"Doctor Who" Forest of the Dead (2008)

Director:

Euros Lyn

Writer:

Steven Moffat (written by)

TV Series:

"Doctor Who" (2005)

Original Air Date:

7 June 2008 (Season 4, Episode 9)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi

Plot:

With the library darkening, the Doctor takes on the Vashta Nerada while figuring out what links River Song to his future. Meanwhile, Donna finds out the mystery of Dr. Moon and the Girl. |

Plot Keywords:

Abandoned Library | Alien | Time Lord | Tardis | Companion

Cast

David Tennant	...	The Doctor
Catherine Tate	...	Donna Noble
Alex Kingston	...	Professor River Song
Colin Salmon	...	Dr. Moon
Harry Peacock	...	Proper Dave
Steve Pemberton	...	Strackman Lux
Jessika Williams	...	Anita
O.T. Fagbenle	...	Other Dave (as O-T Fagbenle)
Eve Newton	...	Charlotte Abigail Lux
Mark Dexter	...	Dad
Jason Pitt	...	Lee
Eloise Rakic-Platt	...	Ella
Alex Midwood	...	Joshua
Talulah Riley	...	Miss Evangelista
Jonathan Reuben	...	Man

Runtime:

45 min (50 episodes)

Certification:

UK:PG (DVD rating)

Company:

BBC Wales

Trivia:

According to Steven Moffat, the squareness gun is the sonic blaster used by Jack Harkness in season 1. After Jack leaves it in the TARDIS, River Song will take the gun in the Doctor's future.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: At the end when River Song is putting her children to sleep, she leaves their bedside lamps on. However, when she exits the room, she turns off the main light, and the whole room goes dark.

Quotes:

[last lines]
River Song: [voice-over] Some days are special. Some days are so, so blessed. Some days, nobody dies at all.
[the Doctor walks up to the TARDIS, hesitates, snaps his fingers, and the doors open for the first time via this method]
River Song: Now and then, every once in a very long while, every day in a million days, when the wind stands fair and the doctor comes to call...
[the Doctor walks into the TARDIS, grabs Donna Noble's hand, snaps the fingers of his other hand, the doors close; cut to River Song closing her diary]
[...]

Another Moffat triumph!

"Forest of the Dead" ends Steven Moffat's two-parter for this series of Doctor Who with a bang, providing plenty of laughs, scares, tears (of both sorts) and surprises. What is especially striking about Moffat's writing here is that he manages to take an ending that is UNBELIEVABLY hokey on paper and turn it into some of the most effective, stunningly well-written drama on modern television. It is simply remarkable.

The developments in the story in this second part are brought to life wonderfully in terms of production design and especially direction with Euros Lyn being on top form here. The acting is superb all around with Catherine Tate showing off her dramatic chops and David Tennant proving once again that he is a remarkable actor. My only small complaint is Murray Gold's score. Very predictable, very over-the-top, and just not right. I hope Moffat will find a new composer when he takes over.

It appears that the Doctor's relationship to River Song was romantic. Could this be part of a Moffat 'straight agenda' for Who? Yes, that's a joke, but think about it- in every last one of his stories he's had a romantic element in the script. Sally Sparrow met two men who loved her in "Blink", "The Girl in the Fireplace" saw the Doctor and Madame du Pompadour getting along quite nicely, and "The Empty Child" had a sub-plot with Captain Jack and Rose finding numerous ways to flirt with each other. I don't think we'll be seeing an asexual Doctor when Moffat takes over and I definitely don't think he will handle this change poorly given his track record. Let's hope for a decided lack of another 'pining after the Doctor' companion.

Just a remarkable, fantastic 90 minute story from Mr. Moffat. Brilliant.

10/10