Precious Annihilation

The Tenth Doctor and River Song #2

Released: 25 November 2020

Listened: 11/24/22

Although a bunch of time seems to have passed for the Doctor since he last met River, this is the very next story in the boxed set. The Doctor’s attitude toward River has softened a bit, and he’s not quite so anxious to figure out who she is. On the flip side, he’s not real happy about her tendency to escalate situations and resort to violence. This story isn’t as timey-wimey as the previous, but that’s a really high bar. It’s still fairly timey-wimey, taking place in both 1912 and the 1600s. They’re investigating the Cheapside Hoard, from which some of the gemstones have turned out to be explosive (oops), a dramatic deviation from recorded history. River’s got some skills that are a surprise to the Doctor, and she loves frustrating him with what he doesn’t know at this point. She’s also ridiculously flirty, almost as much as I’ve ever seen her. Mind you, the Tenth Doctor deserves some flirting. The Doctor’s arrogance is on display here too, both the “I can save anybody” and the “time has to do what I say” varieties. Lizzie Hopley has crafted a story that’s fun, with historical details, but really asks a big question, specifically “How far would you go for someone you love?” And acknowledging that the answer can be pretty scary indeed.