Alex Kingston's River Song had about as perfect a Doctor Who exit as one can hope for. However, she's understandably determined to come back as the beloved character. Although she has reprised the role in non-canon Big Finish audio plays, Kingston's character hasn't appeared in live-action since 2015's "The Husbands of River Song."
Just over a decade later, the British actress believes she's found a way that River could return to Doctor Who. Surprisingly, it doesn't revolve around where we last saw River, but rather another iconic moment featuring the Doctor's wife. Her idea sounds exciting and could make perfect sense. That said, she also seems to have ignored a key element of her character's story to return River to the action.
Alex Kingson's idea for River Song's return explained
As fans of the show will know, the end of River's arc technically comes in her first Doctor Who appearance. Steven Moffat's 2008 "Silence in the Library" two-parter ends with River's consciousness being downloaded into a complex computer system that essentially makes her immortal. This is what Kingston wants to capitalize on.
Speaking on The Whoniverse Show, Kingston said, "I had worked on a storyline with Big Finish where River was still in the library computer." She went to champion this concept as the baseline for a River Song comeback: "River could come back, actually, but she'd just be inside a computer. But then, she could be a virus. She could go anywhere." You can listen to her explain the idea in more detail by heading to the 11:10 mark in the video above.
The issue with Alex Kingston's River Song comeback plan
The idea is solid, I'll admit. Unfortunately, Kingston's plan doesn't require her to come back as River in order for the character to return. As Whoniverse Show host Tia Kofi touches upon during the interview, the potential...let's call it "River Virus," could already have reared its head. There are a few instances where the Doctor has been faced with an issue that conveniently resolved itself, or is far easier to fix than it probably should be. Who's to say the River Virus wasn't responsible for helping out?
If anything, it would be more effective for the Virus to factor into a Doctor Who story without Kingston's presence among the cast. River's ending is so immaculately written that it seems a shame to pull her back into the fold just for the sake of sheer nostalgia. Having the River Virus officially established in Doctor Who canon, but not actually showing River herself, feels like an excellent middle ground. As Kingston suggested in the same interview, maybe just a brief "Hello, Sweetie" appearing on the TARDIS display screen would be more than sufficient.
Doctor Who returns with a Christmas special in 2026.