Doctor Who (TV Series)

A Good Man Goes to War (2011)

Alex Kingston: River Song

Photos 

Quotes 

• River Song : [voiceover]  Demons run when a good man goes to war. Night will fall and drown the sun when a good man goes to war. Friendship dies and true love lies. Night will fall and the dark will rise when a good man goes to war. Demons run but count the cost; the battle's won but the child is lost.

• The Doctor : You think I wanted this? I didn't do this! This- this wasn't *me*!

  River Song : This was *exactly* you. All this. All of it! You make them so afraid. When you began all those years ago, sailing off to see the universe, did you ever think you'd become this? The man who can turn an army around at the mention of his name. "Doctor": the word for "healer" and "wise man", throughout the universe. We get that word from you, y'know. But if you carry on the way you are, what might that word come to mean? To the people of the Gamma Forests, the word "doctor" means "mighty warrior". How far you've come. And now they've taken a child, the child of your best friends, and they're going to turn her into a weapon, just to bring you down. And all this, my love, in fear of you.

• [last lines] 

  River Song : It's the TARDIS translation matrix. It takes a while to kick in with the written word. You have to concentrate.

  [Amy looks at the etching on the crib] 

  Amy Pond : [levels the gun at River again]  I still can't read it.

  [Rory grasps Amy's hands and gently takes the gun from her] 

  River Song : It's because it's Gallifreyan and doesn't translate.

  River Song : [picks up the prayer leaf and places it in Amy's right hand]  But this will. It's your daughter's name in the language of the Forest.

  Amy Pond : I know my daughter's name!

  River Song : Except, they don't have a word for "pond," 'cause the only water in the Forest is the river. The Doctor *will* find your daughter, and he will care for her, whatever it takes, and I know that.

  [as Amy looks at the back of the prayer leaf, its stitched lettering changes to "River". Amy turns it over and the front side has already translated to "Song"] 

  River Song : It's me. I'm Melody. I'm your daughter.

• The Doctor : No, you tell me. You tell me who you are.

  River Song : I am telling you. Can't you read?

  The Doctor : [realizing who is River Song, smiling]  ... Hello.

  River Song : [smiling]  Hello.

  The Doctor : [giggling]  But that means...

  River Song : I'm afraid it does.

  The Doctor : Ooh. But you and I, we-we-we, uh...

  River Song : Yes.

  The Doctor : [laughs]  Ooh. How do I look?

  River Song : Amazing.

  The Doctor : I'd better be.

  River Song : Yes, you'd better be.

• River Song : It's my birthday. The Doctor took me ice skating on the River Thames in 1814. The last of the great frost fairs. He got Stevie Wonder to sing for me under London Bridge.

  Rory : Stevie Wonder sang in 1814?

  River Song : Yes, he did! But you must never tell him.

  Rory : I've come from the Doctor too.

  River Song : Yes, but at a different point in time.

  Rory : Unless there's two of them.

  River Song : No, that's a whole different birthday.