Daktaras Kas Gridlock (2005– ) Online

This third episode of Tennant's second season is a cracker. With The Doctor returning to New Earth, we find a world that is grimly disturbing. Inhabitants of the planet's dark underworld resort to emotion-altering drugs dished out from shanty-town vendors while the rest of the population are caught-up in the mother of all traffic-jams. Stuck in an agonisingly slow flow of traffic, the passengers are lucky to move 5 miles in 12 years. Unless, perhaps, they move to the Fast Lane...

With a huge scale, mind-boggling big-scale effects and the return of the Face of Boe and Novice Hame, this is a future classic. The icing on the cake is the totally unexpected appearance of an old (and I really mean old - think Troughton's era!) enemy, produced with The Mill's CGI wizardry.

The New Earth of "Gridlock" is a mix of "Blade Runner"'s rain splattered streets, Judge Dredd's overcrowded Mega-City One and Star Wars' majestic, sky-scraping Coruscant. There's even a nod to Dredd's pinstripe freak, Max Normal, in this tale. Superb stuff.

The cast are excellent as always. The series attracts the UK's best talent and in "Gridlock" we have "Father Ted"'s Ardal O'Hanlon (disguised heavily under brilliant cat make-up) and the lovely Lenora Crichlow. Crichlow was a delight in "Sugar Rush" and she's very watchable here.

This is an ambitious, CGI-reliant episode that hits the mark. Tennant is spot-on with his performance and Agyeman's beautiful Martha Jones is proving to be one of the best companions we've seen. Russell T. Davies displays his usual ability to create genuinely moving scenarios in phantasmagoric settings. Only hours after this episode has aired, I already know of one person who cried during the finale. A nice touch in this episode is The Doctor's description of Gallifrey, i.e. "the burnt orange sky" and "silver trees". This ties up with previous descriptions from earlier incarnations of the Time Lord and is a lovely example of continuity with the "classic" series. Despite a few silly touches (for example, the talking kittens), this is a well written episode that deserves to be recognised as an above-average tale.

On a side note, I think I deserve a prize for guessing what the Face of Boe's last words would be. I bet a few thousand fans will have been in the same position, though. Showing a lot of future thinking, the arcs in "Doctor Who" are elaborate and span seasons rather than mere episodes! Next episode - the dreaded Daleks are back! This is proving to be a very memorable season and one that is not short of treats.

9 out of 10.

It's obvious that Russell T Davies is someone who can come with great ideas for a narrative . It's just as obvious that he's got a problem bringing these ideas together . Gridlock is a sequel to both New Earth and an early Troughton story now lost called The Macra Terror ( Regarded by fans who saw it on its original broadcast as a classic ) but the ideas presented do not gel in to a coherent storyline . Truth be told there's a massive amount of plot holes

1 ) Are we to seriously believe that it takes several years to travel a few miles on a motorway ? If that's the case then why not just ditch the car and walk ?

2 ) It's revealed that New Earth was destroyed by a virus . Wouldn't the people trapped in their cars on the motorway have heard of this afterwards ? If the virus had happened before the exodus on the motorway wouldn't the people in their cars have caught it ?

3 ) Is it ever revealed where and why people are driving to their destination ?

4 ) If someone has taken " honesty mood " why would they kidnap someone ? I was under the impression kidnapping people is a crime of dishonesty ?

5 ) If the Macra are " devolved " then how would they continue to manipulate the situation . Come to think of it why wouldn't people have noticed hundreds of giant crab like aliens over the years ?

The more you think about Gridlock the more everything collapses . RTD redeems himself with the final scene of the Doctor telling Martha about the destruction of his race but it became clear a long time ago that if he writes a memorable final segment a lot of people are willing to forgive the unmemorable 40 minutes that preceded it . Once a viewer becomes aware of this then forgiveness starts to run out

"Gridlock" is the third episode in the rebooted show's third season, and it's certainly one worth watching. It satisfies on a narrative level, but also on a visual one, with the show's creators presenting the vivid dystopia of New Earth (a place familiar to most fans). We see the relationship between the Doctor and Martha develop rather substantially in 'Gridlock', largely due to the situation in which they each find themselves: early in the episode, Martha is kidnapped, and we can plainly see the Doctor's desperation and anger at having lost a second companion so soon. One of the more interesting supporting characters, the Face of Boe, also makes a significant contribution to the story of this episode. Keeping his promise, the ancient sagely alien finds himself in the company of the Doctor one more time, and in doing so he delivers perhaps the most intriguing scene in the episode, revealing something to the Time Lord which will excite the curiosity of many fans. If some of the other supporting characters were written with the same level of imagination used in the creation of New New York (the city in which this episode is set), this would most likely rank among my favourite episodes. Still, this omission doesn't detract from the episode too significantly, and I feel my 8/10 rating is well-deserved.

Series 3 was a true mix of good and bad, but sat right in the middle of the mix was Gridlock, it had too much to be bad, and it didn't quite hit the mark for it to be great.

I applaud the creation of a credible new world, one where everything has gone wrong. Being stuck on the M4 daily to get to work I love the idea of the eternal Motorway, that concept feels like it's happening now!!

Father Dougall is now a cat, we've seen these human cats before in New Earth, but only the ladies, so Brannigan is something new. The design is a good one, and he's fun.

The Rose references are becoming annoying. Freema's made a good start but the writers are seemingly conspiring against her and reminding us about his 'ex' too often.

The random rendition of The Old Rugged Cross is so random, but very sweet and moving. It's a truly lovely moment.

The creation of the pushers was a clever one, the world is damaged, but there are still parasites looking to cash in, it's actually a very clever scene, well thought, well acted too.

The Bells of St John felt like an update for The Web of Fear and that was found, and this feels like an update for The Macra Terror, so lets hope.....

A final appearance for both the Face of Boe and Novice Hame. The voice behind Boe, Struan Rodger's is glorious!! Good to see the Doctor forgive Hame for her part in the crimes of New Earth, she wasn't a bad cat! The best appearance for the face of Boe, great final scenes.

I'm sure I remember Davies opting to bring back The Macra as they had been voted the most unlikely monster to ever return.

Highly ambitious, it's actually quite a sweet episode with some poignant moments, yes it's flawed on many different levels but overall it's pretty good, it dares to be different.

7/10 Tennant and Freema are making a great combo

Will we ever see the Macra again????

This was a filler episode and had little to recommend it. The story was weak, serving as a flimsy vehicle to deliver the Face of Boe's message. The message itself was exactly what everyone knew it would be with no gravitas or additional insight. A couple of the characters were amusing on a moderate scale, the make-up and character design was generally good as usual, but the monsters this week were unnecessary in an "insert peril here" kind of way, and the melodrama quotient was high. This weeks "outrage moment" about the pharmacists was also out of proportion. All that said, what I liked about it was that it was a Doctor Who episode (yeah!), learning where kittens come from, Martha talked back, and that the message is now delivered so we can bring on the Master. Oh, and for the love of Boe, no more hymns please!

The Doctor, obviously still pining for Rose and wishing to recapture that feeling, takes Martha to New New York, the same place he previously traveled with Rose to. Upon arriving Martha is quickly kidnapped in order to drive in the fast lane (a requirement to enter is to have three people per car, hence why the kidnapping couple took Martha) amidst a world so gridlocked that it takes decades to get anywhere. Also, the Face of Boa makes an enigmatic and mysterious (finale?) appearance. Oh yea and a brief appearance by an alien species that hasn't been seen on Doctor Who since 1967.

This is a fun, thrilling episode as well as being surprisingly humane and warm, yet it seems like just a prelude to a much bigger story down the road. That particular road being the last few episodes of series 3.

My Grade: B+

Call me an old softy but the warm-hearted elements of this episode, combined with some sad farewells, make it the best of series 3 so far. Wonderful to see the Face of Boe back, and even Novice Haim is welcome but as for the real monsters of the piece...brilliant! What a fantastically cheeky conceit to bring back a ropey monster from the black and white days and turn it into a big-budget CGI experience. Freema puts in her best performance as Martha yet, Ardal is a pleasant guest star and David Tennant's performance at the end is pure brilliance. This show is in my heart as much as the original run ever was when I was a kid, and it shows no sign of losing its power. Long may you travel, Doctor, Sir!

That was an entertaining episode, wacky and strange in a good way. The messages it dealt with (people have to shape their own destiny, rather than expecting some invisible police to save them) were provoking and interesting. The CGI was very good, very good indeed, a tribute to Judge Dread and the magnificent Coruscant. The sequence where the Doctor goes to the last lane is superb both cinematically and musically and the random people he meets hilarious.

We had the Face of Boe return and finally delivering his message! We all saw it coming but maybe its meaning is not so obvious as we all think! We ll wait and see... Thumbs up for the writers who keep the tense up and who make us go emotional for a huge face in a jar!

And now the problem....Martha...her character started OK but it seems she is becoming irritating and egotistical. Worse than Martha is Freema. Her performance is ....bad. I don't know if she is plain bad, or bad comparing to the excellent ms Piper, but the result is weak and even more obvious cause this series from day one that revived had very good performances.

Better than "The End Of The World", inferior than "The New Earth".

I wasn't as thrilled with this episode as the majority were, it seems. Returning to new earth again felt a bit repetitive even though this episode really had nothing to do with the one from season two. The endless freeway was an interesting concept. Coupled with the mish mash of religious beliefs represented in this episode, (The repeated use of God's name, Jehovah, was an interesting curiosity) I think the writers were trying to make some sort of statement but if that were the case, it gets lost in the mundane plot devices of the episode. There's nothing particularly bad about it but there was nothing really good or captivating either. Not even an appearance by The Face of Boe held any real interest (but does sort of hold some significance later in the season). But I suppose that is to be expected by an episode about what amounts to an endless monotonous road trip. I found myself just wanting to get to the next episode. 6/10

The Doctor takes Martha to New Earth and the city of New New York which he visited previously with Rose. This time he finds the city has descended into a dystopian society where people travel on motorways for years in the hope of finding a better life than the squalor of the streets but there are creatures controlling things and the Doctor has met them before. They are the Macra. Another 'old face' (quite literally!) the 'Face of Boe' is also there and has a message for the Doctor.

The greatest strength of this story is the different levels on which it works. It is a fun adventure with humour and silliness. It also has a deeper, darker theme about society and presents a dystopian vision of a future where humans use drugs to control emotions and are willing to travel on a 'motorway' indefinitely and unquestioningly in the hope of a promised better life many years down the line. Additional, and best of all, there is a dark and emotional aspect in terms of the Doctor's feelings about the Time War, the loss of his home planet and fellow Time Lords and his relationships with companions. There are wonderful scenes where the Doctor talks about Gallifrey which link in to the classic series account of the planet. These scenes are beautifully acted by David Tennant and are very touching. Freema Agyeman continues to impress as Martha and her acting throughout is also great. The support cast are good with varied characterisations.

The effects are good and the ideas are interesting. The use of hymns is incredibly effective and overall this is a very enjoyable episode reminiscent of ideas from the classic series but done in a new way with improved effects. Nice to have the Macra given a return with CGI making them work for a new audience.

9/10.

Once again, the brilliant Doctor Who continues to amaze. The CGI in this episode is excellent, the acting superb and the atmosphere very effective. You can't help but wonder if we will turn up like this, and a line that made me shudder was "what if there is no one out there?" Martha may be a little annoying but she is played very well by Freema Aygeman, and she is a great assistant none the less even though she could never live up to Rose's standards.

Bringing back an old monster was a nice touch for the fans of the old series.The music was not that memorable but the hymn was nice at the end. Brannigan was excellent and very funny, David Tennant is wonderful once again. This is a fantastic 3rd episode. Long live Doctor Who!

Story - 10/10 Music - 7/10 Acting - 9/10

OVERALL - 9/10

The new Doctor Who show is just fantastic. Great sci-fi. Superb entertainment value. As modern TV SF, it is second only to the new Battlestar Galactica.

This third episode of season three, Gridlock, was another wild and whirling ride, great fun all the way through. I felt the story had several problems, though. We are told towards the end that the city is dead, and all the commuters are trapped in the underbelly motorways. But the episode starts with vendors being in business on the open street level, and the motorcar that kidnaps Martha being out in the open! Ahem! Cough!

Also, why are there only a maximum of two people (plus some kids - kind of) in all the motorcars? What about all the ones that would have three or four or even more people? The story doesn't address that possibility at all. Or did they all crash down and got eaten by the Macra?

Also, the four final words of the Face of Boe - well, I wasn't impressed. Old Doctor Who episodes have featured lots of stories about the Time-Lords. They travel in time!! So when and where does it ever make sense that the Doctor is the last of the Time-Lords - who can travel in time, just like he does? Even if they were extinct, couldn't he just go to a point in time where they weren't? In any case, who is surprised that some time-lord here and there survived to travel around and meet up with the Doctor sometime? Nobody! We expect that! We expect to meet the Master again! Of course. No big deal. It'll be fun, as usual, but it's not exactly surprising, you know?

Even so, this episode, while imperfect, were still a lot of fun. One final complaint, though: The whole gridlock thing - the massive traffic jam -; I thought this was going to be a comment on the real world; a topical critique of current-day unrestrained motorism and all its problems - and while it started out seeming that way, the story really went in a totally different direction, having completely different reasons for the situation, and solving it with virtually no explanation other than that the Doctor fiddled around with his sonic screwdriver a bit. Pretty thin, I have to say.

Still! Great entertainment. And that's saying a lot!

Not better than the first two episodes of third season, though, both of which I also rated a 9.

9 out of 10.

Gridlock finally sees the Doctor and Martha getting into their stride and its a great relief after the very disappointing 'Smith and Jones' and 'The Shakespeare Code' episodes. The premise sounded rather silly to me at first, and I must admit that it took me a while to actually like this episode, I was rather hostile to it at first. But the great twists in it involving the rest of New New York, the reasons for the gridlock in the slums, and the return of the Face of Boe made it an enduring episode. I didn't like the giant crab enemies, they were particularly silly, but the rest of the episode was a credit to Russell T Davies' great writing skills. I just hope that the rest of the series is filled with more episodes like this and not like the previous 2.

Best episode of this series so far, in my humble opinion. I have not been too impressed with the series so far. I know that it is early on, but I get bored of the "period" episodes, and there is usually at least one in a series. This episode was refreshing to watch. I really enjoyed it. I hope the series continues in this quality. I love the Face of Boe, and was sad to see what happened in the episode. But, I was also glad to see him interacting with the Doctor again. The plot of the episode was good because it wasn't something that was obviously derivative of some other sci-fi story or concept. One thing that confused me was, if they are in New New York, why did everyone speak with a British accent? LOL

The 10th Doctor is on full egocentric mode (nothing new there then!) as this episode begins when he takes Martha to NewNewNewNe...Earth in the far future for no reason other than that's where he once took Rose. How are we supposed to like him when he treats her like this?! Then Martha goes and gets herself kidnapped. That's just the beginning and it's a sign of things to come with this consistently poorly-written companion.

This episode is let down massively because it doesn't know what it wants to be. One of the best things about Doctor Who is that it lends itself to any genre with ease but that can be an issue when it can't pick one and settle on it which is what happens here. Is it going for comedy? Is it trying to be dark and unsettling? Is it trying to be emotional and dramatic? It can't decide and so what we get fluctuates between all of these things and the end result is a mess.

One particular moment that demonstrates the problem is when a cat-person is shown to have kids with his human wife and these kids are a litter of kittens. It should be played for laughs but it isn't, even though his actor is a comedian and David Tennant is capable of getting laughs too. Mistakes like this one can be found littered throughout the episode. The only moment that truly figures itself out is the scene when the Face of Boe (SPOILERS: Boe is Captain Jack, probably) dies, everything else that happens is very poorly done.

What more is left to say about this one? It sets up for the You Are Not Alone arc that will come to fruition in 'Utopia' and shows us the end of Jack Harkness's story. It sees Martha Jones take her first trip to the future. It sees the fourth ClassicWho monster to appear in NuWho (the Macra). These things should all add up to a good episode but the whole thing fails to figure out what it's trying to be and I can't quite get my head around what I'm watching with this episode. Which is a shame because I love Doctor Who but I don't love this. RTD missed the mark a bit this time. 3/10