The Husbands of River Song

263 – "The Husbands of River Song"
Doctor Who episode
Promotional poster
Cast
Doctor Peter Capaldi – Twelfth Doctor
Companion Alex Kingston – River Song[1]
Guest Matt Lucas – Nardole Greg Davies – King Hydroflax Rowan Polonski – Flemming Robert Curtis – Scratch Chris Lew Kum Hoi – Alphonse Phillip Rhys – Ramone Anthony Cozens – Concierge Nicolle Smartt – Receptionist Liam Cook – King Hydroflax's body Nonso Anozie – Voice of Hydroflax
Production
Directed by	Douglas Mackinnon
Written by	Steven Moffat
Script editor	David Davis
Produced by	Nikki Wilson
Executive producer(s)	Steven Moffat Brian Minchin
Music by	Murray Gold
Running time	56 minutes
First broadcast	25 December 2015 (2015-12-25)
Chronology
← Preceded by "Hell Bent" Followed by → "The Return of Doctor Mysterio"
List of episodes (2005–present)

"The Husbands of River Song" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. First broadcast on BBC One on 25 December 2015, it is the eleventh Christmas special since the show's revival in 2005. It was written by Steven Moffat and directed by Douglas Mackinnon. The episode marks the return of Alex Kingston as River Song, making her first appearance alongside Peter Capaldi's Twelfth Doctor, and also her last on screen appearance to date.^[2] This also features the first appearance of Nardole, who would become a companion starting from the next episode.

In the episode, the alien time traveller known as the Doctor encounters River Song on the colony of Mendorax Dellora in 5343, with one of her husbands, Hydroflax (Greg Davies), who has an invaluable diamond lodged in his brain. Outsmarting Hydroflax and his worshippers, the Doctor and River have a date at the Singing Towers of Darillium, which the Doctor knows will be the last meeting before her death.

After the dark ending of Series 9, Moffat wrote the episode to have a lighter tone. The episode was filmed in September 2015.

In 5343 on the human colony of Mendorax Dellora, the Twelfth Doctor is mistaken by a servant, Nardole, for a surgeon hired by River Song to attend to her dying husband, King Hydroflax, a cyborg. River, who is unfamiliar with his new set of regenerations, fails to recognize the Doctor as she takes him aside and tells him to decapitate Hydroflax so she can claim the Halassi Androvar, the most valuable diamond in the universe, which has become lodged in the king’s brain. However, they are interrupted by Hydroflax, who overhears them. He detaches his head from his mechanical body and orders it to kill them. The Doctor creates a stalemate that allows Ramone, another of River's husbands, to teleport her, the Doctor, and Hydroflax’s head outside. Believing Nardole to have information about River, Hydroflax’s body decapitates him to use Nardole's head as its own.

River and Ramone track down the TARDIS and attempt to take off with the Doctor, but the ship's safeguards prevent it from taking off when it detects that Hydroflax’s head and body, although separated, are still linked to one another. Left behind, Hydroflax’s body tricks and uploads Ramone before following a homing beacon emitted by his head. Using Ramone, it forces its way inside, causing the TARDIS to travel to the starship Harmony and Redemption, where River requests that the maître d’, Flemming, deadlock seal the baggage hold where the TARDIS landed to prevent Hydroflax’s body from pursuing them further.

Rather than return the diamond to the Halassi, River reveals that she intends to sell the diamond to a buyer named Scratch, who has secretly filled the meeting point with members of his own species. After receiving payment, River and the Doctor discover that Scratch and his compatriots worship Hydroflax and are after the diamond in his honour. Despite attempts to hide the bagged head containing the diamond, Flemming stops them from escaping—after being tricked into entering the baggage area by an under-duress Ramone—but promises the Doctor's head to Hydroflax's body using River as bait. Sensing that Hydroflax's head will die imminently, his body destroys it, leaving only the diamond. Flemming interrogates River for the Doctor's whereabouts. She explains that although she loves the Doctor, she believes he does not reciprocate—but the Doctor reveals himself with her catchphrase "Hello, sweetie."

Being a time traveler, River knew all along that the ship was about to be crippled by a meteor strike, which she uses as their escape plan, taking the diamond in the process. The Doctor uses Scratch’s universal bank transfer device to overload Hydroflax’s body before heading to the ship’s bridge. As the ship is crashing, River discovers that they are heading toward the planet Darillium, which the Doctor remembers is where she spends her last night with him before her death. Realizing that they cannot save the ship, River and the Doctor flee into the TARDIS, but the impact knocks her unconscious.

The Doctor decides he is done avoiding taking River to Darillium. He suggests to a man searching for survivors that he build a restaurant with a view of Darillium's Singing Towers, and gives him the diamond to fund its construction. He uses the TARDIS to book a table on the balcony four years in advance. When River awakens and exits the TARDIS into the restaurant, she is told that the Doctor is waiting for her. The Hydroflax’s body, since salvaged and now peacefully controlled by Ramone and Nardole's heads, is working as a waiter in the restaurant. The Doctor gives River a sonic screwdriver. As the pair admire the Singing Towers, River asks whether this really is their rumored last night together. The Doctor insists that there is no way to avoid the end but refuses to tell River the future. He reveals that one night on Darillium lasts for twenty-four years, allowing them to enjoy a happy romance together.

Showrunner Steven Moffat originally planned this to be his last episode for his run of Doctor Who,^[3] but it became clear he would stay on because his successor, Chris Chibnall, was busy with the third season of Broadchurch.^[4] With the emotional departure of Jenna Coleman as longtime companion Clara Oswald, Moffat did not want a new major character for the episode, and writing River Song one last time would be Moffat's goodbye to the series.^[5] The episode was intended to be a lighter, comedic romp than the previous series.^[6] The first partial draft of the episode was dated 3 August 2015,^[7] with the conclusion of the first draft dated 19 August.^[8] The shooting script was the third draft and issued on 27 August.^[9] Moffat could not decide between the titles of "The Husband of River Song" and "The Husbands of River Song"; he discussed the final decision with Doctor Who Magazine editor Tom Spilsbury.^[10]

Setting the episode where River does not recognize the Doctor allowed Moffat to play around with the characters in ways unseen before, such as what River is like without the Doctor around and giving the Doctor is own "bigger on the inside" reaction to the TARDIS.^[6] The episode fills in a part of River Song's timeline, the singing towers of Darillium, previously described in "Silence in the Library"/"Forest of the Dead".^[11] Moffat was satisfied that by depicting this adventure directly before, he created a "loop" that encompassed his time writing on the show.^[4] The episode makes multiple references to River's description of Darillium in "Silence in the Library"/"Forest of the Dead," such as the Doctor's new haircut, best suit, and tears.^[12][13]

As for the villain of Hydroflax, Moffat commented, "I wanted to keep it simple, for Christmas: a big, bad, rather stupid man, who isn’t much of a threat to anything because he’s so thick."^[6]

In September 2015, it was announced that Alex Kingston would reprise the role of recurring character River Song for the first time since the 2013 episode "The Name of the Doctor".^[14][15] Steven Moffat said, "I had sort of thought we were done with River," but had been encouraged to bring her back by former showrunner Russell T Davies, who wanted to see her opposite Capaldi.^[16] Kingston said, "I didn't expect to be back."^[15]

Then in November 2015, it was revealed that the special's guest cast would include Greg Davies as King Hydroflax and Matt Lucas as Nardole.^[17] Lucas was a fan of the show; Davies accepted the offer without reading the script, describing the role as "one of those jobs that validates the career to my own mother".^[18] Lucas added comedic ad-libs during shooting.^[19] Lucas shot the episode in between attending rehearsals for a BBC Cymru production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, where he played Nick Bottom.²⁰¹⁸

The read through for the episode took place on 31 August 2015, with the special being filmed between 1 and 26 September 2015.^[20] Location filming took place in the Leigh Court Business Centre mansion, which was used for the Harmony and Redemption.^[21] The street in which the TARDIS lands was a redressing of the set of "Face the Raven," and the company Snow Business provided winter effects.^[22] The final scene's Darillium set was minimal and used wind machines.^[23] A location in St Athan was used for snowy fields, and a quarry in Aberthaw and Aberthaw Cement Works represented a crash site.^[24] The rest of the episode was filmed in BBC's Roath Lock Studios.^[24]

Multiple professionals operated the headless Hydroflax rig throughout production.^[19][25] A cast of Davies' head was made to create prop Hydroflax heads that could be carried around set.^[19] For Hydroflax's head to be sitting on the TARDIS console, a dummy section of the console was created so Davies could sit on set and deliver his lines through a hole in the panel.^[26] Davies, while positive, described performing the role, "It definitely wins the award for the most uncomfortable shoot I’ve ever done, yes. There were several times when I was trapped under a table as a floating head. Even inside the robot costume… it’s not a place where a man can relax."^[27]

Aside from one change in the closing credits, the episode finished post-production on 15 December. This was a day before a preview screening.^[10]

The episode had an official rating of 7.69 million viewers. The chart position was 7th for Christmas Day.^[28] The overnight rating was 5.77 million with a 29.4% share of the total TV audience at 5.15pm.^[29] It received an Appreciation Index score of 82 out of 100.^[28]

The episode had a cinema release in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan on 25 and 26 December,^[30] and in the United States on 28 and 29 December. The cinema releases included an additional interview with Alex Kingston and a behind-the-scenes featurette.^[31]

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Rotten Tomatoes (Average Score)	7.58[32]
Rotten Tomatoes (Tomatometer)	95%[32]
Review scores
Source	Rating
The A.V. Club	B[33]
Paste Magazine	8.2[34]
TV Fanatic	[35]
CultBox	[36]
IGN	8.4[37]
PopMatters	7/10[38]
New York Magazine	[39]
Radio Times	[40]
SciFiNow	[41]
SFX Magazine	[42]

The episode received positive reviews. It holds an approval rating of 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 19 reviews, and an average score of 7.58. The critic's consensus reads "With The Husbands of River Song, Doctor Who delivers a Christmas special that perfectly balances silliness and heart."^[32]

The A.V. Club's Alasdair Wilkins gave the episode a grade of a B. He described it as "absolutely a weird episode, and it probably doesn’t have quite enough genius and emotion in the end to quite justify the oddness of its construction".^[33] Dan Martin of The Guardian praised the return of Kingston and her chemistry opposite Capaldi.^[43] IGN gave the episode a score of 8.4 out of 10, describing it as "a nice, fun, wacky change of pace that still manages to touch that sweet spot of emotional resonance that the Twelfth Doctor has done so well this year"^[37] He described Capaldi and Kingston as having "great comedic chemistry".^[37] Paste Magazine's Mark Rozeman, giving the episode a score of 8.2 out of 10, noted that the lighter tone was welcome after the dark ending of Series 9, but that it made " the hour feel a bit slight and lacking anything to really latch onto".^[34] He praised the episode as a "poignant swansong" to River Song that "sends her off in a blaze of glory, highlighting the fantastic energy and charm that Alex Kingston brought to the role".^[34]

Both Patrick Mulkern of Radio Times and Nick Setchfield of SFX gave the episode three out of five stars.^[40][42] Mulkern wrote, "It’s hard to pinpoint what is lacking from this episode but it feels as though, with an extra twist, funnier escapades and sharper banter for the duo, this could have been a classy screwball comedy."^[40] Setchfield found the setting "a little vague around the edges" and Lucas and Davies' characters also lacking depth, but he praised Capaldi's comedy and "cracking rapport and energy" with Kingston.^[42]

At the 42nd Saturn Awards, the episode won the Best Television Presentation and Alex Kingston was nominated for Best Guest Star on Television.^[44] In a 2023 Doctor Who Magazine poll, "The Husbands of River Song" was voted the ninth best Twelfth Doctor story out of a total of 35.^[45]

"The Husbands of River Song" was released on DVD and Blu-ray on 25 January 2016 in Region 2,^[46] 27 January 2016 in Region 4,^[47] and 23 February 2016 in Region 1.^[48] A complete box set for the ninth series, including "The Husbands of River Song", was released on 7 March 2016 in Region 2, and 5 April 2016 in Region 1.^[49][50] The episode was also included on The Complete Peter Capaldi Years North American boxset, released on 13 February 2018.^[51]

Pieces of score from this episode, as composed by Murray Gold, comprise the entire fourth disc of the ninth series' 4-CD soundtrack, which was released on 27 April 2018 by Silva Screen Records.^[52]

Wikiquote has quotations related to Twelfth Doctor.

• "The Husbands of River Song" at the BBC Doctor Who homepage
• "The Husbands of River Song" on Tardis Wiki, the Doctor Who Wiki
• "The Husbands of River Song" at IMDb