The Husbands of River Song (TV story)

The Husbands of River Song
Doctor:	Twelfth Doctor
Companion(s):	River
Main enemy:	King Hydroflax
Main setting:	Mendorax Dellora, Christmas 5343 The Harmony and Redemption Darillium
Key crew
Writer:	Steven Moffat
Director:	Douglas Mackinnon
Producer:	Nikki Wilson
Release details
Story number:	261
Premiere broadcast:	25 December 2015
Premiere network:	BBC One
Format:	1x60 minute special
Doctor Who television stories
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Christmas specials
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Next →	TBA

The Husbands of River Song was the 2015 Doctor Who Christmas special. It was the show's eleventh Christmas special since its revival, and the second full Christmas special with Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor. It saw Alex Kingston return to reprise the role of River Song once more.

It was noteworthy for closing the book on River Song's timeline that began with her debut, at last showing her and the Doctor go to Darillium. It also showed the Twelfth Doctor's first and only encounter and interactions with River, as this would turn out to be the final time the Doctor ever saw her. For River, this was the final adventure before she met her demise in the two-part TV: Silence in the Library / Forest of the Dead, as the events she would describe to the Tenth Doctor in that story are all realised in this special.

Synopsis

The Doctor is on the planet Mendorax Dellora in 5343, where he is asked by a man named Nardole to follow him, thinking he is a surgeon, on the orders of River Song. A surgeon is required to remove a diamond from the head of King Hydroflax after his maligned attempt to steal it, and River seeks to recover it. Surprised that River cannot identify his newest face, the Doctor struggles to break the news to her while learning how she acts on her own- and how many other lovers she has had. However, both he and River soon find that the time is drawing close for the last page in the diary of their journeys together to be written...

Plot

to be added

Cast

• The Doctor - Peter Capaldi
• River Song - Alex Kingston
• Nardole - Matt Lucas
• King Hydroflax - Greg Davies
• Ramone - Phillip Rhys
• Flemming - Rowan Polonski
• Scratch - Robert Curtis
• Concierge - Anthony Cozens
• Alphonse - Chris Lew Kum Hoi
• Receptionist - Nicolle Smartt
• King Hydroflax's Body - Liam Cook
• Voice of Hydroflax - Nonso Anozie

Uncredited Cast

• Starline Galactic Villain - Clem So

Crew

to be added

References

The Doctor

• The Doctor says he uses a flowchart to keep track of River Song's timeline.
• The Doctor mentions that his eleventh incarnation had a big chin.
• Whilst thinking he was a stranger, River Song suggests that the Doctor would not approve of alcohol aboard the Doctor's TARDIS.
• The Doctor still enjoys mocking archaeology, referring to River's sonic trowel as "just embarrassing".

River Song

• River Song claims she had at least two wives.
• River states that the Doctor has planned to take her to Darillium numerous times but has always cancelled at the last minute.
• River Song owns the book History's Finest Exploding Restaurants with the tagline "The Best Food for Free, Skip the Coffee". She used it as a source when plotting her escape from the meteor strike that hit the Harmony and Redemption.
• River is now 200 years old, revealing she has an augmented lifespan- whether she is referring to the lifespan of a Time Lord or an artificially extended lifespan is unknown.
• River has a unique perfume spray that lets her change her clothes as she pleases.

The TARDIS

• The roundels are once again used for storage purposes. In this instance, River has hidden alcohol inside a cupboard behind one of them, to the Doctor's surprise.
• The TARDIS is able to produce a pair of holographic antlers for the Doctor.
• River indicates she often steals the TARDIS and returns it before the Doctor notices.
• When someone is both inside and outside the TARDIS at the same time, it can't take off.

Sonic equipment

• River Song owns a sonic trowel, as a reference to her being an archaeologist.
• The Doctor gives River her own sonic screwdriver, which she will eventually take with her to her investigation on the Library.
• The Doctor uses his sonic sunglasses and his new sonic screwdriver.

Darillium

• According to River's research, Darillium was rumoured to be the last planet that she and the Doctor would visit together. The Doctor refuses to confirm this.
• A night on Darillium lasts for 24 Earth years.
• The Singing Towers "sing" due to the flowing of wind through the numerous cave structures in the towers which harmonises with the crystal layer.

Mendorax Dellora

• There are 4 billion people on Mendorax Dellora.
• Hark! the Herald Angels Sing is played on Mendorax Dellora.

Story notes

• This is the first episode of Doctor Who since the 2012 Series 7 episode TV: The Angels Take Manhattan, and the first starring Peter Capaldi, to not feature Jenna Coleman as Clara Oswald.
• Gary Russell previously attempted to have the Twelfth Doctor and River meet in his novel Big Bang Generation, but as Steven Moffat set up The Husbands of River Song to be the Twelfth Doctor's first, last and only meeting with River, Russell chose to replace River with Bernice Summerfield in the story.
• This is the first Christmas episode to have no scenes take place on Earth.
• This is the first time in a main story that Alex Kingston's name has appeared in the opening titles.
• When River's sonic screwdriver is revealed as her present, an excerpt of the Series 4 soundtrack "Silence In The Library" is heard, foreshadowing events the events to come in River's last adventure.
• As Mels, River used the phrase "penny in the air" whenever someone was oblivious to something important, following up with "and the penny drops" when they finally figured it out, seen in TV: Let's Kill Hitler. Ironically, River is guilty of becoming the butt of her own joke for being oblivious to the fact that the Doctor is right in front of her until he points it out.
• This is the first time outside of mini-episodes that River has been in a story not to feature one of the Doctor's companions alongside her and the Doctor.
• During their final scene, Amy Pond's theme music is playing softly. This is a reference to River being Amy and Rory's daughter.
• The little town set used for Mendorax Dellora appears to have been repurposed from the trap street set used in TV: Face the Raven.
• A variation of The Doctor's Theme is played when River and Ramone discuss the Damsel in distress.
• No cast details accompanied the programme listing in Radio Times, which had the synopsis "When a crashed spaceship calls upon his help, the Time Lord finds himself launched on a chase across the galaxy. Greg Davies and Matt Lucas guest-star."

Production errors

• When King Hydroflax's talking head is resting on the console's telepathic panel, the panel is bending inward, evidently made from a soft material rather than the sturdy materials that a TARDIS console would be made with. When his head is removed, the TARDIS console is fine again. This is most likely due to the production staff having replaced the panel with a fake one, which would accommodate Greg Davies' head with comfort.

Ratings

to be added

Continuity

• Nardole calls River "Doctor Song", (TV: The Time of Angels, The Pandorica Opens, Closing Time, The Angels Take Manhattan) while stating that she is also sometimes called Professor (TV Silence in the Library, Forest of the Dead, The Angels Take Manhattan) but mainly Doctor Song.
• River tells King Hydroflax that he has stolen "so much from so many." When talking to the Eleventh Doctor about how much he means to her and the universe she gives a similar statement, that he has "done so much for so many." (TV: The Wedding of River Song)
• Once again, someone comments on the TARDIS being bigger on the inside. This time, its the Doctor himself to an oblivious River, something he is excited to finally be able to do.
• River mentions her history of escaping. (TV: The Pandorica Opens, A Good Man Goes to War, The Wedding of River Song)
• When Flemming reads River's diary, its mentioned she's just been to Manhattan. (TV: The Angels Take Manhattan)
• The Doctor quotes River's "Hello, Sweetie" and "Spoilers" catchphrases.
• The Doctor uses his new sonic screwdriver. (TV: Hell Bent) He continues to use his sonic sunglasses. (TV: The Magician's Apprentice et al.)
• River owns a set of pictures of the first twelve incarnations of the Doctor, which she reveals to clarify that she knows what he looks like. She told the Doctor once that she had pictures of all his faces. (TV: The Time of Angels) This also confirms that River is aware that the War Doctor exists (whom the Doctor once tried to conceal) because she has a picture of him. (TV: The Name of the Doctor)
• When arguing about their other marriages, River Song holds against the Doctor his marriages with Elizabeth I (TV: The Day of the Doctor) and Marilyn Monroe. (TV: A Christmas Carol) Additionally, she suggests the Doctor was married to Cleopatra whilst the Doctor suggests he was married to Stephen Fry.
• Roundels are once again used as a means of storage. In this story, River is secretly using one to hide alcohol, knowing that the Doctor would not approve. (TV: Castrovalva et al)
• River Song recalls the Doctor trying to bring her to Darillium. (HOMEVID: Last Night) The actual event was first mentioned in TV: Forest of the Dead.
• The quick look to River Song's diary recalls previously-mentioned and/or shown rendezvous with the Doctor: "the Pandorica opens", (TV: The Pandorica Opens) a picnic at Asgard, (TV: Silence in the Library) the crash of the Byzantium, (TV: Silence in the Library, Flesh and Stone), "Manhattan". (TV: The Angels Take Manhattan) Their time with "Jim the Fish" is also acknowledged. (TV: The Impossible Astronaut, The Eternity Clock)
• River Song previously showed to handle a wiping-memory technology. (GAME: The Eternity Clock)
• River Song mentions Cleopatra, who she previously passed off. She also tries to accuse the Doctor of marrying Cleopatra, but the Doctor brushes it off because of the fact River had assumed her identity. (TV: The Pandorica Opens)
• River's diary is almost full, and River is aware the Doctor would know just how many pages she needed when he gave it to her. (TV: Let's Kill Hitler)
• The Twelfth Doctor gives River her own sonic screwdriver. This is the version seen during her investigation of the Library. (TV: Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead)
• At Darillium, River notes that the Doctor is crying. She will go on to recall this to the Tenth Doctor just before her final moments. (TV: Forest of the Dead)
• River believes the Eleventh Doctor was the last incarnation of the Doctor because she knew his regeneration cycle was exhausted by then. The Twelfth Doctor briefly mentions how he got past this limit. (TV: The Time of the Doctor)
• The Doctor mentions he had a "new haircut", is in his best suit (though River disapproves of it) and is made to turn up on River's "doorstep". He is later seen in a suit at Darillium (which River really does finds nice), all in line with what she tells the Tenth Doctor. River would also mention "what a night that was" when referring back to Darillium, as it turned out to be far longer than she expected. (TV: Forest of the Dead)
• The Doctor has avoided Darillium, and is shown to be tearful when he finally makes good on his final date with River. The Doctor has mentioned that he does not like endings. (TV: The Angels Take Manhattan, The Name of the Doctor, The Time of the Doctor, Hell Bent)
• The Doctor once again rewards someone with the means to gain a substantial amount of money. (TV: School Reunion, The End of Time) Interestingly, several people who have encountered the Doctor around Christmastime have now found themselves coming into large sums of money. (TV: Doctor Who, Voyage of the Damned, A Christmas Carol)
• River pulls a fez out of her bag, an item commonly worn by the Eleventh Doctor. (TV: The Big Bang et al)
• Hydroflax is nicknamed "the butcher of the Bone Meadows". The Doctor and River went there once. (TV: The Time of Angels)
• River mentions the time when there were two of the Eleventh Doctor during one of the instances where the Doctor backed out of going to Darillium. The Doctor has also been promising River for ages that they would go to the Singing Towers of Darillium. (HOMEVID: First Night/Last Night)
• The Doctor says "Every Christmas is last Christmas", repeating what Clara Oswald's imagined version of Danny Pink said. (TV: Last Christmas)
• River tries to plead the Doctor into thinking of a loophole to avoid their last outing together, but the Doctor reminds her that not everything can be avoided. There have been situations where the Doctor has been unable the change the outcome of tragic events (TV: The Waters of Mars, Vincent and the Doctor), and he has just gone through one of these situations. (TV: Face the Raven, Heaven Sent, Hell Bent) He also reminds River that times end because they have to. (TV: The Time of the Doctor)
• As the Doctor talks about the Singing Towers, he uses the phrase, "when the wind stands fair" to describe an instance when the towers produce a song. After being uploaded to the Library, River uses this phrase to describe an instance where "everybody lives" (TV: Forest of the Dead), something the Doctor greatly treasures. (TV: The Doctor Dances)
• The Doctor refuses to bow to King Hydroflax, making the excuse that his back is playing up. The First Doctor was unable to bow to Kublai Khan, citing that it was because his back was broken; however, in that case it was a valid excuse because his first incarnation was growing elderly and indeed suffering from pain trying to bend over. (TV: Marco Polo)
• The Doctor is able to reserve a table for years in the future and arrive at the reservation in an instant. He previously pulled the same trick with Clara on Calbaron III. (COMIC: Planet of the Diners)
• River wears a Santa-inspired coat. (COMIC: Who Who Who, Merry Christmas)
• River owns a sonic trowel. (AUDIO: The Boundless Sea) Her paternal grandfather was a huge fan of trowels and always carried one too. (TV: Dinosaurs on a Spaceship)
• The Doctor refers to River's sonic trowel as "just embarrassing", continuing his mocking of archaeology. (TV: Silence in the Library)