Doctor Who: Ranking the top 10 David Tennant episodes

2. “Silence in the Library”/”Forest of the Dead” Season 4, Episodes 8 & 9

River Song (Alex Kingston) is a staple in the Doctor Who universe, and it’s in the season 4 spanning “Silence in the Library” and “Forest of the Dead” that we meet this enigmatic character for the very first time.

David Tennant’s Tenth Doctor believes he is meeting River for the very first time, as well, but in reality, their relationship began long ago. All you need do is look at her face and you realize that their connection is much deeper and more complicated than the Tenth Doctor realizes.

I love how Tennant portrays the Doctor’s confusion over this chance encounter. His face is incredibly dynamic, always letting the audience know exactly what the Doctor is thinking even before any words are spoken.

Anyway, this arc begins in a creepy, quiet library that was already spooky before Donna and the Doctor have to face off with some kind of evil shadow. And in Part 2, we go from strange to shocking when we see the death of River Song.

River would be a huge part of the Doctor Who seasons to follow, so it’s bizarre to think that she dies in her very first appearance. It does, however, make this two-parter extremely re-watchable, both to marvel at the writers’ foresight and to enjoy the palpable chemistry between Tennant and Kingston.