[mikey_hamster]

I have been doing some rewatching and having a think about some of the "possible" unasnwered questions that may or may not be explained in episodes to come.

Im sorry if this has been discussed in the past i couldn't see anything related when I had I look.

The silence are a relegious order that believe silence must fall when the question is eventually asked on the fields of trenzalore. However, baring in mind that "the silence" is made up beings from numerous races, we still havn't been given a name for the aliens in suits that erase themselves from memory. They are referred to as parasites but have been given no real name.

Do you think we will be told this? Or have I missed something obvious. Sorry again if this has been discussed.

[sebbie3000]

Originally Posted by mikey_hamster

I have been doing some rewatching and having a think about some of the "possible" unasnwered questions that may or may not be explained in episodes to come.

Im sorry if this has been discussed in the past i couldn't see anything related when I had I look.

The silence are a relegious order that believe silence must fall when the question is eventually asked on the fields of trenzalore. However, baring in mind that "the silence" is made up beings from numerous races, we still havn't been given a name for the aliens in suits that erase themselves from memory. They are referred to as parasites but have been given no real name.

Do you think we will be told this? Or have I missed something obvious. Sorry again if this has been discussed.

Just a couple of points - they don't believe silence must fall as a good thing, hence they were trying to stop the only person able to answer the question. Don't know if you got that, but just thought I should clear it up for you.

Next point - the BBC Doctor Who website, the episode credits, and all references to those aliens call them the Silents. They are members of the Silence. Different words, but pronounced the same.

Hope that helps!

[MinkytheDog]

The precise nature of and motives behind the Silence was never really explained. Regardless of the actions of Madam K, the Silence may have actually been trying to do "the right thing" - it depends on exactly what it is that they were trying to prevent by killing the Doctor.

The moral ambiguity of doing bad things for good reasons - the ends justifying the means - is a recurring theme.

[nebogipfel]

Originally Posted by sebbie3000

Just a couple of points - they don't believe silence must fall as a good thing, hence they were trying to stop the only person able to answer the question. Don't know if you got that, but just thought I should clear it up for you.

Next point - the BBC Doctor Who website, the episode credits, and all references to those aliens call them the Silents. They are members of the Silence. Different words, but pronounced the same.

Hope that helps!

Did they ever get an on screen namecheck? Even in passing? I suppose that would have been confusing. or needed clumsy exposition. Imagine a Silent rolling his eyes and saying "right, for the last time! We are all Silents. With a T. We are members of the Silence! For pity's sake. Here, I'll draw,a diagram...".

I quite liked that they didn't get properly named or given an origin planet or anything. Kept the mystery.

[mikey_hamster]

Thanks sebbie :-), I didn't see the credits so i figured they were saying the same thing. So we have race called the silents that work for the silence! how compicated. He could have called them something else to avoid confusion!

Yeah i get the silence must fall plot, and that they have to kill him by necessity (causing his silence when the question is asked) as they can't have him answer the question that must never be answered. (Doctor who?)

To nebogipfel, I agree about having them shrouded in mystery.The unknown always adds an extra scare factor, its partly why I was inquiring as I figured it was still a mystery as to what they were.

[CoalHillJanitor]

Without reading the credits, you can still hear River (or was it the Doctor?) in Day of the Moon saying something like 'Keep at least one Silent in view at all times'.

[Corwin]

Originally Posted by nebogipfel

Did they ever get an on screen namecheck? Even in passing?

They are referred to as The Silents in The Wedding of River Song (one example being when Amy asks why people are not killing them on sight anymore)

[nebogipfel]

Thanks CoalHillJanitor and Corwin. So they were directly named in two episodes. Always nicer not to have to rely on credits. Or else we'll have all that "The Title Sequence is part of the story" thing kicking off again.

[lach doch mal]

Originally Posted by CoalHillJanitor

Without reading the credits, you can still hear River (or was it the Doctor?) in Day of the Moon saying something like 'Keep at least one Silent in view at all times'.

It still could be misleading as you would have to listen very carefully (and quite often with newer TV's the sound/voice ratio) is really off.

I think I agree with Mikey Hamster that it might be better to call them something else, but it may transpire that there is a reason for it (e.g., they are directly/inextricably linked with the religious order).

[Corwin]

Originally Posted by mikey_hamster

Thanks sebbie :-), I didn't see the credits so i figured they were saying the same thing. So we have race called the silents that work for the silence! how compicated. He could have called them something else to avoid confusion!

We don't actually know what their race is called though.

The Doctor and others may just call them Silents just because they are part of the Religious Organisation known as The Silence.

[mikey_hamster]

Originally Posted by Corwin

We don't actually know what their race is called though.

The Doctor and others may just call them Silents just because they are part of the Religious Organisation known as The Silence.

I like this idea. That they have been referring to them as silents as they dont know what else to call them. All they know is that they work for the silence so it would be logical. Perhaps they will become a race that will crop up now and then in Who and each time we will learn more. Maybe even get a race name one day or planet of origin as nebogipfel suggested.

[Whovian1109]

Originally Posted by Corwin

We don't actually know what their race is called though.

The Doctor and others may just call them Silents just because they are part of the Religious Organisation known as The Silence.

That's what I thought. Plus to begin with, in TIA and DotM, they don't know they're part of the Silence and they refer to themselves as "The Silence". The Doctor later refers to them as: "The creatures that lead the Silence" in WoRS.

[sovietusername]

Originally Posted by sebbie3000

Just a couple of points - they don't believe silence must fall as a good thing, hence they were trying to stop the only person able to answer the question. Don't know if you got that, but just thought I should clear it up for you.

U sure? I thought they wanted silence to fall i.e. the Doctor to be silenced so that he could never answer the question. Silence MUST fall. They dont want the Doctor to answer the question, they want silence to fall, they want to prevent him answering the question.

"Silence will fall when the question is asked (remember that may not actually mean it will fall when the questions actually asked (I think thats where we have the confusion) "Silence must fall would be a better translation"). All the times I've heard those words I never realised it meant my Silence, my death..."