The hardest reviews to write are those for something you love. And I will make no bones about it, I loved everything about Stephen Moffatt’s latest instant classic “Silence in the Library.”
If there was one story I was looking forward to this season, it was this one. Moffatt has shown that he has his pulse on what makes a great Doctor Who story from his contributions in each of the first three seasons. He’s done the seemingly impossible with each offering for the new series–he’s topped his previous high every time.
So, I’ll admit that part of me was prepared to possibly be disappointed by Moffatt’s script this year. And given how lackluster I think series four has been, I was prepared to not be as blown away by this story as I was by last year’s “Blink.” (Of course, if you’ll recall, based on the preview and limited information we were given last year, I was prepared to not like “Blink.” Instead it’s a contender for my top ten of all-time great Who stories).
Add in a two-week wait for the story and I was both nervous and excited for this story as I sat down to watch this week.
And within a minute, all of my reservations were gone and I was completely wrapped up in a story that is, by far, the best thing series four has given us all year and is the best hour of Who we’ve had since “Blink.”
The best news is that it’s only the first half of a story. There’s more to come next week and I cannot wait. I am counting down hours until we see what happens next.
SPOILER ALERT — Continue at your own risk!
As with all Moffatt stories, it starts out simply and draws you in slowly.
The Doctor receives a request for his assistance at the universe’s largest library via the pyschic paper. The note expresses some familiarity with the Doctor, though he can’t seem to figure out who is behind the note and how he or she knows him. Upon arrival, the Doctor and Donna find the library deserted though the computers indicate there are over a million humanoid lifeforms on the planet.
A survey team arrives, led by Professor River Song. Song knows the Doctor and sent the message. The Doctor has no memory of her as he hasn’t met her yet in his personal time-line. Song and her team are there investigating the final message sent by the library that 4,022 people were saved yet none survived.
The Doctor discovers there’s something lurking in the shadows, quite literally. An alien race called the Vashta Nerada, microscopic carnivorous creatures that use shadows to hunt and latch onto their prey. For some unexplained reason, the Nerada in the library are ununusally aggressive in pursuing thier prey.
Meanwhile, somewhere else, we meet a little girl who is in some kind of therapy session. She some some connection to the library and at various points she is able to see or hear the Doctor and the rest of the team, though no one else can. In a particularily chilling moment, her therapist dismisses her father and tells her that all of her fears are absolutely true and real.
“Silence in the Library” starts off slowly and builds the tension by degrees. In many ways, I found myself reminded of the Troughton classic “Tomb of the Cybermen” with a team sent to investigate a mystery and coming under attack from a deadly menace. Both stories make great use of their sets to create a lot of the atmosphere. Moffatt seems to be able to tap into the Robert Holmes vibe from the original series and make even the most simple, ordinary things utterly dangerous, deadly and scary. There’s a scene in “Silence” where a man has two shadows that is among the more nerve-wracking and scary moments the new series has yet produced. Moffatt is also able to tap into a fear of the dark to drive much of this story, showing us there really can be something deadly working in the shadows.
If that were all this script did, it might be enough. But Moffatt takes the story to a whole different level to build the tension. As with all of his scripts, part of the drama comes from the building of characters. Soon’s character raises as many questions as she gives answers. She knows the Doctor and was close enough to him that he gave her a Sonic Screwdriver. She has a journal full of future exploits of the Doctor that she won’t let him read, saying they’re all spoilers (wonderful use of the popular term) and she knows something about what happens to Donna. We feel the Doctor’s frustration at not being able to know these things yet and wondering just why Soon will become so important to him. We also see the frustration by Soon at having what will be a close relation have no memory or knowledge of her.
All of this combines to create a flawless episode that will slowly capture your imagination, have you on the edge of your seat wanting answers and drawn in by the superb peformance and the wonderful visuals. It’s dark, it’s fun, it’s creepy. In short, it’s everything that Doctor Who should be.
And it leaves you on one hell of a cliffhanger. I complained a few weeks ago that “The Sontaran Stratagem” cliffhanger took too long to go to the stinger and the credits. This one doesn’t. In fact, there are multiple points in the last ten minutes that could be superb cliffhangers, but the script wisely builds on them to where it leaves the story until next week. The cliffhanger comes exactly when it should and it will leave you clamoring for more, screaming that you have to wait a week to see how the rest of this wonderful story unfolds.
It’s episode like that that restore my faith in Doctor Who and make me eager to see what Moffatt will do when he’s in charge of the show starting in 2010. If he can elevate the series to even being half as good as his contributions have been on a consistent basis, we’ll be in for a golden-age of Doctor Who we’ve not seen since the early days of Tom Baker.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go obsess over details on this one and count down minutes until part two hits the airwaves…
Michael Natale says
Such a refreshing change for this season of Who.
Moffatt seems to just ‘get’ it and always has crisp, intelligent writing. I can’t wait for him to oust Davies.
hambone trench says
While I agree wholeheartedly that this was a tense, well-plotted, virtually flawless episode, I’m puzzled by the number of reviews and comments that have criticized the quality of the season as a whole. I realize it’s largely subjective, but it does make me wonder if we’re all watching the same program. True, I found “The Doctor’s Daughter” disappointing (though not nearly as much as others did), and “The Unicorn and the Wasp” struck me as pleasant filler (which has its place), but the preceding five episodes were solid and satisfying Doctor Who, better than much of the third season.
Kevin Bachelder says
I’m right there with Michael and many other Doctor Who fans. This season has been a disappointment. However, this episode got me excited again about the upcoming episodes for this season.
Phil B says
Fantastic episode; I dreamt of shadows last night…
Michael Hickerson says
Hambone,
I would have to say I prefer series three to series four, so far. Series three had two instant classic stories in Human Nature/Family of Blood and Blink. So far, series four has been good but not great for me. I am hopeful for next week’s story and trying to be positive about the final run of episodes.
tlsmith1963 says
SitL was fantastic! I cannot wait until Moffat takes over & hope that Tennant stays on as the Doctor.
Steve Thompson says
Excellent episode..
it proved to me it was classic Dr Who, when my three year old son said “Daddy, its too scary” then immmediately after it finished, said “Can we watch it again!”.
What more could you ask of Dr who?
I found the part with the dead girl and the neural transmitter very moving too.
Wolfstan says
I have to say that there have been some classic moments in this series, however I think you need to have seen Catherine Tate in action to really enjoy them.
SPOILER ALERT
The best of the banter between the Doctor and Donna, has to be be the kitchen scene in The Unicorn and the Wasp. The Doctor trying to sort out a care for himself by miming what he needs to Donna and her responses are classic interaction. They even have time to have defensive arguements! Brilliant.
Too many people I think are having differculty with a character who breaks the mould of a faithful sidekick.
Bronzethumb from Australia says
I don’t think S4 has been a disappointment. But for some reason, some reason I can’t put my finger on, it’s been unable to reach the heights of television quality that S3 managed. I thought that S3, as a whole, was some of the best television I’ve ever seen, so well written, and so well plotted that JMS would step back and say “impressive”.
Jabberwocky says
Well have to say that this episode is what I have been waiting for, most of the episodes haven’t been all that interesting as this one is. Moffat is by far the best writer for the series. Though it will be interesting to see what direction the series will take with him at the helm
colin says
I’m having fun with this episode although I have these things in my head:
* “I’ve been to the end of the Universe with him”
* The sonic screwdriver, it’s yours you gave it to me
* 51st Century.
All these things point to one thing: Captain Jack.
Vully says
Of course, is it probable that the lady in question is a future incarnation of the doctor himself?
Hmm??
Robin says
I’m going to side with the people who like season four. Okay, so I still prefer much of season three (’cause I have a mad girlcrush on Martha, so there), but this season has been pretty good and I’m liking the comfortable, contentious friendship that’s been building between The Doctor and Donna.
On to this particular episode…
While I didn’t like ‘Silence’ as well as last year’s ‘Blink’, it was an intriguing episode. I like the concept of the conscious computer that is unaware of her true nature. That Moffatt is a clever fellow. Plus, as someone who works in a library, the idea of one that takes up an entire planet is wonderful.
If I have one complaint it’s the guest cast. The archaeological team aren’t terribly well-rounded characters (except, strangely, the ditzy girl who died), but I suspect that will be remedied in the second half next week. Thus far Prof. Song has been a bit irritating to me. I think maybe it’s because she’s hinting at her past/future relationship with The Doctor while withholding the details, which is frustrating for him. (Yes, I get a bit too attached to fictional characters. I am fangirl; hear me squee.)
@colin: “All these things point to one thing: Captain Jack.”
If you’re suggesting that River Song is Captain Jack, I’m going to have to disagree. Despite some evidence to the contrary, I’m willing to go with the Jack-is-the-Face-of-Boe story that got dropped in at the end of season three. I can’t imagine that he will ever be a woman. Yes, he has mentioned having been pregnant, but I don’t think he can change his physiology to such an extent that he looks like Alex Kingston. However, she may know Jack, and that would be an interesting hook.
(A side note for Michael: About halfway through you started referring to Prof. Song as “Soon”. Confusion with Doctor Moon in the “real” world, perhaps?)
Jenni says
Umm, NON-humanoid lifeforms…
christopher says
I agree that Moffatt is the strongest writer the new series has and Silence… is close to
par with his earlier contributions. Season 4 is a mixed bag, but I expected as much. Every season has delivered 2-3 great tales that no other TV series is capable of producing.
Of the four seasons #1 was the most consistently good–I’m guessing because RTD and the other writers had been fantasizing for years abt what theyd do if they could write a new Who series. Probably also cause, RTD didn’t know if series one would also be the last new seires and needed a sense of completion and roundedness , have said that series three had the largest number of Class A scripts: Smith and Jones, Gridlock, Human Nature/Family of Blood, & Blink.
I actually thought The Doctor’s Daughter was one of the strongest stories of the new series and Midnight is an instant classic. I too look forward to Moffatt’s stewardship. Based on what we’ve seen so far I expect Phillip Hinchcliffe/Robert Holmes era quality too with. Moffatt’s writing reminds me of Christopher Bailey’s two scripts as much as it does Robert Holme’s.
greg says
best episode ever! frakkin’ A! I’m almost afraid to watch more dr. who now, in fear that no other episodes will live up to Library/Forest!