Netflix, John River, and the Thames

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.”