Doctor Who - 6/20/2006 - Silence In The Library

[cheesesteak]

Hey! Where'd everybody go? Another two parter. Arrrgggh.

I thought this was a very interesting episode.

Who is this River Song woman?

It was a pretty touching scene when the young assistant's consciousness died out.

[danterner]

This was an excellent episode, and reinforces my feeling that the Age of Moffat can't come soon enough. (Steven Moffat has written some of the best episodes of the new Doctor Who, including "Blink", "The Empty Child", "The Doctor Dances", and "The Girl in the Fireplace". He's slated to take over from Russel T. Davies as head writer and executive producer). Moffet's episodes always seem more vibrant to me - the dialog is a bit crisper, the acting a bit tighter, even the color palate seems a bit brighter. I love his stuff, and I can't wait for the second part of this episode.

A number of things about this episode struck me as interesting:

1. Did anyone else notice the discordant "LOST" horns-sound at various dramatic points through the episode, just as they would have been used on LOST? It wasn't 100% the same sound, but it sure was close, and I don't recall it being used on Doctor Who in the past.

2. Maybe I'm too much of a gamer at heart, but set a story in a large sci-fi looking library, featuring a floating electronic security orb, and my mind immediately went to Halo and 343 Guilty Spark.

3. Anyone else familiar with the sci-fi author Alan Dean Foster, and particularly his novel "Into the Out Of"? It features an alien race called the Shetani, which are described as small, dark, elusive, and powerful; all teeth, claws, and malevolence. They would typically disguise themselves as things like shredded tire-rubber on the side of the road. To this day, when I see shredded tires while driving down the road I think of them. Now, when looking at a particularly dark shadow, I think I'll think of the Vashta Nerada. The Vashta Nerada also reminds me a bit of Stephen King's Langoliers. Not that I think Moffat was cribbing from those stories; they just bear a few passing similarities.

[ERooker]

Very good episode and I look forward to next week. Is this just a two parter? It felt like there was enough material to go a little beyond that.

...I must say, however, that the show has developed a chronic case of sidekick-itis. It hasn't diminished my enjoyment of the show, but I find myself playing 'guess the sidekick' every episode.

[Jonathan_S]

2. Maybe I'm too much of a gamer at heart, but set a story in a large sci-fi looking library, featuring a floating electronic security orb, and my mind immediately went to Halo and 343 Guilty Spark.
How the heck did I not jump to the same conclusion? (I'll go with the fact that the level 'The Library' contained no books and was one of the most boring in the game. Blotted it from my memory; yeah thats it.)


I couldn't believe when the end credits rolled, I just hadn't realized that an hour had gone by that quick. (And I was very tempted for a moment to see if I could go watch the next episode without waiting a week.)

[cheesesteak]

I couldn't believe when the end credits rolled, I just hadn't realized that an hour had gone by that quick. (And I was very tempted for a moment to see if I could go watch the next episode without waiting a week.)

I not only wanted to bittorrent next week's episode, I wanted to get this episode off the net to see how much was cut out for SciFi's version and if anything noteworthy was clipped for more commercial time.

[TAsunder]

Moffat did it again! Is ER doc being foreshadowed as a future cast mate? Cool.

[pkscout]

This was possibly an even better episode than Blink. The story is unfolding in a very interesting way. I can't wait to see how it finishes.

OK, I lied. I've already seen how it finishes. I don't like watching Sci-Fi in analog, so I download them. ;)

[taronga]

I not only wanted to bittorrent next week's episode, I wanted to get this episode off the net to see how much was cut out for SciFi's version and if anything noteworthy was clipped for more commercial time.
The BBC version of this episode ran right at 43 minutes. I don't know exactly how much time SciFi devotes to commercials, but there shouldn't have been much, if any, cut out. That said, watching them without commercial breaks makes for a much more enthralling experience.

[Unbeliever]

Moffat did it again! Is ER doc being foreshadowed as a future cast mate? Cool.

Unless Alex Kingston can get younger, that's doubtful. It looked like Professor Song knew the Doctor for years and years in her past.

"I'm a time traveler. I point at archaeologists and laugh!"

--Carlos V.

[Church AV Guy]

The professor knowing the doctor, and telling us she had an extensive history with him got a bit creepy, and tiresome after a while. We ALL got it before they did: He is a time traveler, she has known him in HER past, but HIS future. It bugs me when the audience gets something like this long before the characters do. It should not have been such a stretch to have figured it out. *I* figured it out.

Donna Nobel has been saved. This is a new and different definition of "saved," one I am unfamiliar with? [stolen from Douglas Adams, of course]

[danterner]

"Saved" as in "stored as a file in a directory," perhaps?

FILE/SAVE AS... DONNA NOBLE.

[dianebrat]

Part 2 is worth it...
(I will say no more)

Moffett is a god...

[busyba]

Who is this River Song woman?
I'd tell you, but it's a spoiler. ;)

[busyba]

I will say this however, she's not related to Flower Drum Song. :p

[innocentfreak]

I not only wanted to bittorrent next week's episode, I wanted to get this episode off the net to see how much was cut out for SciFi's version and if anything noteworthy was clipped for more commercial time.

Does SciFi have a tendency to cut parts out of Dr Who?

[danterner]

Just a quick note for anyone that is interested:

Apparently iTunes recently began carrying the "Doctor Who: The Commentaries" podcast. They feature Tennant, Moffat, Davies, and other folks involved with the show - they all provide running commentary while watching the episode they are discussing. It's been available across the pond for quite some time, but it looks like the first available episode here is the one for next week's episode. At any rate, I haven't found a way to get back episodes though people living in England can stream them from the official Doctor Who website.

[DianaMo]

Hey look! It's the Doctor Who was on ER!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silence_in_the_Library

http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/Silence_in_the_Library

Unless Alex Kingston can get younger, that's doubtful. It looked like Professor Song knew the Doctor for years and years in her past.

"I'm a time traveler. I point at archaeologists and laugh!"

--Carlos V.

[pkscout]

The professor knowing the doctor, and telling us she had an extensive history with him got a bit creepy, and tiresome after a while. We ALL got it before they did: He is a time traveler, she has known him in HER past, but HIS future. It bugs me when the audience gets something like this long before the characters do. It should not have been such a stretch to have figured it out. *I* figured it out.

I thought it was kind of funny actually. The Doctor is so used to explaining to *other* people how he has already met them in their future, but when it happens to him he just can't quite get his brain around it.

[IndyJones1023]

It's all wibbly wobbly timey wimey.

[mrmike]

I thought it was kind of funny actually. The Doctor is so used to explaining to *other* people how he has already met them in their future, but when it happens to him he just can't quite get his brain around it.

I too was quite amused by that facet of it. I was much more annoyed with the constant dialogue repetition ("Donna Noble has been saved", "Hey, who turned out the lights", etc). Moffat seems to like that ("Mummy? Are you my mummy?") but it just gets tiring after a bit.

[busyba]

Here's what I don't get. He's all like, "DON'T MOVE! You've got two shadows!" Well, not moving doesn't seem to really help, so why not run like hell away from both shadows?

[danterner]

Here's what I don't get. He's all like, "DON'T MOVE! You've got two shadows!" Well, not moving doesn't seem to really help, so why not run like hell away from both shadows?

He'd only be able to outrun one of them, at most. :p

[drew2k]

One of my favorite Doctor Who episodes this season.

No one's discussed the little girl and her therapist yet ... who is she, why does she have access to the library from seems to be a present day home in Great Britain when her father doesn't know anything but her therapist seems to?

[danterner]

I think we're supposed to believe that neither she nor her living room are real. "She" is the security system - living in the Matrix. As the therapist tells her, it's the nightmare world (the library) that is real.

[dianebrat]

One of my favorite Doctor Who episodes this season.

No one's discussed the little girl and her therapist yet ... who is she, why does she have access to the library from seems to be a present day home in Great Britain when her father doesn't know anything but her therapist seems to?

good things come to those who wait...(esp in hour 2)

[ADent]

Good episode.

Definitely could have been tighter - this may have been better at 1.5 episodes.

Sidekick-itis - I am getting a touch of that too.

Looking forward to part 2.

[spikedavis]

Does SciFi have a tendency to cut parts out of Dr Who?

In every episode. The UK versions don't have commercials and run longer. That's the reason I don't wait until they air here in America. It's two weeks-and I miss some of the episode that the director intended. It's broken up by jarring commercial breaks at un-dramatic moments.

But of course, mention that you watch the episodes before they air on Sci-Fi and you'll be threatened with the guillotine around here...

[spikedavis]

Oh. And, "Hey-Who turned out the lights?"

[busyba]

Oh. And, "Hey-Who turned out the lights?"

You know, they missed an opportunity there. Since the repeated phrases would sometimes glitch and a word or two would get repeated too, with a little rephrasing, they could have had him say:

"Who turned the lights out? Who? Who? Who who?"


....maybe it's for the best they didn't.


:D

[Fl_Gulfer]

I think the lady is the Dr. from the future. Or why would she have a sonic screwdriver?

[DianaMo]

I think the lady is the Dr. from the future. Or why would she have a sonic screwdriver?

I think she's his future wife. That's why he gave her her own sonic gadget.

Since she sees the Doc and says she's never seen him that young, she probably isn't him. (This show makes for some weird sentences.)

On a tv show some time ago, David Tennant was asked if DW gets married.
I think his answer was something like "He doesn't not get married" or something like that.

BTW, would anyone like to see David Tennant on the Conan O'Brian show?

[busyba]

I think the lady is the Dr. from the future. Or why would she have a sonic screwdriver?

Maybe she bought one from here (http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/cubegoodies/8cff/)?

[Mars Rocket]

While I still like the multi-episode story arcs of the '70s Doctor Who the best, I think this is one of the best episodes of the new series. I don't know why it took me so long to figure out who Dr. Moon was - it wasn't until they referred to the "Doctor Moon" the second or third time before it clicked, and it was fun when it did.

[Bulldog7]

I will say this however, she's not related to Flower Drum Song. :p

Nor is she related to Simon Tam, I gather. :D:D:D

[GTuck]

Is there anywhere we can talk about the current episdodes? Is it frowned upon to have a thread about what's currently airing on the BBC?

[JETarpon]

Is there anywhere we can talk about the current episdodes? Is it frowned upon to have a thread about what's currently airing on the BBC?

More than frowned upon. They will be locked, deleted, and the person who starts the thread may be banned.

[spikedavis]

Is there anywhere we can talk about the current episdodes? Is it frowned upon to have a thread about what's currently airing on the BBC?

Don't you know that America is the center of the universe?

[drew2k]

Is there anywhere we can talk about the current episdodes?
From the rules (http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=271608):

Timing of official threads:
Do not start the official show thread more than one hour before the Eastern time zone airing. The new thread should be about the new show. Discussion of shows that have aired in the UK but not in the US are to be discussed in the UK Chit Chat area.

Is it frowned upon to have a thread about what's currently airing on the BBC?Not if it's in the UK Chit Chat area, apparently.

[IndyJones1023]

Man, I still don't get the vitriol.

Discuss UK shows in the UK area. What's so difficult to understand?

[doom1701]

I really enjoyed this two parter, but I wouldn't put it above Moffat's other episodes. On par with the first season two parter he did, but nothing like the absolutely splendid "Girl in the Fireplace" or "Blink".

What I did think was really funny, though, was that Jen couldn't wrap her head around the idea of the Doctor meeting River for the first time, and River seeing the Doctor for the last time, all at the same time. Wibbly wobbly timey wimey for sure. :)

[Gunnyman]

Man, I still don't get the vitriol.

Discuss UK shows in the UK area. What's so difficult to understand?

+1
I wish more people who are watching via bittorrent or usenet would join the conversations in the UK section.

[Fl_Gulfer]

I think she's his future wife. That's why he gave her her own sonic gadget.

Since she sees the Doc and says she's never seen him that young, she probably isn't him. (This show makes for some weird sentences.)

On a tv show some time ago, David Tennant was asked if DW gets married.
I think his answer was something like "He doesn't not get married" or something like that.

BTW, would anyone like to see David Tennant on the Conan O'Brian show?


Looks like you were correct.

[Mars Rocket]

Looks like you were correct.

But really he just gave her the sonic screwdriver because he knew he had done so (timey wimey), or because he knew she was going to die and it was a way to save her soul (or whatever). I don't see any interpretation that would imply they were married unless you take the "the only reason I would have told you my name is..." to mean that. I took it to mean "...if you were going to die."

[JoBeth66]

I don't see any interpretation that would imply they were married unless you take the "the only reason I would have told you my name is..." to mean that. I took it to mean "...if you were going to die."

No way. His name is so intensely personal, only a few people in all the universes know it. He wouldn't tell it to someone just because they were going to die.

And she quite obviously knew him, and knew him well - it only makes sense if she's his wife.

[DianaMo]

No way. His name is so intensely personal, only a few people in all the universes know it. He wouldn't tell it to someone just because they were going to die.

And she quite obviously knew him, and knew him well - it only makes sense if she's his wife.

My husband and I have the same guess as to what the Doctor's real name is.

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Angus!


http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/River_Song