| SILENCE IN THE LIBRARY/FOREST OF THE DEAD by Steven Moffat |
| Story 40 Synopsis: The Doctor answers a signal, landing in a Library in the 51st century. He and Donna are soon joined by an investigating team. A century before, there was an attack, everyone vanished and the library was sealed. The Doctor realises there are Vashta Nerada living in the shadows. There also seems some connection to a little girl. He sends Donna back to the TARDIS, but she doesn't complete the journey. One of the investigators is taken over, and then stalks the others. Donna finds herself living a strange new life, visited by Dr Moon. But she begins to suspect there's more going on. The Doctor realises the missing people were saved to the hard-drive of the computer at the core of the planet - CAL. That computer was linked to a dying young girl, but the system is breaking down. To reverse the process and free the people, the Doctor plans to use his mind as a conduit, but is prevented by River Song, one of the investigators. She makes his sacrifice because she knows he must survive to meet her over and over in the future. The Doctor is able to give her partial survival inside CAL's memory. Whilst the missing people are sorted out, the Doctor and Donna head for pastures new. |
| Review:- Having an impressive award-winning track record behind him, and the announcement of his taking over from Russell T Davies as the series showrunner, Steven Moffat could have been forgiven for worrying that his luck was about to run out. On this evidence, it's good for a while yet. Using a planet-sized library is not that original, but the relevance of the books takes time to become clear. When the Doctor meets a team led by an archaeologist, he is little prepared for what is to come... Replaying some of the tricks used in his previous stories, the hook of the Vashta Nerada is soon sending grown adults into terror, and then killing them. It stretches credibility to suppose that these creatures are somehow as widespread as the Doctor seems to suggest, especially when he can't work out how they got here if they grow in forests. The ill-fated team is led by Strackman Lux (wow, surname is Latin for light) and River Song, who knows the Doctor. In a twist also used in BF audio The Game, they have a long association but this is both their first and last meeting. The question of who she exactly is, is left unanswered for a long time, in fact not really at all. There are inferences, but she seems to be more than just a future companion of his. Her fate, sacrificing herself so that he can live and meet her later, is a fitful paradox, but at least she is well written and well acted, so trifling concerns like that can be forgiven. A bit. Whilst considering slightly wonky plot points, there's the question of CAL. A dying child strapped into a computer is one thing, but not creating any defence protocols in case of emergency is a bit of an oversight. Since CAL 'saved' over four thousand people when the Vashta Nerada attacked and then sat waiting for help, someone bungled in their planning. Presumably the idea of an internal attack was dismissed, so it's rather a shame that that's how it happened. The death scene of Miss Evangelista is movingly acted, but Lux ignoring her shortly before is a rather dumb piece of writing. Her regretful memories of her failings is also a bit cliched. However, it does establish the horror of the way the Vashta Nerada attack, perhaps more effectively than the "count the shadows" shtick does. The character's renaissance in the 2nd half, when she rescues Donna from her dream is also a bit of a cliche, but because her act of redemption is on this personal level, it works far better than if she had somehow saved everyone. Donna's ill-fated trip back to the TARDIS does at least provide some explanation for the puzzling scenes of a young girl believing the library to be in her head. When Donna also gets visits from the elusive Doctor Moon, the story seems to take an absurd turn, but it does at least keep people guessing. Lux's explanation that CAL is being watched by a doctor-moon is a good example of hiding something under people's noses. The strong first half is slightly diminished when the explanations start to come, and the Vashta Nerada are held off attacking the Doctor on the strength of his reputation. Their tragedy, being born from trees turned into books, ties in with a theme of exploitation seen also in Planet Of The Ood. I assume that the humans plan to abandon the Library to the Vashta Nerada after their own rescue, but it's rather sloppily explained and executed. As often seen in the New Series, the Doctor prepares to take the ultimate step, but is stopped by someone else's sacrifice (see also The Sontaran Stratagem/The Poison Sky). If he and River Song were as close as she claimed, then watching her die would presumably be a real emotional moment. But it'll all be forgotten next week, so hey..! Overall, it's a hugely entertaining and interesting story that treats its audience as intelligent, and if this is a sign of things to come from Moffat, then business is about to pick up. |
| Disclaimer: I have watched this story. |