As has been stated quite a bit, she's a Mary Sue of ghastly proportions. Let's go down the list of Common Mary Sue Traits on TV Tropes, and see how many she qualifies for. I'll use spoilers, as this is going to get long.
Personality less important than how other characters react to them: Check
Highly persuasive: Check
Friend to all living things: No check
Brave and cheerful (despite a rough past), or constantly mopey and depressed: Check
Incorruptible: No Check
Occasionally a jerk, with no one calling her out on it: Check
Only flaws are stubborness and a bad temper, without being affected by either: no check
Feels "cursed to be awesome": no check
Total score: 4 out of 8, or 50%
Inexplicable and/or poorly defined skills: Check
More skilled than a canon character, regardless of whether it makes sense: Check (see: flying the TARDIS better than The Doctor)
Perfect singing voice: Undetermined
A goddess in bed: Undetermined
Speaks several languages fluently: Check
Skilled in martial arts: Undetermined
Random magical powers: No Check
Absurd natural athletic abilities: Undetermined
Never makes anyone jealous: check
Always great fashion sense/always looking beautiful: check
Total score: 5 out of 10, or 50%
So beautiful, it's a curse: no check
Unusual hair and/or eye color: no check
Kaleidoscope eyes: no check
Slim, yet well-bosomed: no check
Often wears revealing outfits: check
Loves purple: no check
Total score: 1 out of 6, or 16.7%
Magic ring: no check
Exotic weapons: check (poison lipstick)
Access to huge mecha: no check
Always has web access: check (though to be fair, all the characters do through the TARDIS)
Has a duplicate of a "one of a kind" weapon: check (Silence in the Library, sonic screwdriver)
Total: 3 out of 5, or 60%
Wish fulfillment character: no check
Offspring of a canon character: check
Has people constantly talking about how awesome she is: no check
Previously-established personalities change around her: check
Special treatment in-universe: check
Serves as a hyperactive, immature female to bring a brooding or troubled character out of his shell: strangely specific, but a check
Relationships of some kind with multiple character: check
Total score: 5 out of 7, or 71.4%
Story revolves around her: check
No real flaws: check
"The Chosen One": check
Around the author's age: check (she seems to be in her mid forties, Moffat is 51)
Dark and troubled past, to a ridiculous degree: check
Converts an entire population to the side of good: no check
Half-human: check (other half is Time Lord)
Redeems the villain: no check
Is a princess: no check
If she ever does anything wrong, is instantly regretful, and easily forgiven: check
Has some trait setting her apart from the rest of her race: check
Total score: 8 out of 10, or 80%(!)
Named after the author: no check
Overly long name: no check
Name of a gemstone, flower, celestial body, or a pretty color: no check
Unusual spelling of a normal name: no check
Generic Japanese name: no check
Name inconsistent with culture: no check
More name parts than normal for her culture: no check
Feminized form of author's favorite character: no check
Total score: 0 out of 8, or 0% (finally!)
Large amount of time introducing her by appearance: no check
Constantly has the camera focused on her: check
New words made up to describe her: no check
Parts not involving her rushed past: check
Villain plot ignored in favor of the character: check
Major plot points not involving the character done off-screen: no check
Characters constantly talk about her, when she is off-screen: check
Story done from the POV of the character: seems that way sometimes, but no check
Total score: 4 out of 8, or 50%
Character in some way appears in every work by the author: no check
Author takes offense at any criticism of the character: no check
Author upset when favorite character is paired with anyone other than the new character: no check
Total score: 0 out of 3, or 0%
So, after taking out the ones that don't apply (either through medium or genre), River qualifies for 30 traits out of 65, or 46.2% of said traits. That's rather high to apply via coincidence, I think.
Yes, but some of these are easy to figure out if thought about:
Inexplicable or poorly defined skills: if this is a reference to her fighting abilities, then remember - she was trained by Madame Kovarian to kill the Doctor.
More skilled than a canon character, regardless of whether it makes sense: she can fly the TARDIS so well because she is the child of the TARDIS, and the TARDIS speaks to her - literally.
Speaks several languages fluently: so does anyone who was ever onboard the TARDIS for a long time
Always great fashion sense/always looking beautiful: 51st century woman
Often wears revealing outfits: 51st century woman
Exotic weapons: Sarah Jane Smith has her sonic lipstick, why is River any different?
Has a duplicate of a "one of a kind" weapon: the Doctor gave her his screwdriver, so technically its still the original
Previously-established personalities change around her: have you ever changed around someone you've fallen in love with?
Serves as a hyperactive, immature female to bring a brooding or troubled character out of his shell: i'd say that its the other way around with River and the Doctor, but ok.....
Relationships of some kind with multiple character: her parents & her husband
Story revolves around her: check
No real flaws: 1) raised to kill the Doctor. 2) obsessed with guns. 3) fear of the Silence(quite an obvious one, but still)
"The Chosen One": once again, not sure how this one applies...
Around the author's age: check (she seems to be in her mid forties, Moffat is 51)
Dark and troubled past, to a ridiculous degree: not gonna argue with this one
If she ever does anything wrong, is instantly regretful, and easily forgiven: TWORS. anyone remember that? didn't regret it at all, no matter how angry the Doctor got...
Has some trait setting her apart from the rest of her race: not sure what this one is...
Characters constantly talk about her, when she is off-screen: Amy, Rory, and the Doctor, and Donna - as they were trying to figure out who she is
As has been stated quite a bit, she's a Mary Sue of ghastly proportions. Let's go down the list of Common Mary Sue Traits on TV Tropes, and see how many she qualifies for. I'll use spoilers, as this is going to get long.
Personality less important than how other characters react to them: Check
Highly persuasive: Check
Friend to all living things: No check
Brave and cheerful (despite a rough past), or constantly mopey and depressed: Check
Incorruptible: No Check
Occasionally a jerk, with no one calling her out on it: Check
Only flaws are stubborness and a bad temper, without being affected by either: no check
Feels "cursed to be awesome": no check
Total score: 4 out of 8, or 50%
Inexplicable and/or poorly defined skills: Check
More skilled than a canon character, regardless of whether it makes sense: Check (see: flying the TARDIS better than The Doctor)
Perfect singing voice: Undetermined
A goddess in bed: Undetermined
Speaks several languages fluently: Check
Skilled in martial arts: Undetermined
Random magical powers: No Check
Absurd natural athletic abilities: Undetermined
Never makes anyone jealous: check
Always great fashion sense/always looking beautiful: check
Total score: 5 out of 10, or 50%
So beautiful, it's a curse: no check
Unusual hair and/or eye color: no check
Kaleidoscope eyes: no check
Slim, yet well-bosomed: no check
Often wears revealing outfits: check
Loves purple: no check
Total score: 1 out of 6, or 16.7%
Magic ring: no check
Exotic weapons: check (poison lipstick)
Access to huge mecha: no check
Always has web access: check (though to be fair, all the characters do through the TARDIS)
Has a duplicate of a "one of a kind" weapon: check (Silence in the Library, sonic screwdriver)
Total: 3 out of 5, or 60%
Wish fulfillment character: no check
Offspring of a canon character: check
Has people constantly talking about how awesome she is: no check
Previously-established personalities change around her: check
Special treatment in-universe: check
Serves as a hyperactive, immature female to bring a brooding or troubled character out of his shell: strangely specific, but a check
Relationships of some kind with multiple character: check
Total score: 5 out of 7, or 71.4%
Story revolves around her: check
No real flaws: check
"The Chosen One": check
Around the author's age: check (she seems to be in her mid forties, Moffat is 51)
Dark and troubled past, to a ridiculous degree: check
Converts an entire population to the side of good: no check
Half-human: check (other half is Time Lord)
Redeems the villain: no check
Is a princess: no check
If she ever does anything wrong, is instantly regretful, and easily forgiven: check
Has some trait setting her apart from the rest of her race: check
Total score: 8 out of 10, or 80%(!)
Named after the author: no check
Overly long name: no check
Name of a gemstone, flower, celestial body, or a pretty color: no check
Unusual spelling of a normal name: no check
Generic Japanese name: no check
Name inconsistent with culture: no check
More name parts than normal for her culture: no check
Feminized form of author's favorite character: no check
Total score: 0 out of 8, or 0% (finally!)
Large amount of time introducing her by appearance: no check
Constantly has the camera focused on her: check
New words made up to describe her: no check
Parts not involving her rushed past: check
Villain plot ignored in favor of the character: check
Major plot points not involving the character done off-screen: no check
Characters constantly talk about her, when she is off-screen: check
Story done from the POV of the character: seems that way sometimes, but no check
Total score: 4 out of 8, or 50%
Character in some way appears in every work by the author: no check
Author takes offense at any criticism of the character: no check
Author upset when favorite character is paired with anyone other than the new character: no check
Total score: 0 out of 3, or 0%
So, after taking out the ones that don't apply (either through medium or genre), River qualifies for 30 traits out of 65, or 46.2% of said traits. That's rather high to apply via coincidence, I think.
Yes, but some of these are easy to figure out if thought about:
Inexplicable or poorly defined skills: if this is a reference to her fighting abilities, then remember - she was trained by Madame Kovarian to kill the Doctor.
More skilled than a canon character, regardless of whether it makes sense: she can fly the TARDIS so well because she is the child of the TARDIS, and the TARDIS speaks to her - literally.
Speaks several languages fluently: so does anyone who was ever onboard the TARDIS for a long time
Always great fashion sense/always looking beautiful: 51st century woman
Often wears revealing outfits: 51st century woman
Exotic weapons: Sarah Jane Smith has her sonic lipstick, why is River any different?
Has a duplicate of a "one of a kind" weapon: the Doctor gave her his screwdriver, so technically its still the original
Previously-established personalities change around her: have you ever changed around someone you've fallen in love with?
Serves as a hyperactive, immature female to bring a brooding or troubled character out of his shell: i'd say that its the other way around with River and the Doctor, but ok.....
Relationships of some kind with multiple character: her parents & her husband
Story revolves around her: check
No real flaws: 1) raised to kill the Doctor. 2) obsessed with guns. 3) fear of the Silence(quite an obvious one, but still)
"The Chosen One": once again, not sure how this one applies...
Around the author's age: check (she seems to be in her mid forties, Moffat is 51)
Dark and troubled past, to a ridiculous degree: not gonna argue with this one
If she ever does anything wrong, is instantly regretful, and easily forgiven: TWORS. anyone remember that? didn't regret it at all, no matter how angry the Doctor got...
Has some trait setting her apart from the rest of her race: not sure what this one is...
Characters constantly talk about her, when she is off-screen: Amy, Rory, and the Doctor, and Donna - as they were trying to figure out who she is
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