Timey wimey wibbly wobbliness. I think time keeps being rewritten this season, we're just not seeing it. The Doctor is changing time streams without even realizing it (maybe thanks to the TARDIS, what was that she says... she takes him where he's needed and who says she'd ever let him go?).
I'm starting to get all thinky about it. I think that while he did go to his death in The Impossible Astronaut, there's more going on that we know, especially with the episode The Doctor's Wife, that seems to be a throwaway episode, but is it really? The TARDIS has shown herself to be very aware of what's going on with her travellers, as well as pretty possessive of the Doctor. Her awareness is a bit fragile in that it is very nonlinear mind you. She takes him to where he's needed. She makes the comment that "What makes you think I would ever give you back?" River is the TARDIS's child... she made the perfect companion for the Doctor, in fact, someone who could be his his wife, his lover... all the things the TARDIS can't be to him. But things have gotten mixed up and wibbly wobbly, possibly because the TARDIS is so nonlinear. How much of what has happened with River is because the TARDIS is rewriting history by introducing the Doctor into certain parts of the time line trying to save him and also at the same time, trying to keep history stable so River Song (her daughter in a way) doesn't have her life changed too much? Eh, my theory is possibly way out there, but it takes into account the TARDIS as active, not just the ship that takes them places... I'm pretty sure the TARDIS doesn't want the Doctor to die.. especially since I think if he dies... she dies.
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I'm starting to get all thinky about it. I think that while he did go to his death in The Impossible Astronaut, there's more going on that we know, especially with the episode The Doctor's Wife, that seems to be a throwaway episode, but is it really? The TARDIS has shown herself to be very aware of what's going on with her travellers, as well as pretty possessive of the Doctor. Her awareness is a bit fragile in that it is very nonlinear mind you. She takes him to where he's needed. She makes the comment that "What makes you think I would ever give you back?" River is the TARDIS's child... she made the perfect companion for the Doctor, in fact, someone who could be his his wife, his lover... all the things the TARDIS can't be to him. But things have gotten mixed up and wibbly wobbly, possibly because the TARDIS is so nonlinear. How much of what has happened with River is because the TARDIS is rewriting history by introducing the Doctor into certain parts of the time line trying to save him and also at the same time, trying to keep history stable so River Song (her daughter in a way) doesn't have her life changed too much? Eh, my theory is possibly way out there, but it takes into account the TARDIS as active, not just the ship that takes them places... I'm pretty sure the TARDIS doesn't want the Doctor to die.. especially since I think if he dies... she dies.