Doctor Who 4x9 Reaction!! "Forest of the Dead"

[@CasualNerdReactions]

Just FYI: I haven’t spent much time in the comment section of this particular video. Trying to remain as spoiler free as possible with any potential future stories.

[@Tau_Zyrillion]

Maybe you should get someone trusted from your patrons to gather and vet the comments they consider safe for you to read. 😛 I don't blame you for being super cautious though, I know it can feel like stepping through a minefield.

[@reallollabunny]

fair, fair. I imagine there are a lot of spoilers in the comments, despite River's warning :D and really, elect someone to read comments for you - I am sure people would volunteer ^^ I know I would if you asked (I'm not a Patron but still)

[@ejtappan1802]

They knew when they cast the part of River Song they had to find an actress that could really convince the viewers that she had a backstory with the Doctor and make us feel that whole roller-coaster of emotions with her. Personally, I think casting Alex Kingston for this episode was one of the best decisions ever made in the whole history of DW. It just works, from the first moments to the last.

[@geetee4459]

Didn't Steven initially aim for Kate Winslett (who had starred in one of his TV shows long before 'Titanic'?). I think when she was unavailable they went for Alex which was a very good choice.

[@chynne33]

And that look of devastation when the Doctor tells her he doesn't know who she is...heartbreaking!

[@pandabus72]

She is my favourite character - in large part to Alex's embodiment of the character

[@medafan53]

Something I think doesn't get mentioned enough is the power of hindsight and it's effects on how we percieve characters in regards to Lux and Dr. Moon. Mr Lux seems like the typical selfish beuracrat wanting to protect his patent, but in the end we understand, he was trying to protect his aunt, trying to avoid her being treated like some kind of freak. And Dr. Moon appears to be this sinister force gaslighting Donna, but in the end we find out he's just a diagnostic program desperately trying to keep a system pushed _way_ beyond it's limits as stable as he can. An interesting thing to think about.

[@johncheshirsky8822]

What a good point! And works so well to support that same idea for the main mystery of the episode with River. She is implied to know Doctor in the future, which means if she's ever seen again in the show, it gives her character and these two episodes a new perspective.

[@jennifermorris6848]

There are 3 kids because she is now taking care of CAL. Charlotte gets a Mom.

[@fayesouthall6604]

😢 it’s adorable 🥰

[@sp72929]

"You are in a library. Look me up." The ultimate badass threat ever! The worst realisation ever - "I was dieting!!!"

[@fayesouthall6604]

Yep brilliant

[@eyallev]

I don't know if that's his ultimate badass threat. there's the "run away" threat, there's the "let someone else go first". And then, there are all the times people didn't back down and ended stuck in a mirror, or worse.

[@poohslosteyes264]

Except people in the Library are just strings of numbers that can be re-actualised at any time, meaning Donna's dieting effort in theory could be preserved.

[@chrisfraser5088]

What gut punch of an episode. Absolutely incredible writing. The chemistry between David and Alex Kingston is perfect. One of my favourite Dr Who stories of all time. Additionally, I have never looked at shadows the same way 😂

[@4partharmony208]

Moffat at the absolute height of his powers. It takes so much of the best of Girl in the Fireplace and Blink and elevates it to something that is just magic.

[@andyastrand]

Yeah this writing is absolutely top notch, just a superb piece of television

[@QuisletEsq]

Alex Kingston did a great job at showing how devastated River Song was for not having the Doctor know her.

[@lanceloomis2038]

What makes a Companion is that they are the best aspects of humanity. Rose is Joy. Martha is Intelligence. Astrid (yes I count her as a companion) is Curiosity. But Donna is the most important. Donna is Empathy

[@Venemofthe888]

Alex Kingston and David Tennant really sell the idea especially Alex who acts her ass off her while being the first time shes the character. She really sells the adventure and times she had with the doctor in his future yet to this point we have seen nothing other than this. I remember when this episode came out i was taken aback by her performance

[@houseofsledge6891]

Yeah, I had enjoyed Alex Kingston in other properties before but when episode one of this two parter first aired, I was blown away and realized Kingston isn't just a good actor or a very good one even, but an absolutely top notch sensational actor. She knocks River out of the park here.

[@stevebills5716]

"But I've been dieting!" has to be one of the funniest lines in Doctor Who. 😊

[@paigelogan7600]

@@stevebills5716 Donna is the funniest!!

[@l33tspaniard]

I think the “secret time lord code” exchange is the moment that solidifies their best-friendship for the doctor. How many times has anyone actually acknowledged that reality and empathized? Donna sees him as an equal, despite what she thinks of herself, and that’s something he treasures.

[@Eefrit101]

One of the best stories. Every time I see it, every time it makes me cry. "When you run with the Doctor, it feels like it'll never end. But however hard you try you can't run forever. Everybody knows that everybody dies and nobody knows it like the Doctor. But I do think that all the skies of all the worlds might just turn dark if he ever for one moment, ACCEPTS IT." Shivers.

[@stevesm4]

When episode one of this two-parter was first broadcast I went on about it so much at work on Monday morning that a colleague (who had never even seen the programme before) watched part two the following Saturday. She told me afterwards that she cried at the end. That's how powerful the storytelling is.

[@bauwoman2]

Absolutely one of my favorite episodes. Alex Kingston gives River Song such charisma. As Kingston commented later, whether or not the story between River and the Doctor was going to go any further, she had to deliver those parting lines as though she totally knows all that stuff about their relationship when the reality is that this is the first time she has played the role. Pretty impressive, because I think that we all come to believe that there is quite a solid relationship between them. I love how Tennant plays the doctor after her death, too. Once River is saved, Tennant changes the Doctor's body language a bit. His walk seems to have more swagger and he seems quietly happy that he can open the TARDIS doors by snapping his fingers. I think some of his pain from losing Rose seems to drop away at that moment. The Doctor now believes he has something happy in his future.

[@justarandomguy2424]

"I've learned to breath" new skill unlocked

[@HuntingViolets]

Breathe. ;)

[@alex_gaimar]

but how long can you hold your breath for?

[@DeepFriedSpaceChicken]

The actress who played River played a prank on David. Instead of whispering his name, she said "Shaniqua"

[@davidabercrombie5427]

Maybe The Doctor's name is Shaniqua. Could be a common name on Gallifrey 😅

[@sallyatticum]

David said they did multiple takes and each time she said something different. She whispered "naughty things" and he had a hard time keeping a straight face, which might explain his odd expression. lol

[@chadhoward6697]

I actually wrote a graduate paper on this story and got an A, all about the concepts of postmodern editing and audience expectations explored in it. It's still my single favorite story of Doctor Who ever.

[@judithstrachan9399]

Good on you! I’d love to read that paper.

[@poohslosteyes264]

You know when something is so competent, so deft, so ingenious, that it doesn't feel like someone actually came up with the ideas and wrote it down, but rather it was something completely inevitable, like it was always supposed to exist? That's these two episodes for me. A miracle of television.

[@Hanmacx]

13:36 Bro said "Google me" 😅

[@Vincornelis]

The seed of the story was the library story. Steven Moffat wanted one of the team to know the Doctor and that's where the whole idea of River Song being someone from the Doctor's future came in.

[@mattymcmatty]

More specifically, the story needed someone that the Doctor would quickly trust, so the brilliance comes from finding a way to solve that problem.

[@zetzle]

i feel so bad for donna in this, she basically has kids and then goes through their death slash erasure from the world. like just cos she knows they're "not real" doesn't mean her heart feels any less broken when they both disappear and she's left clutching their empty blankets

[@stephjovi]

Spoilers That scene always made me so sad. Since she has to forget all her adventures. I'm glad she now remembers and has a family

[@kosh6612]

On rewatch it hits so much harder when River first realizes this is the last time she will see the Doctor.

[@senpai_lol8171]

im so glad this isn't a week wait its such a good double episode xD can't wait Allons y!

[@ArabianLady]

I'm truly thrilled to follow you through this journey for some incredible Dr. Who. This ( 2 parter) episode was honestly tops for me. Alex Kingston as River made you invest the moment she appeared on screen! You just knew she had a story to tell! I loved it from the first time I watched it. I'm super excited about what is coming. That's all I will say. No " spoilers" here!❤ Thank you, Chris, for investing and caring about some of the best characters on TV. It's a blast to watch along! 😊

[@Lordoftheapes79]

When you get there, and you will know when it's time, I recommend reacting to yourself watching this episode. It's going to be awhile tho, so buckle up.

[@mixofreak]

Always makes me tear up twice. The first, as expected, and then that twist.

[@undeadjams]

random trivia i haven't seen the in comments; Talulah Riley, who played Miss Evangelista, married Elon Musk for a brief period (we all make mistakes) but she's now with Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Tim Latimer in Series 3's Human Nature/Family of Blood)

[@judithstrachan9399]

Thanks. Musk was mentioned last video, but I didn’t know about Thomas.

[@CrankyGrandma]

Learning to breathe is an important life skill 😄. And do NOT google River Song. Under any circumstances. I was crying at the end with you, just watching the reaction. This is such an amazing story

[@angelinaduvallcameron]

This two parter always destroys me now. I love River Song so much. Not every reactor gets emotional or even understands the gravity of how much the doctor even feels after. I’m so glad you did.

[@incredulousdisbelief9841]

Like I said yesterday for part 1, these are arguably two of the greatest episodes of tv ever. When I watched it live years ago I remember sitting in stunned silence for a while after. The secret of the library revealed, how Dr Moon being true to his purpose the entire time, the last second effort to "save" River with the crew... just a blue whale of emotion runs through when watching it unfold again. This episode has lost none of its potency with time.

[@StarkRG]

The story in these two episodes is one of the best Dr Who stories, the Vashta Nerada are one of the scariest Dr Who monsters, but Alex Kingston as River Song eclipses it all.

[@senpai_lol8171]

The part when the doctor says she said his name, and how emotional he got there the instant thought of many was that it was his wife etc which i also thought at the time but I also felt like the only time he could say his real name was to another time lord so i was super like hyped to learn more and can't wait for when or if river finally comes back (:

[@zvimur]

I still think this is "Arrival" situation. Doctor will tell River his name if he believes himself to be absolutely dying, if only just to preserve causality.... Spoilers.

[@judithstrachan9399]

I always thought, right from here, that he’d only tell his name either at his wedding or at his non-regeneratable death. And since death can come without warning, I leaned towards his wedding. And started hoping.

[@johncheshirsky8822]

DW is such an amazing show, so much so that just saying "Spoilers!" is, in a way, kind of a spoiler... 😅 But we can finally do it now, Chris is in on the joke/reference! 😄

[@ZondaFRoadster]

As happy as it is to see those 4022 people restored, there is still a bitterness to it. They've been stuck in the computer for 100 years. Everyone they ever knew or loved is probably dead.

[@hgwells1899]

Maybe the seed of this story was that one time they put the Doctor on trial in Classic Who and they called a witness he hadn't met yet. But she knew him because she was a companion from his future so she spoke on his behalf. Her name was Mel and funnily enough she had red hair too. The other origin (unconfirmed) is the one question I would ask Steven Moffat about this story if I could. River's name seems poetic and loaded with all kinds of meaning but did he take it from this old record by Van Morrison: 'I can hear her heart beat from a thousand miles And the heavens open every time she smiles And when I come to her that's where I belong Yet I'm runnin' to her like a river's song She gimme love, love, love, love, Crazy love She got a fine sense of humour when I'm feelin' low down And when I come to her when the sun goes down Take away my trouble, take away my grief Take away my heartache in the night like a thief She gimme love, love, love, love, Crazy love'

[@Tiggermk4]

Thank you for your fun (and very touching) reaction. And whatever you do, dont google River, the internet is full of…”spoilers”. All i’ll say is, ….. River and the Doctor. Time and space. You watch them run.

[@robertcartier5088]

If you make a list of the very best of new-Who, most of the episodes would be his... So whatever we might think of Stephen Moffat as a showrunner, as a writer he is always competent, and occasionally brilliant! ;-]

[@WolfHreda]

Steven Moffat doesn't always hit his mark, but when he does, he hits it perfectly.

[@shortyshawty]

He's less consistent than RTD but he's gotta higher highs. His ceiling is in the fucking stratosphere.

[@carolineskipper6976]

Even after all the years since this first aired, River's speech about not rewriting time still had me in tears! So many spoilers now waiting to trip you up......I hope you get away with it until you reach the right moment to find at least some answers.

[@ghostsurfer23]

Steven Moffat eventually becomes the showrunner for Doctor Who. Is he a flawless writer? No. Is there someone who deserved to be showrunner more than him, at least at this point in the show? Absolutely bloody not. "Don't play games with me! You just killed someone I like, that is not a safe place to stand! I'm the Doctor, and you're in the biggest library in the Universe. Look me up." "Not those times. Not one line. Don't you dare." "Because I'm alright too." Banger after banger of quotes. Every single episode he writes prior to becoming showrunner are some of the absolute best that the show has to offer.

[@jennaking710]

I think this is a horror episode. The library has been sealed for over 100 years and over 4,000 people were "saved". So that means over 4,000 families lived and died not knowing what happened to their loved ones and over 4,000 people are now back in a world where everyone they knew outside the library is dead and technology has moved on from what they understood. If Torchwood taught us anything waking up in one century and then going to sleep in another is pretty traumatic.

[@ignacioblasco7971]

Steven Moffat says he bases on a book called The Time Travelers Wife. Which, by the way, he did a series about it, but second season was cancelled

[@Tejiknasten]

Thanks for a brilliant reaction to a fantastic story. Doctor Who at its peak 🫶

[@tinyguy9398]

I know you already watched it so not technically a spoiler, but hope you had chamomile instead of coffee with 4x10. Because if 4x8 / 4x9 had you palpitating can’t imagine your heart surviving 4x10. Cannot wait to see your reaction to that one!!!

[@KaneoHakune]

The beginning of the best episodes to ever come. River Song runs on canon.

[@FionaLovecraft]

Oh gosh this was only oh ... 2 months ago, well still you have _THE BEST_ run of dr who episodes of ALL TIME coming up for past you, it's seriously some of the strongest, best and most solid writing ever.

[@1pknail]

Yeah, definitely DON'T Google River Song.

[@Tau_Zyrillion]

Yeah this two-parter is probably my favourite story in the whole show. It really plays out like a movie in the way it's presented. It goes without saying I've been eagerly waiting for you to finally get to it to see your reaction, and I'm glad you enjoyed it as much as I do. I've often revisited specific scenes because they're just that good. And I love the shot of the Doctor standing in front of the TARDIS clicking his fingers - it's so iconic and is beautifully framed. Of course no spoilers but there is another episode later on this season which I really love as well, with some truly brilliant acting by Catherine Tate. As others have mentioned you've got a lot more good stuff to look forward to! Lastly, I also picked up on some subtle foreshadowing in something Doctor Moon said that I never noticed before. I won't tell you what I'm referring to but let's just say that Steven Moffat clearly knew what he was doing.

[@destro6971]

For the love of all Things, do not google River Song. Most spoilers of probably any other character in the Whoniverse

[@fday1964]

I had forgotten about this two parter....it was great to see your reaction as it brought back my thoughts and emotions as the story unfolded. You're in store for many other intense and emotional episodes.

[@alextrill1746]

"She got Piccasso'd!" - ahahaha, what an awesome way to describe that!

[@shadaxe]

Come back in a few years and re-watch this. It will be so much more devastating.

[@paigelogan7600]

I would avoid the comments on this video for a while lol. Spoilers! Save yourself and skip the comments

[@storageheater]

but if he avoids the comments how will he know to look forward to people definitely saying nothing but look out for river song again, not confirming she's coming back or anything but you'll want to see this again, you'll know when it's time...

[@kathleenobrien3473]

I envy you Chris, you get to experience this for the first time and I am so tempted to answer all of your questions but as River Song would say Spoilers

[@GrumpyOldGuyPlaysGames]

Colin Salmon, the actor who played Doctor Moon, was nearly cast as the Doctor but lost the role to David Tennant. He's been in the running in every subsequent Doctor change since.

[@ArabianLady]

Yay! I'm so excited to see you complete this episode. 💓 🎉

[@neilmcdonald9164]

Brmg back 2-part stories (more complex ls abd greater character development)🎩

[@neilmcdonald9164]

Bring not brmg.🎩

[@judithstrachan9399]

@@neilmcdonald9164we heard what he meant, not what he said.

[@JustB3NJI]

Not so major spoiler...We actually found out his name in the classic series, but it was so pants everyone retconned it.

[@edwardhilton4344]

So, River Song is… Haha I bet you came looking for answers, but you fell victim to one of the classic blunders! SPOILERS!!!

[@judithstrachan9399]

Dead from the start. My favourite “companion”. The Doctor’s perfect complement after one meeting.

[@jthomann71]

You're such a kind soul and you have so many tears coming up in both DW and Torchwood, in the words of the 10th Doctor, I am so so sorry.

[@houseofsledge6891]

This two-parter is among the greatest stories ever told in Doctor Who. I cry every time I rewatch it. I loved your reactions. I was looking forward to this so much when u started this journey. "Shw gor Picasso'd" was an HYSTERICAL comment. So good. Thank u for what u do here. Liked and shared.

[@scottjohnson3112]

And how many times have you counted your shadows walking around the house

[@stephensheridan1279]

What did River whisper in the Doctor’s ear you ask? SHANIQUA! 😏🤭🤣😂

[@langdonledwig3734]

I am pretty sure the showrunner confirmed that River Song whispered to the Doctor his real name

[@judithstrachan9399]

River did. Not Alex. I’m not sure she knows it, either, although if anyone does she would.

[@flaggerify]

@@judithstrachan9399Where did he say Alex?

[@judithstrachan9399]

@@flaggerify I thought he did. Either it’s been edited (without showing it!) or I replied to the wrong comment, which is certainly possible.

[@Corlwow]

Top 10 episode… there are more to come…

[@TheMess9898]

SPOILERS. DO NOT GOOGLE RIVER SONG.

[@phtevenj]

Sometimes the Doctor can be scary.... its amazing

[@muppeteer]

He's dead Dave they're all dead Dave....A show for another day perhaps...damn you British Sci Fi lol

[@judithstrachan9399]

But here it’s Dave that’s dead.

[@muppeteer]

@@judithstrachan9399 Yes he is the Dave that is dead in he's 'dead Dave' (in this instance)

[@judithstrachan9399]

@@muppeteer Ah. Now I see what you did there. Sorry, bit slow.

[@muppeteer]

@@judithstrachan9399 No worries, I usually confuse...it's my curse and my pleasure :) lol

[@joestacey6185]

Doctor Who teaches you breathing.

[@CheesyukHB]

One of the best two parters 💯 fantastic episodes 💯👍👍lmao “SPOILERS” 😂😂

[@carlazaz1690]

"Best episode ever" OK, Dawn Marie.

[@tenchraven]

The stuff that Moffat got excited over in this was all telegraphed early on in the first half. Dr Moon, of course if you build a computer big enough that it is a planet, you're going to be it's security and maintence routines in a companion one the size of a moon. And you don't need that much for just data, you're running more than that. And of course, if you're going to humanize and make mortal the Doctor by giving him a human wife that even he hasn't met, of course she has to die. Because "oh my aching heart" is cheap.

[@penguinsrcool3871]

Yay!!! I'm so glad you loved this two-parter. It's definitely one of my favorites, too. 😊

[@TreantmonksTemple]

I had forgotten how much I enjoyed this 2 parter.

[@kay-jay1581]

Yes thank you for uploading this today.

[@nickmustay]

Perfect that the episode ends with someone actually turning out the lights

[@shodan1451]

Cause all libraries need a self-destruct. I mean its a great episode, but that bit could have used a little more writing power to find a reason to rush the plot then a self-destruct.

[@storageheater]

I saw my old hometown's library got converted into a Salvation Army charity shop and honestly I'm sold on the idea of the self destructing button as standard librarian fare. I'd say the ending could've used a little more writing power too because it's really hard to not see horrible implications of this weird tiny afterlife of fake kids and people she's barely worked with, but I can't really see a way they could fix it. I don't begrudge them having a cheesy bittersweet uplifting ending but it's gilding the lily a bit given that it had ended pretty gracefully already.

[@shodan1451]

@@storageheater The fake kids wouldnt happen because the world was no longer 'full' of the saved people. they basically had access to a holodeck of the entirety of history and fiction to live in at that point. maybe not perfect, but its certainly heaven like......as long as that library had a porn section.....

[@TheKonkaman]

Holy shit this had me balling me eyes out, it hits different now

[@channyh.221B]

10:36 Narrator: "... and here we have a Doctor opening the Tardis a dozen of times."

[@space1999]

No one can really say anything without spoilers lol!!! Just keep watching....

[@pscar1]

If you liked Alex Kingston, I highly recommend you check out Moll Flanders. She was a brilliant Moll.

[@solitarymaninblack]

You might like Moll Flanders. It is naughtier than Bridgerton. A very young Alex Kingston in the show.

[@kcha237]

River Song, the brilliant galaxy-traversing adventurer, condemned for eternity to a hellish digital prison forced to be a mundane housewife to a bunch of fake children and with only 4 strangers she really only just met a few days ago as friends. Honestly, i've always thought this ending was pretty bleak

[@HuntingViolets]

This may be in the comments somewhere, but I didn't find it. Talullah Riley, who plays Miss Evangelista, used to be married to Elon Musk (yikes), and is now married to Thomas Brodie-Sangster (the kid who took the watch in "Human Nature"/"The Family of Blood").

[@thelivingbarfpoo2363]

DON'T GOOGLE RIVER MATE!!!!!!! YOU'LL FUCK UP ALOT OF THINGS TO COME

[@tkfaf15]

I do love coming back to these episodes often & sometimes there are new things to see no matter how many times you've watched it before.

[@chynne33]

This was the very first Dr. Who episode I ever saw. I was just flipping through the channels, landed on BBC America and thought "oh look, it's Barty Crouch jr!" Been a big fan ever since. I don't want to spoil anything, but River became my fave character out of the whole series (so far). You're in for a wild ride.

[@tatewakinew]

As River says herself regularly - spoilers... And a non-spoiler fun fact about Ms. Evangelista - her actress is far from dumb, she was learning for degree in natural sciences around the same time; didn't finish due to getting married to Elon Musk and moving to US - and went again to getting a degree after divorce.

[@judithstrachan9399]

I enjoyed so much watching your reactions, especially to Dr Moon, mirror mine so perfectly. Good guy, or is he? Bad guy? You even used the term “gaslighting”! So did I.

[@little-wytch]

Don't worry, no spoilers from me. I'm just going to say that you asked a lot of questions, and the answer to at least one of them is "yes" but I'm not telling you which question lol. 😛

[@TheMess9898]

Steven Moffat is the best Doctor Who writer EVER. No discussion.

[@docksider]

The hospital is Dyffryn House in the Vale of Glamorgan, from a different angle it and the grounds were used as the palace of Versailles in the Girl in the Fireplace.

[@geetee4459]

Be careful when you say 'my favourite episode ever' cos you have four amazing episodes coming up. And then future stories...

[@HerHollyness]

By this point, Steven Moffat knew he was going to be the next showrunner, so he knew he could safely introduce a character like River because he would be able to bring her back eventually. She's literally the best - if you love her now, just wait for what's to come!

[@UserName-vb4lg]

“You and me, time and space, you watch us run…” LFG!!!!!!

[@susanlawens3776]

I literally can't say anything, it's all spoilers, anything I could say. Unless I try really hard, and then whatever I type will just be way confusing.

[@The-Cosmic-Hobo]

Girl in the Fireplace, and Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead are 2 of the best David Tennant stories, if not best of the new era. (Ok - Top 5, cos there's some amazing episodes yet to come.) The combination of Steven Moffatt, with RTD presumably having some oversight over his work, was brilliant. I only knew Alex K from ER, and whilst I liked her in that series, it felt strange having her pop up here. She certainly sold herself to me during this story as an amazing actress, because you really do believe her.

[@livingandthriving]

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Steven Moffat is an evil, evil genius. This story is brilliant, beautiful, and emotionally devastating. Not everyone can pull that off.

[@TheDanEdwards]

Since we know you've read the Bible before, and given The Doctor is most definitely a kind of secular Savior, if you're concerned with _the name_ then I think understanding the role of names in the existential explorations in various OT and NT stories may pay dividends. Pay attention to Revelation chapter 2 verse 17.

[@JAYWALKER1000]

Moffat is a master of screwed up relationships. He did a previous somewhat-autobiographical comedy (think Seinfeld) about relationships called Coupling that's really wild. Spoilers is a key word. So I'll just leave you up in the air like we were. When Tennant left the series so did Russel T. Davies - would the new showrunner continue this storyline or leave it alone.