Doctor Who Series 4 Episode 8 - Silence in the Library

From this point, this story can go two ways. It can either be the best two-parter we’ve had or it could be a huge let down. It’s finely balanced.

Steven Moffat penned this episode, it should be interesting to see if he carries on his trademark ‘dark’ stories when he takes over as executive producer in 2010. It wasn’t easy to spot ‘the line from Coupling’ this time, I think it was the “I’m thick, my head is too small” line. With me being the only one to spot his version of RTD’s ‘gay agenda’, I feel quite proud.

We had a possible pop at Paul Cornell in this episode. Moffat wrote in archaeologist ‘River Song’ who seems to know The Doctor. The Doctor didn’t have the foggiest who she is (as she apparently, met him in the future), so he quipped “I laugh at archaeologists”. Whether this is a reference to Cornell’s Bernice Summerfield, only he knows!

Back to the episode, where D+D land on a planet which doubles as the biggest library in the universe. Basically, its a similar plotline to the Bernice Summerfield audio ‘Timeless Passages’, hmmm I think I’m seeing another ‘agenda’ here!

Our duo are warned about ‘the shadows’ which are infected with ‘Vashta Nerada’, which eats human flesh in seconds. But not clothes, apparently! We get to meet River Song (Alex Kingston) and her team, headed by businessman Lux (Steve Pemberton). Meanwhile a little girl seems to be having dreams about the library and The Doctor. It seems she is controlling it and a visiting psychologist (Colin Salmon) seems to know she’s telling the truth and tells her that the library is ‘real’.

As the members of Lux’s expedition are gobbled up as quickly than any type food in Vanessa Feltz’s fridge, Donna is transmatted on board the TARDIS, only to disappear quicker than she appears. She pops up later as one of the faces on a information statue. Thing is, all those faces are donated by dead people. Whoops!

A pretty decent cast pulled the episode through, credit must go to Eve Newton who played the little girl. The episode was very dark and creepy, the Scooby Doo-style ‘space ghosts’ really helped but I wasn’t on the edge of my seat. It seemed that this story was designed to be 3 parts, rather than 2 parts. But what Moffat does well, is to develop storylines. I’m confident the second part will be fantastic, as we get to the business end of the series.

As for who River Song is and the fate of Donna? I’ve no idea, but its going to be fun finding out, isn’t it?

8/10

Next Time: Donna is found alive and well, sipping tea and chatting to her cousin – Melanie Bush!

Before I sign off, a word on the mid series trailer (which you can view below). Okay it’s wasn’t brilliant, it seemed that only the Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead and the final two episodes were spliced together. Rose is back (with a gun), as are the Daleks (again!) and there is a figure shrouded in darkness, it seems to have a Dalek base and a blue eye. I think all bets are off folks!

'Forest of the Dead' Trailer


Mid series trailer