Why now?

[Roranicus]

The silents have been around since 'the wheel and fire', so why now? Why suddenly are they going to war with us? I know there was some mention of the space programme, but if they really are manipulating humans and are some big old out of space awesomeness with their own TARDIS, then why didnt they speed us along so that we had the knowledge and capabilities centuries ago.

Am I looking too deep with this, or did I overlook the reason in the actual episode?

[Peri-Peri]

No, its actually a really good point. I think though that its probably a case of 'it just is' and it will go no deeper. Perhaps I am wrong though

[missadric2]

Well why not now? Do you know what I mean? Look at WW2 etc why did they occur then? It might not go any further into it I don't think it will

[TheDoctorDonna]

Well thats not really a good analogy. WWII happened when it did because thats when Hitler went on his crusade through Europe. He hadnt been sitting in the background of humanity for millenia using humans as puppets.

[Aneurin]

I agree with TDD. Its totally different. Though other than that I have no idea 'why now'

[Vampyros Adric]

I have thoughts - they are pretty ill formed and might be incorrect. However...

1) Firstly, I think this is an excellent OP - because when you try to think about it, pinning down how the Silence actually cropped up is not easy.

2) The Silence weren't actually at war in this episode, they were quite happily sitting there leaching off Humanity. It was only when Amy started seeing them and then the Doc tried to track down the Child that the Silence emerged. It was the Doctor and his chums that went to war against the Silence.

3) This of itself begs a number of questions;

i) What did the Doctor dying have to do with the price of fish?
ii) Why could only Amy see the silence
iii) Considering they rip the Universe open, blow up the TARDIS and cause an alliance of the biggest baddies, The Silence were fairly passive. Supposing they are parasites - are we expected to believe they orchestrated the moon landing simply for a Space Suit?
iv) Can the Silence travel in time?
v) What with the little girl in the Space Suit and why did the Silence build it?

I haven't been a lot of help here have I?

[Peri-Peri]

You raise some good points. There is also some stuff I want to argue with.

2) The Silence weren't actually at war in this episode, they were quite happily sitting there leaching off Humanity. It was only when Amy started seeing them and then the Doc tried to track down the Child that the Silence emerged. It was the Doctor and his chums that went to war against the Silence.

But why? Why is it now that people were suddenly seeing them? I know that the Doctor sort of picked the fight, but they started it (I am fully aware I sound like an 8 year old right now ) They were after the girl in the suit, who then connected with Nixon, who the Doctor was helping.

(thought when I think about it, how the hell did they all get involved anyway? The story doesnt have a start point and I only just realised.

3) This of itself begs a number of questions;

i) What did the Doctor dying have to do with the price of fish?

Very good point! So far it means nothing and I suddenly realised makes no sense.

ii) Why could only Amy see the silence

I thought they could all see them?

iii) Considering they rip the Universe open, blow up the TARDIS and cause an alliance of the biggest baddies, The Silence were fairly passive. Supposing they are parasites - are we expected to believe they orchestrated the moon landing simply for a Space Suit?

I don't think the stuff relating to TBB/TARDIS/ALLIANCE etc is the same thing. I have a feeling that the voice in the TARDIS from TBB was the one who instigated all that, and its something else I think.

iv) Can the Silence travel in time?

I don't know, but would they need to?

v) What with the little girl in the Space Suit and why did the Silence build it?

More to the point, if she is now out of it and regenerated, who is in it in the future and why kill the Doctor?

I haven't been a lot of help here have I?

Nope, but its been fun and you've opened loads of potential theories and thoughts

[Vampyros Adric]

See, we are fans but we are not unobservant Following your cross examination, P-P i have some follow ups...

First, I think we are all agreed that finding a starting point for The Silence is tricky when you start thinking about it. Either this is deliberate or just a happy accident. I don't think this ambiguity in any way detracts from the story - it's just interesting that he told the story this way. But if he did it deliberately, is there more of this story to be told?

ii) Why could only Amy see the silence

I thought they could all see them?

This is poor phrasing on my part. I meant right at the start of TIA, the way it was introduced to us, it was only Amy who could see them on the cliff. And also in the White House Loo scene, why did the Silence choose to interact with her? Then in DOTM, it was Amy who was kidnapped - Amy seemed to have a special connection to The Silence. What is it I wonder?

iii) Considering they rip the Universe open, blow up the TARDIS and cause an alliance of the biggest baddies, The Silence were fairly passive. Supposing they are parasites - are we expected to believe they orchestrated the moon landing simply for a Space Suit?

I don't think the stuff relating to TBB/TARDIS/ALLIANCE etc is the same thing. I have a feeling that the voice in the TARDIS from TBB was the one who instigated all that, and its something else I think.

See I thought this was The Silence that was mentioned last season? We even got a clip of Rory and the Doc from last season? I might be wrong on this (as with so much lol) 

iv) Can the Silence travel in time?

I don't know, but would they need to?

My thinking on this was that they had a TARDIS (or equivalent) under the warehouse, similar to the one in s5 The Lodger. So if they do have a time ship then this begs a whole different series of questions (I'm going to get my proto-Timelords theory out soon )

I haven't been a lot of help here have I?

Nope, but its been fun and you've opened loads of potential theories and thoughts

It really has been fun This has been such an amazing couple of stories. I don't think any Doctor Who has quite got me like this

[Roranicus]

I dont have anyone to quote, and I also don't know how to do it as cool looking as you two did it, but I am going to stick my Rory sized beak in to add some stuff.

Firstly, PP raises a good point. Why are they all involved anyway? We still don't know why they specifically had to find Canton, or why they got involved in the first place. There isnt really a start to the story from say. They know they have been summoned there to watch the Doctor die, but that seemingly has nothing to do with the actual presidential mission as far as I can see.

As for Chris' comment about Amy seeing them, she seems to be linked to everything, doesnt she. The Dream Lord targeted her, the Silents and [spoiler]she is apparantly VERY important to the Cybers in a later episode who want her to remain unharmed[/spoiler]. Its starting to feel a bit like when everything was connected to Donna.

I was under the same impression as PP with the voice in the TARDIS. I thought that was something else entirely.

I think the fact that the Silence have some sort of TARDIS will be very important later. Especially give then fact that all this happened in 69, yet Amy saw one on the beach in 2011.

And thats about it

[Roranicus]

Ooh, also, I think this means we will probably see Canton again due to the fact that for some reason, the Doctor wants Canton to watch him die, but yet hasnt yet asked him to bring the gas etc

[Exterminate]

I agree about it being centred around Amy. That whole thing in the bathroom is the clincher for me. Why did it kill Joy and not Amy? (Why did it kill Joy at all is another one of my questions). I know it wanted Amy to pass on a message, but it obviously knew that the Doctor and Amy were a threat so it could have just killed her there and then and be done with it. For whatever reason, it decided to let her live. The same goes for kidnapping her. They told her she had been in that chair for days (which didnt make sense as from the Doctor and Rory's point of view, she hadnt), so why not just kill her instead of keeping her there like a beacon for the Doctor?

[sailorjerry]

They told her she had been in that chair for days (which didnt make sense as from the Doctor and Rory's point of view, she hadn't)

There do seem to be a few gaps here. The picture of Amy with a child that she doesn't remember, Amy's time spent in captivity, Rory not remembering portions of his 2000 years as the centurion, etc. Maybe we have no idea how much influence the Silence has had or how much they have been making the heroes forget.

[Exterminate]

They told her she had been in that chair for days (which didnt make sense as from the Doctor and Rory's point of view, she hadn't)

There do seem to be a few gaps here. The picture of Amy with a child that she doesn't remember, Amy's time spent in captivity, Rory not remembering portions of his 2000 years as the centurion, etc. Maybe we have no idea how much influence the Silence has had or how much they have been making the heroes forget.

From that perspective, perhaps its wasn't three months between episodes. It could have been a lot longer and Amy could have had the baby by the time we see them again in episode 2, but had the memory removed