Tuesday, 26 July 2011

Doctor Who Speculation — Why Is River Song Wearing an Eye Patch?

Anyone else notice the sarcophagus?
During our post on Episode 10's title, regular commenter liminalD made an acute observation that we think deserves its own post, along with other additional theories as to why River Song is wearing Madame Kovarian's eyepatch in the new Series 6 trailer.

Once again, here's liminalD's comment (edited for content and brevity).
I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that the Viking warrior with the eyepatch on is Odin from Norse mythology, that he's an alien of some sort, and that both River and Kovarian at different times have worn his eyepatch, which is some techno-thingy to allow the wearer to see everything at once or something (a power commonly attributed to Odin). 
Norse god?
What leads me to this (admittedly shaky) conclusion? Odin is often depicted as one-eyed, and he collects great warriors to dine at his table in Valhalla, which is in Asgard — the world of the gods — until Ragnarök. And didn't River say that 'Doctor' has come to mean great warrior throughout the universe? 
Furthermore, in River's first appearance ("Silence in the Library") she asked the Doctor whether they'd done the 'picnic at Asgard' yet. This year's series began with a picnic, after which the dead Doctor was set out on the lake in a burning boat, a Viking style funeral. And there have also been a number of hints throughout about the existence of different dimensions/universes existing alongside each other. Maybe it's a bit of a stretch, but I don't think so.
Personally, I'm inclined to agree with liminalD. An alien Odin might explain quite a lot, and in any case it's much more plausible than the whole "Kovarian is a regenerated River" thing.

Of course, no one at Life, Doctor Who & Combom is an expert on Norse mythology—though Combom has a degree in Zulu iconography, probably—so if anyone reading this can add to the theory, don't hesitate to comment below.

20 Comments:

Combom said...

its true, i probably might :)

richardwatts said...

I wondered if we were going to see a return of the Gods of Ragnarok from 'The Greatest Show in the Galaxy' or even Fenris (from 'The Curse of Fenris') given that the eyepatch-wearing, Viking-like figure is sitting behind a chess board...

10thPlanet said...

I forgot about the Ragnarok thing. There might be a reference of some sort.

jamawalk said...

the picnic at asgard was the picnic in the first episode of season six. no?

personally, i'm more curious about Egyptian stuff than Viking stuff right now.

whats with those sarcophagus behind river? whats up with the pyramid on the promo poster?

Amuro said...

Amazing post! This would be great, and seems pretty likely. Seems a lot to fit into 6 episodes though! I don't think they would give away River being eye-patch-lady in a trailer, instead I think they want us to believe that.

Still, I'm intrigued that both River and the Silents are in a catacomb and that this plays a big enough part to be on the promotional poster. Are they going to fit this in to 'Let's Kill Hitler', or will it be the finale. Either way, lots will be packed into those episodes!

Combom said...

IMHO in 601 they never said the picnic was at asgard, it was just assumed by us

Amuro said...

Latest post at http://doctorwhospoilers.com/ probably does the best possible explanation of everything in this trailer.

DoctorWhoGlobal said...

i still think the eyepatch is acting like a mini screen with an image of the silence on, so that whoever has it on will remember them? meh.

Walt said...

Or it could be a disguise

jamawalk said...

they don't say asgard, combom, but that area is known as the "valley of the gods" or something along those lines. and its a picnic. so its as near as dammit.

i stand by my theory that the Silents being gone is going to make everything worse. the warning, last season, was quite clear: "The Silents will Fall, Doctor"

i think whatever is wrong with time, with earth, with amy and her baby and all that... its all because the doctor screwed up by removing the influence of the Silents...

and now time is unravelling.

Sam said...

I'm of the opinion that the Eyepatch simply has an image of the Silence or something to that effect on it, so that they cannot be forgotten. I've come to this conclusion (and believe it firmly due to the trailer) because Kovarian mentions the Astronaut, who we have been led to believe is River/Melody, and knows that it will kill the Doctor. There was a Silent observing this death. The Silence made the suit for the little girl. They tried to destroy (and succeeded before Big Bang Two) the Doctor's TARDIS. I think the Silence have their own agenda, but want the Doctor out of the way. Thus, they are allied with Kovarian to kill the Doctor, before they'll betray her. The reason River wears an eyepatch is because if the little girl (which has all but been confirmed to be Melody) IS Melody, then she (and thus River) are part of the plans to kill the Doctor, and NEED to remember the Silence. And the reason ADULT Melody/River wears the eyepatch is because she's still a part of the plans (whether she wants to be or not IMO) and NEEDS to remember the Silence so that she can either their plans so that she can either stop or help them, probably stop.

Combom said...

@jamawalk - so its misdirection, we are expected to think asgard, but it may not be :)

bigbradwolf said...

I think it's the Doctor in the spacesuit.

liminalD said...

Some really interesting points here guys... I'd forgotten about the Gods of Ragnarok and the fact that the picnic was filmed in the Valley of the Gods... good spotting! The comments here about Fenric and the pyramids (someone mentioned Sutekh, I think?) are now making me wonder if maybe what we're going to see is some sort alliance of the big, scary 'god' bad-guys from classic Who? That'd be something :)

And thanks for posting this, Combom team! (I don't have a degree in Zulu iconography, as it happens... YET ;P )

10thPlanet said...

You're very welcome. I copied and pasted your comment on our Secret Chat, and everyone collectively gasped. And, you know, cursed with jealousy.

Really, it was great! And you'll be happy to know that Doctor Who Spoilers called this "pretty convincing speculation". http://doctorwhospoilers.com/2011/4542

thesilencer said...

I was thinking maybe Fenric for the chess monster

sassy117 said...

So, Kovorian is in a random room,

River is in a tomb (perhaps that's her inspiration for becoming an archaeologist?)

And "Odin" is sitting at a chess board.

If the eyepatch allows you to see everything, perhaps that explains why Kovorian could watch Amy and her child (Remember? The random hatches opening, and the screen in midair...)

I don't think River is Kovorian. I mean, delivering herself as a baby? That's a bit far-fetched- unless somehow she didn't know that it was her...

Damn you, Steven Moffat, and your awesome imagination!

nayr1126 said...

I think this is all leading to a match between Odin and the Doctor. Odin, king of Asgard, wants to stop the Doctor because he is the Trickster. I think they are hinting that the Doctor is Loki. In norse mythology, Loki was not born as an asgardian god, but was treated as one.
They keep pointing at the fact that his death is a fixed point in time, and that he has always, will always, has to die there at that time and place. It would make alot of sense if the culmination of this season is the Doctor dieing so that he could go to asgard to face Odin, and then manages to come back some other way.

nayr1126 said...

More over, I think he will come back to life in the show on 24/04/2011(aka Easter), since he officially died on Good Friday in the show.

Jasonm25870 said...

Fenric....oops...spoilers