There are many annoying unanswered questions in the long-running sci-fi series Doctor Who, but one first presented 17 years ago might have now been answered in a new fan theory. Doctor Who has just celebrated its 62nd anniversary, having delivered almost 1000 single episodes since premiering on November 23, 1963. Some of these episodes have been far more memorable than others, and many of David Tennant’s adventures as the Tenth Doctor fall under this purview. The epic two-parter “Silence in the Library” and “Forest of the Dead” from 2008’s Doctor Who season 3 are among them.
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“Silence in the Library” and “Forest of the Dead” introduced Alex Kingston to Doctor Who as River Song, an archaeologist and time traveler who crossed paths with the Doctor many times out of chronological order, but ultimately became his lover and wife. She recognised the Doctor in this season 3 two-parter, and referred to him as having a young face, despite this being the only time she ever met the Tenth Doctor, which caused some confusion. A new theory shared by Jay Raeburn on Facebook, however, suggests that River Song may have crossed paths with the Fourteenth Doctor off-screen.
How River Song and the Fourteenth Doctor Could Have Crossed Paths in Doctor Who
“Silence in the Library” and “Forest of the Dead” marked the end of River Song’s story, following on from her spending a 24-year-long night on Darillium with the Twelfth Doctor (Peter Capaldi) in “The Husbands of River Song.” However, this was the first time the Doctor ever met River Song, and the Tenth Doctor didn’t cross paths again on-screen, the question remains as to how she would have recognised this particular face. Of course, it’s possible River Song and the Tenth Doctor could have reunited off-screen — they even shared a Big Finish audiobook series in 2020.
Even so, it’s fun to imagine the Fourteenth Doctor crossing paths with River Song again after returning to the form of their tenth incarnation. This could have had a grounding effect on the confused new Doctor after the dramatic ending of “The Power of the Doctor” and the atypical regeneration. We know the Fourteenth Doctor had some time between regenerating in “The Power of the Doctor” and landing in London to reunite with Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) in “The Star Beast,” so he could have tracked down a version of River Song to find some familiarity.
River Song having met the Fourteenth Doctor at some point in her timeline would explain how she knew David Tennant’s face, and why she considered it to look younger in “Silence of the Library” and “Forest of the Dead.” The Fourteenth Doctor, while having the same face, certainly looked older, as Tennant had aged almost 20 years. This theory may never be explored on-screen, and could easily be considered far afield, but we’d love to see River Song return to Doctor Who, and this theory provides a great way to keep bringing her back.
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