Doctor Who 4.8: Silence in the Library

[selenay]

I have apparently just put the last 109 books into LibraryThing (all non-fiction) so, dusty and tired, it is time to write my DW review :-)


Somehow it feels oddly proper that I write this after spending an afternoon cataloguing books.

Steven Moffat has developed a bit of a reputation for writing rather good, rather creepy DW episodes and this one lived up to every bit of that reputation. Things to love:

- Donna!
- The more I think about the idea of data ghosting, the more it gives me the shudders.
- I was determined not to be creeped out by this one because I knew that it would be creepy, but I failed completely.
- Moffat's genius is in taking ordinary everyday things and making us scared of them, like small children, statues and now the dark. He doesn't use big gory monsters and somehow it is those simple ideas that are far more scary than a big gory monster ever could be.
- I knew that there would be a skull in that face plate. Why did I still jump?
- The other thing that has be mildly shuddery is the idea of all those people 'saved' as data nodes. Particularly seeing Donna's face.
- I have some suspicions about who the little girl is (probably suspicions that will be disproved next week) but it's one of those subplots that I loved and can't wait to see the resolution for.
- River Song was certainly an interesting character and she rather grew on me. Obviously that means she's destined to die next week. Is she going to be the new companion next year?
- How many children will refuse to visit the library tomorrow?
- The idea of an entire planet being a library is brilliant. Can I have one?
- The whole thing looked amazing but there was never a point where I was going "Ooh, look at those great effects!" because I was so absorbed in the plot. That's the mark of a great episode.

I deliberately turned off before I could see the trailer for next week's episode because I love Moffat's work so much that I don't want to be spoiled for it. The wonderful thing about Steve Moffat is that his scripts are always tight, always great for the characters and don't rely on spectacle to entertain. If anything, his scripts play on the little fears and irrationalities at the back of everyone's minds rather than playing with blood and gore. It's this kind of plotting and idea-usage that makes me excited about what he'll do as show-runner.

Donna didn't get a huge focus this week but everything she did was great. She's turning into the human 'us' voice and doing it fantastically. It was her horror at the idea of the node faces that really made me shudder: I suspect that I would have been rather 'meh' otherwise, at least until Donna became a node face. That was something I really didn't expect. Her sympathy for the PA was also lovely and rather understandable. I wonder how often Donna was on the receiving end of that slightly condescending attitude herself? Not because she's stupid (she really isn't) but because the Donna we saw all those months ago almost tried to make a virtue of ignorance and sheltering herself from the reality of the world around her. Since she met the Doctor she has grown and matured and changed yet I rather think that she remembers what she was like.

I also think that she likes the person she is growing into even though it's been incredibly difficult and emotional at times for her.

The other great Moffat thing is his catch-phrases. "Are you my mummy", "The angels have the police box" and now "who turned the lights off?" are all things that you remember about the episodes for months or years afterwards.

The idea of data ghosts is just horrid and, combined with the dark and the node faces, just finishes off the creepiness of this episode. Again, it's such a simple idea but as soon as you think about it a little it becomes horrific. To then have the swarm inhabiting the space suit with the data ghost voice eternally repeating that one phrase...

Is it next week yet?

Comments

[historyterry.livejournal.com]

This one seemed packed full of things for the fans :-). I loved the line 'travelling with you is just one big spoiler'. There were lots of nice touches, too, and I have to say that suspense will always win out for me, and so few people seem to have the knack.

Nice touch, too, having the pattern on the rug in the girl's flat, the same logo as the library. I have my own ideas about what's going on with her, so I shall enjoy next week. We may, in fact, both be watching it around my laptop at some point?

I did wonder whether River Song might be the doctor, and some way they have of getting round the limited number of regenerations. The doctor doesn't give his screwdriver to anyone, after all... I guess we'll find out in a few years :-). Nice to see that actress again. She doesn't seem to have been in much since ER.

PS - What time does your train get in on Thursday? And, um, I'm still not sure what I'm doing tomorrow night - but it's my turn to call.

Txx

[djonma.livejournal.com]

River Song can't be the doctor - she'd have recognised Donna.
I had this odd feeling that she was his wife. NO idea why!!
It really confused me. But... like he said, he wouldn't give his screwdriver to just anyone.

I totally loved the episode, everything about it was just fantastic.

[gaspodex.livejournal.com]

I'm desparatly holding on to hope that River isn't her real name and that Steven M and Paul C have conspired to bring Benny into TV cannon ...

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Donna!

Is there a reason you thought she was particularly good here? Or are you just generally impressed with her?

I ask because, though I love Donna and I love her here, I've just been reading a number of fans who were unimpressed - thought she wasn't as smart as usual, or was underused. I don't think so; in fact, I always like her role in taking a different perspective from the Doctor.

River Song was certainly an interesting character and she rather grew on me. Obviously that means she's destined to die next week.

I think not. I hope not!

Is she going to be the new companion next year?

Interesting question! I was sort of hoping for Jenny.

She's turning into the human 'us' voice and doing it fantastically. It was her horror at the idea of the node faces that really made me shudder

I thought both writing and acting there came together beautifully. Real chill up the back moment, but it wasn't just fear, it was also compassion.

I wonder how often Donna was on the receiving end of that slightly condescending attitude herself?

Perhaps that's a reflection of her life as a temp - that she isn't usually given any credit for expertise or intelligence, of which she seems to have a lot. Moreover, her mother spends a lot of time putting her down - it sounds as if Evangelista's father did the same.

"who turned the lights off?"

Such a good line.

[riverfox.livejournal.com]

I thought this was one of the more inventive episode stories I've ever seen. I started to wonder if maybe the archaeologist was someone the Doctor met *far* into the future. However, if I try to make that make sense in the canon of the rest of this show, I'll get a headache *g* so I'll just leave that to everyone else. ;)

Only one thing drove me batshit -- it was a cliffhanger. *sighs* I didn't know that. I come into these episodes knowing only what I saw in the teaser at the end of the previous week's episode. There was no teaser at the end of this episode so the only way I know there'll be an episode next week because the announcer came on and said so. *gg*

[selenay]

This is a possibility that I've read in a lot of places, so I'm joining in with the hopes :-)

[selenay]

'travelling with you is just one big spoiler'.

I was loving those references! It was one of those episodes that had lots of lovely little moments as well as having some terrific ideas overall.

[selenay]

Is there a reason you thought she was particularly good here? Or are you just generally impressed with her?

Mostly I'm just generally impressed with her. I think that Donna's a fabulous character and they've been doing some great things with her. She questions the Doctor a lot more than Martha or Rose did and she's been growing and maturing without losing her Donna-ness.

I did think she was very good here. Certainly not underused or less intelligent than usual: she was asking the questions that we're all asking and she noticed things that other people didn't.

I was sort of hoping for Jenny.

*g* That I would not argue with!

Real chill up the back moment, but it wasn't just fear, it was also compassion.

That's the perfect way to express it. Donna feels for people, more than she did when we first met her, and she could see why it was horrific in a way that the Doctor was blind to it's "what they do in that time".

Moreover, her mother spends a lot of time putting her down - it sounds as if Evangelista's father did the same.

That's something that I was also thinking about. In some ways, there was a lot that Evangelista and Donna had in common, which is maybe why she latched onto Donna as 'the nice one'.

Such a good line.

Moffat is definitely a genius at that kind of thing :-)

[selenay]

I thought this was one of the more inventive episode stories I've ever seen.

It really was and that's one of the many reasons that I loved it :-)

I'll get a headache

This is why I don't try to make sense of canon in a time travel show. It just gives me a headache!

it was a cliffhanger

Ah. I was thankfully prepared and I do like the pacing they can have on a well-written two parter. Moffat in particular works best in two parts.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I think that Donna's a fabulous character and they've been doing some great things with her.

I agree! And I think she gets better all the time. Observant, and with a desire to champion the underdog. She doesn't accept surface appearances or easy explanations.

[radiantbaby.livejournal.com]

Sorry, poking in from who_daily:

There was no teaser at the end of this episode...

Actually there was one, but it was at the end of the credits. DW puts the teasers for 2-parters at the end, I believe, to keep those people who do not want to be spoiled from being disappointed.

[riverfox.livejournal.com]

Crap, you're right. I just checked the end, after the credits. *facepalm* I never wait after the credits. It's always been at the end of the last scene, when the logo flies by. Well, now I know better so thanks. :) And thanks for the Comm addy. :)

[riverfox.livejournal.com]

PS -- *g*

Did you notice that the archaeologist's book kinda looked like the TARDIS?

[selenay]

Donna is turning into one of my all-time favourite companions - she's only a very close second to Ace now. I like the complexity and growth they've given her.

I remember being rather upset that "that shouty Catherine Tate" would be the companion for the next year, but then I went back and re-watched The Runaway Bride. My initial impression had been mostly about the amount of shouting she did but when I watched it again I could see that there was something else in the character that were only being allowed glimpses of. It's been great to see that promise being allowed to flourish as the weeks go by.

[selenay]

Who Daily is a fabulous comm :-) I can't believe that I hadn't prodded you towards it yet!

And yup, I noticed the TARDIS-shaped notebook :-)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

she's only a very close second to Ace now

I've never seen Ace.

I like the complexity and growth they've given her.

I like that, and her moral sense, and her courage, and her style of humour. I also like it that she isn't extremely young and beautiful and in the style of an average TV heroine.

In The Runaway Bride I thought Donna was not just too screechy - and too judgemental of the Doctor - I thought she was stupid! I'm happy to see how much she has improved.

[riverfox.livejournal.com]

Well now I know where to go for any news. :)

When the archaeologist was holding it in her hand, it didn't dawn on me. But when the Doctor kept staring at it, I thought, "I wonder if he's staring at it not just because he's curious to read it." ;)