Someone commented on my LJ with the best-ever theory that is both pro-River and pro-Rose, which, yay. The idea (well, my reading of HER idea) is that he spent season three actively closing himself off again, after having been so open with Rose -- which is why he's so comfortable with Donna. She wants nothing to do with him romantically, so he's totally okay with that. But he's still shut down, as we see in ALL his interactions with River. He's very terse with her, which is a mixture of "Who the fuck are you?" AND "If you are implying what I think you're implying, then you've got the wrong guy."
But this story was about him learning that there is the distinct possibility, in flux in his own timeline till he completes the circuit from his side, that he could one day be open enough again to be that close to someone. AND that he doesn't doom everyone he meets. Because up till now: Rose? Parallel universe. Jack? Human anomaly. Martha? "Destroyed half her life." Astrid? Dead dead dead. But then there's River, who makes a choice to sacrifice herself, which she would have done even without him, probably, and he had the power to give her a comfortable and happy afterlife.
Take that new realization, and you have a Doctor who might be newly optimistic after he gets over the pain of meeting someone who knows his future better than he does. Optimistic enough to, say, not be afraid of being close with Rose, because things might not end up badly after all?
Optimistic enough to, say, not be afraid of being close with Rose, because things might not end up badly after all?
I'd like that as an outcome, but given my reading of the D/River relationship, I'm not sure it could lead to that kind of thing. It's a cool theory, but just not one I can believe.
Well, I'm gonna hope for the best until the very last minute when I'm proven wrong despite how well that worked out for Last of the Time Lords. What the fuck is making me so optimistic lately? There must be something in my crackers.
But this story was about him learning that there is the distinct possibility, in flux in his own timeline till he completes the circuit from his side, that he could one day be open enough again to be that close to someone. AND that he doesn't doom everyone he meets. Because up till now: Rose? Parallel universe. Jack? Human anomaly. Martha? "Destroyed half her life." Astrid? Dead dead dead. But then there's River, who makes a choice to sacrifice herself, which she would have done even without him, probably, and he had the power to give her a comfortable and happy afterlife.
Take that new realization, and you have a Doctor who might be newly optimistic after he gets over the pain of meeting someone who knows his future better than he does. Optimistic enough to, say, not be afraid of being close with Rose, because things might not end up badly after all?
Let it be so!
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I'd like that as an outcome, but given my reading of the D/River relationship, I'm not sure it could lead to that kind of thing. It's a cool theory, but just not one I can believe.
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