Who was the little girl? What was the agenda of the mysterious Doctor Moon? Would the archaeologists be saved? Who is the mysterious River Song and what is, or will be, her relationship with the Doctor? Will we discover the spoilers? These were just some of the questions for which we had to wait a week to receive the answers. Seven whole days, one hundred and sixty eight hours, ten thousand… no, I shan't go on, time is relative after all. However, the sheer anticipation must have been squishing the breath out of some fans - certainly the next door neighbor's five year old was almost hyperventilating in anticipation.
So did writer Steven Moffat deliver the second and final part of this story without disappointment? The answer was a resounding yes, and he has again delivered an adventure that will be remembered as one of the best of the current series, if not ever. His reputation among fans intact, he is now without a doubt to be considered the true heir of Russell T Davis. The most remarkable thing about this episode of Doctor Who was the humanity with which it was written and the plot resolved. No huge explosions, no wiping out of an entire species, for once a simple, almost fairy tale happy ending.
It will be no surprise to viewers that Donna survived - after all, she is the Doctor's companion and there have been only three (to my knowledge) who have expired during the show's two runs. However, the theme of this episode turned out to be, if anything, one of self-sacrifice. All of the characters acquitted themselves well; there was no real villain of the piece and no one really “died”. This made for an exceptionally unusual episode of Doctor Who although there were moments that were reminiscent of The Empty Child from Christopher Eccleston's short tenure in the role.
One of the few criticisms I have had of Series Fours has been that the supporting characters have been sometimes severely underwritten. A two parter allows for more development of character and this was the case in Forest Of The Dead. Having come across as nothing more than a corporate foil in the first episode, Steve Pemberton as Strackman Lux, the grandson of the creator of the library, this episode was a revelation. His character went from being an autocratic and somewhat pompous "suit" to one that was trying to do more than just protect or re-establish the reputation of his family.
There was also time for Tallulah Riley to flex her acting muscles as the now super intelligent but terribly unloved Miss Evangelista. She is the one who reveals to Donna that her new environment, her husband and her children, are nothing but programs. Her appearance was one of the spookier, scary moments of the episode. Both Riley and Tate worked these scenes very well - the look on Donna's face when she was told that the children were not hers and that her life was unreal was unforgettable. Tate-haters should at last be satisfied that we have a companion of whom we can be proud!
Perhaps the character I felt the most for, however, was Anita, played in a calmly understated way by Jessika Williams. Her tears as she realized that she had two shadows looked pretty real to me and it was the actor's gift that she was given some of the most affecting lines in the show. Mention must be made, too, of Eva Newton as The Girl. It must be hard for such a young actor to pull off enigmatic (cute came naturally) but she did so. Although the sci-fi concepts around her character - and the fate of the visitors to the library - were nothing new, Moffat added his own take on the subject with subtlety and flair. The acting could have destroyed the writing (remember Fear Her?) but Eva Newton excelled in the role. Well done, kid!
So what of the revelations - or the spoilers - that we were expecting from this episode? Alex Kingston had the unenviable task of playing a companion of the future and as such has probably attracted the ire of many fans. Yes, she whispered something in the Doctor's ear that made the Time Lord think hard about what his future relationship would be with this woman. Was it revealed to the viewer?
Yes, what she said certainly was (I won't tell you in case I spoil it!) but apart from that nothing about what will happen to them and why she has this information was made clear. The episode was originally called River's Run, but I suppose this would have been too much of a give away. Moffat knows how to keep us in suspense, that's for sure. The time traveling twist that “saved” her life was very neatly done and not something that I had seen coming. I do sometimes wonder, however, about how much navel gazing the Doctor does - there are times when he doesn't seem to know his past (or future) selves very well!
Was this the best episode of Series Four? Quite possibly. The episode was an absolute joy to watch and although I had to sit quietly for five minutes after the end to work out exactly what had happened, this was British television Science Fiction at its best. As well as being up to the usual high production standards, the acting, script and special effects were all outstanding. I have great hopes for the reminding episodes - is the best yet to come?
