Doctor Who (2005–…): Season 8, Episode 10 - In the Forest of the Night - full transcript
One morning in London, and every city and town in the world, the human race wakes up to the most surprising invasion yet: the trees have moved back in. Everywhere, in every land, a forest has grown and taken back the Earth.
# ETHEREAL STRINGS AND VOCALS
(Pants)
I'm lost. Please, can you help me?
It's that way.
Are those trees?
I need the Doctor.
Are you the Doctor?
Yes.
Do you have an appointment?
You need an appointment
to see the doctor.
Please, something's chasing me.
(Gasps)
When you drink a glass of Coke
it's only this big,
but it's actually got this much
sugar in it -
works a bit like that.
What does?
The TARDIS.
It's bigger on the inside
than the outside.
Or, did you not notice?
I just thought it was supposed to be
bigger on the inside,
so I didn't say anything.
Well, of course it's
supposed to be bigger.
Most people are confused by that.
I find everything confusing, nearly.
So, I don't say anything.
That's how come I'm in the woods -
I thought Miss Oswald told me
to find the Doctor,
but it wasn't her,
it was just in my head.
Miss Oswald? Dark hair,
highly unpredictable?
Surprisingly round face.
Everyone says she's in love
with Mr Pink.
The PE teacher.
Maths. I really like him.
I was in his group.
Mr Pink was looking after you?
Well, that explains why you're lost.
It doesn't surprise you
that I know all about your school?
Everyone seems to know everything
about everything, apart from me.
Well, that's not quite true.
I, for instance, have no idea why
when the terrestrial navigation...
..the terrestrial navigation
starts up,
it closes down all the other systems.
You should ask somebody who knows.
Mmm. That's another of the drawbacks
of being the last of your species -
no-one to ask when your TARDIS
won't start.
(TARDIS grinds)
COMPUTER: You have reached
your destination.
No, we haven't.
We're supposed to be
in the middle of London.
You have reached your destination.
Oh, stop saying that.
She's only saying it
because it's true.
We ARE in the middle of London.
We are in the middle of a forest.
Come and see.
Nelson's Column. Do you like it?
Do I... Sorry, what?
Do you like the forest
being in Trafalgar Square?
I think it's lovely.
# Theme music
Bradley!
Sir! Tell him, Sir,
he's blinding me.
Give me that, Bradley.
I'm allowed a torch, Sir.
I've got a note -
I'm darkness-phobic.
Just 'cause he's
scared of the dark, Sir,
does that mean he's allowed
to blind me?
You're allowed a torch, Bradley,
not a pocket supernova.
OK, listen up - just a few things
to run through before we head home.
Put your phone away, Bradley.
Thank you.
Firstly, collect up any rubbish
you may have generated
through midnight feasts
or whatever...
Hello?
Hello?!
Look at this.
Why is this one so fat, Miss?
Because it was alive so long.
This ring, though.
All the other rings are thin,
but this one's fat. And red.
See?
Must have been a good year
to be a tree.
I should have been relieved,
you know?
Oh, Coal Hill School - sleepover.
Ssh!
(Keypad beeps)
(All sigh)
Hang on. There's a knack to this.
No, no, no, no, no. It moved.
It moved. It's just jammed,
it's not locked.
Come on, team.
What team?
Wow.
Sir, where are we?
What do you mean, 'Where are we?'
We can't have been asleep
for that long, can we?
REPORTER: You've heard of
leaves on the line,
this is going to be
slightly harder to clear.
In three hours' time
the Ghana Black Stars
are due to play Sierra Leone
in the African Cup of Nations.
(Speaks in French)
It does not look like
the pitch will be ready.
You are always showing me
amazing things.
Well, I, Doctor, have finally
got something amazing to show you.
Yes, well, there are some things
that I've never seen.
That's usually because
I've chosen not to see them -
even my incredibly long life
is too short for Les Miserable.
Oh, Doctor,
you are going to love this.
Well, when you come to collect
this child, you can tell me then.
Huh? What child?
Young female human -
standard, defenceless little girl.
Your friend Mr Pink was
supposed to be looking after her.
She probably has a name.
Good point.
You, have you got a name at all?
Maeve, my name's Maeve.
What? Maeve?
Where are you?
Trafalgar Square.
I found her wandering around
the brand-new forest.
Brand-new forest?
Yes. It's like the new forest
except even newer.
Is that the forest
that's covering London?
Was that the amazing thing
that you were going to show me?
'Tis amazing. But I saw it first.
Look, is she alright?
Will you bring her over?
Well, I can't bring her over.
I'm a Time Lord, not a child minder.
You've got a space ship.
All we've got are Oyster cards.
And I've got a global, rapid
afforestation crisis to deal with.
What did they say?
Who?
The school, parents -
you were just on the phone.
Oh, yeah. Rang the school
and parents, yes, of course.
I thought that was the priority.
And?
And I couldn't get through.
Left messages. I'll try again.
Oh, you didn't call the school,
you called him.
No! He called me, actually.
I can't stop him calling me, can I?
I thought you weren't in contact.
London has just been taken over
by a gigantic forest.
Who do you want to talk to,
Monty Don?
I want to do my job,
which is looking after these kids.
Oh, really? How many kids?
What?
Where's Maeve Arden?
She's with the Doctor.
What?
No, no, no, no, no,
Maeve is a vulnerable kid -
she's on medication.
She's had an emotional trauma! He...
Has he even been CRB checked?
He didn't abduct her, she was lost.
He found her.
I thought you said they're in love.
Why are they shouting at each other?
That's what people do
when they're in love!
Don't you know anything?
CHILD: Where are we actually going?
Where's he taking us?
Who wants to be navigator?
ALL: Me! Me!
Good lad. Come on, let's do this.
What's a navigator?
We'll follow the lamp posts,
that'll keep us on Cromwell Road.
We'll be able to
orientate ourselves.
I thought we were getting a coach.
Where's the coach?
Well, Ruby, it seems there are
a lot of trees in the way.
Why can't we just wait here
till they've gone?
'Cause trees
don't just disappear, Ruby.
They just came,
why don't they just go?
See, the question is,
how did it get here?
Can a forest grow overnight
or have we been asleep for years,
like Sleeping Beauty?
No, the question is how
are we gonna get these kids home?
Oh, absolutely.
Yeah, that is the question.
OK, team, it's crucial
we stick together.
If you start to fall behind, don't.
Bradley, we're gonna
head north-east first
to collect Maeve
from Trafalgar Square,
then we're going south to the river.
Come on, keep up.
RUBY: What is he talking about?
CHILD: Where are we going?
You are enjoying this
just a little bit too much.
Come on...
..are you not even a little bit
curious about how, who, why, when?
I am curious. I'm bewildered.
I am, in fact, enchanted.
But I'm not the priority here,
the kids are.
You see, now, that attitude is...
..actually very attractive.
The Government Emergency Committee,
Cobra,
has formulated an action plan.
We will create pathways
through the trees
using carefully-controlled fires.
This will facilitate
the movement of essential services.
We're therefore asking you
to stay in your homes,
fill your baths, sinks
and any buckets with fresh water...
Why would there be no reading?
Because they're actually
made of wood.
No circuits, no mechanism - wood.
What's this for?
This is a sonic screwdriver.
It interacts with any form of
communication you care to mention.
Sadly, trees have no moving parts
and they don't communicate.
They communicate a bit, though.
What?
Otherwise they wouldn't all grow
at the same time, would they?
So, what, do you think that's how
spring begins -
with a group message
on tree Facebook?
Do you think they send texts
to each other?
You don't need a phone
to communicate, do you?
I haven't phoned home and I know
my mum is worried about me.
You said you'd collect Maeve.
It's alright, I'm collecting her.
As soon as I find my car keys.
I can't see a thing!
Next door planted bloody hydrangeas
and they've gone mental!
I've had words with her about it
before -
she's...
Oh.
I'll call you back.
Miss, in the museum, right,
I was reading about reproduction...
Oh, Ruby, this really isn't
the right moment.
..and that said that trees
have blossoms,
and then that turns into fruit,
or seeds, or nuts, right?
Right, Ruby.
This tree has got blossom and nuts.
Oh, yeah. That is strange.
Nuts. That's unfortunate for you,
isn't it, Bradley?
You have an allergy, don't you?
What if one of them
falls on your head?
You die, Bradley, yeah? Or you
swell up like a massive melon?
Shut it!
I think we should have been
consulted.
What's it made of, even?
How far does this go?
I need to collect Maeve.
Trafalgar Square.
Well done, Bradley.
Excellent navigation skills.
A-ha! There it is.
All sorted now. Come on.
Can we take a picture with the lion,
Sir? Please?
Ah, stay together, but OK.
I cannot believe
Bradley just said 'please'.
Really?
Yeah.
He usually prefers
other means of persuasion.
Give it. Give it!
Miss, he won't lend me
his dictionary.
You could try saying please,
Bradley.
Ah!
(Crash!)
And Ruby.
How do we find x?
Ruby?
It's there, Sir. At the top.
No, how do we find...
It's not lost.
It's there, at the top. Look!
No, how do we find the value of x?
Why are you asking me
all the questions?
Give someone else a go!
You bring out the best in them.
(Rumbling)
(All gasp)
Look, sir. No rings.
Trees usually have rings
to tell you how old they are.
This one's got no rings.
Why is that, then, Sir?
The rings mark the years of growth -
one ring for each year.
This grew up overnight.
That whole tree is the result
of just one night's growth
and they're still growing.
Everyone, this is the Doctor, and
he's going to sort everything out.
Isn't that right, Doctor?
It's what he does.
Well, having looked at things
I think, probably,
the answer to that is no.
He always says that.
He's really clever.
Oh, yes, I am. Very clever.
But what use is clever against trees?
They don't listen to reason,
you can't plead with them,
you can't lie to them.
They've got no moving parts,
no circuits.
This is a natural event!
How can it be natural
for a tree to grow in one night?
Exactly what they said
about the Ice Age -
'How can whole glaciers
just pop up out of nowhere?'
Well, they just did.
That's how this planet grows -
a series of catastrophes.
Farewell to the Ice Age,
welcome to the Tree Age.
Possibly.
When the Ice Age was here,
you lot managed to cook mammoth.
Now that there's a forest,
you'll just have to eat nuts.
I can't eat nuts -
I've got an allergy.
Don't worry, it's the thing he does.
He pretends he's not interested
and then he has an idea.
He's playing for time.
Time.
Interesting.
See? Clever kicking in.
The tree is a time machine.
You plant a little acorn in 1795
and in the year 2016
there's an oak tree there,
in the same spot, with a tiny little
bit of 1795 still alive inside of it.
You can't create a whole overnight
forest with extra-special fertiliser,
you have to mess with
the fabric of time.
And communicate.
With trees.
So you're saying
it's an act of aggression?
By trees?
Um, trees clean the air.
Exactly. Well done, Ruby.
Someone or something is trying to
scrub the atmosphere
before colonising or invading.
Ah, yes. Doctor... (Clears throat)
..this is Coal Hill Year 8
gifted and talented group.
What are the round bits for?
Ask your teacher. Come on.
Down from there.
Hey, away from the console!
Come on, that's an antique.
Get away from there!
Don't touch that.
Haven't any of you been struck
by the fact that -
'Look, it's bigger on the inside!'
There wasn't a forest
then there was a forest.
Nothing surprises us anymore.
These trees all appeared at once.
And that wasn't a coincidence.
There's no such thing
as an arboreal coincidence.
Something, someone
has coordinated this.
To coordinate
you need to communicate.
Every communication channel
on the TARDIS is open,
and... nothing.
Except...
Let me see that.
Homework books. Why are these here?
Maeve Arden.
Maeve Arden.
Which one is Maeve Arden?
Which one's Maeve? Maeve?
Maeve? Maeve?
Maeve?
Maeve? Maeve?
Maeve? Maeve? Maeve?
Oh, my God, Maeve's gone.
Maeve's lost in the forest!
Maeve's gonna die!
Ruby, that's enough. Doctor?
We've got to find her!
Yes, I know that we have to
find her.
Doctor, listen to me, her sister
went missing last year.
She's on medication.
The child is barely functioning.
She hears voices.
She's very vulnerable.
What do the voices say?
I don't know.
She takes tablets
and then they stop.
You people, you never learn.
If a child is speaking, listen to it.
Oh, like you listened to her?
He's right.
She was trying to tell me something
and I ignored her.
Maeve Arden is tuned
to a different channel.
She can lead us to the source -
to the heart of the forest.
We have to listen to her,
we have to find her.
Not everything can be fixed
with a screwdriver -
it's not a magic wand.
Does she have a phone?
Well, yeah, she does.
Have you got the number?
Um, yep.
Maeve Arden - 500 yards
south-east of here.
I'll go get her.
I'll go with him.
Oh, I can go! You can...
You haven't seen him for months.
Something like that.
You didn't even say hello, you
just sprung straight into action.
Special unit.
This is so cool!
Hey!
Do not touch anything.
Anything. OK?
OK.
See? Someone needs to go -
child protection.
Gifted and talented, really?
Furious, fearful, tongue-tied -
they're all superpowers
if you use them properly.
Are they going to be alright?
They're in the TARDIS,
the safest place on the planet.
If this is an invasion...
..it's over.
They're here, they've won.
What do they want?
(All cough, splutter)
I'm not just gonna stand here
and let her die!
Who?
Miss!
You let her go off with
some random into the forest.
You're supposed to be
madly in love with her.
I, ah... Who said that?
Everyone.
She's probably dead now, anyway.
Crushed by Nelson.
What if the trees collapse on her
and kill her?
You're worrying too much.
Yeah. But what if the wild animals
come out and eat her?
Ruby, you're letting your
imagination run away with you.
I'm not, though, am I? Because
I haven't got an imagination -
you can ask Miss Oswald.
OK, then. Come on, team,
let's do this.
We will, if you
stop calling us a team.
Maeve?!
Doctor?
Look, behind us - the path.
We just walked down it -
it's overgrown already.
Clara?
Why would you put a phone down.
Doesn't want to be followed.
Lost a hold of it in a struggle.
Left it as a clue so we would know
where she was going.
Trail of bread crumbs -
Hansel and Gretel.
I'm actually frightened.
I never get frightened.
Why am I frightened?
You've just lost a little girl.
Yes, that is a worry,
but I know you'll find her.
No, no, no, this. This is
not a worry, this is a dread.
Maeve?
You're pursuing a little lost girl
through a mysterious forest.
The path has disappeared.
You'll find yourself with
a strangely-compelling, masculine...
..figure. Maeve?
Any minute now we're going to find
a gingerbread cottage
with a cannibal witch inside. Maeve?
Exactly.
The forest, it's in all the stories
that kept you awake at night.
The forest is mankind's nightmare.
(Pants)
# FAST-PACED OMINOUS TUNE
(Continues panting)
Clara...
..is it hers?
Yes. Clever girl.
Get back!
We're burning here. Stay back.
We're looking for a little girl.
Stay back.
We're about to burn.
Good job.
What's going on?
The tree's not responding to
flamethrower.
I mean, they don't catch fire.
They just don't catch.
It's like their flame-proof
or something.
Trees control the oxygen
on this planet.
They withhold it,
they smother the fire.
What sort of forest is clever?
What sort of forest
has it's own in-built
fire extinguisher?
What do they want?
Why now?
What do you mean, 'Why now?'
The whole natural order
is turning against this planet,
but why? Why now?
Well, what else?
How did she know this?
What is it?
This is a massive solar flare
headed for Earth -
like the one that destroyed
the Bank of Karabraxos.
I've got an entire TARDIS and
I didn't notice this, but she knew.
How?
Is this Maeve's?
Where did you get this?
You left your marking on the TARDIS?
Oh, great. Right. Well, that's
just brilliant, isn't it?
You don't think Danny saw this,
do you?
I've just informed you
that a solar flare
is going to wipe out our planet,
you're worried about
a row with your boyfriend.
How does she know this?
She even put the date on it.
I always make them
date their homework.
It's today's date.
Well, there must be...
..a way.
They want something.
They're saying something.
If there is a way,
the way is Maeve Arden.
OK. You know they're not really
gifted and talented, don't you?
I just tell them that
to make them feel good.
She's lost someone.
People who've lost someone,
they're always listening,
they're always looking,
they're always hoping,
so they notice more,
they hear more.
(Animal howls)
Was that a howl?
(Howls again)
Is that a wolf?
No. That is impossible.
We're in London.
Would that be the London with a zoo?
The zoo with a pack of wolves?
The zoo whose barriers and gates
have probably been mangled
by the trees?
No, wolves are not impossible.
Stick to the path, Red Riding Hood.
There is no path.
Then we're lunch.
(Pants)
(Wolf growls)
(Continues growling)
(Barks)
(Screams)
Maeve?!
(Pants)
(Snarls)
(Wolves howl, bark)
Maeve! Doctor, give me a boost
so I can pull her over.
Maeve? Maeve?
Maeve, you came looking for me.
You didn't...
Maeve, Maeve, Maeve,
you didn't just stumble into
the TARDIS.
Tell me what you know.
Doctor...
This is important.
Yes, can we please deal with
the wolves first?
These are zoo wolves,
they're not even used to hunting.
Doctor!
(All snarl)
Right! OK.
We've just got to look as if
we're too much bother to eat, right?
So, stay still, stay together.
Look big,
look big like a big three-headed,
six-legged, scary thing.
(Wolves whine)
Ha-ha! Told you they were rubbish.
Those wolves were terrified.
What are wolves frightened of?
(Snarling)
(Growls)
There are very good, solid,
scientific reasons
for being really quite frightened
just now.
(Roars)
Ha-ha!
(All cheer)
Mr Pink.
Why, thank you very much.
Ah, no problem.
Just decided it was best not to
leave you alone with him.
They've worked well together -
a noticeable increase in
the confidence levels and energy.
Well done.
And for saving us from a tiger too.
Um, has she had her medication yet?
Um, oh, no. I...
No, no, no, not her medication.
We don't want to shut her up,
we want to know what she knows.
Maeve, what's...
Maeve, what's this? What is this?
Apart from being almost savaged by
a tiger and abducted by a Scotsman,
she's allowed any nervous ticks
she likes, OK?
This is not a nervous tick.
This is react...
Please, just give her her tablets.
She's been in this state
since her sister went missing.
Maeve!
You won't find your sister
out there.
Miss? What is it, Miss?
It's coming. It's coming for
everyone and I can't unthink it.
Maeve...
Maeve, this forest is communicating.
With you, nobody else.
No technology can hear
what it's saying but you can.
Tell us what it wants,
where it came from.
Just tell me who did this.
It was me.
I did this. I did these trees.
No, Maeve, you didn't make
a global forest appear overnight,
how could you do that?
Thoughts come to me.
Ever since Annabelle went missing,
I look for her everywhere.
I didn't find her, but I find...
thoughts.
The big forest was one -
I thought everyone would love it.
The thoughts. The thoughts!
They go so fast.
This is stressing me now.
When I get stressed,
I forget my anger management.
Maeve, can you see something
that we can't see?
Nearly. Too fast. Everywhere.
Everything is subject to gravity.
If I can create
a little local increase.
No! You are not experimenting on...
(Gasps)
They're lovely!
They don't like it
when you're holding them.
They want you to let them go.
Who are they?
DEEP MALE VOICE: We're here,
here always -
since the beginning,
and until the end.
Here? That's it.
We are the green shoots
that grow between the cracks.
The grass that grows over
the mass graves.
After your wars are over,
we will still be here.
We are the life that prevails.
Why now? Why are you here now?
We hear the call and we come,
as we came before
to the great North Forest -
where we lie still
in a great circle -
as we came to
the vast Southern Forest.
Who's calling you now?
The sun that creates,
the sun that destroys.
You are hurting us. Let us go.
You sent for me.
The girl came looking for me.
Why? Why me?
We did not send...
Pain.
We did not send for you.
We don't know you.
We were here before you
and will be here after you.
(Groans)
That was actually quite cool!
(Sighs)
Maeve, you came looking for
the Doctor.
Think, who sent you for the Doctor?
It was just a thought.
It was just a thought that came.
I think it came from Miss.
They've gone.
Why does everything have to go?
This really is gonna happen,
isn't it?
Stars implode, planets go cold.
Catastrophe is the metabolism
of the universe.
I can fight monsters,
I can't fight physics.
Why would trees want to kill us?
We love trees.
You've been chopping them down
for furniture for centuries!
If that's love, no wonder they're
calling down fire from the heavens.
But we saw the future.
Lots of futures.
Earth's futures.
They're about to be erased.
If you can't save them all,
save what you can.
TARDIS.
It's a life boat, isn't it?
Not everybody has to die.
(Chants) Everywhere we go!
CHILDREN: Everywhere we go!
People wanna know!
People wanna know!
Who we are!
Who we are!
We are the Coal Hill
Gifted and Talented!
Whoa.
Alright, come on, team.
When they're done, you need to
get in your box and go.
We're all going -
We're taking the kids.
Taking them where.
What are you going to do with them?
Leave them on an asteroid?
Find a space academy
for the gifted and talented?
They just want their mums and dads.
And they're never going to
stop wanting them.
I can save you and Danny.
Danny Pink will never leave those
kids so long as he is breathing.
(All cheer)
Yay! Good one, team.
Can we take another selfie, Sir?
Of course. Come on, then.
Yes!
I can save you.
I don't want you to.
What, you don't want to live?
Of course I want to live. I just...
What?
Don't make me say it.
Say what?
I don't want to be
the last of my kind.
Then why did you bring us all here?
Because it's the only way
to get you back to the TARDIS -
make you think
you're saving someone.
Well, you know what, Doctor,
this time the human race
is saving you.
Make it worthwhile.
This is my world too.
I walk your Earth
and I breathe your air.
And on behalf of this world,
you're very welcome.
Now go.
Save the next one.
Maeve?
I'm sorry...
..that I couldn't help you.
You helped me loads -
I thought it was all my fault -
I feel much better now.
Are you gonna get rid of the forest?
Hard to get rid of
a flame-proof forest, Maeve, hey?
Come on.
Government crews have been deployed
with the latest...
..'def-o'...
..'de-fu'...
Defoliant agent of some sort.
They're used to take the leaves off
the trees so they're easier to burn.
That's harsh.
(TARDIS grinds)
Where's he going?
Home.
He's going home.
Which is exactly where we're going.
A flame-proof forest.
Flame... proof... forest.
1,000 atom bombs and no-one hurt.
I am Doctor idiot.
Clara?! Come back here! Come back!
He's calling you.
Yes. Let him call.
This is more important.
Clara!
Mr Pink!
Maeve! All of you!
Quick! Quick, come back!
Come back!
Come on!
Maeve, quick. Good girl, good girl.
Come on!
It's there on the screen - look!
Big solar flare headed this way,
1,000 kilometres a second.
Coronal mass ejection,
geomagnetic storm -
it's huge.
It's brewing up a solar wind
big enough
to blow this whole planet away.
I assume your teachers
have mentioned this?
I thought it would spoil
an otherwise enjoyable walk.
OK. OK.
Well, this is the bad news.
The good news is
it's happened before.
And you're still here.
The Tunguska blast, 1908 -
that should have blown the whole
planet off its axis, but it didn't.
It knocked a few trees over...
Well, a few -
tens of thousands of trees over.
Curuca, in Brazil, same story -
Earth should have been smashed,
but it wasn't.
What do these things have in common?
They're really, really scaring us?
Trees!
Whenever there's a planet-threatening
extraterrestrial impact -
trees!
Massive forest filling
the atmosphere with oxygen.
Pumping it up like a massive,
highly-inflammable airbag,
so that when trouble hits...
Everyone dies.
No! The impact burns off
the excess oxygen.
You have some fairly hectic weather
for a few days
and some fairly
trippy-looking sunsets,
but apart from that...
..you will be alright.
I was wrong.
The trees are not your enemy.
They're your shield.
They've been saving you
since forever -
protecting you from everything
that space can throw at you.
The wide ring.
The red ring, in the museum.
Ruby saw a cross-section of a tree,
one of the rings was wider than
the others and red.
Atmospheric dust
captured by the trees.
The fingerprint of an asteroid.
Happy red ring day.
I don't get it.
If they're good, then why are we
chopping them down?
The government are sending out
defoliating teams.
They're dropping chemicals on them
right now.
What is it with you people?
You hear voices,
you want to shut them up!
The trees come to save you,
you want to chop them down.
Well, you think you need to
save the world
when it's already saving itself.
I did admit that I was wrong.
Excellent.
Mobile networks are still operative.
Right. We are going to call
everyone on Earth
and tell them
to leave the trees alone.
Can I do it?
I started it,
I should finish it.
OK.
Class project - save the Earth.
(Children chatter excitedly)
OK.
And I think that's it.
(Phones rings)
Essential services have been
disrupted
due to an unexpected forest.
Maeve! Where are you?
We'd like to reassure you
that the situation will be rectified
very soon.
Please, don't be scared.
And, please, don't chop, spray
or harm the trees -
they're here to help!
Be less scared.
Be more trusting.
Oh, and, Annabelle Arden,
please come home.
OK!
Who would like to witness
a once-in-a-billion-year
solar event at close quarters?
Mum! There's my mum.
I thought I'd lost you too.
Never.
Not ever.
So, a trip to space, anyone?
I want my mum?
I slightly want my mum too.
Tell them, Mr Pink, what an
educational opportunity...
Y-you go.
This...
(Chuckles) This is enough for me.
What?
Coronal ejections,
geomagnetic storms,
how often do you get
a playlist like that?
I was a soldier.
I put myself at risk.
I didn't try too hard to survive,
but somehow, here I am.
And now I can see what I nearly lost
and it's enough.
I don't want to see more things,
I want to see the things that are
in front of me more clearly.
There are wonders here,
Clara Oswald.
Bradley saying please -
that's a wonder.
One person is more amazing,
harder to understand,
but more amazing than universes.
Really?
What person is that, then?
(All cheer)
I told you!
I said so, didn't I?
We could have a picnic.
You can't - you've got marking.
Oh!
Oh, no, no, no, that was...
That was from ages ago.
You see, what happened was...
They always write the date neatly
at the top of the page.
Yeah, they do, don't they?
Yeah. Last Friday.
You were on the TARDIS last Friday.
Today, you thought the world
was going to end
but you still didn't tell me
the truth.
I tried. He interrupted.
I just want to know the truth.
I don't care what it is,
I just want to know it.
Like Maeve said, like the forest -
fear a little bit less,
trust a bit more.
OK.
Well...
No. Not now.
Go home and do your marking.
Think about it, then tell me.
I saved you from a tiger today,
I deserve at least that.
Yes, you did.
And, yes, you do.
I hope I'm right.
It'd be slightly awkward if the world
was destroyed at this point.
What?
There goes the planet's...
(Speaks indistinctly)
That's the trees
harvesting the solar fire.
# SLOW, SURREAL SINGING
Now, that was surprising.
And I love surprises.
That is... amazing.
How will they explain this tomorrow?
You'll all forget it ever happened.
We're not going to forget
an overnight forest.
You forgot the last time.
You remembered the fear
and you put it into fairy stories.
It's the human superpower,
forgetting.
If you remembered how things felt
you'd have stopped having wars...
..and stopped having babies.
Annabelle!
My Annabelle!
I knew you'd be here!
The thought of you came to me!
Clara?
Do I have your attention?
You will never step inside
your TARDIS again.
Clara, what are you doing?
Time can be rewritten.
# FAST-PACED DRAMATIC MUSIC
Clara, my Clara,
I don't think you will!
You know who I am.
I'm not Clara Oswald.
Clara Oswald has never existed.
Captions by CSI Australia
(Pants)
I'm lost. Please, can you help me?
It's that way.
Are those trees?
I need the Doctor.
Are you the Doctor?
Yes.
Do you have an appointment?
You need an appointment
to see the doctor.
Please, something's chasing me.
(Gasps)
When you drink a glass of Coke
it's only this big,
but it's actually got this much
sugar in it -
works a bit like that.
What does?
The TARDIS.
It's bigger on the inside
than the outside.
Or, did you not notice?
I just thought it was supposed to be
bigger on the inside,
so I didn't say anything.
Well, of course it's
supposed to be bigger.
Most people are confused by that.
I find everything confusing, nearly.
So, I don't say anything.
That's how come I'm in the woods -
I thought Miss Oswald told me
to find the Doctor,
but it wasn't her,
it was just in my head.
Miss Oswald? Dark hair,
highly unpredictable?
Surprisingly round face.
Everyone says she's in love
with Mr Pink.
The PE teacher.
Maths. I really like him.
I was in his group.
Mr Pink was looking after you?
Well, that explains why you're lost.
It doesn't surprise you
that I know all about your school?
Everyone seems to know everything
about everything, apart from me.
Well, that's not quite true.
I, for instance, have no idea why
when the terrestrial navigation...
..the terrestrial navigation
starts up,
it closes down all the other systems.
You should ask somebody who knows.
Mmm. That's another of the drawbacks
of being the last of your species -
no-one to ask when your TARDIS
won't start.
(TARDIS grinds)
COMPUTER: You have reached
your destination.
No, we haven't.
We're supposed to be
in the middle of London.
You have reached your destination.
Oh, stop saying that.
She's only saying it
because it's true.
We ARE in the middle of London.
We are in the middle of a forest.
Come and see.
Nelson's Column. Do you like it?
Do I... Sorry, what?
Do you like the forest
being in Trafalgar Square?
I think it's lovely.
# Theme music
Bradley!
Sir! Tell him, Sir,
he's blinding me.
Give me that, Bradley.
I'm allowed a torch, Sir.
I've got a note -
I'm darkness-phobic.
Just 'cause he's
scared of the dark, Sir,
does that mean he's allowed
to blind me?
You're allowed a torch, Bradley,
not a pocket supernova.
OK, listen up - just a few things
to run through before we head home.
Put your phone away, Bradley.
Thank you.
Firstly, collect up any rubbish
you may have generated
through midnight feasts
or whatever...
Hello?
Hello?!
Look at this.
Why is this one so fat, Miss?
Because it was alive so long.
This ring, though.
All the other rings are thin,
but this one's fat. And red.
See?
Must have been a good year
to be a tree.
I should have been relieved,
you know?
Oh, Coal Hill School - sleepover.
Ssh!
(Keypad beeps)
(All sigh)
Hang on. There's a knack to this.
No, no, no, no, no. It moved.
It moved. It's just jammed,
it's not locked.
Come on, team.
What team?
Wow.
Sir, where are we?
What do you mean, 'Where are we?'
We can't have been asleep
for that long, can we?
REPORTER: You've heard of
leaves on the line,
this is going to be
slightly harder to clear.
In three hours' time
the Ghana Black Stars
are due to play Sierra Leone
in the African Cup of Nations.
(Speaks in French)
It does not look like
the pitch will be ready.
You are always showing me
amazing things.
Well, I, Doctor, have finally
got something amazing to show you.
Yes, well, there are some things
that I've never seen.
That's usually because
I've chosen not to see them -
even my incredibly long life
is too short for Les Miserable.
Oh, Doctor,
you are going to love this.
Well, when you come to collect
this child, you can tell me then.
Huh? What child?
Young female human -
standard, defenceless little girl.
Your friend Mr Pink was
supposed to be looking after her.
She probably has a name.
Good point.
You, have you got a name at all?
Maeve, my name's Maeve.
What? Maeve?
Where are you?
Trafalgar Square.
I found her wandering around
the brand-new forest.
Brand-new forest?
Yes. It's like the new forest
except even newer.
Is that the forest
that's covering London?
Was that the amazing thing
that you were going to show me?
'Tis amazing. But I saw it first.
Look, is she alright?
Will you bring her over?
Well, I can't bring her over.
I'm a Time Lord, not a child minder.
You've got a space ship.
All we've got are Oyster cards.
And I've got a global, rapid
afforestation crisis to deal with.
What did they say?
Who?
The school, parents -
you were just on the phone.
Oh, yeah. Rang the school
and parents, yes, of course.
I thought that was the priority.
And?
And I couldn't get through.
Left messages. I'll try again.
Oh, you didn't call the school,
you called him.
No! He called me, actually.
I can't stop him calling me, can I?
I thought you weren't in contact.
London has just been taken over
by a gigantic forest.
Who do you want to talk to,
Monty Don?
I want to do my job,
which is looking after these kids.
Oh, really? How many kids?
What?
Where's Maeve Arden?
She's with the Doctor.
What?
No, no, no, no, no,
Maeve is a vulnerable kid -
she's on medication.
She's had an emotional trauma! He...
Has he even been CRB checked?
He didn't abduct her, she was lost.
He found her.
I thought you said they're in love.
Why are they shouting at each other?
That's what people do
when they're in love!
Don't you know anything?
CHILD: Where are we actually going?
Where's he taking us?
Who wants to be navigator?
ALL: Me! Me!
Good lad. Come on, let's do this.
What's a navigator?
We'll follow the lamp posts,
that'll keep us on Cromwell Road.
We'll be able to
orientate ourselves.
I thought we were getting a coach.
Where's the coach?
Well, Ruby, it seems there are
a lot of trees in the way.
Why can't we just wait here
till they've gone?
'Cause trees
don't just disappear, Ruby.
They just came,
why don't they just go?
See, the question is,
how did it get here?
Can a forest grow overnight
or have we been asleep for years,
like Sleeping Beauty?
No, the question is how
are we gonna get these kids home?
Oh, absolutely.
Yeah, that is the question.
OK, team, it's crucial
we stick together.
If you start to fall behind, don't.
Bradley, we're gonna
head north-east first
to collect Maeve
from Trafalgar Square,
then we're going south to the river.
Come on, keep up.
RUBY: What is he talking about?
CHILD: Where are we going?
You are enjoying this
just a little bit too much.
Come on...
..are you not even a little bit
curious about how, who, why, when?
I am curious. I'm bewildered.
I am, in fact, enchanted.
But I'm not the priority here,
the kids are.
You see, now, that attitude is...
..actually very attractive.
The Government Emergency Committee,
Cobra,
has formulated an action plan.
We will create pathways
through the trees
using carefully-controlled fires.
This will facilitate
the movement of essential services.
We're therefore asking you
to stay in your homes,
fill your baths, sinks
and any buckets with fresh water...
Why would there be no reading?
Because they're actually
made of wood.
No circuits, no mechanism - wood.
What's this for?
This is a sonic screwdriver.
It interacts with any form of
communication you care to mention.
Sadly, trees have no moving parts
and they don't communicate.
They communicate a bit, though.
What?
Otherwise they wouldn't all grow
at the same time, would they?
So, what, do you think that's how
spring begins -
with a group message
on tree Facebook?
Do you think they send texts
to each other?
You don't need a phone
to communicate, do you?
I haven't phoned home and I know
my mum is worried about me.
You said you'd collect Maeve.
It's alright, I'm collecting her.
As soon as I find my car keys.
I can't see a thing!
Next door planted bloody hydrangeas
and they've gone mental!
I've had words with her about it
before -
she's...
Oh.
I'll call you back.
Miss, in the museum, right,
I was reading about reproduction...
Oh, Ruby, this really isn't
the right moment.
..and that said that trees
have blossoms,
and then that turns into fruit,
or seeds, or nuts, right?
Right, Ruby.
This tree has got blossom and nuts.
Oh, yeah. That is strange.
Nuts. That's unfortunate for you,
isn't it, Bradley?
You have an allergy, don't you?
What if one of them
falls on your head?
You die, Bradley, yeah? Or you
swell up like a massive melon?
Shut it!
I think we should have been
consulted.
What's it made of, even?
How far does this go?
I need to collect Maeve.
Trafalgar Square.
Well done, Bradley.
Excellent navigation skills.
A-ha! There it is.
All sorted now. Come on.
Can we take a picture with the lion,
Sir? Please?
Ah, stay together, but OK.
I cannot believe
Bradley just said 'please'.
Really?
Yeah.
He usually prefers
other means of persuasion.
Give it. Give it!
Miss, he won't lend me
his dictionary.
You could try saying please,
Bradley.
Ah!
(Crash!)
And Ruby.
How do we find x?
Ruby?
It's there, Sir. At the top.
No, how do we find...
It's not lost.
It's there, at the top. Look!
No, how do we find the value of x?
Why are you asking me
all the questions?
Give someone else a go!
You bring out the best in them.
(Rumbling)
(All gasp)
Look, sir. No rings.
Trees usually have rings
to tell you how old they are.
This one's got no rings.
Why is that, then, Sir?
The rings mark the years of growth -
one ring for each year.
This grew up overnight.
That whole tree is the result
of just one night's growth
and they're still growing.
Everyone, this is the Doctor, and
he's going to sort everything out.
Isn't that right, Doctor?
It's what he does.
Well, having looked at things
I think, probably,
the answer to that is no.
He always says that.
He's really clever.
Oh, yes, I am. Very clever.
But what use is clever against trees?
They don't listen to reason,
you can't plead with them,
you can't lie to them.
They've got no moving parts,
no circuits.
This is a natural event!
How can it be natural
for a tree to grow in one night?
Exactly what they said
about the Ice Age -
'How can whole glaciers
just pop up out of nowhere?'
Well, they just did.
That's how this planet grows -
a series of catastrophes.
Farewell to the Ice Age,
welcome to the Tree Age.
Possibly.
When the Ice Age was here,
you lot managed to cook mammoth.
Now that there's a forest,
you'll just have to eat nuts.
I can't eat nuts -
I've got an allergy.
Don't worry, it's the thing he does.
He pretends he's not interested
and then he has an idea.
He's playing for time.
Time.
Interesting.
See? Clever kicking in.
The tree is a time machine.
You plant a little acorn in 1795
and in the year 2016
there's an oak tree there,
in the same spot, with a tiny little
bit of 1795 still alive inside of it.
You can't create a whole overnight
forest with extra-special fertiliser,
you have to mess with
the fabric of time.
And communicate.
With trees.
So you're saying
it's an act of aggression?
By trees?
Um, trees clean the air.
Exactly. Well done, Ruby.
Someone or something is trying to
scrub the atmosphere
before colonising or invading.
Ah, yes. Doctor... (Clears throat)
..this is Coal Hill Year 8
gifted and talented group.
What are the round bits for?
Ask your teacher. Come on.
Down from there.
Hey, away from the console!
Come on, that's an antique.
Get away from there!
Don't touch that.
Haven't any of you been struck
by the fact that -
'Look, it's bigger on the inside!'
There wasn't a forest
then there was a forest.
Nothing surprises us anymore.
These trees all appeared at once.
And that wasn't a coincidence.
There's no such thing
as an arboreal coincidence.
Something, someone
has coordinated this.
To coordinate
you need to communicate.
Every communication channel
on the TARDIS is open,
and... nothing.
Except...
Let me see that.
Homework books. Why are these here?
Maeve Arden.
Maeve Arden.
Which one is Maeve Arden?
Which one's Maeve? Maeve?
Maeve? Maeve?
Maeve?
Maeve? Maeve?
Maeve? Maeve? Maeve?
Oh, my God, Maeve's gone.
Maeve's lost in the forest!
Maeve's gonna die!
Ruby, that's enough. Doctor?
We've got to find her!
Yes, I know that we have to
find her.
Doctor, listen to me, her sister
went missing last year.
She's on medication.
The child is barely functioning.
She hears voices.
She's very vulnerable.
What do the voices say?
I don't know.
She takes tablets
and then they stop.
You people, you never learn.
If a child is speaking, listen to it.
Oh, like you listened to her?
He's right.
She was trying to tell me something
and I ignored her.
Maeve Arden is tuned
to a different channel.
She can lead us to the source -
to the heart of the forest.
We have to listen to her,
we have to find her.
Not everything can be fixed
with a screwdriver -
it's not a magic wand.
Does she have a phone?
Well, yeah, she does.
Have you got the number?
Um, yep.
Maeve Arden - 500 yards
south-east of here.
I'll go get her.
I'll go with him.
Oh, I can go! You can...
You haven't seen him for months.
Something like that.
You didn't even say hello, you
just sprung straight into action.
Special unit.
This is so cool!
Hey!
Do not touch anything.
Anything. OK?
OK.
See? Someone needs to go -
child protection.
Gifted and talented, really?
Furious, fearful, tongue-tied -
they're all superpowers
if you use them properly.
Are they going to be alright?
They're in the TARDIS,
the safest place on the planet.
If this is an invasion...
..it's over.
They're here, they've won.
What do they want?
(All cough, splutter)
I'm not just gonna stand here
and let her die!
Who?
Miss!
You let her go off with
some random into the forest.
You're supposed to be
madly in love with her.
I, ah... Who said that?
Everyone.
She's probably dead now, anyway.
Crushed by Nelson.
What if the trees collapse on her
and kill her?
You're worrying too much.
Yeah. But what if the wild animals
come out and eat her?
Ruby, you're letting your
imagination run away with you.
I'm not, though, am I? Because
I haven't got an imagination -
you can ask Miss Oswald.
OK, then. Come on, team,
let's do this.
We will, if you
stop calling us a team.
Maeve?!
Doctor?
Look, behind us - the path.
We just walked down it -
it's overgrown already.
Clara?
Why would you put a phone down.
Doesn't want to be followed.
Lost a hold of it in a struggle.
Left it as a clue so we would know
where she was going.
Trail of bread crumbs -
Hansel and Gretel.
I'm actually frightened.
I never get frightened.
Why am I frightened?
You've just lost a little girl.
Yes, that is a worry,
but I know you'll find her.
No, no, no, this. This is
not a worry, this is a dread.
Maeve?
You're pursuing a little lost girl
through a mysterious forest.
The path has disappeared.
You'll find yourself with
a strangely-compelling, masculine...
..figure. Maeve?
Any minute now we're going to find
a gingerbread cottage
with a cannibal witch inside. Maeve?
Exactly.
The forest, it's in all the stories
that kept you awake at night.
The forest is mankind's nightmare.
(Pants)
# FAST-PACED OMINOUS TUNE
(Continues panting)
Clara...
..is it hers?
Yes. Clever girl.
Get back!
We're burning here. Stay back.
We're looking for a little girl.
Stay back.
We're about to burn.
Good job.
What's going on?
The tree's not responding to
flamethrower.
I mean, they don't catch fire.
They just don't catch.
It's like their flame-proof
or something.
Trees control the oxygen
on this planet.
They withhold it,
they smother the fire.
What sort of forest is clever?
What sort of forest
has it's own in-built
fire extinguisher?
What do they want?
Why now?
What do you mean, 'Why now?'
The whole natural order
is turning against this planet,
but why? Why now?
Well, what else?
How did she know this?
What is it?
This is a massive solar flare
headed for Earth -
like the one that destroyed
the Bank of Karabraxos.
I've got an entire TARDIS and
I didn't notice this, but she knew.
How?
Is this Maeve's?
Where did you get this?
You left your marking on the TARDIS?
Oh, great. Right. Well, that's
just brilliant, isn't it?
You don't think Danny saw this,
do you?
I've just informed you
that a solar flare
is going to wipe out our planet,
you're worried about
a row with your boyfriend.
How does she know this?
She even put the date on it.
I always make them
date their homework.
It's today's date.
Well, there must be...
..a way.
They want something.
They're saying something.
If there is a way,
the way is Maeve Arden.
OK. You know they're not really
gifted and talented, don't you?
I just tell them that
to make them feel good.
She's lost someone.
People who've lost someone,
they're always listening,
they're always looking,
they're always hoping,
so they notice more,
they hear more.
(Animal howls)
Was that a howl?
(Howls again)
Is that a wolf?
No. That is impossible.
We're in London.
Would that be the London with a zoo?
The zoo with a pack of wolves?
The zoo whose barriers and gates
have probably been mangled
by the trees?
No, wolves are not impossible.
Stick to the path, Red Riding Hood.
There is no path.
Then we're lunch.
(Pants)
(Wolf growls)
(Continues growling)
(Barks)
(Screams)
Maeve?!
(Pants)
(Snarls)
(Wolves howl, bark)
Maeve! Doctor, give me a boost
so I can pull her over.
Maeve? Maeve?
Maeve, you came looking for me.
You didn't...
Maeve, Maeve, Maeve,
you didn't just stumble into
the TARDIS.
Tell me what you know.
Doctor...
This is important.
Yes, can we please deal with
the wolves first?
These are zoo wolves,
they're not even used to hunting.
Doctor!
(All snarl)
Right! OK.
We've just got to look as if
we're too much bother to eat, right?
So, stay still, stay together.
Look big,
look big like a big three-headed,
six-legged, scary thing.
(Wolves whine)
Ha-ha! Told you they were rubbish.
Those wolves were terrified.
What are wolves frightened of?
(Snarling)
(Growls)
There are very good, solid,
scientific reasons
for being really quite frightened
just now.
(Roars)
Ha-ha!
(All cheer)
Mr Pink.
Why, thank you very much.
Ah, no problem.
Just decided it was best not to
leave you alone with him.
They've worked well together -
a noticeable increase in
the confidence levels and energy.
Well done.
And for saving us from a tiger too.
Um, has she had her medication yet?
Um, oh, no. I...
No, no, no, not her medication.
We don't want to shut her up,
we want to know what she knows.
Maeve, what's...
Maeve, what's this? What is this?
Apart from being almost savaged by
a tiger and abducted by a Scotsman,
she's allowed any nervous ticks
she likes, OK?
This is not a nervous tick.
This is react...
Please, just give her her tablets.
She's been in this state
since her sister went missing.
Maeve!
You won't find your sister
out there.
Miss? What is it, Miss?
It's coming. It's coming for
everyone and I can't unthink it.
Maeve...
Maeve, this forest is communicating.
With you, nobody else.
No technology can hear
what it's saying but you can.
Tell us what it wants,
where it came from.
Just tell me who did this.
It was me.
I did this. I did these trees.
No, Maeve, you didn't make
a global forest appear overnight,
how could you do that?
Thoughts come to me.
Ever since Annabelle went missing,
I look for her everywhere.
I didn't find her, but I find...
thoughts.
The big forest was one -
I thought everyone would love it.
The thoughts. The thoughts!
They go so fast.
This is stressing me now.
When I get stressed,
I forget my anger management.
Maeve, can you see something
that we can't see?
Nearly. Too fast. Everywhere.
Everything is subject to gravity.
If I can create
a little local increase.
No! You are not experimenting on...
(Gasps)
They're lovely!
They don't like it
when you're holding them.
They want you to let them go.
Who are they?
DEEP MALE VOICE: We're here,
here always -
since the beginning,
and until the end.
Here? That's it.
We are the green shoots
that grow between the cracks.
The grass that grows over
the mass graves.
After your wars are over,
we will still be here.
We are the life that prevails.
Why now? Why are you here now?
We hear the call and we come,
as we came before
to the great North Forest -
where we lie still
in a great circle -
as we came to
the vast Southern Forest.
Who's calling you now?
The sun that creates,
the sun that destroys.
You are hurting us. Let us go.
You sent for me.
The girl came looking for me.
Why? Why me?
We did not send...
Pain.
We did not send for you.
We don't know you.
We were here before you
and will be here after you.
(Groans)
That was actually quite cool!
(Sighs)
Maeve, you came looking for
the Doctor.
Think, who sent you for the Doctor?
It was just a thought.
It was just a thought that came.
I think it came from Miss.
They've gone.
Why does everything have to go?
This really is gonna happen,
isn't it?
Stars implode, planets go cold.
Catastrophe is the metabolism
of the universe.
I can fight monsters,
I can't fight physics.
Why would trees want to kill us?
We love trees.
You've been chopping them down
for furniture for centuries!
If that's love, no wonder they're
calling down fire from the heavens.
But we saw the future.
Lots of futures.
Earth's futures.
They're about to be erased.
If you can't save them all,
save what you can.
TARDIS.
It's a life boat, isn't it?
Not everybody has to die.
(Chants) Everywhere we go!
CHILDREN: Everywhere we go!
People wanna know!
People wanna know!
Who we are!
Who we are!
We are the Coal Hill
Gifted and Talented!
Whoa.
Alright, come on, team.
When they're done, you need to
get in your box and go.
We're all going -
We're taking the kids.
Taking them where.
What are you going to do with them?
Leave them on an asteroid?
Find a space academy
for the gifted and talented?
They just want their mums and dads.
And they're never going to
stop wanting them.
I can save you and Danny.
Danny Pink will never leave those
kids so long as he is breathing.
(All cheer)
Yay! Good one, team.
Can we take another selfie, Sir?
Of course. Come on, then.
Yes!
I can save you.
I don't want you to.
What, you don't want to live?
Of course I want to live. I just...
What?
Don't make me say it.
Say what?
I don't want to be
the last of my kind.
Then why did you bring us all here?
Because it's the only way
to get you back to the TARDIS -
make you think
you're saving someone.
Well, you know what, Doctor,
this time the human race
is saving you.
Make it worthwhile.
This is my world too.
I walk your Earth
and I breathe your air.
And on behalf of this world,
you're very welcome.
Now go.
Save the next one.
Maeve?
I'm sorry...
..that I couldn't help you.
You helped me loads -
I thought it was all my fault -
I feel much better now.
Are you gonna get rid of the forest?
Hard to get rid of
a flame-proof forest, Maeve, hey?
Come on.
Government crews have been deployed
with the latest...
..'def-o'...
..'de-fu'...
Defoliant agent of some sort.
They're used to take the leaves off
the trees so they're easier to burn.
That's harsh.
(TARDIS grinds)
Where's he going?
Home.
He's going home.
Which is exactly where we're going.
A flame-proof forest.
Flame... proof... forest.
1,000 atom bombs and no-one hurt.
I am Doctor idiot.
Clara?! Come back here! Come back!
He's calling you.
Yes. Let him call.
This is more important.
Clara!
Mr Pink!
Maeve! All of you!
Quick! Quick, come back!
Come back!
Come on!
Maeve, quick. Good girl, good girl.
Come on!
It's there on the screen - look!
Big solar flare headed this way,
1,000 kilometres a second.
Coronal mass ejection,
geomagnetic storm -
it's huge.
It's brewing up a solar wind
big enough
to blow this whole planet away.
I assume your teachers
have mentioned this?
I thought it would spoil
an otherwise enjoyable walk.
OK. OK.
Well, this is the bad news.
The good news is
it's happened before.
And you're still here.
The Tunguska blast, 1908 -
that should have blown the whole
planet off its axis, but it didn't.
It knocked a few trees over...
Well, a few -
tens of thousands of trees over.
Curuca, in Brazil, same story -
Earth should have been smashed,
but it wasn't.
What do these things have in common?
They're really, really scaring us?
Trees!
Whenever there's a planet-threatening
extraterrestrial impact -
trees!
Massive forest filling
the atmosphere with oxygen.
Pumping it up like a massive,
highly-inflammable airbag,
so that when trouble hits...
Everyone dies.
No! The impact burns off
the excess oxygen.
You have some fairly hectic weather
for a few days
and some fairly
trippy-looking sunsets,
but apart from that...
..you will be alright.
I was wrong.
The trees are not your enemy.
They're your shield.
They've been saving you
since forever -
protecting you from everything
that space can throw at you.
The wide ring.
The red ring, in the museum.
Ruby saw a cross-section of a tree,
one of the rings was wider than
the others and red.
Atmospheric dust
captured by the trees.
The fingerprint of an asteroid.
Happy red ring day.
I don't get it.
If they're good, then why are we
chopping them down?
The government are sending out
defoliating teams.
They're dropping chemicals on them
right now.
What is it with you people?
You hear voices,
you want to shut them up!
The trees come to save you,
you want to chop them down.
Well, you think you need to
save the world
when it's already saving itself.
I did admit that I was wrong.
Excellent.
Mobile networks are still operative.
Right. We are going to call
everyone on Earth
and tell them
to leave the trees alone.
Can I do it?
I started it,
I should finish it.
OK.
Class project - save the Earth.
(Children chatter excitedly)
OK.
And I think that's it.
(Phones rings)
Essential services have been
disrupted
due to an unexpected forest.
Maeve! Where are you?
We'd like to reassure you
that the situation will be rectified
very soon.
Please, don't be scared.
And, please, don't chop, spray
or harm the trees -
they're here to help!
Be less scared.
Be more trusting.
Oh, and, Annabelle Arden,
please come home.
OK!
Who would like to witness
a once-in-a-billion-year
solar event at close quarters?
Mum! There's my mum.
I thought I'd lost you too.
Never.
Not ever.
So, a trip to space, anyone?
I want my mum?
I slightly want my mum too.
Tell them, Mr Pink, what an
educational opportunity...
Y-you go.
This...
(Chuckles) This is enough for me.
What?
Coronal ejections,
geomagnetic storms,
how often do you get
a playlist like that?
I was a soldier.
I put myself at risk.
I didn't try too hard to survive,
but somehow, here I am.
And now I can see what I nearly lost
and it's enough.
I don't want to see more things,
I want to see the things that are
in front of me more clearly.
There are wonders here,
Clara Oswald.
Bradley saying please -
that's a wonder.
One person is more amazing,
harder to understand,
but more amazing than universes.
Really?
What person is that, then?
(All cheer)
I told you!
I said so, didn't I?
We could have a picnic.
You can't - you've got marking.
Oh!
Oh, no, no, no, that was...
That was from ages ago.
You see, what happened was...
They always write the date neatly
at the top of the page.
Yeah, they do, don't they?
Yeah. Last Friday.
You were on the TARDIS last Friday.
Today, you thought the world
was going to end
but you still didn't tell me
the truth.
I tried. He interrupted.
I just want to know the truth.
I don't care what it is,
I just want to know it.
Like Maeve said, like the forest -
fear a little bit less,
trust a bit more.
OK.
Well...
No. Not now.
Go home and do your marking.
Think about it, then tell me.
I saved you from a tiger today,
I deserve at least that.
Yes, you did.
And, yes, you do.
I hope I'm right.
It'd be slightly awkward if the world
was destroyed at this point.
What?
There goes the planet's...
(Speaks indistinctly)
That's the trees
harvesting the solar fire.
# SLOW, SURREAL SINGING
Now, that was surprising.
And I love surprises.
That is... amazing.
How will they explain this tomorrow?
You'll all forget it ever happened.
We're not going to forget
an overnight forest.
You forgot the last time.
You remembered the fear
and you put it into fairy stories.
It's the human superpower,
forgetting.
If you remembered how things felt
you'd have stopped having wars...
..and stopped having babies.
Annabelle!
My Annabelle!
I knew you'd be here!
The thought of you came to me!
Clara?
Do I have your attention?
You will never step inside
your TARDIS again.
Clara, what are you doing?
Time can be rewritten.
# FAST-PACED DRAMATIC MUSIC
Clara, my Clara,
I don't think you will!
You know who I am.
I'm not Clara Oswald.
Clara Oswald has never existed.
Captions by CSI Australia