When a companion leaves, there is always a void in the Doctor's life which will only be filled a new companion joins him. With Clara gone, who better to bridge the transition than his wife, River Song? The story surrounding her identity was resolved in the Matt Smith era, but there was still that fannish compulsion to want to see her interact with the new Doctor. Apparently, even Russell T Davies was gunning for this. Steven Moffat has finally capitulated and the episode produced from this fan wish is a really great one.
The Doctor and River are reunited on a snowy planet. River and her accomplice, Nardole, are trying to steal a rare diamond which is embedded in the head of King Hydroflax. The plan quickly goes awry, so the Doctor and River are forced to use Hydroflax' living, disembodied head to carry the diamond away. It is not long before Hydroflax' robotic body pursues them to the Tardis and from there to a Space Liner full of genocidal criminals. River is unable to sell the diamond, but a meteorite strike hits the Space Liner, they are able to prevent Hydroflax' followers from continuing his mission.
River spends most of the story unaware that the white haired man travelling with her is a future incarnation of the husband. The existence of the War Doctor pays another dividend to the show as she thinks that she knows all thirteen of the Doctor's lives. This gives the Doctor an opportunity to see what River is up to when he is not involved. It turns out that she has more than one husband on the go. It's nice to see the Doctor wander into an adventure of River Song. Seeing her act on her own makes her feel more like a real person. Alex Kingston is on fine form as River Song, unfettered by a complex back story. Certain lines of River's dialogue might come across as heartless on paper, but Alex Kingston is able to make River still seem likable despite such lines.
River's husbands are certainly different. Greg Davies plays King Hydroflax with just the right amount of OTT. A straightforward angry dictator with no scruples. Calling him a pantomime villain might sound like a criticism, but it is just right for a Christmas special and fits the tone of the story. River's other husband, Raoul, is a good looking, and Philip Rhys is effective in the role, but fairly non-essential character he could have been cut from the story.
A more interesting villain is introduced aboard the Space Liner. Flemming, the manager of the Space Liner serving genocidal maniacs, whose outwardly camp manner hide his cunning. He might have been more interesting for another story. His customers, the Shoal of Winter Harmony, are also pretty gruesome, with their heads that split open from the top.
The Doctor is on the backfoot for the most of the episode. Yet in spite of this, Peter Capaldi still has enough gravitas to make the Doctor seem like the centre of events. His facial expressions and line readings perfectly get across his exasperation at his wife. He is also hilarious when he has to pretend to be seeing the inside of the Tardis for the first time. The Doctor gains in stature when River discovers his true identity. The look he gives her is excellent.
Although most of the story is a comedy romp, it finally changes tone in the final moments when the Doctor and River arrive on darillium, the last meeting between the Doctor and River before her fateful journey to the Library. As a long term viewer it is worth it finally having this scene. So far the Peter Capaldi era of the show has had a lot of interest in mortality and here we get the Doctor and River trying to enjoy the time they have left. The final shot of an almost kiss was perfect. The nature of time travel means that River could have many more meetings with the Doctor, but this is as perfect an ending as any.
The Husbands of River Song was a pretty enjoyable episode. A funny episode with little touches of grimness along the way. Probably one of my favourite Christmas specials, behind The Snowmen, The Runaway Bride, and The Christmas Invasion but above The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe. We do not know where Doctor Who will go from here. But for now, that final text of 'They Lived Happily ever After' is as good a place as any to put Doctor Who on hold.
9/10
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