Reinforce or reinterpret previous guesses based on new revelations.
Firstly, I stand by last week's assertion that Moffatt has used 'Alice: Through the Looking Glass' as inspiration for this series but will expand it to include some Wonderland elements as well.
So, to recap the key questions.
- Who is the girl regenerating?
- What is this season's big bad?
- Who is River?
- Who is the 'eyepatch lady'?
- Who shot The Doctor?
Just to be clear - these are my theories only. They may inadvertently turn out to be true. Spoilers by accident not by design so highlight at your own risk.
1. The girl regenerating is Susan. Same as last week. The elements of family in 'The Doctor's Wife' and 'Aunty, Uncle and Nephew' reinforce the theme. It is also why this week was such a watershed. The Doctor is a sexual being - he always has been. Susan is evidence of that. Thanks to Gaiman, Moffatt now has a way to re-introduce once of the most puzzling loose threads about The Doctor's past. It is more sympathetic to believe that rather than not interfere and detach (pure intentions), The Doctor is 'human' in that he fails and succumbs to his desires. That's why he keeps on running.
2. The season's big bad is the Knave of Hearts. Revised from last week's guess (Jabberwocky). Still metaphorical though - as the The Doctor is the big bad and we are indeed witnessing another variation on Trial of a Timelord.
Stay with me on this one....
- River warned The Doctor that when he finds out who she is - EVERYTHING changes.
- This week we had the original mythology from a different perspective. ("You stole me and I stole you")
- The nonsense element of the Knave of Hearts in Wonderland is "sentence first - verdict afterwards".
So, The Doctor and Idris may believe that they ran off from the Timelords and they are now the only ones left. But, because of wibbley wobbley timey wimey, The Doctor was sentenced to wander through the universe - that's his sentence for his role in the time war.
Perhaps he is even The Corsair - see their role as nefarious agents and the mark (an Ouroboros) borrows mythology of a creature that both creates and destroys itself.
3. River Song is the TARDIS is humanoid form. Same as last week. We now know that is is possible for a TARDIS to end up in humanoid form. Perhaps River killed the Corsair?
4. The 'eye patch lady' is not important. Same as last week but with more evidence. Idris says "The only water in the library is the river". Leaving aside the meaning of 'library' I believe this is a big hint to The Doctor and a big misdirection to the viewer. We are supposed to think that the statement reveals something of who River is. No - it simply means Amy POND is not real. She is not the tall red headed 'Wonk' we see. She is the young, pining child being monitored by the 'eye patch lady'.
5. Undecided on who shot The Doctor. Suspects include River, Rory and Susan (grandfather paradox anyone?) And additionally now - The Doctor and The Corsair.
Mind you - sitting on the fence is no fun!
So, I say that it is The Doctor himself as it makes a nice metaphor. (Do, remember that there is a clone running around somewhere). He puts to death the scared little boy running, always running so that he, the man can begin to take responsibility for his past and future.
Got something better, less crazy, more crazy or sensible?
Let me know.....
