x0_FATIMAGIC
scherzofrog
Yes. Yes she has. She has got blatant Mary Sue traits out the a**, but she is amazing nonetheless (and anyways
Tropes Are Not Bad). I love her to pieces. :3
I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "Mary Sue" qualities. I would hardly say being in love with the Doctor qualifies River for Mary Sue-hood.
The thing is, I just watched "Doomsday" today, and I must say, though I still dislike Rose, the end of that episode made me empathize with her a bit more. I don't fault Rose for falling for the Doctor, because honestly, who wouldn't. The major reason why I don't like Rose, however, is that he priorities are ******** up.
I can't stand people who say that they hate Martha because she fell for him, yet they love Rose. The truth of the matter is that Martha moved on, and led a strong individual life, while Rose chose the Doctor over her own FAMILY. She can't keep a distance between her own life, and the adventures she shared with the Doctor.
River, on the other hand, summoned up enough strength to kill the man she loved in order to fulfill a duty to the universe to restart time. In that respect, River shows bravery and strength beyond that of a Mary Sue.
I know. But that's why I like her.
You'll notice that I didn't go and call her a Mary Sue. True, she's the Other Last of the Time Lords, she makes a
Dalek beg for mercy, she gets into the Doctor's pants--all of which are Mary Sue warnings, I'm not just talking about the last one (and besides, it seems everyone's getting into the Doctor's pants these days). The point I'm trying to make, though, is that while she's got all these clichéd, idealized traits playing against her, she's written and played in such a way that she rises above it to become, well, River Song.
Tropes are not bad, like I said. It's entirely possible to have an over-idealized character in a work of fiction, one who fails every single Sue test she comes across--and then have her not come off as a Mary Sue at all. That's a testament to the skills of both the writer and the actor.