Doctor Who: Silence In The Library

After a break last week, because of the unbearable crapfest that is Eurovision, Doctor Who returns with a new two-part story, written by fan favourite Steven Moffat, the man who wrote Season 1's The Empty Child, Season 2's Girl In The Fireplace, and Season 3's Blink, and who will be taking over from Russell T Davies as showrunner after the specials season of 2009.

He has a lot to live up to, expectations have been running high for this two-part episode. The preview for it didn't exactly make me excited, it looked a little bit lame. But I had faith that there would be at least some magic to it.

And there was! It's about a creepy alien presence that lives in the shadows - indeed are the shadows - of a huge library planet. But that's just a plot device, a McGuffin if you like. The real story seems to be Click for spoilers

with a little girl who is apparently imagining the entire library in the first place. And then there's an Archaeologist who appears to know the Doctor from past meetings, but he doesn't know her. Something of a time paradox, that if not addressed in next week's conclusion, may become a part of the specials in 2009.

It was a signature episode. Exciting and fun, but with very inventive ideas, some compelling mysteries, and convoluted character relationships, along with some traditionally Moffett-like scares. I don't seem to get affected by the scares, unlike some audience members, but I think the idea is to get under the skin of kids - the behind-the-sofa syndrome - and this will probably manage that just fine.