# Doctor Who 4x09 "Silence in the Library" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 31, 2008, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-4x09-silence-in-the-library/451299 "2008-05-31T22:01:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-4x09-silence-in-the-library/451299/1 "2008-05-31T22:01:45Z")
I’ve just caught [the latest episode](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silence_in_the_Library) of Who on catch up TV. Again Steven Moffat contributes the most interesting story of the season, a very tautly written one at that. I can’t imagine many children stepping out from behind the sofa for this one or its second part 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-4x09-silence-in-the-library/451299/2 "2008-05-31T22:28:07Z")
Oh yes. The bit with the guy with the stuff inside his spacesuit was well creepy. And I expect I’m the only one who’s going to be disappointed when Donna gets rescued. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-4x09-silence-in-the-library/451299/3 "2008-05-31T22:55:57Z")
Moffat is the single most gifted writer for television in the world. No one else comes close. If he’s half as good as showrunner, the next proper season will be the best thing on tv, ever. ---
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-4x09-silence-in-the-library/451299/4 "2008-05-31T23:16:49Z")
This was indeed an extremely interesting episode, and (yay!) another two-parter. I wondered what the whole “ghosting” thing was in aid of and then of course it made sense when Proper Dave bought it. The end with the psychologist telling the little girl “There is the world here and the world of nightmares. This is very important - it’s this world that isn’t real” made me go :eek: I’m guessing that “saved” means stored in some fashion, as information or some such. I bet the end of the next episode will have everyone who was in the library spontaneously brought back into reality to that swelling orchestral piece they always play in such scenes (don’t get me wrong, I love it when they do that - I actually cried a bit at the end of the New New York taxi episode in S2 when they all started flying into the sun to that music). ---
**Author:** ![ErinPuff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dbc845/32.png) [@ErinPuff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ErinPuff)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-4x09-silence-in-the-library/451299/5 "2008-05-31T23:50:38Z")
(It’s 4x8, not 4x9.) The little girl immediately reminded me of River from Firefly. And then of course there was a character named River, so that hurt my brain even beyond the whole “future companion” thing. All these hints that Donna is going to die horribly in the series finale are making me nervous. (I refuse to be spoiled!!) ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2008, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-4x09-silence-in-the-library/451299/6 "2008-06-01T00:46:47Z")
That was good! Suitably mysterious, I thought. Can’t wait to see the conclusion. And the proper explanation of River Song. I didn’t find it creepy or scary, though, but then I don’t seem to have that gene anyway. I didn’t find “Blink” scary either, even though plenty of others did. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2008, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-4x09-silence-in-the-library/451299/7 "2008-06-01T04:43:13Z")
I figured out what was going on with the little girl pretty quickly. Well at least the general situation, I’m sure specifics are coming next week. I was disappointed that the episode felt a bit derivative of Blink but once they were past “keep out of the shadows” there was enough interesting things going on to make up for it. It’s not as creepy as “Blink” and I think the direction could have been a bit more atmospheric but the writing was entertaining even if most of the plot twists are telegraphed far ahead. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2008, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-4x09-silence-in-the-library/451299/8 "2008-06-01T13:39:50Z")
[QUOTE=ErinPuff] (It’s 4x8, not 4x9.) [/QUOTE] [grumble]Damned Eurovision[/grumble] 😛 [QUOTE=GuanoLad] Can’t wait to see the conclusion. And the proper explanation of River Song [/QUOTE] Notable that an unannounced character is suddenly immeasurably more interesting than the loudly announced and completely overblown Doctor’s “daughter”. Mr Moffat writes a very good story, it really flew in and I found myself not expecting the second part. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2008, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-4x09-silence-in-the-library/451299/9 "2008-06-01T13:57:31Z")
[QUOTE=Illuminatiprimus] I’m guessing that “saved” means stored in some fashion, as information or some such. I bet the end of the next episode will have everyone who was in the library spontaneously brought back into reality to that swelling orchestral piece they always play in such scenes (don’t get me wrong, I love it when they do that - I actually cried a bit at the end of the New New York taxi episode in S2 when they all started flying into the sun to that music). [/QUOTE] Most likely. I’m not the only one who figured our pretty early on that Little Girl is actually the Library’s CPU, am I? -Joe ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2008, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-4x09-silence-in-the-library/451299/10 "2008-06-01T15:34:15Z")
im more interetsted in the story between the Doctor and teh archaeologist than the main plot. Wife maybe? ---
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2008, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-4x09-silence-in-the-library/451299/11 "2008-06-01T15:41:05Z")
[QUOTE=Merijeek] Most likely. I’m not the only one who figured our pretty early on that Little Girl is actually the Library’s CPU, am I? -Joe [/QUOTE] No, that was fairly obvious quickly. Quite why this is all happening and why the Library has been silent for so long is less clear, however. ---
**Author:** ![Some\_Whelks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@Some\_Whelks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Some_Whelks)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2008, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-4x09-silence-in-the-library/451299/12 "2008-06-01T15:48:10Z")
I’m liking this one a lot and I’m very intrigued as to the archeaologist’s identity. It might as a storyline even be on a par with Moffat’s \*The Empty Child \* _pines for Chris Eccleston_ ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2008, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-4x09-silence-in-the-library/451299/13 "2008-06-01T16:19:02Z")
I’m not sure the child is the CPU. All we know is that the child is connected, somehow, to one of the floating cameras. Her dreams are what the camera sees. I don’t remember anything that says she is the CPU. Perhaps I missed something. Could she actually be Donna, do you think? She looks like a young Donna. You’ll notice that she was never addressed by name, and was listed as “The Child” on the credits. I’ll guess they are trying to conceal her identity. And Donna used to work in a library. I’m betting there’s some connection between them, at least. ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2008, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-4x09-silence-in-the-library/451299/14 "2008-06-01T16:44:15Z")
[QUOTE=Peter Morris] I’m not sure the child is the CPU. All we know is that the child is connected, somehow, to one of the floating cameras. Her dreams are what the camera sees. I don’t remember anything that says she is the CPU. Perhaps I missed something. Could she actually be Donna, do you think? She looks like a young Donna. You’ll notice that she was never addressed by name, and was listed as “The Child” on the credits. I’ll guess they are trying to conceal her identity. And Donna used to work in a library. I’m betting there’s some connection between them, at least. [/QUOTE] I think the library computer is storing all 4000 some plus Donna in a fake reality. The people in the little girl’s world are probably the stored people, and the girl is the library computer’s ‘identity’ ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2008, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-4x09-silence-in-the-library/451299/15 "2008-06-01T16:52:23Z")
> [@](#): > > I’m very intrigued as to the archeaologist’s identity. Outlandish theory about River Song. This one is really Way Out There. River song is Captain Jack. Think about this. The trick of using the psychic paper to contact The Doctor has been used before. Who did it? The only person known to do it is The Face Of Boe. We know that Jack is (probably) The Face Of Boe. There’s a clue right there that they are the same person. But Jack and Face look totally different. One is an ordinary looking human, the other is a big giant head in a jar. That means that somehow, in the future he gains the ability to change his form. So, if he can become a giant head, why not become a woman? And he wants to get off with The Doctor whatever form he’s using. ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2008, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-4x09-silence-in-the-library/451299/16 "2008-06-01T16:54:21Z")
[QUOTE=Peter Morris] I’m not sure the child is the CPU. All we know is that the child is connected, somehow, to one of the floating cameras. Her dreams are what the camera sees. I don’t remember anything that says she is the CPU. Perhaps I missed something. Could she actually be Donna, do you think? She looks like a young Donna. You’ll notice that she was never addressed by name, and was listed as “The Child” on the credits. I’ll guess they are trying to conceal her identity. And Donna used to work in a library. I’m betting there’s some connection between them, at least. [/QUOTE] Nitpick: Donna temped in a library, but I didn’t get the impression it was a long-term thing. Personally, based partly just by the teasers at the end of the ep, that the little girl and everyone around her were people who were in the library and were ‘saved’, and what they think is reality is a Matrix-ish storage place. (on preview, what **One And Only Wanderers** said). I didn’t find this episode as flat-out creepy as _Blink_, but it’s definitely just as engaging. ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2008, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-4x09-silence-in-the-library/451299/17 "2008-06-01T16:54:46Z")
[QUOTE=Peter Morris] Outlandish theory about River Song. This one is really Way Out There. River song is Captain Jack. Think about this. The trick of using the psychic paper to contact The Doctor has been used before. Who did it? The only person known to do it is The Face Of Boe. We know that Jack is (probably) The Face Of Boe. There’s a clue right there that they are the same person. But Jack and Face look totally different. One is an ordinary looking human, the other is a big giant head in a jar. That means that somehow, in the future he gains the ability to change his form. So, if he can become a giant head, why not become a woman? And he wants to get off with The Doctor whatever form he’s using. [/QUOTE] I’m gonna say no. River said it was the first time the Doctor had met her, and I didn’t get any overtones of _in this form_ from that exchange ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2008, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-4x09-silence-in-the-library/451299/18 "2008-06-01T19:46:59Z")
We’ve seen Rose twice this season - anyone have any idea what their plans are for her? Anything? -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2008, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-4x09-silence-in-the-library/451299/19 "2008-06-01T20:21:21Z")
[QUOTE=Merijeek] We’ve seen Rose twice this season - anyone have any idea what their plans are for her? Anything? -Joe [/QUOTE] Twice? I only remember the final scene in the first ep. I’m trying to figure out what Moffat does and I’m seeing a pettern, though not a clear pattern. Interesting women. In The Empty Child, the young [del]mommy[/del] woman who helped the street urchins was a very interesting, strong character. Likewise Mme de Pompadour, who really stole the Doctor’s heart. Sally Sparrow was a great character [grumbles]should be companion[/grumbles] and River is yet another very interesting woman. It’s not that they are stunningly beautiful, it’s something about their personalities. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2008, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-4x09-silence-in-the-library/451299/20 "2008-06-01T20:26:58Z")
[QUOTE=Charlie Tan] Twice? I only remember the final scene in the first ep. I’m trying to figure out what Moffat does and I’m seeing a pettern, though not a clear pattern. Interesting women. In The Empty Child, the young [del]mommy[/del] woman who helped the street urchins was a very interesting, strong character. Likewise Mme de Pompadour, who really stole the Doctor’s heart. Sally Sparrow was a great character [grumbles]should be companion[/grumbles] and River is yet another very interesting woman. It’s not that they are stunningly beautiful, it’s something about their personalities. [/QUOTE] Yeah, that’s one of Moffat’s things. The second time we saw Rose was on a video screen on the TARDIS. Only happened for a second - I think it was when Donna got stranded there during the whole Centaran incident. -Joe [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-who-4x09-silence-in-the-library/451299.md?page=2)