River's timeline is making my brain hurt

[niyalune]

Please help me figure this out !

Spoilers up to 6x07.

Comments

[arkadelos]

I think River's timeline essentially goes backwards, but can tend to bounce around a lot.

In the Donna episodes, River was a free woman. This is after her pardon, which occured in the River's weeping angel episodes. Obviously, she was still in jail during the Pandorica episode. Amy wanted to mention their previous adventure, but River said, "Shh, spoilers," so that River had not yet encountered the weeping angels.

Now, the River in this season could be either the River after or before the previous season. One of the guards on the first episode said on the phone, "she's packing again. Going to some planet called America." So, she could have already had the angel/pandorica adventures, or she could have simply had even more ventures with the Doctor while in jail. Whether she is before or after the previous season depends upon if the next River has never been in jail for murder.

But obviously, following her pardon, River meets a future Doctor because she has a sonic screwdriver as in the library episodes.

To me, the question is not figuring out River's timeline. It is figuring out her timeline alongside the Doctor's, and even she gets confused about that.

[rhiannon_s]

Yeah, it isn't purely back to front, it is also jumbled up. It is a back and forth, jumbley-wumbley, timey-wimey life.

[wulfae]

If it was purely back to front, then there would be no point in the books, because neither she nor the Doctor would have any experiences in common.

I think she's just saying 'his past is my future' to sort of simplify explaining it to everyone.

[rinnychan]

Agreed. It's not set in stone that they will always meet in the exact wrong order, but rather a coincidence that happens repeatedly.

[niyalune]

Well said. I also think they're going only mostly in opposite directions, not totally. It would be a bit dull otherwise ^^
Although, I wonder when the Doctor will realise they're mostly back to front and if he'll have another reaction than "spoilers are frustrating". River is understandably upset about it :(