Chess is a game for kings. The fact that losing means being shocked says a lot about just how real the meaning behind the game can be. (Every move can be your last in both chess and in war)
It's not even "losing means being shocked." The idea is clearly that moving each piece increases the current (and thus the voltage) pumped into that piece, meaning that the point of this version of chess is to play efficiently and effectively, wasting as few moves as possible. It also demonstrates the metaphor of how River, the Silence's "queen," becomes even more dangerous for the Silence the more they use her against the Doctor--except in their case, they failed to realize that they had charged her up way past safe potential, and that came back to zap them in the hand later.
Connor Clemmons the difference is, in war, the pawns and queens and various other pieces have their own agendas, wants, standards and needs. Imagine how crazy chess would be if a piece simply said “no.”
Whenever I see a game of chess on tv, I’m reminded of an episode of House (starring Hugh Laurie) where a teenage chess prodigy won a game, then when the loser congratulated him, the prodigy proceeded to use the board to beat his opponent into a coma. Can’t remember the exact story, just that the kid was a jerk to everyone.
I like to think the Doctor didn't even use any tricks to get it, like making a fake one or just picking one up. He actually went and killed a Dalek, just to speak to the Teselecta
So.... how many people realized that the whole Chess scene is basically just one giant metaphor for River Song's life up until this point? From her perspective, that is? To be more specific, the Queen is River, and Gantok represented The Silence as a whole. I mean, seriously.... once you view it in that light, every word the Doctor says here falls into place, and it also becomes about 3x as easy to understand the Episode as a whole.
In the Netherlands, there is a game show called _Wie is de Mol?_ , or _Who is the Mole?_ in English. The complexity of the show and the many audience-only hints, among many other factors, mean that it's a show that's debated almost as hotly as _Doctor Who_ is. My point here is that one of the TH-camrs who talks about WidM / WitM when it's on had a saying, which roughly translates as such: _"Sometimes, something is too much of a coincidence to be much of a coincidence."_ Or, in other words: if something fits so well among so many different possibilities of fitting more or less well if it was random, it can't be random and must instead be intentional. The Chess Scene is such a perfect metaphor for River, and viewing _The Wedding of River Song_ through the lens of the Chess Scene makes everything in that Episode fall so well into place, that it is virtually impossible that it wasn't intentional. Plus, Moffat is a big fan of using subtle cues and metaphors in his writing to communicate a story to the audience, so it also fits the writer. Which makes it all the more likely that he did, in fact. intend it in that way.
+John Smith Well, yes, I suppose it could be said about more people than just River, but the Episode with the Live Chess isn't called _The Wedding of [insert other Character's name here]_ , now is it? Also, it's more than just about the Silence trying to move River and failing. It's about the fact that they *have* been "moving" aka manipulating her for literally her entire life, and that this River is now so fed up with this that anybody who tries to "move" her again will be in for, shall we say..... a rather big shock. A lethal one, even. No matter the safety precautions the Silence takes now -- the Space Suit, for example -- they'll never make it to "Bishop 4" (which would be the Doctor, obviously) in one piece. It also ties in *perfectly* _[again, so perfectly that it can't really be a coincidence]_ with the rest of the Episode. The Doctor's biggest problem after ending up in the "Broken Time world" is that he isn't Genre Savvy enough to heed his own advice from the Chess Scene. You see, as long as he keeps trying to "move" River into restoring Time against her will, he is doomed to fail. Because River won't be manipulated, not ever again for the rest of her life. It's only when he decides to *be honest* with her -- and marry her, to boot -- that he is able to save the Universe and the Time Stream and all that. So that's why -- well.... that and it being totally Moffat's style to do something like this -- I am utterly convinced the entire scene in the clip above is one giant allegory for what goes down in the rest of the Episode, and about where River is at that point in her life in particular.
Oh it is a very kick-ass episode. River Song creates a paradox that causes everything in time to literally happen at once and the Doctor and his companions (who live different lives and barely remember their original friendships) have to put an end to the paradox.
Elijah Brandt correct I have the same set as well it’s official Doctor Who merchandise that I brought through a Doctor Who specialist service for proper diehard Whovians not any of the stuff you can buy from a local toy store or on Amazon etc... if your sister used the same company!?! It’s not a cheap chess set either I paid £300 for mine, but it’s worth every penny it’s a beautifully designed and crafted set! X
I hate to be that guy, but the fact that this clip is monetized makes this illegal, doesn't it? That is, unless you were given specific permission by the BBC to post this video and have it monetized. I enjoy that stuff like this is posed, but please don't monetize it. It's illegal... unless I'm mistaken. And if I am mistaken, please don't be harsh about it but do explain how copyright laws work.
Right, but does TH-cam automatically give the BBC the revenue or does the TH-camr have to? Because if the the TH-camr has to, then it's possible that it would be illegal, no? Again, I am certainly not a legal expert, but I am... curious, about the nature of the copyrights with this. Again, if I am incorrect, please enlighten me to the truth of the matter, as I appreciate the education on the subject.
@@julia970y6v That's entirely possible, since I don't claim to be an expert on the topic. That would make sense however I haven't heard of that previously. Then again, how would youtube know it's copyrighted unless you told it?
ChloeMSP 010 and she cheated on him/her!?! She married a robot for a diamond and then flaunts her toy boy actually in front of him in The Husbands of River Song.
Imagine getting trounced in chess while your opponent condescendingly describes the rules to the game and points out the pun in the title
DW is at its best when its at its craziest. Stuff that would never fly in any other scify show just works, because insanity is built into the lore.
every episode could be considered DW's "Jump the shark" moment, and yet that's totally fine!
@@wrenleader4409 DW is basically a show about jumping sharks.
But most of the stuff DW does has been in other shows. IThis seems rather dull honestly.
@@mrbubbles6468like what?
Chess is a game for kings. The fact that losing means being shocked says a lot about just how real the meaning behind the game can be. (Every move can be your last in both chess and in war)
Deep. I like the idea that pawns are essentially the queen's descendants because they all have the potential to become a queen.
It's not even "losing means being shocked." The idea is clearly that moving each piece increases the current (and thus the voltage) pumped into that piece, meaning that the point of this version of chess is to play efficiently and effectively, wasting as few moves as possible. It also demonstrates the metaphor of how River, the Silence's "queen," becomes even more dangerous for the Silence the more they use her against the Doctor--except in their case, they failed to realize that they had charged her up way past safe potential, and that came back to zap them in the hand later.
Connor Clemmons the difference is, in war, the pawns and queens and various other pieces have their own agendas, wants, standards and needs. Imagine how crazy chess would be if a piece simply said “no.”
Whenever I see a game of chess on tv, I’m reminded of an episode of House (starring Hugh Laurie) where a teenage chess prodigy won a game, then when the loser congratulated him, the prodigy proceeded to use the board to beat his opponent into a coma. Can’t remember the exact story, just that the kid was a jerk to everyone.
Establishing dominance by slapping down a Dalak eye-stalk; nice.
I like to think the Doctor didn't even use any tricks to get it, like making a fake one or just picking one up. He actually went and killed a Dalek, just to speak to the Teselecta
it didnt work the second time when he heads to trenzalore lol
@@patlee4858 I said to put me on a ship, don't put me on a dalek ship when I'm holding a broken bit of dalek!
@@DisKorruptd You did not indicate a preference
Honestly did NOT notice that was Mark Gatiss at all throughout the episode. It was so obvious in The Lazarus Experiment though!...
Mark Gatiss should’ve be the new show runner of doctor who
Wait, isn't Mark Gatiss' character died in the 10th doctor ep?
@@47-zahiraamalia73 Yh, Lazarus died, he plays a different character here
@@47-zahiraamalia73 Well obviously once you play a single character in a show you can't do any other one
Talking of chess... Nightmare in Silver springs to mind.
That was a good chess game
that was so fcking cool
Or the curse of Fenric :D
So.... how many people realized that the whole Chess scene is basically just one giant metaphor for River Song's life up until this point? From her perspective, that is? To be more specific, the Queen is River, and Gantok represented The Silence as a whole.
I mean, seriously.... once you view it in that light, every word the Doctor says here falls into place, and it also becomes about 3x as easy to understand the Episode as a whole.
I doubt that's intentional.
In the Netherlands, there is a game show called _Wie is de Mol?_ , or _Who is the Mole?_ in English. The complexity of the show and the many audience-only hints, among many other factors, mean that it's a show that's debated almost as hotly as _Doctor Who_ is.
My point here is that one of the TH-camrs who talks about WidM / WitM when it's on had a saying, which roughly translates as such: _"Sometimes, something is too much of a coincidence to be much of a coincidence."_ Or, in other words: if something fits so well among so many different possibilities of fitting more or less well if it was random, it can't be random and must instead be intentional. The Chess Scene is such a perfect metaphor for River, and viewing _The Wedding of River Song_ through the lens of the Chess Scene makes everything in that Episode fall so well into place, that it is virtually impossible that it wasn't intentional.
Plus, Moffat is a big fan of using subtle cues and metaphors in his writing to communicate a story to the audience, so it also fits the writer. Which makes it all the more likely that he did, in fact. intend it in that way.
+John Smith
Well, yes, I suppose it could be said about more people than just River, but the Episode with the Live Chess isn't called _The Wedding of [insert other Character's name here]_ , now is it?
Also, it's more than just about the Silence trying to move River and failing. It's about the fact that they *have* been "moving" aka manipulating her for literally her entire life, and that this River is now so fed up with this that anybody who tries to "move" her again will be in for, shall we say..... a rather big shock. A lethal one, even. No matter the safety precautions the Silence takes now -- the Space Suit, for example -- they'll never make it to "Bishop 4" (which would be the Doctor, obviously) in one piece.
It also ties in *perfectly* _[again, so perfectly that it can't really be a coincidence]_ with the rest of the Episode. The Doctor's biggest problem after ending up in the "Broken Time world" is that he isn't Genre Savvy enough to heed his own advice from the Chess Scene. You see, as long as he keeps trying to "move" River into restoring Time against her will, he is doomed to fail. Because River won't be manipulated, not ever again for the rest of her life. It's only when he decides to *be honest* with her -- and marry her, to boot -- that he is able to save the Universe and the Time Stream and all that.
So that's why -- well.... that and it being totally Moffat's style to do something like this -- I am utterly convinced the entire scene in the clip above is one giant allegory for what goes down in the rest of the Episode, and about where River is at that point in her life in particular.
Alternative/supporting theory, River song Can't escape from fate, she did not have free will at all
@@AhsimNreiziev this is such a huge stretch
I would be shocked if I lost at chess too
Badum tss
nice
well now I just want to watch the rest of this episode
Funny fun scene. Good on you, Gatiss.
Over 4 million volts running through it? I think he may mean amps...
Was this a kick ass episode? I am intrigued.
Oh it is a very kick-ass episode. River Song creates a paradox that causes everything in time to literally happen at once and the Doctor and his companions (who live different lives and barely remember their original friendships) have to put an end to the paradox.
As soon as I see live chess I think of wizard chess from Harry Potter.
The One-Eyed Space Viking.
2:01 ... wait can't you just concede?
Some people still want to uphold their reputation for something they're good at, even after an inevitable defeat.
I would imagine in such a setting you probably cannot concede It's to the death.
@@highlander723 The Doctor concedes after the guy gives him the info he wants.
How can they tell which pieces are theirs though? Both sides are the same colour...
The sandwich SKIIIIL
obviously whichever piece is about to kill you is yours :P
One set is clear white the other is a misty, faded white. My sister has the same set. (or one similar.)
Elijah Brandt correct I have the same set as well it’s official Doctor Who merchandise that I brought through a Doctor Who specialist service for proper diehard Whovians not any of the stuff you can buy from a local toy store or on Amazon etc... if your sister used the same company!?! It’s not a cheap chess set either I paid £300 for mine, but it’s worth every penny it’s a beautifully designed and crafted set! X
The girl on the knitting magazine looks an awful lot like Clara.
That's a pretty cool coincidence.
I didnt know Mark Gatiss was Gantok and I didn't know he was danny boy
Good
Wow Mark Gatiss got killed off "twice" by this show! Lol! I think they should give him a character which that doesn't die! Lol!
So that was Mark Gatiss
Is that Noel Fielding??
Goodo mark gatiss
Which episode is this
The Wedding of River Song
It's in the title...
I hate to be that guy, but the fact that this clip is monetized makes this illegal, doesn't it? That is, unless you were given specific permission by the BBC to post this video and have it monetized. I enjoy that stuff like this is posed, but please don't monetize it. It's illegal... unless I'm mistaken. And if I am mistaken, please don't be harsh about it but do explain how copyright laws work.
It's copyrighted. The revenue goes to the BBC.
Right, but does TH-cam automatically give the BBC the revenue or does the TH-camr have to? Because if the the TH-camr has to, then it's possible that it would be illegal, no? Again, I am certainly not a legal expert, but I am... curious, about the nature of the copyrights with this. Again, if I am incorrect, please enlighten me to the truth of the matter, as I appreciate the education on the subject.
I thought TH-cam automatically monetized copyrighted work and sent the money from it to the copyright owner.
@@julia970y6v That's entirely possible, since I don't claim to be an expert on the topic. That would make sense however I haven't heard of that previously. Then again, how would
youtube know it's copyrighted unless you told it?
support.google.com/youtube/answer/2797370?hl=en
The doctor cheats on river
ChloeMSP 010 and she cheated on him/her!?! She married a robot for a diamond and then flaunts her toy boy actually in front of him in The Husbands of River Song.
River-Phoenix Luna Pavier oh yeah they cheat on each other lol
@@river-phoenixlunapavier2641 Don’t forget she said “You sound just like my second wife”.
2nd!