Stories Television Doctor Who (2005-2022) Doctor Who S4 Episode: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Forest of the Dead 4 images Overview Characters How to Watch Reviews 4 Statistics Related Stories Quotes 10 Transcript Overview First aired Saturday, June 7, 2008 Production Code 4.10 Written by Steven Moffat Directed by Euros Lyn Runtime 45 minutes Story Type Two-Parter Time Travel Future Tropes (Potential Spoilers!) AI gone wrong, Spoilers, Virtual Afterlife, Time Travel Pivotal, Meeting in the wrong order, Companion sacrifices themself, The Doctor Falls, Robots Story Arc (Potential Spoilers!) River Song Timeline Inventory (Potential Spoilers!) River Song's Diary, Handcuffs, Squareness gun, Sonic Screwdriver Location (Potential Spoilers!) The Library UK Viewers 7.84 million Appreciation Index 89 Synopsis Donna is gone, the Vashta Nerada are out for fresh meat and the Tenth Doctor is running out of options. Can he trust the mysterious Professor River Song, a woman who claims to be from his future? Why would his future self have given her his sonic screwdriver, or tell her his real name? Even if they do work together, can anyone stop the shadows from claiming them all as their next meal? Watch Watched Favourite Favourited Add Review Edit Review Log a repeat Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Owned Save to my list Saved Characters Tenth Doctor David Tennant Donna Noble Catherine Tate River Song Alex Kingston Vashta Nerada Charlotte Abigail Lux Proper Dave Show All Characters (6) How to watch Forest of the Dead: Watch on iPlayer Blu-Ray Series 4 [Steelbook] Blu-Ray Series 4 DVD The Complete Fourth Series DVD Series 4 Volume 3: Silence in the Library – Forest of the Dead – Midnight Reviews Add Review Edit Review Sort: Newest First Oldest First Most Likes Highest Rating Lowest Rating Username (A-Z) Username (Z-A) Spoilers First Spoilers Last 4 reviews 3 December 2024 · 38 words Review by silvertongue Spoilers 1 This review contains spoilers! Great conclusion, but I don’t know- relegating River Song to domestic bliss? It just doesn’t feel right, especially with everything we know about her now. She should be in some orgy simulation with all the doctors. Like Liked 1 23 November 2024 · 58 words Review by Bongo50 1 Forest of the Dead is a great conclusion to this two-parter, in my opinion better than the part proceeding it. The plot with Donna is really good in my opinion. It felt genuinely creepy and sad. The main plot also continues to be very solid from the previous episode, and the threads were wrapped up neatly. Like Liked 1 18 August 2024 · 15 words Review by captainjackenoch 1 I WOULD HAVE CREATED SO MANY TIME PARADOXES WITH YOU, AND KEPT YOU ALIVE FOREVER Like Liked 1 24 April 2024 · 242 words Review by 15thDoctor Spoilers 1 This review contains spoilers! This one is better than I remembered! Silence in the Library is stuffed with enough sci-fi concepts to nourish several other stories: a planet sized library; invisible monsters in the shadows; data ghosts; Donna's fictional children; Donna tragically not crossing paths with her real husband. But the two best concepts of all are The Doctor having a wife from the future who he hasn't crossed paths with, but knows him better than anyone in the world; and a there being child who is a computer in her own world watching the real world unfold on her TV. Catherine Tate plays her part incredibly well here, from the two hander with David up top, to caring for the bullied member of the crew to her disorientating journey through the dream world. Alex Kingston also smashes her introduction as the infamous River Song - the concept of her story is so deep and broad that it feels impossible at this point that they would even manage to bring her back. Props should also go to Steve Pemberton who (as also seen in Happy Valley) can twist from malicious to sympathetic in an instance, giving his character an enjoyably multi-layered performance. This is Moffat at the height of his powers, not serving up needlessly complicated plot in order to wow the audience, but instead carefully introducing thread after thread of different concepts, gently crafting them into a satisfying whole that totally adds up. Like Liked 1 Open in new window Statistics AVG. Rating640 members 4.50 / 5 Trakt.tv AVG. Rating1,325 votes 4.43 / 5 The Time Scales AVG. Rating188 votes 4.60 / 5 Member Statistics Watched 1312 Favourited 246 Reviewed 4 Saved 2 Skipped 0 Owned 9 Related Stories Doctor Who Specials • Christmas Special The Husbands of River Song Rating: 4.23 Story Skipped Television Reviews(4) More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: Doctor Who (2005-2022) Set of Stories: Twelfth Doctor Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved The Diary of River Song 10 Firewall Rating: 3.27 Story Skipped Audio Drama More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: The Diary of River Song Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved Quotes Add Quote Link to Quote Favourite RIVER: Listen, all you need to know is this. I'd trust that man to the end of the universe. And actually, we've been. — River Song, Forest of the Dead Show All Quotes (10) Open in new window Transcript (Cold Open) [Stacks] DAVE: Hey, who turned out the lights? Hey, who turned out the lights? (River uses the squareness gun on the wall.) RIVER: This way, quickly. Move!DAVE: Hey, who turned out the lights? Show Full Transcript Open in new window