Forest of the Dead (TV story)

Forest of the Dead
Doctor:	[[doctor::Tenth Doctor]]
Companion(s):	Donna Noble
Main enemy:	Vashta Nerada
Main setting:	51st century, The Library
Main setting:	51st century, The Library
Key crew
Writer:	Steven Moffat
Director:	Euros Lyn
Release details
Release number:	4
Premiere broadcast:	7th June 2008
Production code:	4.9

SpoilersRiver Song

Synopsis

As the shadows rise and march, the Doctor forges an alliance with the mysterious River Song. But can anyone stop the Vashta Nerada? While the Doctor discovers long-buried secrets and revelations about his own future, the sinister Nodes declare that Donna is doomed.

Cast

• The Doctor - David Tennant
• Donna Noble - Catherine Tate
• River Song - Alex Kingston
• Doctor Moon - Colin Salmon
• Lux - Steve Pemberton
• Proper Dave - Harry Peacock
• Other Dave -
• The Girl - Eve Newton
• Anita -

Story notes

• The working title for this story was: River's Run
• The Doctor says "Who are you?" on the trailer which is also on the Doctor Who website exclusive clip.

Ratings

To be added

Rumours

• It has been rumoured, variously, that River Song is a future mutation of Jack Harkness, The TARDIS in humanoid form, The Rani, Martha Jones or a regeneration of Romana. All of these are unlikely as River Song as stated repeatedly that the Doctor hasn't met her yet and that she knows the Doctor in his personal future. This cannot be applied to Jack, the Rani, Martha, Romana or even the TARDIS because they have all met the Doctor. Furthermore people such as Romana and the Rani would know better than to call the Doctor "young" being Time Lords themselves.

• Donna is living in the country side, with two children and a loving husband, however she senses something is wrong. This could mean that those saved from the library were in fact saved and sent to an alternate reality/dream world inside the library. This is possinly the same world as the Girl.

• At some point in the episode Donna is visited by Miss Evangelista.

• Rose Tyler may be seen in one of the library's books. This would explain how Donna somehow knows that Rose is returning. This is very unlikely as Donna is trapped at the end of the last episode and is likely to take most of the episode to save her. However it is possible that information about Rose will found in River Song's diary.

• It is suggested that The Girl is CAL, the library index computer's AI. This is likely true as she seems to be able to control library systems unconsciously. And in a clip on the BBC's Doctor Who website, Doctor Moon says "And then you forgot", indicating CAL may have created the digital reality to house the minds of the 4022 and then forgot its origin while inside its own created reality.

• The Doctor is stunned by something River Song whispers in his ear. True, as seen in the exclusive clip on the BBC website.

• The episode will begin by River using the sonic blaster to create a hole in the wall to escape the Suit Creature.

• The Doctor allows himself to be "saved" to visit The Girl. Probable, the Doctor is seen falling through a tunnel of light in the trailer (a probable transition effect for entering the digital reality, or the Time Vortex), however his destination is unknown. Futhermore in the BBC trailer for the episode River Song is seen opening a portal in the floor of their library with her sonic screwdriver.

• Donna's physical body has been somehow digitized and saved into the index hard drive, along with the 4022 people. "Saved" in the computer's message is used in the context of a computer file, not meaning "rescued." Very possible, the second node seems to imply that the there is some kind of corporeal database that the node-faces are stored in.

• The Doctor reads his future in the book to find the way he escapes the Vastha Nerada which resolves the cliffhanger, creating a paradox or loop in time which means none of the events happened. This may be likely since the trailer for the concluding episode shows the Doctor confronting River Song about her connection to his future self.

• The Vastha Nerada aren't defeated but the Doctor manages to seal off the planet. However, as the archaeologist's ship leaves, a shadow is seen moving along its wing; signifying the Nerada's escape from the library for use in later episodes. Unlike as it is uneeded for them to reappear as the Doctor has already stated every planet has them.

• River Song may end up dying or through the Doctor's actions, her future with him will otherwise be neutralized. Unlikely as if River Song did die, the Doctor's future would not be nullified. He could still journey with her in his future, although he would be aware of the events of her death. If her future with him was neutralized, then technically the Doctor would never have gone to the library in the first place.

• River Song may become the Doctors companion, or be associated with him in some way as she will become someone he trusts "greatly" during the Tenth Doctor's tenure, since she recognised that incarnation of the Doctor as well as having knowledge of Donna and being given her own sonic screwdriver. Although it is not actually stated that River Song is a future companion, she does say that she knows him in his personal future. It is possible that River Song knows not only the Tenth Doctor but a future regeneration.

• Doctor Moon may be evil as in the trailer it shows him with an evil expression and the fear forecast reveals somebody saying "He's the bad guy now!" Unlikely as DWM hints that Felman Lux is the bad guy and he is keeping a secret

• River Song could be an older version of the little girl, but when River sees her on the television wouldn't River have noticed it was her? Highly unlikely since the Girl and River have no resemblance and the Doctor would technically have "met" the little Girl, while River claims "the Doctor hasn't met me yet". (Although in the trailer Dr. Moon says 'And then you forgot')

Filming locations

To be added

Continuity

To be added

Discontinuity, Plot Holes, Errors

To be added.

DVD and other releases

• It will be released on the Series 4 boxset DVD in November 2008.
• It will be released as Series 4 Volume 3 alongside Silence in the Library and Midnight in August 2008.