Forest of the Dead

********Spoiler Warning********

After a week of anticipation of this episode I found I was disappointed as it seemed that the story was all resolved a bit too easily for my liking. This, being the second part of a two-parter which began last week, was obviously going to resolve the story. We were left with more questions to be answered, but most of last weeks questions were dealt with and I found myself wishing that they had taken more time, maybe making it a 3-parter.
We found out what happened to Donna. We found out who Dr Moon was. We found out what CAL stood for. We found out why the Doctor gave (will give) River Song her sonic screwdriver. Thanks to Steven Moffat in Confidential, we know where River Song gained her squareness gun. And, at last, both Steven Moffat and Russell T Davis admitted that the sonic screwdriver and psychic paper are "cheats" to get the story moving along quicker, "get out of jail free" cards. Both are grossly overused, especially this series, if you ask me (which nobody did).
We were tempted with the knowledge that River Song knows the Doctor's real name. And given cause to speculate under what circumstance the Doctor would have revealed that to someone (there is only one reason, according to him! Could it be marriage?) We still do not know where Donna is, in the time that River knows the Doctor. We are not even sure if the Doctor is in the same regeneration when he meets her. And, more importantly if the Doctor does get married, which of his many companions will get to be the best "man" and who will be bridesmaids? AND, will River wear the same dress that Donna has now worn twice (yes it was the same dress in this episode as in Runaway Bride!).
But, what intrigues me most is, what is the significance of the pink feather on the camera shown in Confidential? Is it another Spoiler?
I don't think I can ever recall a Dr Who baddie just giving up at the end of a story. The Vashta Nerada are a swarm race with little intellect and emotion, so why would they agree to let the humans leave the Library removing their only source of sustenance? That was a big gaping hole in the resolution to this story for me. So improbable, especially as the Doctor had no way of defeating them to threaten them with. So, I'm thinking, maybe that isn't where they left it. Maybe they come back later in the series. I think I recall a trailer with someone (Rose?) warning that the "darkness is coming!" Have the Vashta Nerada stowed away on the TARDIS? Are the Doctor and Donna still counting their shadows? See, I told you there were more questions!
With this episode I was also disappointed at the fate of River, her mind being "stored" in the computer for eternity in a muted analogy to heaven with (almost) everyone dressed in white, and found myself thinking back to Astrid's fate in Voyage of the Damned at Christmas. There must be a way to bring both of these characters back (I'm not greedy, I'll settle for them being in different series'!). How dare the creators of Dr Who write two such brilliant characters, for two great actresses and then leave us wanting so much more.

There was plenty of the usual humour in this episode and, was it my imagination, or was the music, as they first descended down on the gravity platform, meant to sound like the Batman music? I remember he used to descend to his Bat Cave in a similar fashion (well, sliding down a pole is sort of similar to a gravity platform given the difference in time and technology!).Jason Pitt, as Donna's "perfect" husband, was a bit of all-right! Apparently he is also in River City (which I've never seen). And, unknown to her, he really does exist and remembers her too. I wonder if she will ever see him again.

Last weeks episode could be summed up by "Wow!"

This weeks more by "Oh!?", but to be fair, it would have been hard to top lat week whatever happened.