Gridlock

Jumping through different lil mini house-spaceships was a real fun idea.

I'm glad to see Gridlock getting some love in the reviews. I think it definitely deserves it. Though technically a sequel of sorts to New Earth, I appreciate how nicely Gridlock stands on its own. I also like how the story both captures the frustration of being stuck in traffic but also takes it beyond realism into a bunch of gags and science fiction ideas. The Doctor's performance, along with Martha who is pretty great here, both elevate what could be pretty standard Doctor Who material, but they aren't alone. Most of the performers are also really strong here, there's some decent world building with that larger narrative that doesn't feel overplayed, it's just a good, strong, and somewhat underrated episode overall.

The special effects can be a little inconsistent with stuff like the giant crabs, and that's where the story loses me a bit, but the overall narrative on the whole works, especially the detail of how fundamentally pointless the traffic was to begin with. Gridlock is written fairly well overall but the cast and crew turn it into something special. I would recommend.

A neat idea. People locked on a motorway for 25 years. You could make analogies with refugees, or those in long term isolation. It makes for a visually interesting story too - mostly moving from one claustrophobic box to another.

Coming back to the same point in history a third time gives the show a pleasing anchor. There is a genuine sense of sadness when the Face of Boe dies, which is astonishing considering that he is a giant head. Russell can give any character humanity. Brannigan, played by Ardal O’Hanlon steals the show though, with literal kittens as children.

If the story was not dark enough you have kidnap and drugs and Macra… wait? Macra! The return surely no one could have anticipated, and probably the most bizarrely realised enemy return since the show’s inception. Very much appreciated by me.

Another almost wishy-washy ending with The Doctor opening up the motorway by initially “being good with computers”, before saying “oh no, it’s not going to work”, until the Face of Boe gives The Doctor his dying breath. It’s a bit tenuous but I’ll allow it as the overall episode is very well realised.

We have more pining and going on about Rose but this is forgiven due to the detailed mentions of The Doctor’s home planet and Tennant’s excellent portrayal of loss. We even get a hint that there are more Time Lords out there…!