when does river song first meet the doctor
River Song (Doctor Who)
When the Doctor next encounters River , in `` The Husbands of River Song '' ( 2015 ) , as the Twelfth Doctor ( Peter Capaldi ) , she does not initially recognise him and he is able to learn more about what she is like when he is not around . The Doctor accompanies River ( from her perspective , shortly after `` The Angels Take Manhattan '' ) on a scheme to obtain a rare diamond . He learns that in addition to him , River has had several spouses , both male and female , and is not above ruthless behaviour as she goes about her work . He also discovers that she truly loves him , but that she also genuinely believes that he does not love her back . She feels that the Doctor is above such petty emotions as love , and that he would never willingly jeopardise himself simply to help her . River ultimately discovers that the man she 's been having this adventure with is actually the Doctor , with a new face she does n't have a record of , thinking he only had 12 regenerations and that she 'd already seen his last one . The pair later crash - land on the planet Darillium , where River had told the Doctor in `` Forest of the Dead '' that they would have their last night together . He uses time travel to ensure a perfect date , gifts her the sonic screwdriver that she had in `` Silence in the Library '' , and comforts her by revealing that the nights on Darillium last `` 24 years '' , giving River a happy life spent with the Doctor before her impending death in the Library .
When the Doctor next encounters River , in `` The Husbands of River Song '' ( 2015 ) , as the Twelfth Doctor ( Peter Capaldi ) , she does not initially recognise him and he is able to learn more about what she is like when he is not around . The Doctor accompanies River ( from her perspective , shortly after `` The Angels Take Manhattan '' ) on a scheme to obtain a rare diamond . He learns that in addition to him , River has had several spouses , both male and female , and is not above ruthless behaviour as she goes about her work . He also discovers that she truly loves him , but that she also genuinely believes that he does not love her back . She feels that the Doctor is above such petty emotions as love , and that he would never willingly jeopardise himself simply to help her . River ultimately discovers that the man she 's been having this adventure with is actually the Doctor , with a new face she does n't have a record of , thinking he only had 12 regenerations and that she 'd already seen his last one . The pair later crash - land on the planet Darillium , where River had told the Doctor in `` Forest of the Dead '' that they would have their last night together . He uses time travel to ensure a perfect date , gifts her the sonic screwdriver that she had in `` Silence in the Library '' , and comforts her by revealing that the nights on Darillium last `` 24 years '' , giving River a happy life spent with the Doctor before her impending death in the Library .