10 Greatest Modern Doctor Who Episodes

Shock horror... Ellie put a River Song episode in the top five!

Series 4 is full of brilliant episodes, and its second half is among the most consistently high-quality streaks in the modern era. But even with so much competition, Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead stand out.

Doctor Who villains are at their scariest when they take something familiar and give it a horrifying spin. The Vashta Nerada are the best example of this we've seen to date, taking that fear of the dark and adding fuel to that fear by introducing a shadow monster that eats you alive! Thanks Moffat.

Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead also introduces the mysterious River Song, and you're damn right that she's a big reason why this story is so great! It was fascinating to meet a character who knew so much about the Doctor, without him having any clue who they were. It made the Doctor as confused as the rest of us, and yet, there were also moments of genuine tenderness between the two characters that alluded to a deeper connection than either he or we understood.

The relationship between River and the Doctor was played so well that we joined in his heartbreak and pain when she (Spoilers!) died at the end of the story. Little did we know that this was only the beginning of this complicated character's journey!