no.
Yes - because she always treated him in a kind of utilitarian way - he's her ticket to adventure, ride when she need it and when she says love is an easiest lie you can tell a man and that he is terribly useful it hurts him right in the feels. She also obviously has a lot of her own adventures (in TARDIS and without it and plenty of other spouses) and life without him (even when she's in prison she gets out for things that are not dates - see Byzantium). I never really cared about complains that her life completely revolves around him (birth, childhood, death, prison) because that's only the part we see - the Doctor part. I always figured out she did stuff, a lot of stuff, neither we nor the Doctor knew about. It's easy to believe that Doctor is the hero of every story because he is the hero of every story we see but he's not the hero of every story of River Song life. To her he is Damsel in Distress and a ride. It was nice to get it confirmed. Sometime all she needed was TARDIS.
And yes - because we see that fragility and uncertainty about how much he cares before. The Time of Angels only just happened to her and she tried to hide her injury because he wouldn't like it and even after this she was surprised he saw her in The Name of the Doctor. There is this ever present doubt that he doesn't care nearly as much as she does. That he is only there for the fun part not the hard ones. It's not completely unfunded but she also does everything she can to hide it and he always try to show her how much he cares (heals her hand with his regeneration energy, tells her he always sees her but it hurts too much and tells her there is always a song when you need).
No - because River lies and exaggerates. When she tells Hydroflax about what she will do with the diamond she gives a Doctor-like speech about giving it back to good people and then just steals it and sells it to highest bidder. She has a reserved space on a ship for mass murderers but she tries to save it from crashing. She says what is necessary or just sounds cool at the moment. Or just to distract people or gain time. It doesn't make what she says true. It doesn't mean there isn't a core of truth in there but she also knows how much he cares about the humans he is close to, how much he would sacrifice for them. To her they last saw each other in Manhattan - she saw what the loss of her parents meant and what he'd do for her. We see her say outright lies or just half truths all the time (including this episode) with full conviction and it's often hard to say when she lies (remember how she pretended she didn't know why they were at Lake Silencio or who was the girl in spacesuit or that Doctor is alive). I'm not even 100% sure she really didn't recognised him (95% sure but not 100%). (So I can believe they could meet again before this for River and after for him.)
So I think there truth in all she says about him but it isn't the whole truth. The first part is exaggeration for lulz and the second is exaggeration of her fears for time. Just enough to fool the lie detector. Not enough to full encompass the flowchart of their feelings.
I liked how Doctor smiled and laughed when he met River. He’s so happy to see her again. And then she keeps refusing to recognise him and he can observe how she is when she’s not with him and what she calls him - Damsel (in Distress) who needs rescuing all the time (I suppose from her point of view that happens a lot) - and how she behaves - steals and
Of course I’m biased because I love River.
"What do you think by the way?"
"About what?"
"My new body."
"Oh, I'll let you know. I've only seen the face."
General observations:
I love how Doctor said people need flowchart for their relationship.
River carries fez in her bag and she knows where he keeps alcohol/has secret storage for alcohol in TARDIS cotrol room (every control room - the new design doesn't seem to faze her). And once again she knows better what console levers and buttons do (let's all avoid deck 7).
Some people seemed to be (pleasantly) surprised River had wives but River has been based in 51st century when Jack's from) most of her life and this is 54th - it'd be surprising if she didn't.
Doctor mentions the haircut and suit just before he recognises River. She's not impressed. But she likes the new one he wears for their last night/(beginning of) 24 years.
People complain she seemed much nicer and caring about human lives in Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead. This is last time they meet for the Doctor and second to last for River - next time it's Ten and she dies - but we don't know how long it is between these two events for River. She is still mostly Doctor here and she is very insistent on Professor then so it might be a while (and the 24 years).
This is their last goodbye (as far as we know). The first one was when Ten met her but it didn't mean much as the Doctor (and we) didn't know her yet. The final goodbye for the River was in The Name of the Doctor (for her and Eleven) and now this is the Doctor seeing her for the last time (this is why she said "Spoilers" in TNotD). Now he (and we) know how much it really hurt.
"Sonic trowel. Do you realize how ridiculous that sounds?" says a man with sonic sunglasses.
Also the Williams family and trowels
Just made me all misty eyed a bit.
