10 Best Cliffhangers Of Modern Doctor Who
10. Silence In The Library
An episode that gets better with time, especially as it is the end/beginning of the River Song storyline. The episode finds the Doctor trying to assist travellers from Earth, including his future lover River Song, who have found themselves trapped in a Library where an alien threat, the Vashta Nerada, is devouring them one by one.
The Doctor attempts to protect companion Donna from the imminent threat by transporting her back to the TARDIS, which is where events appear to go dire. As the Vashta Nerada continue to eat River Song's associates, the Doctor and the remaining survivors find themselves surrounded by shadows that indicates their likely demise. Of equal concern to the Doctor, the Tardis doesn't recognise Donna being on board.
The revelation that Donna's face has been transported on to an information desk reserved for the faces of the dead sends a shudder through the Doctor and the audience. Adding extra heartbreak to the situation is that Donna had clearly stated how awful an idea having her face on the information desk would be. The situation is equal heartbreaking and seemingly irredeemable, which both work brilliantly for the cliffhanger.
The resolution of this is solved in an overly convoluted manner befitting a Stephen Moffat story, with Donna being saved to a living hard drive rather than being killed. But credit where credits due, the cliffhanger Moffat delivered here was first rate.