4. Silence In The Library
The Doctor and Donna visit a library planet only to find it deserted. It's monitored by a security system that we later find out is seemingly a little girl living in the 21st century. The security system tells them that the library has been breached and that others are coming. In walk a team in space suits, headed by archaeologist River Song; they have come to find out why the library went silent 100 years before. Rivers seems to know the Doctor, but he doesn't know her. She tells him she was the one who sent him the message on psychic paper that brought him to the library. She also has a diary with a cover resembling the TARDIS. The Doctor has ascertained that the threat to them is a race called the Vashta Nerada which are known as the piranhas of the air. They can devour the flesh of anyone in a matter of seconds. The Doctor is frightened and wants to get them out of there, but they are trapped. The Vashta Nerada live in the shadows and all the lights have been turned off. The Vashta Nerada have now killed Ms. Evangelista and Dave. They have taken over Dave's suit and are pursuing the rest of the team. The Doctor tries to transport Donna to safety, but unbeknownst to him she is intercepted by the little girl and "saved." This story introduced River Song and their complicated, wibbly wobbly timey wimey relationship which carries over to the Eleventh Doctor. It's ingenious and shows what a great story teller Moffat is. Many hate him as a show runner and there are times when I curse him (MOFFAT!), but I find it difficult to find fault with his stories. They are usually the ones that I watch over and over again.