My personal River Song theory [Doctor Who]

There have been two driving mysteries this season: Amy’s pregnancy and who River Song is. So far, most of the speculation is that River is an existing character. Everyone from the Rani to Romana has been thrown out as River’s secret identity. But I think that would be far too obvious. No, I think River has a much more important role that’s been playing out behind the scenes.


We know very little about River. She’s an important figure from the Doctor’s future, who has been meeting him out of order. A former archeologist, River has spent a great deal of time imprisoned in the Stormcage Containment Facility for the crime of murder. In her own words, River killed “a very good man. Best man I've ever known." So far, the majority of us have believed the good man River murdered was the Doctor, for obvious reasons. But what if the good man was someone else entirely?


Behind the mystery of Amy’s pregnancy is the Silence, a mysterious alien group that has remained hidden on earth since the beginning of time. They have operated in the shadows, utilizing their ability to be forgotten as soon as visual contact is broken. We also know that they are seemingly trying to create a Tardis, as seen in the season 5 episode “The Lodger.” What remains unclear about the Silence is why exactly they’re trying to build a Tardis. Why would a group of people need to harness time travel so badly, and is there any mention of anyone other than Time Lords being able to manipulate time and space?


There absolutely is. The Time Agency, the organization Jack Harkness worked for when he first met The Doctor, has managed to create functional and accurate vortex manipulators that can move their agents through time and space. While not as advanced as a Tardis (the Doctor refers to it as a messy form of time travel) they still get the job done remarkably well.

But how did the Time Agency, an organization seemingly comprised of human agents, master time travel? They would likely have to gain access to Timelord technology, and reverse engineer it, or take it from someone who had already done so.

We already know that River Song’s past questionable at best. It’s entirely possible that when they first met, she and the Doctor were at odds. Though she often comes and goes as she pleases, River always returns to her cell in the Stormcage. She is willfully serving penance for the crimes in her past. As I mentioned earlier, we all assume it’s for killing the Doctor. But what if it’s for what she did prior to meeting him? Surely abducting someone close to him and trying to steal her unborn child Is worth atoning for. Also, while the Doctor is without a doubt worthy of the title of Best Man I’ve Ever Known” to those who’ve met him, The Doctor is largely unknown to the universe. Would killing him be enough to land River in a maximum security space prison?

No, but killing a well-known figure from earth surely would.


Enough idle speculating, time to lay my cards on the table: I believe we may be witnessing the birth of the Time Agency. My theory is that River Song is one of the founding members, her love of adventure and investigating ancient cultures leading her to fall in with the people who will one day become the Time Agency. These individuals are members of a very high-profile military initiative, and will do whatever they must to achieve their goals. This puts them in direct opposition to the Doctor, and at some point River betrays them and sides with the Doctor, possibly killing one of her former allies to save the Doctor’s life. It is possible River was extremely close to this person, potentially a lover or a family member. It is this murder River is imprisoned for.

Insane? Probably. Riddled with plot-holes? Definitely. Purely speculative? Completely.

But at least it isn’t another “River is totally the Rani” theory.

Tl;dr: I said stuff.

-B(!)

Image stolen from a more successful blog