The Bittersweet Mess of "The Husbands of River Song" 

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Love this episode purely for the Doctor spending the first half pretending to be a companion and River Song's revelation she has been with the doctor the entire adventure.

If you thought River's speech on this episode was hating on him you really have the entire character backwards lmao

i do think it is really interesting that this episode is literally about the only time River and the Doctor are close to the same moment in their relationship timeline, ignoring River's death. After all, This is the last time the Doctor meets River, and the next-to-last time River meets the Doctor. This literally is the only time in their entire relationship they meet at about the same "point" of the relationship. And it shows.

Counterpoint: And they both lived happily ever after ... And they both lived happily happily

I appreciate that the "Well that's alright then" scene is already being used for comedic moments like this xD <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="1310">21:50</a>

I am pretty sure this episode was written backwards: it started with the "Hello Sweetie" scene, in which River wasn't angry at the Doctor so much as feeling that her love for him was in vain. Once Moffat had that scene in mind, he wrote an episode that would get us to that point, and from there to their years-long honeymoon.

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="1286">21:26</a> to be honest I really like this twist! It works really well because it doesnt give an awful a lot to the characters but still feels like a thing a doctor would pull off+it uses an actual astronomical fact of planets having different nights length and not some random "oooh but she lives in the simulation" thing so it feels real idk really love the special, nearly as much as christmas carol

This is one of my most watched episodes of the modern era. “Hello sweetie”, after what seems like an eternity and which may be held one or two beats too long, always gets me.

I actually do like the fact that River is better at flying the Tardis than the Doctor is, not because it makes her smarter or more superior, but because of how it implies that she has a close personal relationship with the Tardis itself. I mean, she was conceived in the Tardis, so I imagine the Tardis would be very protective over her and help her out. Most people treat the Tardis as an extension of the Doctor, but River treats her like another member of their family, which the Tardis probably appreciates.

I really love this story. One of the things I like is the Doctor and River swamping roles, you see River as the Doctor and the Doctor is the companion. I did love when the Doctor gives River her sonic screwdriver and this story would have led up to her last story in Silence in the Library and Forest of the Dead and a great end when it says, and they both lived happily ever after and then the ever after part fades and it says, and they both lived happily. This song is ending but the story never ends.

Finally a Christmas review in December. Being serious, I actually liked this episode because of the closure of the River Song saga.

The "Well, that's alright then!" was so well placed. It had me laughing hard!

Kingston and Capaldi had THE most amazing chemistry - so glad it is always there for us to watch, any time we want. :)

Personally I adore this episode, it's funny, has a lot lf heart, and it closes the loop with River Song well. One of my favourite episodes, hands down

River knowing all The Doctors made a lot more sense before The Timeless Child etc..the good old days

Harbo made a Christmas special review in December it’s a sign of the apocalypse

Easily my favourite Christmas Special.i love how it starts comedic before turning emotional.

I adore this bittersweet mess of an episode. It's truly my comfort episode of Doctor Who that I watch all year round. Capaldi and Kingston have perfect long-term-spouse energy. Twelve truly is her Doctor. It's also a perfect introduction to Big Finish's The Diary of River Song series (which premiered the same month). One of the stories in that first boxset actually illustrates an instance where someone claims to be a version of the Doctor she hasn't met yet, and it's a scheme. It solidifies for me why she clings onto the mentality of "he only has these twelve faces."

I love 12, so while I think your more than fair on what you dislike in the special, I just think the highs of it overshadow any misgivings I have with it. Plus the "hello sweetie"with the attack eyebrows is the best.

I really enjoyed the episode when I first watched it, lots of humour and some nice moments for Capaldi But when I rewatched it I appreciated it even more It is a fantastic episode, lots of fun, some great character moments, and it just felt right. I’m not a huge River fan, nor do I dislike her, but this episode was a great sendoff ( And Last Christmas is an episode I rank low, my least favourite Christmas episode, not just for Capaldi, but overall)

The 24 years line isn't him having trouble letting go, River never appears again! He's just giving them a happy ending, dude, Christ

I've always agreed with River on her relationship with Eleven. It really seemed like he was only going along with River because he knew that he had to ensure his past, not because he loved her. I do believe he liked her but not that he loved her, especially when you compare how much he threw himself into flirting with Clara. But after seeing Twelve and River, maybe Twelve grew to genuinely love her over those twenty-four years. I mean far too late for me to care about the Doctor/River ship, but I think it was as a decent ending as could be managed by the character.

One of my favorite Christmas specials, warmer than a fire

You're being a Grinch on a wonderful Xmas special! But then I love River Song, hell, I've bought every one of her box sets from Big Finish! I think she's a great character right up there with Bernice Summerfield and Liv Chenka. The Half-Heads can't trust mere Pockets! Those could be picked!! Much harder to pick someone's brain.😉 IMO the River speech before the Doctor standing there revealed is a fabulously well done scene, my favorite of the episode right behind the ending and the bigger inside joke. I really don't get the hate for River, no matter how long you go over it, because to me she's fun and endearing, and not at all weak, so when she does have a vulnerable moment it hits so much harder.

I don't have any of the issues with this episode that you have lol. S Tier no doubt. Makes me cry everytime.

Whilst River can be a tad insufferable at times, I adore the absurd upbeat tone throughout the episode. This is def one of my go-to fun episodes right up there with Runaway Bride.

We cant forget that the coldness and moral ambiguity we see from River in this episode, even the rant about the Doctor not loving her the way she love him is stemming partly from grief at the loss of her parents. The Doctor is also the only connection she had left to her life with her parents. The only real family she had left, despite her upbring thats essentially what amy, rory and The Doctor are to her. Family. So id probably go on a rant about my only living family popping in and out of my life whenever he pleased too. She has always had to rely on herself for the majority of her life, and it was in no way normal because of him. She has every right to be angry, which he did see in the end. She did also tend to lose her Doctor friendly exterior when she experienced loss of her loved ones. Like with the Dalek in the museum in the big bang.

This is such a stupid episode. A wonderful, lovable, top tier episode. I love it

normally, I think if you bring up a big moment like dr who and river's night on darillium as an offscreen moment and then later actually depict it it never works because the audience would have ideas that can never be lived up to onscreen. but in this episode that's not the case, and I think that's genuinely incredible. also I think the singing towers are also inspired by the colossi of memnon, two statues in egypt that allegedly 'sing'

Easily my favourite Christmas special,

I found the speech sweet and cute. Also loved the liquor cabinet.

Everything with Doctor And River was perfect. In one episode they made me firmly believe that 12 is HER doctor and not 11, even though he had infinitely more screentime with her. The rest of the episode however, like you said, a mess.

I, as fan of River, am totally love this episode. I think they made her character right (+-), because one one hand, she is psycho assasin, but she is Doctor's companion and he helped her see world different way. It would be weird, if he was targeting innocent people after all these adventures together. Also I can't imagine Doctor wanting to kill anyone for money, not even Dalek, so it's quite un-Doctor behavior fitting for River. So, I think her plan of killing tyrant for diamond is quite fitting. If we remember, that she thinks, he is just random civilian D, so of course she doesn't believe, he knows something about piloting TARDIS. Anyway, for me this is easily A episode, B at worst.

I am infertile from eating scented candles. The the bacteria is truth of universe.

You might get 2 christmas specials done in december if you do Return of Doctor Mysterio next week

12 & River Song - magical combo!

I've always seen the antlers on the Doctor's head not as the TARDIS trying to cheer him up over the loss of Clara, but getting time out of order and trying to cheer him up over the loss of River

Two reviews almost completely back to back? It must be Christmas

"It's time to take a deep dive into the husbands of River Song." And they say Moffat is a perv! 😂

I know you’ve been doing it for loads of videos now, but seeing you in the videos makes it so much more engaging! Love seeing the passion you have for doctor who

I'll never understand Moffatt's obsession with presenting characters as morally grey when he already knows that that's not going to be the case. He does it with the Doctor, he does it with Sherlock and Mary... I dunno, I want someone to sit him down in front of a D&D alignment chart and explain to him that Chaotic Good is still Good. Also, can we get Romana back please?

Wow what timing, I just rewatched this episode this morning!

Wow a Christmas special in December. As for the special I can understand your opinion on it, however it's one of my favorites. I watch all of Capaldi's specials around the holidays. I enjoy just seeing River and The Doctor together for last time. I can understand if you don't River, you may not like this special. Still good review

This is genuinely the funniest episode in DW to me, on top of some excellent romance.

As a huge Moffat and RS fan this is absolutely a 10/10 ep. Everything to me works: 12th doctors outfit, 12 and RS chemistry, the setting, the final scene, the doctor entering the tardis, etc

I dont completely agree with the sentiments, but i still enjoy the review.

Love the fact you sneaked in a cheeky "well thats alright then!"

I rewatched this episode recently, after remembering it a certain way for years and yeah, it did feel a little disappointing to see how little River considered herself in the doctors eyes after everything wt 11.

I was not ready for that “WELL THATS ALRIGHT THEN!?”

Love the use of the Toymaker here.

I love this episode. But I love nearly all the Capaldi episodes.

Great video as always, but i disagree with you on how River is written here. Just because Hydroflax is evil doesn't mean murder is justified, so it's still morally questionable behaviour from River. However, she's also at the end of her arc, so she's been on a journey too towards being a good person and very Doctor-like (which i think is another reason why this is such a good coda to Series 9). When she gives her great speech about her love for the Doctor it's not angry at all. I think it's extremely passionate and true to her character. She's deeply in love with him, but still idolises him so much that she thinks he could never love her back. It's beautiful. I love this episode so much, a 10/10

While I do agree with most of what is said about River Song here, I think the speech about loving the doctor might be taken the wrong way. One major running thing throughout the course of Capaldi's tenure as the Doctor has been trying to take down the sort of mythical and god-like status he built up over the reboot. Aside from the mess of the Hybrid, you have a lot, *a lot* of moments drawing back the scale of the Doctor's image and figure; 'Am I a good man?', the scared child in the barn, idiot in a box, 'If I try very, very hard, I'm not some old man who ran away', who frowned me this face/save someone, the fact that the last story of his last series, which was originally going to be the showrunner's goodbye as well, wasn't about some grand world ending adventure but just an attempt to save a handful a children just a little bit of pain, and much, much more. This speech I think is a part of that effort. River waxes poetically about this mythological idea of the Doctor, someone like the stars themselves, someone who surely has no room for silly worldly feelings and is far above needing anything as simple as companionship, because he's always off somewhere else doing something incredibly important saving billions of lives. But she's wrong about that. The Doctor *is* foolish, he *is* sentimental. He's not some god, he's not a star, he's a very stupid man in a silly box who absolutely is sentimental enough to be right by River Song's side.

you just make me want a time lord companion

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="1313">21:53</a> the ENTIRE fandom knew IMMEDIATELY how often this was gonna be used in videos and memes and stuff 😂😂 And it's just too fitting xD (like a suit 😝 sorry, just now watching Himym the first time, so I had to make that bad joke 😅😂)

One thing that never sat right with me about this episode - if River “dug up” the ship, then how come she didn’t know it was going to crash on Darillium?

...wow, I am totally surprised in your perception of the moment when she realized it was the Doctor. I thought all the blovating before was over the top, but the part where she, basically, said she was too small to be important to the Doctor was lovely. And I'm convinced the character believes that statement to be true. Therefore, when she realizes he really is there, well, she knows his feelings ...and then shortly after meets 10. I can see where you get the Stockholm Syndrom from though as that is certainly a weird element of their relationship. A valid criticism.

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="1310">21:50</a> perfect 👌😂🤣

Jesus the hate hard on for river really blinded you in this video. Not a massive fan of her but she was not insufferable in this episode. It exposes her compelte facade and shows its all a front. The reveal of the doctor to her was toucjing and heartfelt.

My favourite Christmas episode & the most bittersweet ending. ❤

Ngl this just occurred to me. The Singing Towers are “River’s SONG”

I absolutely love this episode but, with expanded media, it makes slightly less sense. In Alex Kingston’s “Melody Malone and the curse of the blood ruby” she sees the 13th doctor’s face, which throws all time-wimey gibbledy-gobbledy stuff out the window, how does she know that’s the doctor by seeing her face? How come she doesn’t have 13 on that list of husbands (other than the fact husband is typically a masculine term) You should read the book (or listen to the audiobook which did) it’s really good, with a bit of confusing and slightly meta ending.

Idk man i really love this episode. I dont see River as hating the doctor in that speech, and ofc at first shes gonna day she doesnt care about him. Her diary was taken and is confronted with others saying that the doctor loves her, so she breaks down and says what she thinks is true abour the doctor not loving her. 12 realizes he needs to make it up to her and show he loves her, and now he has years to do that

Love this episode and it's a fitting end for River.

Can someone please explain this whole Moffet couldn't let anyone die thing to me because watching his time as show runner if you were a companion with the doctor it was a death sentence literally all of his companions are died. We sow Amy and Roy tombstone. Clara went back to Gallifry we sow that with the fact an AI of her that was stated just copied your memories at the end of your timeline as a for of a memorial. Bill Pots eventually left her girlfriend and died again sow that with the AI of her memories and also with Noradal as well. River Song died at the library and her consuisions was upload into the library mainframe. So all of them are dead I'm really confused as to where these companions are still alive

She says when he gave her the screwdriver to ten just before she dies

OH WELL THAT'S ALRIGHT THEN

I really enjoy this episode and while I get your points , they just don't bother me..I love river, she is great!

I've said it before and probably will again, but generally I rate shows by their re-watchability, and this is why I rate Husbands of River Song a bit higher than you do, it's enjoyable on rewatch each and every time. There is something to be said about the familiarity of characters and events, and the fun interactions and as a viewer eventually knowing the future of both Nardole and River that makes it rewatchable. And as other things you have pointed out, there are some really interesting ideas developed here that don't really exist in this episode... at least three things to me. 1. is the spacecraft that you talked about featuring the baddest of the bad 2. the entirety of Hydroflax and his empire, this is a potential villain that actually is more developed already than the Silence was in it's first two appearances. 3. Continuation of a potential B tier villains the Shoal (or whatever we want to call them) figured into this storyline, and they are something I like, a villain race that can infiltrate is much more challenging than straight up overpowering bad guys. But I do have to agree, on retrospect, the first time that River showed to be better than the doctor at piloting the Tardis was kinda cute, but them over hammering it is a bit much, considering that the lore is that it takes multiple people to pilot a tardis, and the Doctor is without a doubt, the single most experienced being in the universe at piloting a Tardis, it's a bit mean to hit him over the head with somebody else being so much better than him.

I like it; the beginning's zany farce makes the end hit harder. I like that he learned. Only gripe is _she_ shouldn't know it's the end.

Did Harbo forget that he reviewed A Christmas Carol in December as well?

Since Russell T Davies made the Tenth Doctor hold on for as long as possible to revisit all of the previous companions before regenerating into his at-the-time final incarnation with the uncertainty of how long the Eleventh Doctor would live for, Moffat made his own twist on this concept by letting the Twelfth Doctor give River twenty four years to hold on to those good times as her disguised farewell tour before she inevitably visits the library to meet her final incarnation of the Doctor, so I was okay with this bittersweet ending. In a way, it's like when I hear of people being told they have a terminal disease so they make every last day count before their end, even if it comes many years after the predicted time of when the person would die, with the only difference being that a time traveller knows more accurately how long they've got left.

I found River to be pretty abrasive everywhere EXCEPT here. I did not like her interactions with 11 at all. She came off as pushy and insulting, rather than playful. Her chemistry with 12 is much better.

Yep, grinch!

Capaldi was the best part of the episode id say.

river wanted the diamond to sell for cash so she could give the cash to people who needed it, like robin hood

While I agree with most of your points and I have no problem with your placement of the episode within the rankings scale, I think you've missed the point of the Doctor's and River's competition over the operation of the TARDIS. The New Who era has enjoyed a magnificent increase of a female audience (compared to Classic Who), so it's understandable that Moffet, as show-runner, would want to offer each aspect of the audience something they can relate to. Here, it's about that age-old gag of who are better drivers, men or women. In comedy, women have historically been labeled as bad drivers and men are superior with any vehicle. So, Moffet subverts this trope by making River a master of the technology within the TARDIS. River's ribbing of the Doctor on this point is not mean-spirited, but rather it's a well deserved turning-of-the-tables for the female audience. It's funny and light hearted. And, no matter how brilliant the Doctor is, it's fun every now and then to humble him a bit and make him a little bumbling on a particular topic. After all, even when the TARDIS was in the form of a woman, she acknowledged that she may not have always taken him where he wanted to go, but she took him where he NEEDED to go.

"well that's alright then" I have a feeling you're going to get a lot of mileage out of this.

You should do a review on the torchwood series children of earth

After 24 years on derrilium a few of her lines in the library make alot of sense, some by coincidence some probably not. "You look so young" i imagine a dashing young david tenant would compared to spending the previous 24 years with 12. "You showed up on my doorstep with a fresh haircut and a new suit. You even gave me your screwdriver." Minus the doorstep, thats exactly what he did here, but even then they spent 24 years there. "The towers sang and you cried" need i say more. It was overall a genuinely nice way to say goodbye to such an interesting character.

I spat out my drink and killed myself laughing at the bit about characters dying spoilers!!! THAT'S ALRIGHT THEN!

When it comes to the Tardis reveal, I think you have mis-read/mis represented the Doctor's reaction to others reacting. He wants them to react the way Capaldi does. He gets disappointed when they don't act surprised or excited. That is the entire purpose of that scene, Capaldi is doing what the Doctor wishes all the previous companions would do prior. He enjoys even the subtle reactions, about the only one of New Who that the Doctor seemed to be a bit disappointed with was Rory, and that is because Rory already knew about it, and had researched the science/science fiction behind it before being exposed. But even that Martha scene that you posted, he was enjoying her reaction, his nonchalant attitude is him putting on an act about being cool.

Me, knowing the special isn't all that good: "...but, but... River!! 😭" (Any River, even a caricature, is better than no River - yes, I adore her, flaws and all.)

I like the episode more now that i've started watching taskmaster. I also think the idea of a 24 year long night is fine as long as most guests don't stay that long, just the eternal ones like the doctor. However, the whole moment of giving her a screwdriver 10 seconds after she wakes up is weird considering he supposedly had 24 years before she would use it.

What about the spin-off "CLASS", the 12th Doctor cameo in the first premier?

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="891">14:51</a> yes please do

Yes. I think you’re being a grinch. And I’ve felt that for the last several videos. lol thank you for calling yourself out

Clara's "death" is way more of a copout in my opinion... but you like her, so... that's just how this works. The characters we like we want to have a happy ending. Just like you said for Clara, River's death is fixed; she's not escaping it. 24 years in the face of immortality is nothing. But they have a little bit of time, a chance to be with each other. The thing about River and the Doctor is that 99% of their relationship happens off-screen. Which is clever. We don't completely get it, and we're not supposed to. It's filled with mystery and spoilers and timelord stuff. All we know is that they care deeply for each other and that it's extremely complicated. And as far as her not thinking he truly loves her.... she thinks of him as a God. What would it be like to have a God as your "husband?" Not great. Having to share him with the literal universe.

Moffat tried to leave twice but he was forced to stay on for that last episode because Chibs didn't wanna start his run off on a Christmas special.... and then never did a Christmas Special during his run, cause he's a moron

I have never seen someone misunderstand a relationship more

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="27">0:27</a> is that a cm punk reference??

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="530">8:50</a> yes, he really did dial the comedy up to... 11(th) 😉 jokes aside, he really did feel a lot like his "old self" around River (I understand the personality changing over time, he just felt a bit 11-ish in this one)

I love this episode. You have a right to your erroneous opinion. 🤣🤣🤣

Ok now I'm curious how the history of the show would change if Chibnall became showrunner in 2015.

Hello sweetie, it's me ,it's a memorable line by 12 .

I enjoy this episode even it last Alex Kingston appeared show or is it lol

I hated the fact that the "Night & The Doctor" ending of River (that was absolutely perfect) was retconned for this. Completely ruined future watches of it. Plus, also hated the fact she became "aware" of her impending death coming up. Jars completely with her appearance with Doc #10 in Series 4 where she clearly had absolutely no idea.

I am not a huge fan of the character of River Song, I tend to find her a bit insufferable even though I enjoy the idea of the character and the actress always does a great job. But even still I actually found myself enjoying this episode. It is one of the best written episodes with Song next to Silence in the Library and the episode with the Weeping Angels. But it only works because 12 is so well written and the acting in it just feels like everyone is having a good time. If you watch the episode just as a fun comedy piece it is really enjoyable. Really enjoying your channel, sir. Keep it up.

Why weren't Amy and Rory not mentioned in this story??