Doctor Who Theories: How Did Two Doctors Almost Happen?
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For one second, one of the biggest conspiracies going around in the Doctor Who world isn’t the regeneration, the new doctor, whether we’ll have a new companion, or even what’s it the vault. Since Thin Ice aired, the biggest conspiracy being talked about is whether or not the Doctor could have run into the eleventh version of himself with River Song.
And I am here for any conspiracy involving River and the Doctor. Personally, they are my favorite ship that has come from NewWho. Yes, in a world of Rose and the Doctor, Amy and Rory, and Jack and…everyone, I love the chemistry between Alex Kingston and Matt Smith. Most times, people have a difference of opinions about River, so she’s never talked about. But it’s all over the Whoverse, and I’m more than happy to lend my take.
Credit: BBC
So here’s what we know from Thin Ice:
The Doctor tells Bill:
"“We’re on the Thames, the last of the great Frost Fairs, 1814.”"
In A Good Man Goes To War, River says:
"“It’s my birthday. The Doctor took me ice skating on the River Thames in 1814, the last of the great Frost Fairs.”"
As there was no Stevie Wonder music in the background, I’m guessing it wasn’t the same day. So the worry that they were there at the same time is slim to none.
Now, there’s also this bit of information that no one has pointed out.
"“You don’t steer the TARDIS. You reason with it. Unsuccessfully most of the time. She’s a bad girl.”"
The always kind-of-odd sexualization of the TARDIS aside, is the Doctor saying that he was brought to the same place as where he’d taken River years prior? If so, why? Is there a reason besides the fact that somewhere he was there, only looking much younger in a bow tie?
We’ve had multiple shoutouts to River in the last couple episodes, including a well-established mourning period in the first episode of the series. This is also far from other Doctors, where they seemed to have more control over the time machine than twelve suggests. Is it telepathic? Was the Doctor thinking about it so they ended up there? Was the TARDIS just trying to give him what he wants, one last look at River?
If so, how close did we come to the timeline being completely torn to shreds by the Doctors running into each other? While I can’t imagine anything but River’s excitement at two Doctors (and hey, maybe even Bill), it would make you wonder why the TARDIS, ever avoiding catastrophe, almost caused it.
Or…has it simply not happened yet?
River and the Doctor’s relationship was always confusing, and we know there’s much we don’t know, even years after meeting her. The thing about River was, she knew all the Doctors, it could have been 12 that brought her to the Frost Fair. He could have dropped River off and gone back and met her in the cell and pulled her to where he just was with Bill.
Basically, out of all the questions out there, my question is this: did the TARDIS give 12 the idea to take River to the Last Frost Fair, and that’s the coincidence?
Or has the timeline been locked since he brought her to the singing towers?
The truth is, this is all fun speculation, but I don’t believe in a coincidence when it comes to Moffat. You can believe what you think about his ideas, but you can’t deny there’s never really a coincidence. I’ll tell you one thing — this is so much of a coincidence that many people have been talking about it, leading me to believe it means something.
What? I’m not sure yet. Although, River does offer this one bit of information that could be vital.
Credit: BBC
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