C+Q - The Husbands of River Song (2015)
The Husbands of River Song is my favourite Christmas Special so far and part of that is down to its simplicity. Unlike my previous favourites, A Christmas Carol and Last Christmas, this one doesn't rely on time travel or different levels of reality or anything else that's overly complex. Instead, the whole thing revolves around a very basic premise: what if the Twelfth Doctor met River Song? The episode then proceeds to spend an hour exploring that premise in detail, showing us every possibility of how it would go down. It's my favourite special because it sets itself a clear objective and then goes about achieving that objective as efficiently as possible, and the end result is sixty minutes of pure fun. I love both of these characters, I love the way they interact with each other, and I love the barmy Moffativellian adventure they get themselves swept up into. Coming after an incredibly continuity-heavy series comprised entirely of two-part stories, Husbands is a nice standalone 'What if?' scenario that a seasonal end-of-year special is in the perfect position to indulge.
Given that this episode takes the Doctor and River to the Singing Towers of Darillium, a location mentioned in Forest of the Dead as being where they spent their last night together, it's highly likely that this is the only opportunity we're going to have to see Alex Kingston and Peter Capaldi on screen together. Luckily, Husbands knows this and lets nothing stand in the way of what we want to see. The idea of River not recognising one of the Doctor's incarnations is used to full effect and every possibility is explored. We see the Doctor having to pretend to be surprised by the TARDIS, we get to hear what River really thinks of the Doctor, and we get to see what she does when she thinks he's not watching. Essentially, the first two-thirds of this special are like watching the Doctor cameo in The River Song Show, and it's glorious. I haven't got around to listening to Big Finish's River Song spin-off yet, but if it's anything like this, sign me up.
The Darillium scene itself is very well handled and strikes the perfect balance between informing the casual audience of why this is a significant moment and not giving a fuck what casual audiences think. River dropping the name 'Darillium' while looking out the window and giving us the directorial equivalent of a wink to the camera as if we're supposed to remember that one made up word from an episode that aired in 2008 is a very brave move and makes complete sense. After all, if you're the sort of person who cares about this episode's premise at all, you're probably also the sort of person who's up to date on your River Song lore. I especially love the bars lifted from the Forest of the Dead soundtrack that play when River's sonic screwdriver is revealed. It's a small touch purely there for obsessive fans to appreciate (I prefer to say 'obsessive' instead of 'hardcore' because I refuse to think that knowing trivia about a children's sci-fi series makes me in any way 'hardcore').
In a way, it made absolute sense to say goodbye to River Song immediately after saying goodbye to Clara Oswald. I've described Clara in the past as being Matt Smith's companion who just so happened to be hanging out with Peter Capaldi, and I stand by that. As much as I adore Clara and as much as she's probably my favourite companion ever, she clashed so much with the Twelfth Doctor that she was clearly a hold over from a previous era. After Clara spent two full years with the Twelfth Doctor, improving him and reminding him how to be the best person he can be, he enters this story completely fully formed and ready to start again. By getting rid of Clara Oswald and River Song, two huge components of the Matt Smith era, The Husbands of River Song essentially marks the end of the beginning for Peter Capaldi. This episode even marks the first full appearance of the sonic screwdriver introduced in Hell Bent, meaning that this latest incarnation of the Doctor finally has his own version of the show's most iconic gadget. As of the end of this special, we are now well and truly done with the Eleventh Doctor, his supporting characters, and his iconography. The Twelfth Doctor has stamped his own mark on the franchise and with the introduction of Pearl Mackie as Bill in 2017, the transition between eras will be complete. Now I just hope Capaldi stays in the role for more than the usual three series.
The Husbands of River Song not only forms the perfect end to what is already a terrific year for Doctor Who, but also serves as a nice standalone adventure that provides the answer to a highly entertaining 'What if?' scenario. Between now and the introduction of Bill we have yet another Christmas Special on the way, and I'd love it if Moffat took that opportunity to answer another 'What if?' scenario. It's rare to have the Doctor travelling on his own for extended periods between companions so why not make the most of this chance? Why not reunite him with a companion from the classic series or have him face off against a fan favourite monster? There's limitless potential for what he could be getting up to between regular companions and I look forward to seeing what the Moff has in store.