Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Forest of the Dead (3009/409)

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    Forest of the Dead (3009/409)

    Visit the Episode GuideDOCTOR WHO SERIES 30
    FOREST OF THE DEAD
    EPISODE NUMBER - 3009

    As shadow parasites pick off members of the expedition, the Doctor and his mysterious friend race to save more than 4,000 souls. Donna finds herself living a perfect life, only to be told that it is not real.

    VISIT THE EPISODE GUIDE >>
    Last edited by Darren; 10 April 2011, 03:54 PM.

    #2
    Hey, the threads open!!

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

    It was obvious that CAL was the girl, though I did not see Lux's motivations coming.

    The ending when the guy with the stutter leaves was so painful, not in the this is really bad way but in the "Oh no" kind of way.

    Well I guess River is going to be a companion during Moffat's time then, or at least I think that's what was implied. Also her referencing of going to the end of the Universe, does Moffat have plans to revisit the Utopia arc? We still need to know what happened to the Toclafane now the paradox is broken.

    Edit: First time ever getting first post on an episode discussion, I feel so chuffed

    Comment


      #3
      I really liked this episode.

      ...

      And that's all I have to say about that.
      I write articles/features/reviews for I'm With Geek.com now. Check out our stuff if you get a minute!

      sigpic
      Click on sig to check out my fanfic gallery too!

      Comment


        #4
        Really good episode. Excellent conclusion to the first part that answered many questions - yet left even more unresolved!! Am terribly intruiged by the whole name thing and River knowing the Doctor's name... and the implication seeming to be that they are perhaps married in the future? (Interesting kind of marriage though where he just turns up from time to time or comes when she calls)

        The name thing is very mysterious and intruiging - particularly the way the Doctor phrased it to River, something about there being only one circumstance in which he *could* tell her his name. Like he wouldn't otherwise be allowed to? Like his name is somehow forbidden or something?

        Glad to see I was correct in my speculation from last week that saved meant literally that - saved into the computer/onto the hard drive. Though really, it wasn't too hard to work out last week that the little girl was CAL and CAL was the computer... lovely twist on how that was all explained though and why she was the computer. Another intruiging point there was the Doctor's comment that CAL got confused because she had 4,200 voices in her head all talking at once and it must have been like "being me". Verrrrry interesting. We know the Doctor has psychic abilities, we've seen him use them from time to time... but that would seem to indicate a wider psychic ability and one that is as much a difficulty as a useful thing... like he can't always block out everyone's thoughts? Hmmm...

        Very poignant the resolution of River's story (River's song? Could this perhaps have been what the Ood referred to as the Doctor's song must end soon? ) - ahhh I do love my Doctor when he's angsty.

        Much to love about this episode in general... really must go watch it again!
        sigpic

        Comment


          #5
          Very good episode, a credit to Moffatt as usual.
          I think Dr Who will be in safe hands when he takes over.

          Comment


            #6
            Okay...I still have no real clue who River Song was but by Jove this two parter ranks even higher then "Blink" in my books. That was just plain AMAZING! I am too tired now but I will write a proper review tomorrow. Suffice to say that my love for Stephen Moffat and his writing skills have grown a hundredfold.
            He's like fire, ice and rage. He's like the night, and the storm in the heart of the sun.
            He's ancient and forever. He burns at the centre of time and he can see the turn of the universe.
            And he's wonderful.

            Comment


              #7
              Wonderful, I wonder if Donna and Stutter man will ever meet again and the group all back together in CAL and Moon's little world. Things certainly have been left open. It may have been the end of River's song but will we get to see the beginning, it seems to me that a whole new arc is opening up for Dr 11, 12 or 13, my guess is Dr 13, some how I think she was there at the end, it's the only reason he would have told her his name.

              All in all a great story

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by Alipeeps View Post
                The name thing is very mysterious and intruiging - particularly the way the Doctor phrased it to River, something about there being only one circumstance in which he *could* tell her his name. Like he wouldn't otherwise be allowed to? Like his name is somehow forbidden or something?
                I don't think it has to do with marriage, that seems a little too... simple, somehow. Too easy. I thought it might have to do with childbirth, but that's a bit much, especially coming on the heels of the whole Jenny thing.

                Maybe it's a last regeneration thing. That could be kind of interesting. Might be worth someone starting a thread to theorize about it. Er... if there isn't one already.

                Another intruiging point there was the Doctor's comment that CAL got confused because she had 4,200 voices in her head all talking at once and it must have been like "being me". Verrrrry interesting. We know the Doctor has psychic abilities, we've seen him use them from time to time... but that would seem to indicate a wider psychic ability and one that is as much a difficulty as a useful thing... like he can't always block out everyone's thoughts? Hmmm...
                I didn't take it quite so literally as that, I was thinking more that a piece of everyone he's met "lives on" in him, with a given value for "everyone." Could be just Companions and associates, could be all the other Time Lords, could be something else entirely.

                Great ep. Still think Blink is tops, but this was darn good. I was kinda surprised that nothing was made of the whole "the library is made out of the Vashta Narada's forest" stuff as it seemed like another good opportunity for the Doctor to go off on a rant about humanity mucking about with things they don't understand and destroying whole cultures just to make life easier for them. Definitely would have taken away from the emotional impact of River's story, though, so I can understand why it wasn't pursued, but it seems like a point left open. Maybe we'll get back to it some day as we did with the Ood? Or maybe not. *shrug* I just felt like there was more to that angle than what we got.

                Yay for the team being saved, even if they are basically ghosts in the machine. I got the impression that the Doctor still came to visit her/them after the upload, would that be correct?

                Also, the whole "when the wind blows in the right direction" thing reminded me of Mary Poppins. LOL! I wonder what the children are meant to be. I kept waiting for her to name them so we could have a spoiler hint of things to come.

                EDIT: Oooo, and yay on the "Everybody lives!" reference!

                Comment


                  #9
                  I liked it. I was sad that River ended up a ghost in the machine, but was happy she was at least with her friends and the children. I wish we had learned more about her relationship with the Doctor. Whatever it was definitely seemed like she was more than just a companion.

                  One this I missed or misheard or something: What happened to the Vashta Narada? I got the impression that the Doctor was sending them somewhere, but didn't really get where.

                  I actually guessed right about the girl being the computer and 'saving' the people. It might have been obvious, but I still usually don't figure out the obvious so yay!

                  I did like how River's voice over started, making it seem like it would end with the screwdriver on the book, and then the Doctor ran back and there was an entire new sequence. =D
                  *~*

                  *~*

                  Spoiler:
                  *~*
                  sigpic
                  *~*
                  photo manip by SGKawoosh, based on my crazy dream about the Earth being destroyed and the Asgard, wearing flannel and jeans, saving SG-1. Yah, my dreams are usually that messed up.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    TBH I was disappointed. It was a good episode, it was just a little infuriating how they kept going on about spoilers and never actually revealed anything. The only thing we know now that we didn't know at the end of the last week is that she knows his name.

                    I think it's heavily implied that she's more than just a companion when they meet in the future, and by the sound of it, she won't be always travelling with him.

                    Thing is, it will probably be another 2 years before we find out.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      I had thought that the Vashta Narada were going to be "saved" into the computer instead, but unless they manifested as the three kids (HA!) I dunno. Or were the three kids Donna's "children" and CAL?

                      The Doctor didn't say anything about killing the shadows, just moving them somewhere they could graze forever.

                      I had another question about something but can't remember it now. Maybe someone will ask it for me.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Originally posted by ShadowMaat View Post
                        I don't think it has to do with marriage, that seems a little too... simple, somehow. Too easy. I thought it might have to do with childbirth, but that's a bit much, especially coming on the heels of the whole Jenny thing.
                        Ah well, I certainly got the "future wife" vibe from the whole thing and in the Doctor Who Confidential it was pretty clear that that was the vibe they were trying to give - that the Doctor has an "intimate" relationship with River in the future... and that she "might, possibly, maybe" be his wife in the future (I believe that's how someone (can't recall if it was RTD or Moffat (can we start to refer to him as SM now that we know he's going to be the "new RTD"? )) phrased it).

                        Originally posted by ShadowMaat View Post
                        I had thought that the Vashta Narada were going to be "saved" into the computer instead, but unless they manifested as the three kids (HA!) I dunno. Or were the three kids Donna's "children" and CAL?

                        The Doctor didn't say anything about killing the shadows, just moving them somewhere they could graze forever.
                        My understanding was that he was leaving the Library to the Vashta Nerada. Get all the people out and let them "graze there" forever. There was no mention of moving them - he just got a day to get the people out.
                        sigpic

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Ahhh, OK. Kind of a sad waste of a library, but OK. Better than getting devoured while trying to read Shakespeare or something. lol

                          And yes, there was a definite wifey vibe coming from River, but I don't buy marriage as the only time the Doctor could/would reveal his name. Then again, maybe sometimes the simplest answers ARE the right ones.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Now THAT was what i call an awesome episode!

                            He told her his name! Not just 'The Doctor' but his actual proper name! I hope we hear more about this, specifically the reason why he told her.

                            Did anyone else find the veiled lady really creepy? before we found out that it was Evangalista.

                            And the Doctor can work the TARDIS doors by clicking! what the hell!

                            I hope we see more of River Song in later episodes. It was almost as if Moffat was setting himself up for when he takes over RTDs job.
                            sigpic

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Originally posted by ShadowMaat View Post
                              And yes, there was a definite wifey vibe coming from River, but I don't buy marriage as the only time the Doctor could/would reveal his name. Then again, maybe sometimes the simplest answers ARE the right ones.
                              I still hope not wife, because I have problems with 'special' companions. If one of them is special then the others aren't; I don't like that idea.

                              Very, very impressed by this episode, although I did better than usual in calling the conclusion of the two-parter. Miss Evangelista's super-genius woman in black was fantastically creepy. I did wonder about her 'brilliant and unloved' line. Is this implying that the Doctor sees the truth, so he must be unloved, or that he is loved and therefore biased, I wonder?
                              Behold the majesty that is...GERALD!
                              - Read The Prophet's fan fiction at The Lost Vegas Public Library.

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X