Doctor Who:
Gridlock
By Russell T.
Davies
“You are not
alone.”
The Doctor
said one journey for Martha but he changed his mind and gives her another trip
this time to the future. They arrive at
New Earth in the city of New New York a place he visited before with Rose and
this time he wants to show Martha even though she quips the sarcastic rebound
remark. Unfortunately they do not land
in the best part of the city in fact the arrive in a seedy underground part of
it where there is shops selling drugs that can change your moods or even make
you forget your troubles all together.
Martha is
soon kidnapped by two strangers who are desperate to find a third passanger so
they can take advantage of the fast lane and escape the gridlock of the endless
traffic jam on the freeway. The Doctor
finds out that in fact the people on the freeway have been in a traffic jam for
as long as 20 years and that no one has seen one police car at all. The drivers have their faith and believe they
will get somewhere even if it has taken 12 years to drive 5 miles. There is another problem as something is
lurking in the fast lane that is destroying the vehicles and killing the
occupants and that is where Martha is headed.
The Doctor also is reunited with an old friend who has an important
message for him.
Gridlock is
not a good story nor is it a bad story.
It is actually entertaining especially trying to see how The Doctor is
going to save everyone in the cars trapped below the city in the expressway. It is actually a pretty simple and basic
story to watch and doesn’t take much thought to enjoy it. You have the classic scenario where people
are in trouble and The Doctor saves them.
You also have the companion getting captured and thus having to have The
Doctor save her. A trusted old Doctor
Who formula that is tried and true with a classic monster lurking in the
shadows below.
This story
brought back the Macra that was last seen in the classic Troughton story The
Macra Terror. What is odd about bringing
them back is that RTD could have used any old creature at the bottom of the
fast lane but he chooses to reintroduce us to the crab like race that lives on
gas. Even though they are more mutated than the ones in 1967 it was pretty cool
to see an obscure alien return.
Gridlock
wraps up the story of The Face of Boe once again waiting for The Doctor to
reveal his secret. It was a pretty
touching and somber scene watching The Face of Boe give the last of his energy
to help save the travelers of the freeway.
Releasing the locks on the barriers and opening them up so the drivers
can drive to the surface and to be free.
Then watching The Doctor talking to Boe and hearing his last words
urging him to hang on and not dies was sad to watch and when you hear the
message the speculation starts forming in your mind. Well watching it now we know who it is but at
the time it was pretty exciting wondering who it is.
Gridlock has
a happy ending where everyone is saved and ties up the loose end from the last
series about The Face of Boes secret and sets in motion events for later on in
the series. It isn’t the greatest of
stories but it isn’t the worst either. It’s
a fun story like Smith and Jones that you can watch to relax after a long day
and not having to strain your grey matter at all to enjoy it.
Grade C +
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