I originally associated John River of the Netflix/UK series River with the Thames because it
highlighted the only natural element in the show. But after watching the first
season, I believe the evolution of John River parallels that of the River
Thames, moving from polluted muddiness to the possibility of renewal.
We view the Thames for the first time at night from John
River’s point of view, highlighting the source of its name. Derived from the
Celtic name for the river, Tamesas
(from *tamēssa) it probably originally meant "dark." Others suggest
the root of the title Thames is Indo-European and pre-Celtic with a root indicating
"muddiness," like the first sighting in the series. But this meaning
also connects with John River’s search both for self and for his partner
Stevie’s murderer—both of which are muddy in the first episode.
The Thames was indeed “dark” and “muddy” from at least the
middle ages forward, first from raw human and animal waste, and then from
unregulated industry. In 1957, the pollution levels became so bad that the
River Thames was declared biologically dead. The amount of oxygen in the water
fell so low that no life could survive and the mud reeked of rotten eggs.
Like the Thames, John River seems almost lifeless, perhaps
more dead than Stevie, who appears to John periodically, singing pop songs and
cracking jokes that sometimes offer clues to her killer. By episode two,
though, John has adopted Stevie’s cat, bringing life into his sterile
apartment. The episode includes several scenes highlighting the bond John forms
with the cat. Because it belonged to Stevie, John’s connection with the cat
certainly represents the close relationship he shared with Stevie. But it also
demonstrates an evolution for John River. He cannot be “biologically dead” like
the Thames because he can sustain another life, even if it is only a cat.
Although the cat does not serve as an integral part of the
show after episode two, it serves as the foundation for more complex living
relationships for John. By episode six, the final episode of season one, John
has built friendships with several characters in the show: Rosa (Georgina Rich)
the therapist who clears him for work, his boss Chrissie (Leslie Manville), and
his new partner Ira (Adeel Akhtar) and wife Marianne (Lydia Leonard).
Like the Thames, John River “teems with
life.” According to a 13 October 2010 Telegraph
article, “125 species of fish swim beneath its surface while more than 400
species of invertebrates live in the mud, water and river banks. Waterfowl,
waders and sea birds feed off the rich pickings in the water while seals,
dolphins and even otters are regularly spotted between the riverbanks where it
meanders through London.”
After his strategic wanderings through
the city, John River and partner Ira solve Stevie’s murder. But they also form
a bond that translates River’s isolated schizophrenic life into a loving
family. In the season’s last episode, River, Ira, and Marianne share a picnic
near their desk, but when River hugs Marianne’s child and says “hello” with a
smile, he finds a home. In River,
this family teaches John River to believe his alter ego Thomas Cream’s claim: “I
have always thought a country should be judged on how it treats its insane,
rather than its sane; the stranger on our shores rather than those already
home.” John’s “country” earns an “A.”
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