I'd love there to be a 'Midnight' Review, God I love how it portrays the fear of humans when they feel scared for their lives. Also Waters Of Mars is a episode where it presents the true darkness of a Time Lord and the result of meddling with a fixed point in time and actually changing history itself. Please Harry...
Would you ever consider reviewing some classic doctor who episodes, cause these reviews are so good and because classic who stories are longer than new who ones, they’d be a lot more ground to cover
You didn't notice the foreshadowing. Donna: ''I saw The Doctor.'' Doctor Moon: ''Yes Donna. You saw The Doctor, and then you forgot.'' Series 4 finale: *Donna forgets*
Miss Evangelista's death was the most haunting thing in Doctor Who since the empty child. You just felt so gutted how she was treated so badly and then ghosted about Donna saying 'You know what I said before, about being stupid? Don't tell the others, they'll only laugh'. Broke my 12 year old heart. Fuck it, im gonna watch it again for the hundredth time. I miss this old Who so much
What makes the "don't tell the others" thing even worse are the looks on the rest of the crew's faces when they hear it. They're all clearly so deeply ashamed of themselves and there's a clear sense that, if the situation was different, they all absolutely *would* have laughed about it if Donna had told them and they all know it. As it is, they just have to witness (and listen to) this completely horrific thing that's basically unknowingly telling them all that Miss Evangelista was 100% aware of their attitude towards her and none of them can ever make it up to her or even just apologise.
@@overlydramaticpanda I agree, it definatley hit a certain nerve with me as a kid. Anyone who has ever experienced bullying would feel effected by that scene. I wasn't the most academic when I was at school and I felt her pain so hard.
This is one of the best episodes like it's such a roller-coaster there's death the enemy is soemthing that eats flesh and controls the suit with bones in like it's terrifying
Oh these episodes alway terrified me just because of those repeated lines, when Miss Evangelista repeats Ice cream or Proper Dave says Hey who turned out the lights. Chilling.
No mention of the scene where Lee saw Donna but because of his stutter he couldn't get the words out to get her attention? That scene was so heartbreaking
Just thinking about it makes me want to tear up... I cried so much in these episodes when I first saw them but that moment specifically was burned in my memory. Donna will feel a loss but at least she could believe it was all a dream not possible to come true anyway; but Lee would have felt such intense regret because she was right in front of him but he wasn't able to reach her. I wasn't able to re-watch this story for more than 2 times but now more than a decade later I still remember everything and all the emotions I felt back then. 10/10 episodes. I miss stories like this.
The real tragedy of Donna Noble. Had the perfect family and lost it all and missed the chance to regain a part of it. The worst is Lee's perspective. Donna knew she made up her children and could be convinced her perfect husband (as that is how she viewed him) was also invented, but he was real. Lee, however, knows that Donna is real. He saw her and due to a disability he was unable to get her attention, thus, in a way, losing her all over again. I genuinely love these episodes but it is hard to rewatch it because of this.
I was wondering why he didn't just step off the transporter pad and go after her; he had several seconds. But then, it would have dampened the Doctor-Donna relationship a tad.
It makes sense that it is, because all of her life, she's been trying to get herself a good job and a good life overall, but life throws her a bone. it makes sense that she'd understand how it's like to be mistreated.
Was surprised you weren’t convinced by Tate’s performance when her children disappear. Always thought the performance was haunting and gut-wrenching. But hey, thank god you praised the rest of the episode or I’d have your head
Agree with you here - I actually think this was her best piece of acting, period. Weird that he loved Distortalista's monster mash face but didn't enjoy Tate knocking it out of the park
Donna's husband and family were what she dreamed of. A handsome, loving husband and two beautiful children in a nursery with lovely toys and accoutrements. Her dream. That's why it hurt so much when it ended for her.
What I love about rewatching this episode is this idea: When you first watch it you are in the doctors shoes not knowing who River is and what’s to come. But when you rewatch it now knowing what is happened with River, you have switched into her shoes with you knowing everything and the doctor not. I wish there was more of this absolute brilliance from Moffet as show runner
I always wonder if maybe Moffat spread himself to thin doing doctor who and Sherlock. That's why he never seemed to invest the time needed to flesh things out to make complete vsense. But I am glad he wrote the 50th and feel he got tired near the end or let the criticism get to him changing his writing style and lossing self conviction.
@@charmedx3219 He did say in an interview that s7 was miserable for him coz of the scheduling he had himself under and yh certain people didn't like his timey wimey stuff so he kinda changed a bit
Wow I'm not the only one. It's so hard to explain to friends that this random distorted head was the biggest thing that scared me as a kid. But to be fair I was 6 when I watched the episode.
@@reichtangle7734 no, Moffat wrote the empty child but as show runner russell has over all control, he wrote the character of jack and knew that he would introduce him in what would become the empty child then it was up to Moffat to write a good story around it. They say so in the empty child commentary as Moffat enjoyed writing an episode about somebody elses character.
I always get choked at the ending scene when River initially awakens in the simulation and she's looking around all confused, only for Cal and Doctor Moon appear and explain everything to her, Cal saying "I thought you'd be lonely, so I brought you some friends." Then River turns to see her colleagues strolling towards her, all with smiles on their face, and she simply says: "Oh for heavens sake. He just can't do it, can he? That man...That impossible man. He just can't give in."
In River's narration at the end she says "I do think that all the skies of all the world's might just turn dark if he, for one moment, accepts it". Not only does this speech combined with the music and the Doctor running back provide a rush of hope to the viewer, but I also think it foreshadows Turn Left (it's a stretch, I know, as Moffat didn't write Turn Left, but I wouldn't be surprised if him and Davies worked together on even subtle plot threads like this). In Turn Left the Doctor dies because he loses his will to save and becomes so caught up in drowning the Racnoss. He needed Donna there to snap him back into reality. Him forgetting himself results in his death, which eventually leads to the stars going out in all universes "all the skies of all the world's might just turn dark".
Steven Moffat & Russell T. Davis are known to have great respect for each others writing. Turn Left was originally supposed to feature Donna having children, before Russell saw Moffats script for the Library two partner & decided it worked better there. Also the happy ending for the Sick Patients in 'New Earth' the first regular series episode of David Tennant's run, only happened because Moffat wrote a quote about Davis's tendency to kill off characters & Russell decided to change their fate because of that quote.
honestly when we saw donna's vr husband but he had his stutter so couldn't shout for her.... thats what got me, donna just shook of the relationship assuming he wasn't real and it was heartbreaking
Basically spazzed it just now when I realised the atrium the doctor and Donna landed in is Brangwyn Hall in Swansea where I did my exams last year. Genuinely sat where the Tardis was 😂
River's character arc is honestly one of my favorite ones in all of sci-fy because it is very difficult to introduce a character backwards, with her "death" being the first thing we learn about her and then just two seasons (series in the uk I know) we see her birth and the concequences people face when trying to live a normal life while travelling through time and space at the same time and yes I know that not every episode was a masterpiece but the overall character arc is still really well done
Close call with husbands of River Song, but giving that the ending of that story could only carry the weight it did because of this one you might be right.
This is still my favourite two parter all these years later. The creepy atmosphere, a great monster that should never return to the show. Likeable side characters die which is refreshing when I look at the latter end end of new who. River song is great and anyone who says she isn't is lying. Donna's dream world is horrifying on so many levels. This 2 parter is just great
Everytime the lights turn off and a member of my family wants them back on they’ll say “Hey, who turned out the lights?” repeatedly until they’re back on. That’s the effect Doctor Who has on society.
I’m 14 almost 15 and am still shit scared of these episodes, along with blink, midnight, night terrors, the empty child episodes and those milk men clone ones Edit: they’re called gangers lmao
As Stubagful (or possibly Nitpix) pointed out, who actually hid literally behind the sofa? Hiding behind a cushion whilst on the sofa makes sense, but are people really getting off the sofa and running behind it? Don't most people have theirs sofas against the wall?
Me, I literally hid behind the sofa as a kid. Cos a cushion wasn't enough, I needed to peek over the fortress that the sofa provided. So, Nitpix can take his sardonic ass elsewhere and live in a world where an absolute childhood exists. "Who actually hid literally behind the sofa?" Just cos you didn't, doesn't mean others didn't also. This sort of overall generalisation where you speak for all, whilst only speaking for some, is not a vibe dude
‘Hey who turned out the lights’ haunted my childhood, 2008-2009 were the best doctor who years, the writing, the chemistry between david and catherine, the foreshadowing, the crossovers and the doctor seeming hopeless in journeys end, russel is by far the best writer, he knew how to make viewers emotional
Absolutely adore Rivers introduction and subsequent death in this episode, it is so goddam tragic and I can’t think of a better way to pull together an emotional storyline in a time travel show, it doesn’t even fully pay off until years later too which just makes it better
Can't wait to see the review of Midnight. imo one of if not THE best standalone episode of new who since we are told NOTHING and the doctor who always seems to know something, if only rumours or stories, is completely in the dark for the whole episode.
there are two things i didn’t like about this episode: *1. when river pulls out the diary and asks the doctor if they had done certain things together yet.* it doesn’t make sense because this version of the doctor is younger and different from the version in which she actually did those certain things with... but i let it pass because i just learned david almost did series 5. that scene would have made more sense if he was the doctor in series 5 but oh well! *2. the vashda narada just run away from the doctor.* why would they do that?? because they were scared!? why would they be scared of him?!?! earlier in the episode, the doctor is heard saying he doesn’t know how to defeat these creatures, which i’m sure the vashda narada heard too or are simply aware of that fact. the vashda narada had the upper hand and honestly just could have killed him. it would have made more sense if the doctor had been formulating a plan to defeat them, and threatened to defeat them if they didn’t leave him alone, instead of him using empty threats. (this is a big moff trope and it comes back in episodes like the eleventh hour) ok I lied i have one more issue but it’s minor... 3. the fact that there are a TWO invisible antagonists ( vashda narada and the midnight entity) in this series is a little much but they’re both terrifying and written pretty well that i don’t mind it too much.
6:12 *Moffat is the master of fear of the unknown, also known as 'cosmic horror.'* Statues which move when you aren't looking, creatures in the dark, slendermen you forget you saw, or entities evolved to never be seen. He writes monsters you can't comprehend, and there's a horror in that.
I don't think any of those qualify as cosmic horror, I mean he describes the monster in this episode as "piranha of the air"... seems pretty comprehendable. The real cosmic horror of Moffat is his refusal to actually plan his stories out and come up with a good ending. It defies all reason.
@@peacemaster8117 - come on, man. Don't be one of those who takes every opportunity, however tenuous, to have a go. You can't physically imagine what each of those creatures look like for various reasons. *That's* what bestows them an incomprehensible nature.
@@peacemaster8117 - but you can't physically perceive of them. Alright, we know what unfrozen Weeping Angels look like after Flesh and Stone, but otherwise...
This and the Water on Mars episode gave me nightmares when I was young, I loved it but they were just so creepy. Like the part where the character we barely knew dies and the part where they keep repeating, "who turned out the lights?" and omg terror
Got my wife into watching doctor who with me and she just saw this episode for the first time today. This is her second favorite episode so far behind blink.
And the fact the Moffat managed to complete River’s arc beautifully in the Husbands of River Song blew my fucking mind. Moffat *really* knows how to make stori s for the long run!
The fact Moffat set up rivers story arc in this episode, a series before his own, makes him both a very talented writer, and an absolutely cocky bastard. I dont like the *majority* or Moffat's writing but this was an interestingly written story...
This is one of my favourite Doctor Who stories. The Vashta Narada are probably the scariest creatures and I always feel spooked when I'm in darkness after watching the episodes again
literally just watched this two parter with a friend, very good, they also mentioned how for ages they thought donna's ultimate ending was heartbreaking but upon revisiting this and seeing what donna goes through...maybe it's not a bad thing :/ 💀
Brilliant review for my favourite David Tennant story. I was also wondering when Miss Evangelista gets killed by the Vashta Nerada and she repeats "Ice Cream" as her last words, was that an intentional dig at her intelligence? Due to ice cream being associated with childish behaviour
I would like to point out that the ‘plot hole’ at the end of the first episode isn’t actually a plot hole as in the Doctor dances captain jack says ‘the special features drain the battery’ shortly after replacing the roof after they fall through the floor to escape. This then implies that the replacement feature does not come as standard and thus could explain why river doesn’t replace the wall
This episode played on the channel W yesterday, and it was just as good as I remeber. Even for my 4th time watching, the fear factor is still there. I just cant wait now for you to review midnight aswell, two cracking stories
the part about the statue playing back the last moments reminds me of the burial chamber scene from LOTR when gandarf reads the last writing of the dwarfolas , they are coming! creeptastic
I still have shivers watching this episode after so many years, even though I almost know it by heart -- while at the same time I have no recollection of what happens in Season 12...
if i could, for future re-releases of season 4, when the doctors running to save river i'd make a mashup of the 10th, 11th, and 12ths themes to play, as if all of them are going to save her, but eh, thats just me being cheesy, but with a show like this some cheese is ok
Finally, these two are my absolute favourite episodes. Seen these episodes so many times, and both never get old. The story was simple, and I feel you could have broadcasted it today and it won't feel dated Thank you for reviewing this!
23:42 the thing that always scared me about the kids disappearing was that I watched it when I was about their age and had that boy's exact dragon around my bed wtffff
"I am the doctor and you are in the biggest library in the universe, look me up!" "it say here he usually just bullshits his enemies into running away without ever actually having a plan....guess we can eat him no problem"
I remember when Silence in the Library first came out when I was 12. I was very glad for the making of episode right after because without it I really wouldn’t have been able to sleep that night.
20:30 another reason why the computer is skipping a bunch of time is because it is storing the brains of about 5000 people. I think they do mention this later on but CAL was doing everything she could to keeping these people alive, so she was trying to conserve as much processing power as possible, and as such the simulation had to be optimized as much as possible.
This is my favourite story of Series 4 without a doubt. The Vashta Nerada absolutely terrified me as a kid; I couldn't stand in shadows for weeks after watching.
here is an interesting thing: the previous tenth doctor failed to Save River here which is why he added the life support system in her Screwdriver when he became 12
I have good memories of Forest of the dead, going to the shops to get a pick and mix before it started and watching it with my family and then getting really scared when you see the woman’s face scared
I love seeing the Doctor on the back foot - it's not something that happens often, that someone knows more about him than he does about them. Especially them knowing his name! I saw a comment on another review that said that Jack left his squareness gun on the Tardis when it took off without him in The Parting of the Ways. This is the same squareness gun that River found on the Tardis; but she didn't know about any advanced settings. The room where Miss Evangalista died was actually a disused Council chamber, which accounts for the shape.
Am I the only one who thinks that the Brendon bits in Ascension of The Cybermen are similar to the CAL/DONNA VR sections in this? Just done WAY better in this episode
Finally somebody spoke about the music at 27:10. So breathtaking, for such a sad yet inspiring scene. It embodies the entirety of the doctor’s relationship with River, not only during this story, but also as the 11th and 12th Doctors. We all saw this as the doctor saving yet another companion, but after all these years it’s clear how River was so much more. God the fucking music just makes it so breathtakingly beautiful and symbolic, the beginning yet also the end of River Song.
Fantastic review! I will say that spoilers was part of the popular vernacular at the time of release (at least in my location). Thanks for pointing out the use of lighting in this episode I never even noticed it!
Love how in the tone meeting for this episode they were planning on turning the scene where the doctor flies down the tunnel into him going in a lift, I mean that would ruin the tension wouldn't it 😂
There have been many episodes in the Tennant/Smith era that I loved, and a few that rose to the level of a 9 or 9.5, but the three I can't deny are Blink, Silence in the Library, and Forest of the Dead: They are 10/10 in my book. Just watching this review got me choked up again. I'll never forget that moment when he runs back down and grabs the screwdriver. I was like, "YES! SAVE HER DOCTOR! HOLY CRAP I LOVE THIS SHOW!" Then I watched it again, but this time with my son who was finally old enough to handle the show. He saw that moment and yelled, "YEAAAAH! 'MERICA!" I was so proud.
The Library was actually a real library. The episode was filmed in the old Swansea library. That is Swansea Wales. It was closed at the time and being moved to the new one we have at present, that is due to move at some point so we've been told for the past few years. Anyway, the old Swansea library had a wonderful study room that was circular with a tiled floor and a pretty glass dome, lots of beautiful wooden desks and railings, very Victorian. What a pity it's no more.
Older vid but gotta say his sprint back to 'save' River, "One last run!" really hits. & They never show her charred body, tho u kno he had to see it. Its all just haunting af.
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![DID IT SUCK? | Doctor Who [HUMAN NATURE / FAMILY OF BLOOD REVIEW]](/img/n.gif)
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Harry's Haunted House done!
I'd love there to be a 'Midnight' Review, God I love how it portrays the fear of humans when they feel scared for their lives. Also Waters Of Mars is a episode where it presents the true darkness of a Time Lord and the result of meddling with a fixed point in time and actually changing history itself. Please Harry...
Would you ever consider reviewing some classic doctor who episodes, cause these reviews are so good and because classic who stories are longer than new who ones, they’d be a lot more ground to cover
Donna: *being the most comedic companion*
Writers: You get tragedy
you missed the quotes around "comedic"
makes sense.
comedy/tragedy - two sides of the same coin.
Y she is one of the best companions imo.
Donna's "death" was more tragic than Rose's
That explains why bill got the death she got then
You didn't notice the foreshadowing.
Donna: ''I saw The Doctor.''
Doctor Moon: ''Yes Donna. You saw The Doctor, and then you forgot.''
Series 4 finale: *Donna forgets*
Woah, I never saw that.
Woah, you added another dimension of foreshadowing.
Holy hell, if that was on purpose then that was absolutely brilliant foreshadowing
@@dominicthorp3248
Change just one words and it will be: ''Yes Donna. You -saw- were The Doctor, and then you forgot.''
Ouch 😣
"not every shadow. But any shadow"
Now that is chilling.
You see the Moffat on the shelf at 17:11 now that's chilling
@@jokermaness 😮
Miss Evangelista's death was the most haunting thing in Doctor Who since the empty child. You just felt so gutted how she was treated so badly and then ghosted about Donna saying 'You know what I said before, about being stupid? Don't tell the others, they'll only laugh'. Broke my 12 year old heart. Fuck it, im gonna watch it again for the hundredth time. I miss this old Who so much
What makes the "don't tell the others" thing even worse are the looks on the rest of the crew's faces when they hear it. They're all clearly so deeply ashamed of themselves and there's a clear sense that, if the situation was different, they all absolutely *would* have laughed about it if Donna had told them and they all know it. As it is, they just have to witness (and listen to) this completely horrific thing that's basically unknowingly telling them all that Miss Evangelista was 100% aware of their attitude towards her and none of them can ever make it up to her or even just apologise.
@@overlydramaticpanda I agree, it definatley hit a certain nerve with me as a kid. Anyone who has ever experienced bullying would feel effected by that scene. I wasn't the most academic when I was at school and I felt her pain so hard.
This is one of the best episodes like it's such a roller-coaster there's death the enemy is soemthing that eats flesh and controls the suit with bones in like it's terrifying
Oh these episodes alway terrified me just because of those repeated lines, when Miss Evangelista repeats Ice cream or Proper Dave says Hey who turned out the lights. Chilling.
EVERY SINGLE TIME I HEAR IT, EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. I CRY LIKE A BABY
No mention of the scene where Lee saw Donna but because of his stutter he couldn't get the words out to get her attention? That scene was so heartbreaking
Just thinking about it makes me want to tear up... I cried so much in these episodes when I first saw them but that moment specifically was burned in my memory. Donna will feel a loss but at least she could believe it was all a dream not possible to come true anyway; but Lee would have felt such intense regret because she was right in front of him but he wasn't able to reach her.
I wasn't able to re-watch this story for more than 2 times but now more than a decade later I still remember everything and all the emotions I felt back then. 10/10 episodes. I miss stories like this.
The real tragedy of Donna Noble. Had the perfect family and lost it all and missed the chance to regain a part of it. The worst is Lee's perspective. Donna knew she made up her children and could be convinced her perfect husband (as that is how she viewed him) was also invented, but he was real. Lee, however, knows that Donna is real. He saw her and due to a disability he was unable to get her attention, thus, in a way, losing her all over again.
I genuinely love these episodes but it is hard to rewatch it because of this.
I was wondering why he didn't just step off the transporter pad and go after her; he had several seconds. But then, it would have dampened the Doctor-Donna relationship a tad.
I think Lee is a tragic character
I was always saddened that Donnas stuttering silent Husband couldn't reconnect after the shows resolution and that it was never followed up.
Right I wonder why they didn't recast him for her final episode when she actually gets married.
@@AirQuotes Why would they have? He was a random guy from a complete other millennium and solar system.
I’ll be honest if these stories didn’t get those ratings, there probably would have been a riot in the comments.
Citation: Heaven sent video
@@jackwolowacz9382 Lmao that was not received well.
The Reverse When I watched the review for Heaven Sent I was shocked as I think it’s one of (if not the) beat New Who episode.
I miss stories like this. Scary, thought provoking, chilling and emotional. Now we’ve got meh.
We haven't even got that anymore
Eh, I thought Fugitive of the Judoon and Haunting of Villa Diodati were good, not amazing, not brilliant, just good.
The Dodo unfortunately Haunting is just a mediocre Silver Turk, which if you haven’t heard... you owe it to yourself to.
DanTheMan 2150AD I would but I cannot for the life of me sit through an audio drama.
Yup
*Empathy is Donna's superpower.* I adore that, of everything, the most horrifying thing she ever saw was the death of Miss Evangelista.
It makes sense that it is, because all of her life, she's been trying to get herself a good job and a good life overall, but life throws her a bone. it makes sense that she'd understand how it's like to be mistreated.
Was surprised you weren’t convinced by Tate’s performance when her children disappear. Always thought the performance was haunting and gut-wrenching. But hey, thank god you praised the rest of the episode or I’d have your head
Agree with you here - I actually think this was her best piece of acting, period. Weird that he loved Distortalista's monster mash face but didn't enjoy Tate knocking it out of the park
Donna's husband and family were what she dreamed of. A handsome, loving husband and two beautiful children in a nursery with lovely toys and accoutrements. Her dream. That's why it hurt so much when it ended for her.
Adam Lloyd Yeah 😂 the face was chilling but hasn’t aged as well as it could’ve
Agreed when I was 5 or 6 her performance left me screaming for my mum to see if I was real
Except the Husband Lee was real and one of the people trapped in the Library
What I love about rewatching this episode is this idea: When you first watch it you are in the doctors shoes not knowing who River is and what’s to come. But when you rewatch it now knowing what is happened with River, you have switched into her shoes with you knowing everything and the doctor not. I wish there was more of this absolute brilliance from Moffet as show runner
Say what you will about Moffatts run, he had plenty of misses, but when he hit it, he hit it hard
I always wonder if maybe Moffat spread himself to thin doing doctor who and Sherlock. That's why he never seemed to invest the time needed to flesh things out to make complete vsense. But I am glad he wrote the 50th and feel he got tired near the end or let the criticism get to him changing his writing style and lossing self conviction.
@@charmedx3219 He did say in an interview that s7 was miserable for him coz of the scheduling he had himself under and yh certain people didn't like his timey wimey stuff so he kinda changed a bit
The flash does something like this with it's villain reverse flash he makes references to things that happen much later in the show.
Miss Distortalista's face scared the absolute shit out of me as a kid!
Seriously, I'd just run out of the room if I was alone!
Oh my God someone else! No one understood my fear of it but I think it was due to the amazing build up, not the actual face.
had to skip that portion of the review hahahahaha
I remember watching it in 2008, and being terrified, even now I hesitate to watch it even though it’s basically a snapchat filter.
I still can't watch that bit, 12 years later
Wow I'm not the only one. It's so hard to explain to friends that this random distorted head was the biggest thing that scared me as a kid. But to be fair I was 6 when I watched the episode.
Just realised that River is Moffat's Captain Jack
@@Ciphervero Captain Jack was created by Russell x
OHHHHHHHH
NL16Fifa HD No Moffat created Jack as he was first seen in the empty child which Moffat wrote.
@@reichtangle7734 no, Moffat wrote the empty child but as show runner russell has over all control, he wrote the character of jack and knew that he would introduce him in what would become the empty child then it was up to Moffat to write a good story around it. They say so in the empty child commentary as Moffat enjoyed writing an episode about somebody elses character.
I want jack back :(
I always get choked at the ending scene when River initially awakens in the simulation and she's looking around all confused, only for Cal and Doctor Moon appear and explain everything to her, Cal saying "I thought you'd be lonely, so I brought you some friends." Then River turns to see her colleagues strolling towards her, all with smiles on their face, and she simply says:
"Oh for heavens sake. He just can't do it, can he? That man...That impossible man. He just can't give in."
In River's narration at the end she says "I do think that all the skies of all the world's might just turn dark if he, for one moment, accepts it". Not only does this speech combined with the music and the Doctor running back provide a rush of hope to the viewer, but I also think it foreshadows Turn Left (it's a stretch, I know, as Moffat didn't write Turn Left, but I wouldn't be surprised if him and Davies worked together on even subtle plot threads like this).
In Turn Left the Doctor dies because he loses his will to save and becomes so caught up in drowning the Racnoss. He needed Donna there to snap him back into reality. Him forgetting himself results in his death, which eventually leads to the stars going out in all universes "all the skies of all the world's might just turn dark".
Plutoreturns I like to think that, at the very least, they discussed the future plot together and Moffat decided to through in a reference
Brilliant, I've never thought of that before.
Steven Moffat & Russell T. Davis are known to have great respect for each others writing. Turn Left was originally supposed to feature Donna having children, before Russell saw Moffats script for the Library two partner & decided it worked better there. Also the happy ending for the Sick Patients in 'New Earth' the first regular series episode of David Tennant's run, only happened because Moffat wrote a quote about Davis's tendency to kill off characters & Russell decided to change their fate because of that quote.
Moffat has cemented our fear of statues and now he moves on to shadows.
He was trying to ruin everyday life for us
The episodes with the simple concepts are always the best
Mr Flibble until they further develop it into a full story arch
honestly when we saw donna's vr husband but he had his stutter so couldn't shout for her.... thats what got me, donna just shook of the relationship assuming he wasn't real and it was heartbreaking
Basically spazzed it just now when I realised the atrium the doctor and Donna landed in is Brangwyn Hall in Swansea where I did my exams last year. Genuinely sat where the Tardis was 😂
Not only that but also the round room where the Doctor and Donna meet the archaeologists and River is the reading room in thE Alex building of UWTSD
is it still there? it was meant to be ripped down after the episode was filmed, i wonder if it went through
whenever my dad would would walk into a dark room he would say “hey who turned off the lights?!” i love it
I've got to agree this is one of my favourite stories of the entire show.
It would be my favourite if The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances didn’t exist.
@@QuokkaCore all of moffats early episodes are great. He has written great episodes since then but I think he works better writing singular stories
Family of Blood 2 parter was good as well as Planet of the Ood
The impossible planet and the satan pit are my favourites
@@josephwood8274 That's the one I meant lol
Moffat confirmed recently that River acquired the squareness gun from the TARDIS from when Captain Jack left it there in Series 1
River's character arc is honestly one of my favorite ones in all of sci-fy because it is very difficult to introduce a character backwards, with her "death" being the first thing we learn about her and then just two seasons (series in the uk I know) we see her birth and the concequences people face when trying to live a normal life while travelling through time and space at the same time
and yes I know that not every episode was a masterpiece but the overall character arc is still really well done
Her story is one of my favourite Doctor Who arcs
This is the best story river song had
Change my mind
She was pretty good in Series 5 and a *few* stories in Series 6, I also quite liked Husbands, but this is her at her best no doubt!
Close call with husbands of River Song, but giving that the ending of that story could only carry the weight it did because of this one you might be right.
The Dodo any episode river song was in was the best tbh
This is still my favourite two parter all these years later. The creepy atmosphere, a great monster that should never return to the show. Likeable side characters die which is refreshing when I look at the latter end end of new who. River song is great and anyone who says she isn't is lying. Donna's dream world is horrifying on so many levels. This 2 parter is just great
I’ve watched it SO many times ❤
Random fact: the actress who played miss evangelista ended up marrying and divorcing Elon musk twice
@ilikebacon but did you also know that she both married and divorced Elon Musk twice? Just some more random trivia for you.
@@aethon0563 That's really cool, honestly reminded me that the actress for Evangelista actually married and divorced Elon Musk twice.
Mr Bopee that’s kinda cool but
I bet you didn’t know Mrs evangelist married the creator of Tesla car twice
It’s kinda cool
You guys think you're so smart but I bet you didn't know that the actress that plays Angela in Westworld married and divorced Elon Musk twice.
10:33 I genuinely spat laughing. That was so unexpected.
Yeah it really took me by surprise too, I did one of those really quite painful snort laughs.
can'r believe you forgot to add in one of the most donna lines:
"so you're telling me this world is not real? I've been Dieting!"
This is moffats best story leagues ahead of blink
That's tough because they are so different. In Blink the Doctor is not even the main character... both are excellent.
top tier
The empty child?
They're each components of one story?
I'm not sure any story is better than blink, although this was an exceptional story
Everytime the lights turn off and a member of my family wants them back on they’ll say “Hey, who turned out the lights?” repeatedly until they’re back on. That’s the effect Doctor Who has on society.
I’m 14 almost 15 and am still shit scared of these episodes, along with blink, midnight, night terrors, the empty child episodes and those milk men clone ones
Edit: they’re called gangers lmao
i’m almost 20 and i sleep with the light on after rewatching this lmao
waters of mars zombies?
As Stubagful (or possibly Nitpix) pointed out, who actually hid literally behind the sofa? Hiding behind a cushion whilst on the sofa makes sense, but are people really getting off the sofa and running behind it? Don't most people have theirs sofas against the wall?
Didn’t NitPix say that?
@@jasperyoung6060 Might have been yeah, lol
ULOIRAR nice edit😂👍
Me, I literally hid behind the sofa as a kid. Cos a cushion wasn't enough, I needed to peek over the fortress that the sofa provided. So, Nitpix can take his sardonic ass elsewhere and live in a world where an absolute childhood exists. "Who actually hid literally behind the sofa?" Just cos you didn't, doesn't mean others didn't also.
This sort of overall generalisation where you speak for all, whilst only speaking for some, is not a vibe dude
I used to push the sofa back from the wall to hide behind it 😂
“Why do you even have handcuffs?”
“Spoilers!”
😏
"how that camera schnurgh" *moves*
‘Hey who turned out the lights’ haunted my childhood, 2008-2009 were the best doctor who years, the writing, the chemistry between david and catherine, the foreshadowing, the crossovers and the doctor seeming hopeless in journeys end, russel is by far the best writer, he knew how to make viewers emotional
25:30 how he says “look me up”. Mannnnnn, he may as well have just said “bow to me”
This and the waters of mars have gotta be the best episodes that stuck in my memory from my childhood
Absolutely adore Rivers introduction and subsequent death in this episode, it is so goddam tragic and I can’t think of a better way to pull together an emotional storyline in a time travel show, it doesn’t even fully pay off until years later too which just makes it better
That scene when she describes her doctoris devestating after you've watched Husbands
Can't wait to see the review of Midnight. imo one of if not THE best standalone episode of new who since we are told NOTHING and the doctor who always seems to know something, if only rumours or stories, is completely in the dark for the whole episode.
Tennant: BOOKS!
Advert: Audible!
These two, and A Good Man Goes to War, will always be my all time favorites.
there are two things i didn’t like about this episode:
*1. when river pulls out the diary and asks the doctor if they had done certain things together yet.*
it doesn’t make sense because this version of the doctor is younger and different from the version in which she actually did those certain things with... but i let it pass because i just learned david almost did series 5. that scene would have made more sense if he was the doctor in series 5 but oh well!
*2. the vashda narada just run away from the doctor.*
why would they do that?? because they were scared!? why would they be scared of him?!?!
earlier in the episode, the doctor is heard saying he doesn’t know how to defeat these creatures, which i’m sure the vashda narada heard too or are simply aware of that fact.
the vashda narada had the upper hand and honestly just could have killed him.
it would have made more sense if the doctor had been formulating a plan to defeat them, and threatened to defeat them if they didn’t leave him alone, instead of him using empty threats. (this is a big moff trope and it comes back in episodes like the eleventh hour)
ok I lied i have one more issue but it’s minor...
3. the fact that there are a TWO invisible antagonists ( vashda narada and the midnight entity) in this series is a little much but they’re both terrifying and written pretty well that i don’t mind it too much.
6:12 *Moffat is the master of fear of the unknown, also known as 'cosmic horror.'*
Statues which move when you aren't looking, creatures in the dark, slendermen you forget you saw, or entities evolved to never be seen. He writes monsters you can't comprehend, and there's a horror in that.
nightowl like Harry said, HP Lovecraft would be proud.
I don't think any of those qualify as cosmic horror, I mean he describes the monster in this episode as "piranha of the air"... seems pretty comprehendable. The real cosmic horror of Moffat is his refusal to actually plan his stories out and come up with a good ending. It defies all reason.
@@peacemaster8117 - come on, man. Don't be one of those who takes every opportunity, however tenuous, to have a go.
You can't physically imagine what each of those creatures look like for various reasons. *That's* what bestows them an incomprehensible nature.
@@nightowl8477 I'm not having a go, I'm disagreeing with you. Their mechanics are described in detail, there's nothing cosmic about them.
@@peacemaster8117 - but you can't physically perceive of them. Alright, we know what unfrozen Weeping Angels look like after Flesh and Stone, but otherwise...
This and the Water on Mars episode gave me nightmares when I was young, I loved it but they were just so creepy. Like the part where the character we barely knew dies and the part where they keep repeating, "who turned out the lights?" and omg terror
Got my wife into watching doctor who with me and she just saw this episode for the first time today. This is her second favorite episode so far behind blink.
And the fact the Moffat managed to complete River’s arc beautifully in the Husbands of River Song blew my fucking mind. Moffat *really* knows how to make stori s for the long run!
The fact Moffat set up rivers story arc in this episode, a series before his own, makes him both a very talented writer, and an absolutely cocky bastard. I dont like the *majority* or Moffat's writing but this was an interestingly written story...
He is a great writter but sucks at being the show runner. Rtd did a great job as using him but making sure the show was amazing.
25:30 that *growl* from David is exceptional. Jodie just hasn't had the chance or just isn't able to show that proper anger in a realistic way.
This is one of my favourite Doctor Who stories. The Vashta Narada are probably the scariest creatures and I always feel spooked when I'm in darkness after watching the episodes again
literally just watched this two parter with a friend, very good, they also mentioned how for ages they thought donna's ultimate ending was heartbreaking but upon revisiting this and seeing what donna goes through...maybe it's not a bad thing :/ 💀
11:08
It's probably a story telling room judging by the small chairs in front of the big chair.
Brilliant review for my favourite David Tennant story. I was also wondering when Miss Evangelista gets killed by the Vashta Nerada and she repeats "Ice Cream" as her last words, was that an intentional dig at her intelligence? Due to ice cream being associated with childish behaviour
It said that it repeats the persons last thoughts, so I guess she was just really craving some ice cream
Ice cream -> I scream
I would like to point out that the ‘plot hole’ at the end of the first episode isn’t actually a plot hole as in the Doctor dances captain jack says ‘the special features drain the battery’ shortly after replacing the roof after they fall through the floor to escape. This then implies that the replacement feature does not come as standard and thus could explain why river doesn’t replace the wall
someone knows their stuff. Nice one
Ooh, that's good. Shows me that I should watch The Empty Child and The Doctor Dances again.
0:50 *is there a Skillshare course on smooth transitions?*
If so, he hasn't taken it
This two parter was how i found doctor who;
Everyone: dont blink
Me: count the shadows. Or donna noble has left the library donna noble has been saved
The funny thing is, Vashta Nerada first appeared in the episode love and monsters as the thing that killed Elton's mother
Sorry to burst your bubble, but that was an elemental shade.
Harry's pure enjoyment and happiness talking about this amazing story is just what I needed this week. It's been rough.
I wouldnt be surprised if the queen was watching this rn
The distorted face scene and the scene when the kids disappear fricking broke me and it still does 8 years later
This episode played on the channel W yesterday, and it was just as good as I remeber. Even for my 4th time watching, the fear factor is still there. I just cant wait now for you to review midnight aswell, two cracking stories
The ending of forest of the dead got way better after watching husbands of river song
These episodes legitimately freaked me out and are one of the things that helped give me a fear on what's in the dark.
Real doctor who
Journeys end is the best ep ever though.
The reason why river didn’t use her blaster to close the wall is because jack said his blaster could only do that by using a special feature
the part about the statue playing back the last moments reminds me of the burial chamber scene from LOTR when gandarf reads the last writing of the dwarfolas , they are coming! creeptastic
I still have shivers watching this episode after so many years, even though I almost know it by heart -- while at the same time I have no recollection of what happens in Season 12...
This episode gave me nightmares, so I let my younger sister watch it and she got them too xD
I still have trouble watching it because of how much it scared me as a kid lol
if i could, for future re-releases of season 4, when the doctors running to save river i'd make a mashup of the 10th, 11th, and 12ths themes to play, as if all of them are going to save her, but eh, thats just me being cheesy, but with a show like this some cheese is ok
( 15:23) They sealed it back up in Series 1 with Jack’s Squareness Gun so why not here?
I’m so glad he finally got to Silence in the library, my favourite episode completely.
Finally, these two are my absolute favourite episodes. Seen these episodes so many times, and both never get old. The story was simple, and I feel you could have broadcasted it today and it won't feel dated Thank you for reviewing this!
23:42 the thing that always scared me about the kids disappearing was that I watched it when I was about their age and had that boy's exact dragon around my bed wtffff
That chuckle brothers ‘it’s a hidden door’ insert absolutely gave me the best little laugh I’ve had in AGES. Thanks.
Your editing was especially on-point here, Harry.
These 2 episodes and Human nature 2 parter are my favorite episodes to rewatch in all of doctor who
"I am the doctor and you are in the biggest library in the universe, look me up!"
"it say here he usually just bullshits his enemies into running away without ever actually having a plan....guess we can eat him no problem"
I remember when Silence in the Library first came out when I was 12. I was very glad for the making of episode right after because without it I really wouldn’t have been able to sleep that night.
20:30 another reason why the computer is skipping a bunch of time is because it is storing the brains of about 5000 people. I think they do mention this later on but CAL was doing everything she could to keeping these people alive, so she was trying to conserve as much processing power as possible, and as such the simulation had to be optimized as much as possible.
Wow what perfect timing for the audible ad 3:03
This is my favourite story of Series 4 without a doubt. The Vashta Nerada absolutely terrified me as a kid; I couldn't stand in shadows for weeks after watching.
I loved how they get you curious and sad for both the doctor and river in these episodes
Euros Lynn is an amazing director.
here is an interesting thing: the previous tenth doctor failed to Save River here which is why he added the life support system in her Screwdriver when he became 12
I love these half hour videos. I know they probably take a shit load of time to edit and I appreciate you doing that for us.
Damn it, the random Chuckle Brother really took me by surprise. 😂
I have good memories of Forest of the dead, going to the shops to get a pick and mix before it started and watching it with my family and then getting really scared when you see the woman’s face scared
I love seeing the Doctor on the back foot - it's not something that happens often, that someone knows more about him than he does about them. Especially them knowing his name!
I saw a comment on another review that said that Jack left his squareness gun on the Tardis when it took off without him in The Parting of the Ways. This is the same squareness gun that River found on the Tardis; but she didn't know about any advanced settings.
The room where Miss Evangalista died was actually a disused Council chamber, which accounts for the shape.
Am I the only one who thinks that the Brendon bits in Ascension of The Cybermen are similar to the CAL/DONNA VR sections in this? Just done WAY better in this episode
The first time I saw the two parter, it was 2 am and I was in my room with the lights out. You can bet you ass I didn’t sleep at all that night.
I can't believe this video made me appreciate these episodes even more. Wow. This is truly incredible.
Sort of weird how Big Finish added River to the Doctor's timeline pre Tennant.
Finally somebody spoke about the music at 27:10. So breathtaking, for such a sad yet inspiring scene. It embodies the entirety of the doctor’s relationship with River, not only during this story, but also as the 11th and 12th Doctors. We all saw this as the doctor saving yet another companion, but after all these years it’s clear how River was so much more. God the fucking music just makes it so breathtakingly beautiful and symbolic, the beginning yet also the end of River Song.
Fantastic review! I will say that spoilers was part of the popular vernacular at the time of release (at least in my location). Thanks for pointing out the use of lighting in this episode I never even noticed it!
Love how in the tone meeting for this episode they were planning on turning the scene where the doctor flies down the tunnel into him going in a lift, I mean that would ruin the tension wouldn't it 😂
There have been many episodes in the Tennant/Smith era that I loved, and a few that rose to the level of a 9 or 9.5, but the three I can't deny are Blink, Silence in the Library, and Forest of the Dead: They are 10/10 in my book. Just watching this review got me choked up again. I'll never forget that moment when he runs back down and grabs the screwdriver. I was like, "YES! SAVE HER DOCTOR! HOLY CRAP I LOVE THIS SHOW!"
Then I watched it again, but this time with my son who was finally old enough to handle the show. He saw that moment and yelled, "YEAAAAH! 'MERICA!"
I was so proud.
I didn't know the: 'Not My Doctor,' phrase came from this!
The Library was actually a real library. The episode was filmed in the old Swansea library. That is Swansea Wales. It was closed at the time and being moved to the new one we have at present, that is due to move at some point so we've been told for the past few years. Anyway, the old Swansea library had a wonderful study room that was circular with a tiled floor and a pretty glass dome, lots of beautiful wooden desks and railings, very Victorian. What a pity it's no more.
Short Answer: NO
Even as an adult bow, 12 years after this episode aired (when I was about 8) I still have to look away during the scene in the park.
Older vid but gotta say his sprint back to 'save' River, "One last run!" really hits. & They never show her charred body, tho u kno he had to see it. Its all just haunting af.