A real roller coaster of emotions, answering more questions and causing more confusion.  This is starting to get into the region of proper spoilers now, so I'm going to hide the rest of this post.  If you want to experience this for yourself, don't read on.



So, it turns out that John did know of River's condition.  It's not entirely made clear what is wrong with her, but it's some form of Aspergers since the doctor recommends a book by Tony Attwood.  I was upset by John's refusal to read the book - sticking his head in the same, hoping that it would just go away.  That was never going to be a good thing.

Further back in time, and we find John asking River out for the first time.  John's friend Nicolas is a bit of a dick - but, her, he's a teenage boy.


But then again, John is also a bit of a dick.  He doesn't want to go out with River because he likes her, he wants to go out with her because he thinks it'll make him more interesting.  And with that, the whole nature of their relationship changes.  In later years, is John buying his head in the sand - or does he just not care?  has he grown to love River, or tolerate her?  The clues indicate there is some affection there at least - he wouldn't have built the house and shouldered the responsibility of finances otherwise - but did he really fight against her dying wish to restore Anya at the cost of her medical bills?


Following this, there were some comedic moments.  The researchers' work didn't work, they popped in and out of John's memories trying to plant the seeds of inspiration, but they didn't take.



Evidently, we hadn't gone far enough back.  After introducing the smell of roadkill to dying John (and following a tense revival by the doctor), we were able to move back to see John as a young child.



Not just John, though.  We met his twin brother, Joey.  His mum didn't call John 'Joey' as a nickname, she called him by that name as her mind had confused the two boys, after she reversed her car and killed John's brother.  A huge tragedy in the family, setting the path for the future in stone.