Review: Doctor Who, Episode 4.9, "Forest of the Dead"

To quote the Ninth Doctor, this episode is "absolutely fantastic!" Future showrunner/current writer Steven Moffat and director Euros Lyn finish what they started in last week's "Silence in the Library," and what a finish it is. It's easily my favorite episode of this season so far, fully living up to my high expectations for a Moffat story. As he's noted for doing, Moffat provides an intriguing concept with a story worthy of it. It's suspenseful, even disturbing at times, and I appreciate the way it all ends. Bravo!

Warning: spoilers below, please highlight the white space with your mouse to read them.

I really like Alex Kingston's character, Professor River Song, and I hope she returns in a future episode, perhaps in 2010 when Moffat takes over.

So the way that River makes the Doctor trust her is to whisper his real name into his ear. The Doctor knows that he would have only told that to someone truly special to him. It also means that during the hinted at relationship between the two in the Doctor's future and River's past, he fully knows what her fate is. It's both tragic and beautiful, not to mention timey wimey.

And what a tease for fans to have River say the Doctor's real name, but we can't hear it or read her lips because her back is turned. Curse you, Moffat, you evil bastard!

I pretty much figured last week that the library computer had stored Donna in its system, meaning the Doctor could discover a way to bring her back, which he did.

Once again there's a reference to a First Doctor serial, this time 1964's "The Aztecs." With other First Doctor references this season, one wonders if they're just subtle nods to the past or if they'll lead to something.

All the references to spoilers over the past two episodes are amusing.

I love the ending having a nod to Moffat's earlier episode, "The Doctor Dances."