Doctor Who: Silence in the Library

[purplecat]

Expectations are Terrible Things.


Like with the Sontaran Strategem its actually very hard to form an opinion about this without seeing the second half. It set up so many intriguing ideas and it really all depends if they end up going somewhere interesting. Though Stephen Moffat, of course, has form in terms of pulling this sort of thing off which Helen Raynor does not.

In brief then: I liked the character of River Song but I was a little bemused why the Doctor seemed to be having so much trouble with the concept of meeting someone out of sequence and right now the mystery of her relationship to the Doctor seems a little extraneous to the rest of the story. Like the Doctor's daughter, she seems like a character crying out for a second appearance which makes you wonder about the season finale - maybe Rose? the Doctor's daughter? this future ?friend/?companion/?lover - that would be quite a mixture. The Vashta Nerada are a good scary idea, I could wish they weren't described as unbeatable, but I liked that they were used in a variety of ways and we didn't fall back on people endlessly accidentally falling into shadows or lights going out. The little girl was well-played. We have a lot of hints about her identity and the fate of the users of the library but not quite enough to be certain what is going on. The data ghosting was a surprisingly effective idea and the aftermath of Miss Evangalista's death was beautifully played and directed in a show which usually has little time to mourn its bit parts.

But, but, but, I wasn't as gripped as I was expecting to be. I was going to write that the children weren't scared either, but my nephew has just returned from a friends' house and reports that they were all scared there, maybe there was too much snuggling going on at our end.

Comments

[parrot-knight.livejournal.com]

I agree with you on practically everything here. As for River, one does wonder whether the Ood had something to say about her fate.

[purplecat]

As for River, one does wonder whether the Ood had something to say about her fate.

Oooh! yes! "You're Song is ending" (or words to that effect) - since the last prophesy/cryptic message (YANA) involved word play this could so easily as well.

[(Anonymous)]

I don't think the Doctor was having problems with meeting someone out of sequence (he deals with it easily enough at the end of _Blink_). I think what confused him at first was the intimate way River talked to him and then he got in denial over the idea that he'll have that sort of relationship in his future.

Other than that: yes, everything you said.

Ana (here via Doctor Who Daily)

[purplecat]

Right up until the point she produced the Sonic Screwdriver, I'd have said there was little in her manner to differentiate her behaviour from other companions he's been particularly close to (beyond the fact she's clearly making assumptions about multiple out-of-order meetings and therefore a long-term relationship of some sort) especially when you factor in New Who's more touchy-feely approach to the way these relationships are presented.

To be honest I actually think it was a mistep on Moffat's part. He wanted to make sure the audience understood what was going on and, for once, rather under-estimated our ability to keep up. But the effect was that both the Doctor, and River to be honest, looked a little slow on the uptake.

[(Anonymous)]

I don't know how much he underestimated the audience. Some people still seem confused by the concept (for instance suggesting that if she dies, the relationship won't happen).

Ana

[purplecat]

*sigh*

But he should be writing for me, damnit, and me alone!