Doctor Who “Gridlock”

10/10 - I loved this one …

The Doctor offers Martha one trip into the future, to visit another planet. She asks if he can take her to his home planet, and speculates as to its beauty. He describes Gallifrey's Citadel, mountains, orange sky and other features as if they still existed, but claims he does not want to go home. He lies ...

Instead, he takes her to the year five billion and fifty three, into a dark alleyway where it is raining, and introduces her to New New York in New Earth. The Doctor repeats some things he told Rose the last time he was there. Martha becomes slightly upset when she realises she is being taken to the same place the Doctor took Rose, and mutters the word "rebound".




The Doctor and Martha are in a run-down street. Three pharmacists open their market stands and try to sell the Doctor and Martha patches that dispense "moods", particularly Happy Happy.

Suddenly, a young couple armed with guns grab Martha and haul her away, subduing her with a patch inducing Sleep. The Doctor chases them but they escape in their car. The Doctor asks the pharmacists for directions to the Motorway; they comply, but warn him that he may never see Martha again.




The Doctor must brave the ordeal of the mysterious Motorway in order to discover the terrible secrets at the heart of the city. What monsters lurk below the surface, hidden in the smog?

And remember, "There are no such thing as Macra!"

Rant - This one was really a dividing line in audiences. Some didn’t get it, thought it too slow, didn’t see the need for bringing back the Macra if they weren’t going to be used much. I disagree. Though the New Earth stuff is just getting on my nerves, I can see the groundwork being laid for getting young viewers into the idea of continuity. The Macra themselves are just a nice throwback for the fans.

The metaphors for modern life are just everywhere - The congestion, pollution, even the “mood” patches are oddly similar to nicotine patches used today. It won’t be long before it takes us a 23-years just to get across town.

My Review - This is a set-up episode for the rest of the series. The Face of Boe’s final words to the “lonely god” is to the Doctor, of course, and those words are “You are not alone.” Clearly a Time Lord(s) has survived and we will find out just what all this Saxon stuff really means by the time we finish the series.

Oh, and thank God the Face of Boe is dead. Thank freakin’ God!!!