4 - The Silence: The Impossible Astronaut & Day of the Moon Doctor Who: Greatest Monsters & Villains

Hi guys, I'm Joel. Welcome back to our penultimate episode of the night

in this countdown of Doctor Who's greatest Monsters and Villains, as

voted for by you. To be honest, I'm surprised the next monster in this

countdown is here in fourth position. Apparently, most people

find them quite forgettable. Ah yes, it is of course... The um, the um,

what is it? Just kidding. It is, of course, the snappy dressing,

big-headed, fat-fingered, the um, I've forgotten it again. The

Silence. Who's that? Who's who? Sorry, what? If I'm honest, these

are one of the most terrifying looking and creepiest Doctor Who

creations in this countdown. Ever since the 11th Doctor first appeared

on our screens, The Silence have been teased as something of great

importance and intrinsically tied in with the destiny of the Doctor and

universe. We ran from The Silence. The Silence will fall. Listen to

that. All I can hear is silence. And so in memory of the children lost to

The Silence... Absolute silence. The universe is cracked. Silence will

fall. Silence, doctor. Whatever it is, it is still out there. Excuse me

a moment. Hello? Hey Doctor, it's me, Joel. I'm on BBC Three right now

about to explain what I know about them. Tune in. Love you too. Bye.

Right, there's not a lot we know about the Silence. Or maybe there is

and we have just forgotten it all. But here are the things we know for

sure. So stay with me on this. Right. The Silence are a religious

order of aliens who, as far as we know, have been on Earth

manipulating the course of history since before the wheel. They have

three main powers of note. Firstly, they have the power of post-hypnotic

suggestion. They planted the idea in your head. You could be doing stuff

and not knowing why you are doing. Like post-hop nottic suggestion.

Thanks, Rory, that's what I just said. Secondly, they can absorb

electricity like a parasite and use it as a weapon. And thirdly, the

ability to make themselves instantly forgettable when no longer seen. Big

deal, I say. X-Factor winners have been doing that for years. Leon

Jackson, I believe in you. All clear. Nothing down there I can

see. So, coming up we have the Silence's long awaited first ever

appearance, at least that I can remember, after being teased a full

14 episodes previously by Prisoner Zero in The 11th Hour". This is part

of a double hitter where we see the real story of The Moon landing, the

Doctor in a dashing stetson, and the true meaning of silent but violent.

This is The Silence in the first of a double bill. This is?The

Impossible Astronaut. Doctor who?

MUFFLED SNEEZE You know,

this isn't nearly as bad it looks. "At the personal intervention of

the King, the unnamed doctor "was incarcerated without trial

in the Tower Of London." "bearing the mysterious

doctor aloft." I think the answer's

probably yes. Are you watching this again?

I've explained the jokes. DOORBELL RINGS

So what are you saying? It's the sort of thing he'd do.

Thanks. Yeah, but why?

He said he'd be in touch. Two months ago.

Two months is nothing. He's up to something,

I know he is, I know him. ALARM WAILS

You'd better get down here, sir. Says she's going to some

planet called...America. Pond One and Pond Two!

Hello, Ponds, come here! So someone's been

a busy boy then, eh? Hey, nice hat. I wear

a Stetson now, Stetsons are cool. Right then, where are we?

Have we done Easter Island yet? Yes, I've got Easter Island!

They worshipped you there! Have you seen the statues?

Jim The Fish. They're syncing their diaries.

So what's happening, then? I've been running...

faster than I've ever run, And tonight I'm going to

need you all with me. Somewhere different,

somewhere brand-new. Salut! So when are we going to 1969?

And since when do you drink wine? I'm 1,103 -

I must have drunk it some time. Oh, wine's horrid! I thought it

would taste more like the gums. 1,103? You were 908

the last time we saw you. You've put on a couple of pounds.

I wasn't going to mention it. Sorry, what? What did you see?

You said you saw someone. Of course, you lot did more

than look, didn't you? Big silvery thing in the sky,

you couldn't resist it. Oh, a lot more happens in '69

than anyone remembers. I thought I'd never

get done saving you. Whatever happens now,

you do not interfere. That's an Apollo astronaut

in the lake. Look. GUNSHOT

Doctor! River, he can't be dead.

This is impossible. Whatever that was, it killed him in

the middle of his regeneration cycle. Maybe he's a clone

or a duplicate or something. who'd rip this world apart

for just one cell. Wake up! Go on, wake up,

you stupid bloody idiot! We do what the Doctor's friends

always do. If we're going to do this...

let's do it properly. You got three, I was two,

Mr Delaware was four. Well, he must have. He planned

all of this to the last detail. He was up to something. He's dead.

Space 1969, what did he mean? You're still talking,

but it doesn't matter. Hey, it mattered to him.

So it matters to us. Excuse me, who was

sitting over there? Some guy. The Doctor knew he was going to

his death, so he sent out messages. When you know it's the end,

who do you call? Your friends, people you trust.

Number one. I just popped out

to get my special straw. Of course I'm OK, I'm always OK,

I'm the king of OK. Oh, that's a rubbish title,

forget that title. Rory the Roman,

that's a good title. Hello, Rory! Oh, you bad, bad girl, what trouble

have you got for me this time? I'm assuming that's for something

I haven't done yet. Yes, it is.

Good, looking forward to it. River, what's going on?

Amy, ask him what age he is. That's a bit personal.

Tell her what age you are. Have we done Jim The Fish yet?

Who's Jim The Fish? We've been recruited.

Something to do with space, 1969, and a man called

Canton Everett Delaware III. Someone who trusts you more than

anybody else in the universe. Now then, Canton Everett Delaware

III, that was his name, yeah? How many of those can there be?

Well, three, I suppose. Rory, is everybody cross with me

for some reason? Explain it again. The Doctor we saw

on the beach was a future version, 200 years older than

the one up there. We're not all going to arrange

our own wake and invite ourselves. So the Doctor in the future,

knowing he's going to die, recruits his younger self

and all of us to...to what exactly? Avenge him? Mm-mm,

avenging's not his style. Save him.

That's not his style either. We have to tell him.

We've told him all we can. We can't even tell him

we've seen his future self. He's interacted with his own past.

It could rip a hole in the universe. In fairness,

the universe did blow up. But he'd want to know.

Would he? Would anyone? The Doctor's death doesn't

frighten me, nor does my own. There's a far worse

day coming for me. Time isn't a straight line,

it's all bumpy-wumpy. Washington DC, April 8th, 1969.

So why haven't we landed? Because that's not

where we're going. Where are we going?

Home! Well, you two are. Off you pop and make babies.

Dr Song, back to prison. Me, I'm late for a biplane lesson

in 1911, or it could be knitting. Knitting or biplanes,

one or the other. A mysterious summons?

You think I'm just going to go? Don't ever, ever think

you're capable of that. You're going to have to trust

us this time. Trust you? Sure. But first of all, Dr Song,

just one thing... You're someone from my future,

getting that, but who? Why are you in prison?

Who did you kill? Hmm? You have to do this,

and you can't ask why. Are you being threatened?

Is someone making you say that? Swear to me. Swear to me

on something that matters. My life in your hands,

Amelia Pond. Maybe you want to tell that to

the President of the United States. I understand you have a problem

with authority. Thank you. I need someone on the outside,

someone with FBI training, I'm flattered. You were my second

choice for this, Mr Delaware. That's OK. You were my second

choice for President, Mr Nixon. 'Richard Milhous Nixon.

Vietnam, Watergate,' there's some good stuff too.

Not enough. I get a phone call. People can't

just call you, Mr President. Every day for the last two weeks,

usually late at night. OK, since I don't know what

I'm getting into, I'm being discreet,

putting the engines on silent. Putting the outer shell

on invisible. Haven't done this in a while,

big drain on the power. Now, I can't check the scanner,

it doesn't work when we're cloaked. Whoa, who, whoa, whoa,

you lot, wait a moment. 'This is President Nixon.

Who's calling? How can you be sure?

'What space man? 'Where are you phoning from, where

are you right now? Who are you? Surely this is something

the Bureau could handle, sir? How do I know the Bureau isn't

involved? I can't trust any... Oblong Room. I'll, I'll, I'll, I'll,

I'll, just be off then, shall I? No, stop that! He said the scanner

wouldn't work. I know. Bless! Not that! Ow! River,

have you got my scanner working yet? Oh, I hate him! No, you don't.

Get the President out of here! Sir, you have to go with them now!

River, make her blue again! Never mind, the answer's yes.

I'll take the case! parked a big blue box on the rug.

You think you can just shoot me? Very much not in need of getting

shot. Look, we've got our hands up. Who the hell are you?

Sir, you need to stay back. But who, but who are they?

What is that box? I'm your new undercover agent,

on loan from Scotland Yard. Boring question. Who's phoning you,

that's interesting. Cos Canton Three is right, that

was definitely a girl's voice. There's only one place in America

she can be phoning from. Where? it's simple enough.

I'll explain. How'd you get it in here?

I mean, you didn't carry it. Five. Mr President, that man

is a clear and present danger. Mr President, that man walked in here

with a big blue box and three of his friends

and that's the man he walked past. What say we give him five minutes,

see if he delivers. Thanks, Canton! a pot of coffee,

12 jammy dodgers and a fez. She mentioned a space man. NASA's

where the space men live. Also... Space Man?

Like the one we saw at the lake. Yeah, no, I'm fine,

I'm just...feeling a little sick. Excuse me, is there a

toilet, or something? Sorry, ma'am, during this procedure,

you must remain here. Shut up and take her

to the rest room. Actually,

I can usually manage this alone. RATTLING

Oh! I saw you before. At the lake...

and here. Oh, my God, what is that, is that

a mask? Is that a Star Trek thing? Oh, those lights.

They never fix them. Look behind you! You didn't have to kill her,

she couldn't even remember you! And what he must never know.

How do you know about that? You, sir, are a genius.

It's a hobby. 'It's here! The Space Man's here.

It's gonna get me. 'It's gonna eat me!' There's no

time for a SWAT team, let's go! Mr President, tell her help's

on the way. Canton, 'Mr President, please help!

Please help me!' It's bigger on the inside.

You get used to it. Now where would you find three big

historical names in a row like that. It's er...

Are you taking care of this? Where are we? About five miles

from Cape Kennedy Space Centre. Why would a girl be here?

I don't know. Lost, maybe. The only place in Florida,

probably all of America, We've moved.

How, how can we have moved? You haven't even got

to space travel yet? I was going to cover it

with time travel. Time travel? How long have

Scotland Yard had this? Disused. You realise this is

almost certainly a trap, of course. What about it? It was cut off. So

how did the child phone from here? I don't know,

let's find her and ask her. This is from the space programme!

Stolen? What, by aliens? Cool aliens?

Well, what would you call me? So come on -

little girl, let's find her. River...

I know what you're thinking. No, you don't. You're thinking if

we can find the Space Man in 1969, and neutralise it, then it won't be

around in 2011 to kill the Doctor. That's only because

I was thinking it too. So let's do it.

It doesn't work like that. We came here because of

what we saw in the future. If we try and prevent the future

from happening, we create a paradox. Time can be rewritten.

Not all of it. There's a network of tunnels

running under here. Life signs? Those are the worst kind.

Be careful. Careful?

Tried that once, ever so dull. I think he's talking about

the possible alien incursion. Tell me honestly, am I still there?

'Fraid not. Just tunnels,

nothing down there I can see. Er, give me five minutes,

I want to take another look round. I keep thinking I hear things.

Interesting! These tunnels are old. How can they be really old

and nobody notice them? It's a maintenance hatch.

It's locked. It's locked.

How's a girl supposed to resist? You and the Doctor...

I can kind of picture it. Think about that. Impressionable

young girl, and suddenly this man he's clever and mad and wonderful and

knows every last thing about her. We're travelling in

opposite directions. And the day's coming, when I'll

look into that man's eyes... ..and he won't have the faintest

idea who I am. KLAXON

That's an alarm. These tunnels, they're not just here,

they're everywhere. They're running under the surface

of the entire planet! So, you were kicked out of the FBI

cos you had attitude problems. That's classified.

Classified by who? But you work for him.

He's my friend. I had something

I wanted to tell him, What's wrong?

I need to tell you something! It's important.

It's really, really important. Is he all right? Just unconscious.

Got a proper whack though. Doctor,

I need to tell you something. Get down! What are you doing!

Saving your life! No! The Doctor we saw on the beach

is a future version, 200 years older than

the one up there. Canton Everett Delaware the third.

Who's he? You didn't have to kill her,

she couldn't even remember you! Do you even know why you're doing

this, eh? Can you even remember? What the hell's going on?

Look behind you. There's nothing behind me!

Look! Canton, look! 'All visitors

to remain behind the yellow line.' I'd say zero balanced

dwarf star alloy. The densest material in the

universe. Nothing gets through that. You're building me

the perfect prison. What are you waiting for?

I'm waiting for you to run. It'll look better if I shot you

while you were running. Not the tiniest

particle of anything. In here, you are literally cut

off from the rest of the universe. So I guess they

can't hear us, right? Good work, Canton. Door sealed?

You bet. These things could

really do with air holes. Isn't it going to look odd that

you're staying in here with us? Odd, but not alarming. They know

there's no way out of this place. Amy, Rory, open all the

doors to the swimming pool. No idea. But the good news is...

we've got a secret weapon. No, no, it's not Apollo 11,

that would be silly. RADIO: 'In just a few days

mankind will set foot on the moon 'Today the President reaffirmed

America's commitment...' Ow! So, three months.

what have we found out? Every state in America. Ow!

Not just America, the entire world. There's a greater

concentration here though. Turns out I was wrong.

I'm not pregnant. So you've seen them,

but you don't remember them. You've seen them too. That

night at the warehouse, remember? While you were pretending

to hunt us down We still don't know

what they look like. It's like they edit themselves

out of your memory Only way we'd know if

we'd had an encounter. As long as there's been something

in the corner of your eye, We are not fighting

an alien invasion. Nano recorder. Fuses with the

cartilage in your hand. Ow! Then it tunes itself directly to

the speech centres in your brain. It'll pick up your voice, no

matter what. Telepathic connection. So the moment you see one of

the creatures, you activate it. RECORDER: 'And describe aloud

exactly what you're seeing.' The light will flash if

you've left yourself a message. If you've had an encounter that's

the first you'll know about it. Why didn't you tell me this

before we started? I did. But even information about these

creatures erases itself over time. I couldn't refresh it,

cos I couldn't talk to you. What are you staring at?

Look at your hand. Why's it doing that? What does

it mean if the light's flashing? What did I just tell you?

I haven't... Play it. 'Keep eye contact with

the creature and when I say, 'turn back, and when you do,

straighten my bow tie.' It's a hologram, extrapolated

from a photo on Amy's phone. You just saw an image of one

of the creatures we're fighting. You straightened my bow tie

because I planted the idea in your head while you

were looking at the creature. And they take her from somewhere to

cause the least amount of attention. But you'll have to find her.

I'm off to NASA. Find her? Hello. FBI. You must be Dr Renfrew.

Can we come in? The children are asleep.

We'll be very quiet. I understood Graystark Hall

was closed in '67. It's 1969. No, no. We close in '67.

That's the plan, yes. Amy? I think we've found the place

she was taken from. How do you know? Cos those things have been here.

But the whole place is deserted. There's just one guy here

and I think he's lost it. Repeated memory wipes

fry your head eventually. Find out what you can, but don't

hang around. Where are you? Don't worry. I put everything

back the way I found it. there's always a bit

left over, isn't there? 'I can see them, but I think they're

asleep. Get out! Just get out!' One more time, sir. How the hell

did you get into the command module? I told you! I'm on a top

secret mission for the President. Well, maybe if you just get President

Nixon to assure us of that, sir, Hello, I believe it's Mr Gardner,

is that correct? Head of security? The hopes and dreams of millions

of Americans stand here today, at Cape Kennedy, and you are

the men who guard those dreams. On behalf of the American people,

I thank you. Yes, Mr President. What are you

hoping for, a boy or a girl? A healthy American

will do just nicely. Code name, The Doctor, is doing

some work for me, personally. Er, Mr President,

he did break into Apollo 11. Well, I'm sure he had

a very good reason for that. But I need you to release

him now, so he can get on with some very important

work for the American people. Then I guess that would be fine,

Mr President. This place,

it's been closed for years. Hello? I saw you, looking

through the hatch... Who are you? I don't understand,

so just tell me who you are! Just please tell me,

because I don't understand! AMY: Help me!

Canton, please will you help me?! We have ruled it since

the wheel and the fire. You have to tape everything that

happens in this office, every word. A thing. A clever thing.

No more questions. You have to trust me

and nobody else. 'Please, I can't, I can't see!

Somebody help me!' Amy! Amy, I'm going to try to blow the

lock. I need you to stand back. OK, gun down, I've got it!

Amy, we're here. Are you OK? It's empty.

AMY: 'It's dark, it's so dark. It defaults to live.

This is current. Wherever she is right now,

this is what she's saying. Amy, can you hear me?

We're coming for you. Wherever you are,

we're coming, I swear. She always knows that I am coming

for her, do you understand me? 'Please, please, Doctor,

just get me out of this.' He's coming.

I'll bring him, I swear. Rory listen to that. Silence?

We ran from the Silence? Silence. Hello again.

Sir, you've been in there for days. What the hell have you been doing?

Doesn't matter. Sir, I need to talk to

Colonel Jefferson right now! The target for the

Apollo 11 astronauts, the moon, at lift off, will be

at a distance of 218,096 miles away. We're just past the

two minute mark on the countdown. T minus one minute 54 seconds

and counting... It's an exoskeleton.

Basically, life support. There's about 20 different

kinds of alien tech in here. Put this on, you don't

even need to eat. The suit processes

sunlight directly. It defaults to the highest

authority it can find. The night terrors

with a hotline to the White House. You won't learn anything

from that envelope, you know. Purchased on Earth, perfectly

ordinary stationery, TARDIS blue. Summoned by a stranger

who won't even show his face. That's a first for me.

How about you? Your future's my past,

your firsts are my lasts. Not really what I asked.

Ask something else then. The only way to save Amy is to

work out what the Silence are doing. I know. Every single thing we learn

about them brings us a step closer. Of course, it's possible

she's not just any little girl. Well, I'd say she's human,

going by the life support software. Like she forced her way out.

She must be incredibly strong. Incredibly strong and running away.

I like her. Anyway, I have the strangest

feeling she's going to find us. 'This is Houston, do you read?

Over.' Why does it look like

a NASA space suit? Because that's what the Silence do.

Think about it. They don't have to. They get

other life forms to do it for them. So they're parasites then?

Super parasites. Standing in the shadows of human

history since the very beginning. We know they can influence

human behaviour any way they want. Then why did the human race

suddenly decide to go to the moon? 'Ten, nine, ignition sequence

start, six, five, four...' Because the Silence

needed a space suit. '32 minutes past the hour,

lift off on Apollo 11.' Someone's already been treating it.

Yeah. Does Colonel Jefferson

know this thing is here? No. Then I'm going to tell him

right now! Sergeant, why was I called

in here for no reason? We have ruled your lives

since your lives began. but you will never remember

we were even here. This suit, it seems to be repairing

itself. How is it doing that? Well, the little girl said the

space man was coming to eat her. AMY: 'I love you.

I know you think it's him. 'I know you think it ought to be him.

But it's not, it's you. 'I'm going tell you properly,

just to see your stupid face. 'My life was so boring before you

just dropped out of the sky. 'So just get your stupid

face where I can see it. I can track that signal back.

Take us right to her. Then why haven't you?

Because then what? This isn't an alien invasion.

They live here. This is kicking the Romans out

of Rome. Rome fell. Not the sort of

thing anyone forgets. But I don't remember

it all the time. I can keep it shut.

AMY: 'Please come and get me. 'Come and get me.'

AMY SOBS Just five days since Apollo 11

blasted off from Cape Kennedy, this unprecedented journey is

reaching its crucial moment. On the ground, you've got

a bunch of guys about to turn blue. You're ugly,

has anyone mentioned that to you? Whatever that means, you've made

a big mistake bringing me here, because wait till you see

what's coming for you now. No. I just got here.

You just put me in here. Very Aickman Road,

seen one of these before. Oh, hello, sorry.

You're in the middle of something. Just had to say though,

have you seen what's on the telly? Hello, Amy, you all right?

Want to watch some television? but she'll definitely kill at

least the first three of you. The first seven, easily.

Seven, really? Make me! Yeah, well, maybe I will.

Is this really important flirting? I feel like I should be higher on

the list right now. Sorry. So maybe you want to draw lots,

or have a quiz. What's he got? Something, I hope. Or maybe

you could just listen a minute, You've been interfering in human

history for thousands of years. People have suffered and died.

But what's the point in two hearts if you can't be a bit forgiving

now and then? You guys take that seriously, don't

you? OK, you got me, I'm lying. Now, come on,

a bit of history for you. Aren't you proud,

because you helped? Do you know how many people

are watching this live on the telly? Billions and billions of them,

for billions and billions of years. And every single one of them,

at some point in their lives, will look back at this man,

taking that very first step, You've given the order for

your own execution, and the whole planet

just heard you. And one whacking great kick up

the backside for the Silence! You just raised an

army against yourself. you're going to be ordering

them to destroy you every day. Because today's the day the human

race throw you off their planet. They won't even know

they're doing it. I think, quite possibly the word

you're looking for right now is, Go, just go!

We are not leaving without you! Will you just get your

stupid face out of here?! Helping. You've got a screwdriver.

Go build a cabinet! That's really rude!

Shut up and drive! My old fella didn't

see that, did he? So, what kind of doctor are you?

Archaeology. Or we could go where

we're supposed to. What's the matter with you?

You called me stupid. I wasn't sure who you

were talking about. Well, you did say,

"Dropped out of the sky." So we're safe again.

Safe? No, of course you're not safe. Looking forward to it.

Canton just wants to get married. Helluva reason to kick

him out of the FBI. Hardly seems possible,

but I was wondering... Should warn you.

I don't answer a lot of questions. But I'm a President

at the beginning of his time. Say hi to David Frost for me.

David Frost? I know what people think of me, but

perhaps I am a little more liberal. I think the moon is far enough

for now, don't you, Mr Delaware? You're acting like we've

never done that before. We haven't?

Oh, look at the time, must be off. Rory, I'm going to

need thermo couplings. There's lots of stuff

I can't quite remember. After effect of the Silence.

Natural enough. I travelled with you in

this TARDIS for so long. If I was pregnant for some of it,

wouldn't it have had an effect? I don't want to tell Rory, this baby

might have three heads, What's a time head?

I don't know, but what if it had one? Taking that away from you, if you're

going to listen in all the time. But you should've told me that

you thought you were pregnant. I'm a nurse,

I'm good with pregnancy. Er, no. Never. I'm never,

ever going to stop being stupid! So, this little girl, it's all about

her. Who was she? Or we could just go off

and have some adventures. Anyone in the mood for adventures?

I am. You only live once. Yo, ho-ho! Our sensors picked

you up, ship in distress. It's dangerous here.

There is a monster aboard. She leaves a mark on men's skin.

Doctor, what's happening to me? Saving your life.

OK with that, are you? There's a stroppy, homicidal

mermaid trying to kill all.