5. River Song's "Promise Ring" Sonic
Story: "Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead" (2009) - David Tennant, presumably
Usage Rating: Moffat - Full on Fantasy-without-forethought.
Nyssa Scale: 3 - It DOES serve to solve some plot strands, but it causes more issues.... I am completely prepared to debate this one to the death in the comments section. But here are some facts that are relevant or impossible to refute: 1. I personally don't like River Song as a character, and feel she is a badly used good idea. But that doesn't influence my argument here. She's well-utilized in this story, and I have no issue with her here at all. So to those who think this is just because I don't like her: No, I don't like her. But it is of no influence in this point. 2. The way the Series and the Doctor have both played out since makes this a very odd occurence to explain, and... 3. That's not entirely Moffat's fault. He had no way of knowing this was the last time he was writing for David Tennant's Doctor regularly. 4. This DEFINITELY counts as an egregious use of the Sonic - a plot point hinges on it like NEVER before! So, let's get underway. For the 3 or 4 people who haven't watched this story (For the people who think Moffat's ruined the show, it's probably the only time they can deal with River Song): The Doctor is confronted with a Professor of Archeology who is quite arch about her rather
personal knowledge of the Doctor. Tennant is quite clear on the fact they haven't met yet and seems quite accepting of the fact that it's good that she's playing by the rules so as not to reveal anything of their personal timelines' future intersection. However, then River plays one of her trump cards: She has his Sonic Screwdriver. It's clearly been upgraded and augmented. But she makes it very clear - HE will give it to her. In fairness, she does not specify which Doctor. but it is certainly the Sonic both Eccleston and Tennant toted around. (Perhaps McGann too, for all we know). The problem: This isn't how it played out. So now, with hindsight, this actually makes this perhaps the most GIMMICKY use of the Sonic Screwdriver ever. It's meant to advance a story and fudge a plot point that now would need some serious timey wimey fixes to explain. Why? Here's how it plays out. 1. River and the Doctor meet at the library for the "first" time for him. The LAST time for her, as she dies. She has THIS Doctor's (9/10) Sonic Screwdriver. 2. 10 regenerates following being a nice guy for Bernard Cribbin's sake. Bless. 3. 11 promptly destroys the Sonic whilst trying to thwart Prisoner Zero. This happens in the early hours of his life; he's even still in Tennant's clothes. He does get a new one - an ENTIRELY new one. It has no resemblance to River's. 4. Shortly after heading off into the universe with Amy Pond, 11 encounters River for the FIRST time since the Library. This is made (mostly) clear via dialogue, and he blows her title no less - The same one she had at the Library (Professor), which she hasn't earned yet. 5. In their final adventure with Amy and Rory, River is now a professor. And in the previous year plus of stories, pretty much any mystery as to who she was was explained away - And, she's married to the Doctor, when it's Moffat's hand holding the pen, anyway. So really, unless we're bringing back David Tennant at the 50th to plug a plot hole (A plot hole-plugging that he clearly DOESN'T remember once he's 11, for that matter), this is an oddity. Plus, it's evident that it's 11 who gets close to River - NOT 10 - Even though he'd (10) show some affection and sympathy knowing that this woman will kill herself for him in her future, it's obvious 11 is starting with her from scratch from the library. So, oddly enough, this use of the Sonic is the most baffling and outrageous by far - It clearly was used to show the Doctor has a LOT of stock in this woman... but how she gets THAT Sonic is now even more confusing. (And remember, she makes it clear HE gave it to her - She didn't find a discarded one during an excavation or steal one from an exhibit during her Doctor-killing years) And while I completely understand and agree that Moffat had no way of knowing his Tennant-writing years were numbered... this could've been solved by letting Matt Smith run around with the older model for a year or so. This was so much easier when the Doctor just handed out K-9s as parting consolation gifts...