Forest of the Dead (3009/409)

[Willow'sCat]

Hmm, I am a bit *meh* on this episode. I really did love the first part but this one just seemed out of step. Trying to tell or say too much in a short space of time. Last week seemed better paced, this week just seemed rushed.

River Song, could be anyone, we only have her own words to go on. Is she really 'just' an archaeologist? Did she really have a deeper relationship with him? What about the end of the Universe? We don't get two surely? As for her (the actor) turning up in the future, well that is where this all falls down for me, as I said last week I couldn't buy her turning up say in two or three series and playing her age as she is now. I think about Angel (David) and the amount of times I had to shut out the thoughts about him (David) really looking older then he did in season one of Buffy... he was playing a vampire he shouldn't be aging!

Maybe by then it won't matter, if then ever comes. Or maybe they (tptb) intended for this to be another one of those things we are told about but we never get to see... Time War. If it is the latter then I am wondering what the point is... unless

Spoiler:

Donna reads the book. We never saw what Donna did after The Doctor up and ran away with the sonic screwdriver, maybe Donna took the book? Maybe the book is part of the finale? I have to say given human nature I would be neither shocked nor surprised if Donna did take the book.

What's in a name? Who cares? I have no idea why I am meant to care about this, when were we told his name was so important? Is is just another thread through the series "Bad Wolf" style?

"Click". Well I certainly hope they keep the clicking to a minimum or it will get old real soon.

Overall there were some creepy moments, some funny moments (Donna getting married, never saw that coming! ) and some frustrating moments, some moments where my heart broke for Donna; but was this anything more then a stand alone (2 part) episode? I hope not as so much just didn't need telling unless they do follow through.

No where near as good as "Blink" but better then the previous stories.

[Dusk]

Masterful! Just masterful!

Amazing episode, though not as good as part one, and probably Moffat's weakest episode (though still as I said earlier amazing).

I disagree, this one topples Part I by a parsec, especially because of the final scenes.

It was a good episode, it was just a little infuriating how they kept going on about spoilers and never actually revealed anything.

Haha, which is exactly why they kept gong on about it, to piss off all the spoilerheads out there.


I think the Doctor's name is Ned. Ned the Timelord.

[Mr Prophet]

Just occurred to me is this: What if the one moment that the Doctor could say his name is when he dies. If River is familiar with more than one regeneration (and she clearly knew about the process), and if she met him time and again in an odd order for both of them (her wish to compare diaries suggests that their orders don't remotely match) then maybe the first time - or just a time - is when the Doctor finally dies.

Of course, if this is the case then we will probably never get to see it, but such is life.

It's established that a Time Lord - or more specifically The Master - can steal another's regenerations, but if he could give them away then surely he would have given one of his lives to Jenny.

[Willow'sCat]

It's established that a Time Lord - or more specifically The Master - can steal another's regenerations, but if he could give them away then surely he would have given one of his lives to Jenny.

However I always got the impression that although The Master is quite mad, he turned even more insane after he did that. I don't think they are meant to take anyone else's lives or regenerations without paying a huge debt.

I think only the council of The Time Lords could do that. They did bring The Master back (twice now?). As for Jenny we still don't know if only Time Lords/Ladys can regenerate or if it is all those with two hearts etc. Maybe Jenny isn't a Time Lady so maybe The Doctor could never have given her a regeneration, maybe he sensed that.

[pbellosom]

Masterful! Just masterful!
I think the Doctor's name is Ned. Ned the Timelord.

I thought we agreed somewhere that it was Pete? And that Who was his real surname after all.

Spoiler:

Donna reads the book. We never saw what Donna did after The Doctor up and ran away with the sonic screwdriver, maybe Donna took the book? Maybe the book is part of the finale? I have to say given human nature I would be neither shocked nor surprised if Donna did take the book.

That would be cool

I presumed that was a different chip; a better one which, being linked to the screwdriver, held her entire mental print, rather than just a ghost, for a good long time. There were clearly plenty of the chips and it woudl be easy enough for the Doctor to get hold of one. He couldn't have gone back for the one in his suit, because he was already there.

Of course! Thank you.

Hehe, for a good chunk, the little girl was basically just watching Doctor Who...

I noticed that, I found it hysterical

[Gate-builder]

Doesn't seem very likely, but maybe he told her his name because he knows that she will reveal to him that she knows it, in order for her to get him to trust her. Kinda hard to explain!

I hope we don't find out what the Doctors real name is, but I really want to know what is so special about it. Why it is hidden and everything.

[Reefgirl]

IMO I think River was there at the end of his last regeneration and that's where she learned his name, he told her as he died

It was a good episode, it was just a little infuriating how they kept going on about spoilers and never actually revealed anything.

Personally I think it was a dig at The Sun, who seem to delight in spoiling episodes for everyone

[Alipeeps]

Just occurred to me is this: What if the one moment that the Doctor could say his name is when he dies. If River is familiar with more than one regeneration (and she clearly knew about the process), and if she met him time and again in an odd order for both of them (her wish to compare diaries suggests that their orders don't remotely match) then maybe the first time - or just a time - is when the Doctor finally dies.

I dunno. I very much got the impression that River specifically knew this Doctor, this regeneration?

Personally I think it was a dig at The Sun, who seem to delight in spoiling episodes for everyone

And particularly these episodes - I'm pretty sure I read that these eps, or one of them, was the one that The Sun got ahold of a leaked script for and threatened to print the entire plot in advance of the eps...

[Naonak]

I don't think River was there for the Doctor's death - she told that whole story about the last time she saw him, with the Singing Towers and him giving her the sonic screwdriver... Didn't really sound like he died...

This is probably something SM wants to deal with during his time as showrunner, so I don't think it'll be years and years away.

[Mr Prophet]

I don't think River was there for the Doctor's death - she told that whole story about the last time she saw him, with the Singing Towers and him giving her the sonic screwdriver... Didn't really sound like he died...

The last time she saw him, but not necessarily the last time he saw her. I think they must have crisscrossed a lot, so just as he saw her die before he got to know her, maybe she saw him die before she got to know him.

I dunno. I very much got the impression that River specifically knew this Doctor, this regeneration?

Most certainly, but did she know just that regeneration? Remember that when she started comparing notes, she said:

River Song: Judging by your face it's early days.

Looking back, it struck me that it's only later that she starts commenting on how young he is, so maybe rather than lines she's talking about which face he's wearing.

[Jonzey]

Oh, and an interesting thing about next week's episodes. Probably doesn't need to be in spoiler tags since it's irrelevant to the plot (probably) but it guest stars

Spoiler:

David Troughton- son of Patrick Troughton aka the 2nd doctor.

[ShadowMaat]

I also wondered when she mentioned his showing up with "a new haircut" if that might not be doublespeak for a regeneration. I wonder how many of his faces she's seen?

[Reefgirl]

Oh, and an interesting thing about next week's episodes. Probably doesn't need to be in spoiler tags since it's irrelevant to the plot (probably) but it guest stars

Spoiler:

David Troughton- son of Patrick Troughton aka the 2nd doctor.

Woohoo, all we need now is

Spoiler:

Sean Pertwee guest star

[P-90_177]

Hey did anyone else feel that the music for this episode was particularly amazeing? I mean the music in doctor who is always brilliant but it was just incredible in this ep.

[Bray]

Just watched it on the iPlayer (well last night actually ) and wow! I thought it was awesome how the Vashda Narada could talk...well kinda.

Poor other Dave, I loved how they did that, I had barely realised that he was shouting the same thing until it was too late.

The preview of next weeks episode unfortunatly looked a bit meh.....but I will be more than happy to be prooved wrong on that point.

I think that this was about on par with blink....if not better actually.

And that poor guy with the stutter! I was like NOOOO!! just yell something! Burp really loud just get her attention!