That was fantastic!

I loved Mark's character, he got to not be a slimy slick sleazeball for once. Loved his awe over the Tardis and his eventual, casual, "Nice wheels".

Okay, that was awesome, holy crap, what the living hell is going on. The Silence are as frickin' scary as purported. I love how they took the standard grey-man alien design and tweaked it into something sort of Ood-like and much freakier. And how the hell can you defeat an enemy that you don't even remember exists.

And on that note: watch The Lodger again. Not only is the machine they find in Florida the same one that was creating the perception filter on the imaginary second floor, but in the middle of the episode (21:51), Amy is startled by something she sees in the TARDIS. She says, "Hey!" And as soon as she looks away, she shakes her head in much the same way she did in this episode. At the time, it looked like she was looking at something on the screen.

She was seeing the Silence.

Apparently there are several moments just like this scattered throughout Season Five. Moffat was seeding the Silence in all along.

Not sure what's spoiler and what's not, but better safe than sorry.

Moffat was seeding the Silence in all along.

That evil bitch.

The Silence

I'm not scared easily. I love horror movies. But this? I was terrified. I literally felt the chill in the back of my head. I turned on the lights in my room 15 minutes into the episode. Allow me to repeat myself: Moffat, that evil bitch. I'm glad he's back doing what he's good at.

On the plus side: P-C's review that paid attention to details. And Mark Shepherd's voice. Just keep talkin', baby. Yeah, right there.

how the hell can you defeat an enemy that you don't even remember exists.

I loved that Pond's reaction was to take a picture of it as evidence and try and remember it. That's agency, baby. And there's so much to analyze there. I'm thinking politics, I'm thinking sociology, but right now? I'm thinking I'll let the other part air. So many speculations. And let it be said again: Moffat, you evil bitch. You catch the Zeitgeist, and write it metaphorically so. fucking. well.

I don't think what River said about them having the relationship in reverse order is literally true, otherwise there would be no point to the journals: there would be no overlap in their experiences.

Although the later Doctor actually having so much more experiential overlap was so...heartbreaking in retrospect.

I'm with DebetEsse. Though, the journals could be a smoke screen and a memory lane trip on her side.

Also, we've seen that "worse day", didn't we? The library episodes?

Aha, just realized that DW actually aired in America last night. Thassawhy no spoilerfonts!

I didn't know, don't get BBCAmerica.

God, the colours were just gorgeous, and all the characters were on fire, and Mark Sheppard is a sexy sexy beast (and hitting on the Doctor!), and everything was epic and scary and heartwrenching, and please let Mark have more screentime in part 2!

Shir, yes, we did. We haven't seen what got her put in jail, though.

I don't think what River said about them having the relationship in reverse order is literally true, otherwise there would be no point to the journals: there would be no overlap in their experiences.

Yeah, it's not like there's some cosmic force making it happen; that's just the way it seems to be working out. It's like, if you go to a lot of concerts and keep seeing the same person at them. You might say, "Hey! We always go to the same concerts!" It doesn't mean you believe it's Destined To Always Be So. (unless the other person is really cute)

Also, my current theory: The astronaut who kills the older Doctor is a much younger Song.

I don't think what River said about them having the relationship in reverse order is literally true, otherwise there would be no point to the journals: there would be no overlap in their experiences.

I got the impression that while things generally trend that way, it may not be strictly chronological on the micro scale.