In six weeks, the Doctor Who Christmas Special will be out. Finally, River Song will reappear, paired up with the Twelfth Doctor. Her own brand of humor, along with the cutting remarks of the Doctor, will certainly provide plenty of entertainment, even beyond the episode itself.
However, when we had seen River before, it was with the younger Doctor. She had become his wife, adding a romantic element to the show that centered upon the Doctor. But now, with the older, less personable Twelfth Doctor, one had to think that some, if not all, of the romantic element would be left behind. After all, this is the Doctor that is “not a hugger.”
Even though Peter Capaldi admitted in an interview that the dynamic between his Doctor and River would be different than what had existed previously, he also stated that does not necessarily remove any romantic possibilities from their relationship. In fact, given that River had mentioned an older Doctor before from her Book of Spoilers, it is safe to say that she would expect to see this older incarnation.
It does make sense that this romantic aspect would not disappear. After all, they are married, and knowing that the Doctor would periodically change his appearance would not change that. Plus, River having that knowledge that he would be older at some time during their future does not hurt that dynamic.
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It will also be interesting to see the chemistry between River Song and the Doctor. The Twelfth Doctor has grown in quite a few ways during this season of Doctor Who, as evidenced by his relationship with Clara. While it is easy to look at their improved relationship as being related to Clara’s own growth, let us not ignore the changes to the Doctor as well. Something fundamentally shifted in last year’s Christmas episode, and that change has been evident this season.
Those changes to the Doctor will also make this meeting thoroughly intriguing. While fans have been clamoring for River and the Twelfth Doctor to meet, the timing was not right last year. Now that the Doctor is more comfortable with himself, the meeting between he and River has a better chance to live up to expectations.
Next: When Being You Just Isn't Enough
River Song will be back, and the romance between her and the Doctor will remain. Now, if only Missy could make an appearance so that we could get to see the potential jealousy that would occur.