Dave Wrote:He was in the tessalecter from the first. As for the age he gives (200 years older), the Doctor always lies.
The paradox occurred because River broke her 'programming' and didn't shoot him in the tessalecter suit, the whole last episode was really about the Doctor having to convince her that it would be okay, to fix the paradox.
At least that is how I recall the episode (was a few months back I saw it).
As for the diary, I'll back what the other Dave said, it doesn't contain everything everytime, and if I recall, in one episode the Doctor leaves River an empty blue book that becomes her diary. Basically Stephen Moffat stole the central premise of The Time-Traveller's Wife, which is a great read (the film has mixed reviews). The difference being he has two time-travellers, which makes it a bit more complex.
That makes sense about the paradox, and that's how I remember the final episode.
I believe the doctor gave River the blank diary when she was in the hospital after saving his life in Let's Kill Hitler. I think i'm just going to have to let this go and stop spinning my wheels. It twists my brain in a knot like when I try to think about what happened right before time began.
And come to think about it, how is River traveling backwards in her time stream? At times she has that device on her wrist (can't remember what that's called), but it seems to be involuntary otherwise she would be able to avoid having the doctor know her less each time she sees him. I've really got to stop thinking about this, but I have this need to understand it. Aaarrrggghhh.
I appreciate hearing what other people think about things, thanks guys!