Forest of the Dead (TV story)

"Spoilers"

- River Song

Synopsis
As the shadows rise and march, the Doctor forges an alliance with the mysterious River Song, as Russell T Davies's Bafta Award-winning time-travelling drama continues. 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
 * Martha Jones - Freema Agyeman
 * 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 is named Forest of the Dead because Donna meets the Grim Reaper on youtube pics of Donna talking to a hooded figure.
 * 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 or even the TARDIS.
 * Other rumours state that River Song is a future companion of the Doctor who the audience have not met until this two-parter. This is not a rumour since River herself says she travels with the Doctor further in his personal time line.
 * While not a rumour, it can be assumed River Song became a companion during the Tenth Doctor's tenure, since she recognised that incarnation of the Doctor as well as having knowledge of Donna and her own Sonic Screwdriver. She also has a Sonic Blaster, indicating she may have met Jack Harkness (Or that the Sonic Blaster factory has not yet been destroyed by the Ninth Doctor during Forest of the Dead's setting date - 51st Century)
 * 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. It is also possible that River Song lets it slip.
 * 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 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 possibly the Time Vortex), however his destination is unknown.
 * 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 cliff hanger (This creates a 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 archeologist's ship leaves, a shadow is seen moving along its wing; signifying the Nerada's escape from the library for use in later episodes.Unneeded 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 no main characters in Doctor Who have ever been killed on screen (besides the Master), since it's intended as a children's program (The New Series, not the Classic, since the Classic was aimed at an older audience). (Minor characters have been killed on screen, though; however, such characters are commonly ones viewers expect to die)
 * River Song may become the Doctors companion, or be associated with him in some way as she will become someone he trusts "greatly". Not a rumour. River Song already becomes the Doctor's companion according to the previous episode, Silence in the Library.
 * 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!"
 * 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".

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.