I may recommend a new scoring system for episodes of Doctor Who, where we will choose from 1-10 or alternatively enter "Steven Moffat" in the scorebox. The most talented of Doctor Who writers did it again with this episode. It fits in with the fast, hyperactive style of Tennant's latest stories but brings far more emotion and fear into the mix.
There is very little change in style between "Silence in the Library" and "Forest of the Dead", and Donna (Catherine Tate) is practically replaced as a sidekick by the enigmatic River Song (Alex Kingston), which I was pleased with as I felt Donna was a very limited character. This is one of Moffat's common plot devices - a "Combo breaker" similar to subbing in Reinette for Rose in Series 2, or replacing the Doctor and Martha with Sally and Larry in Series 3. It makes the episode stand out from the rest of the series and demonstrates the writer's somewhat rebellious nature.
The Vashta Nerada are an extremely original enemy in their "shadow" state, and the possessed suits with skeletons inside are nearly as frightening with their bizarre repeated last words. However, their simple desire to eat marks the fact that this is not a villain-driven storyline.
What really made "Forest of the Dead" special for me, however, was the final sequence. After a tragic but conclusive ending, with the usual duration of an episode reached, and an optimistic monologue playing, the episode takes an unexpected turn and gives us a tremendous and uplifting little scene - the Doctor's "Last run" through the Library.
My only criticism of the episode (entirely not the writer's fault) is that this story is placed too close to the "Big finale" of Series 4, and the close juxtaposition of two big, epic stories causes one to detract from the other (I feel that Davies' grand finalé suffered, others may think it is vice-versa).
Nonetheless, like "Blink" before it, this is a breath of fresh air in a rather dull series. I consider the Library two-parter one of the best Doctor Who stories of the Tennant era, and I hope you agree.
There is very little change in style between "Silence in the Library" and "Forest of the Dead", and Donna (Catherine Tate) is practically replaced as a sidekick by the enigmatic River Song (Alex Kingston), which I was pleased with as I felt Donna was a very limited character. This is one of Moffat's common plot devices - a "Combo breaker" similar to subbing in Reinette for Rose in Series 2, or replacing the Doctor and Martha with Sally and Larry in Series 3. It makes the episode stand out from the rest of the series and demonstrates the writer's somewhat rebellious nature.
The Vashta Nerada are an extremely original enemy in their "shadow" state, and the possessed suits with skeletons inside are nearly as frightening with their bizarre repeated last words. However, their simple desire to eat marks the fact that this is not a villain-driven storyline.
What really made "Forest of the Dead" special for me, however, was the final sequence. After a tragic but conclusive ending, with the usual duration of an episode reached, and an optimistic monologue playing, the episode takes an unexpected turn and gives us a tremendous and uplifting little scene - the Doctor's "Last run" through the Library.
My only criticism of the episode (entirely not the writer's fault) is that this story is placed too close to the "Big finale" of Series 4, and the close juxtaposition of two big, epic stories causes one to detract from the other (I feel that Davies' grand finalé suffered, others may think it is vice-versa).
Nonetheless, like "Blink" before it, this is a breath of fresh air in a rather dull series. I consider the Library two-parter one of the best Doctor Who stories of the Tennant era, and I hope you agree.