The Husbands of River Song Grade and Discussion thread

[Gepard]

Enjoyable enough if you just want something breezy to put on the background on Christmas, but like most of Moffat's run it's nonsense buoyed by the presence of talented actors and capped off with unearned sentimentality.

Which is not to say the closing scene was bad given that it had Peter and Alex acting the hell out of it, but it might have been more effective if it had dialed back on the "OH NOEZ IT'S THEIR LAST NIGHT TOGETHER BE SAD NOW ISN'T IT POIGNANT" and let the natural tragedy of River not knowing she's about to die speak for itself.

 

[Procutus]

Wow, a lot of mixed reviews here. We get the show in about 90 minutes, so we'll see. I've been eager to see Capaldi and Kingston together.

 

[sttngfan1701d]

Wow, a lot of mixed reviews here. We get the show in about 90 minutes, so we'll see. I've been eager to see Capaldi and Kingston together.

Prepare yourself. It's pretty bad. Capaldi and Kingston work well together, though. I dislike River Song, and disliked her for about 75% of this episode, but they both really crushed the ending.

 

[SeerSGB]

As much as I've grown to dislike River (The Smith era really burned her out for me), I kinda of want Capaldi's Doctor to go back now and saver her from the Library. That's hwo much I like the ending. Hated nearly everything up till the end, and the freaking end had to go and make me feel sorry for River.

 

[Sparkle Fabulosa]

I would have preferred a compilation video of all their banter instead of the actual episode.

I'm sorry to say that this is my least favourite Christmas episode, and I really really disliked The Doctor, The Widow, And The Wardrobe.

 

[Squiggy]

Moffat really likes to beat you about the face and neck with Christmas and how it will never change from how it was 60 years ago regardless of the century or planet.

 

[Ithekro]

Intergalactic nostalgia.

 

[Sparkle Fabulosa]

^ Isn't nostalgia supposed to be enjoyable?

 

[Squiggy]

Tudor Village? Check.
Sinking Space Luxury Liner? Check.
Obviously Evil Guys? Check.
Evil leader head? Check.

 

[chelly]

I enjoyed the episode, it was a fun episode. Also a little sad at the end to.

A trowel hmm didn't another person in her family carry one to.

And when did the Galifrey base forum move in here? (I am teasing)

 

[Ithekro]

The Doctor has probably been importing 1960s British Christmas all across time and space for millennia.

 

[auntiehill]

I don't usually care that much for the Christmas specials but I really liked this one, even though it was fairly silly. I love Capaldi's Doctor with River.

 

[The Wormhole]

You know, I actually liked this. Capaldi and Kingston were great together, there were a lot of fun moments. The cruise ship in space filled with horrible villains was a really cool and imaginative idea which could have actually worked as its own episode. So the stuff with the heads and robotic body were a bit too on the silly side, but Ill overlook that because the ending with the Singing Towers was a great scene and even kind of touching.

Of course, it's a well known fact that Moffat wrote this episode intending it to be the finale of his term as showrunner. And indeed, the Singing Tower scene is practically an end of an era reflection. My issue however is now we know Moffat's sticking around for another season we might have another situation similar to Clara this past year, where Last Christmas was a perfect ending for her, but then we get her back for another year which really didn't do her any great service. Likewise, we now have Moffat's perfect curtain bow, but next season is probably just going undo that.

Nitpick side, when the Doctor first opens the TARDIS after crashing on Derillium it's night, then he skips ahead to daylight where that guy has arrived to render assistance. If night on Derillium lasts 24 years, than that means they waited 24 years before rendering assistance.

Not really a nitpick as such, but I see River knew about the War Doctor all along.

1. The Christmas overlay of the title sequence saddened me. Doctor Who is a program which I thought would never sink so low.

They did the same thing with Last Christmas last year.

 

[kirk55555]

I thought this was very good. Not the best christmas special (A Christmas Carol gets that honor, its one of my favorite Doctor Who episodes, period) but its probably tied for second best with The End of Time, and its definitely better than Last Christmas or The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe. I'm a huge River fan, and she was good in this episode. It was a little silly, but overall an entertaining adventure.

 

[auntiehill]

^My thoughts exactly.

 

[Hoser]

Ah, I loved it. So many back references, and then tied up in a neat and sad bow. Sonic trowel, the Fez....

 

[shivkala]

It was definitely enjoyable. However, it did raise a few issues for me:

• Is this why she said the Doctor looked so young back in "Silence in the Library"? Because the last Doctor she had spent time with prior to seeing 10 was 12?
• Okay, so she's in love with the Doctor, but she's also quick to point out his faults. If she was willing to complain about him to a stranger, does she really care about the Doctor? Is she capable of that?
• Was the River in "The Name of the Doctor" River from the Library computer? It seemed to hint that there would be future stories with her from that time point.
• Will we ever get to see River and Jack together? That seems like a story that's demanding to be seen.
• Does the Doctor really love River? Is she right that he's "too big" for that? Or is his version of "love" so different from River's, she has to justify it in her head?
• Did River truly not recognize the Doctor? Did she at least subconsciously know it was him?

Something tells me that as long as Moffatt is writing the Doctor (and Alex Kingston is amenable to it), we're not through with River, just yet.

 

[Mr Light]

Cute fluffy episode. Liked the big robot.

I refuse to believe the Doctor never loved River. She's his WIFE. He clearly loved Clara and she was just a Companion.

 

[Ithekro]

She's still in the Library, Doctor.

It was maybe 1,000 years or more since he last saw River Song alive...in Manhattan. But he did save her the days he met her.

 

[P0sitr0nic]

This episode hurt so much. Too good.