Foreword

This is the third installement in my series of reviews covering the third season of "New" Doctor Who. At the moment I'm writing this, S3 has already concluded in Great Britain, but I am aware that such is not the case in most other countries. That being said, I won't put any "spoiler warning" anywhere; each review clearly states the episode it's covering and therefore I trust you won't look if you haven't seen that episode yet and don't want to be spoiled :-)

Gridlock

Let's be honest here: "Gridlock" isn't, taken as a whole, the best episode of this season: there are some script issues, some overacting, annoying music, and the pace is sometimes amiss, especially compared to the perfect timing of The Shakespeare Code

But you know what? None of this matters. Not when we're offered such a beautiful and heartwrenching ending

The Doctor is still not ready to acknowledge the fact that he needs someone (and even less that Martha's definitely that someone), but he cannot quite bring himself to travel alone again, so instead he "stretches the definition" of Martha's one-trip treat: she had one in the past, why not one in the future. And off they go to the year 5 billion and fifty-three and they land.....you guessed it, in New New York, exactly where he took Rose for their first trip after his regeneration. Martha's quick to connect the dots too ("Ever heard of the word 'rebound'(!)?"). Only, although everything looks fine and actually quite familiar (a rainy afternoon in an alley borded by brick buildings - what's the point of travelling with a time machine, you'd wonder!), New New York isn't more safe a place than it was the time before and it isn't long before Martha is abducted by a young couple and the running gets started. Trouble is, the Doctor doesn't get to her before they can escape in their car and reach the motorway, and he soon realizes that although she isn't in any danger from her "captors", getting her back at this point will be quite the challenge. And that's without taking in account the threat that seems to lurk in the gas fumes at the bottom of the fast lane....

I quite like the concept of this enclosed motorway. For one, it gives a chance for the Mill (the visual effects company working on DW) to show off what they're capable of, and the large views of all those cars helplessly stuck in there are superbe. It's also an interesting image that everyone can rely to: being stucked on the motorway, we've all been there. Fortunately though, probably no one's been stuck for as long as those people have, or they're probably not here to read this anyway. It's also an interesting metaphore: people take the motorway to escape the slumps, hoping to reach a place which will offer them the chance of a better life. They know there's no guarantee they'll ever get there, and no chance of going back, as revealed by the young woman the Doctor and Martha meet just before Martha's taken away. But they still take their chance. In these days of talks regarding the treatment of millions of immigrants taking their chance sometimes at the risk of their life, hoping to end in the US or Europe and find a job their, it does make you pause

There's also the religious aspect. It's been surprising to see it popping up so often knowing how Russell T. Davies, DW's headwriter, feels about it. And to be honest, I'm not quite sure how I feel about the Doctor being repeatedly refered to as a "lonely God". But in this case, there is somethiing really touching about the whole community trapped on the motorway singing together. At all times, people have needed something to cling to, to help them find hope even when there's nothing else. Religion, and in some instances politics, have most often played that role. Unless of course you're like Martha, in which case you can also believe in him, as she points out ("You've got your faith, your songs, your hymns, and I've got the Doctor"). What's interesting is that at the same time, the Doctor is the one to reveal, in all senses of the term, to the people of the motorway the truth, and who leads them to the sky above to their freedom

On top of that, the set up gives the Doctor a chance to do something totally cool: his jumping from one car to another. It's probably childish, but I really enjoy that bit, from the moment he gives his coat for safekeeping to Brannigan (I love Brannigan , played by the excellent Ardal O'Hanlon) to the revelation of what danger exactly lurks at the bottom, with all the different car interiors he visits on the way down ("Hello! Motorway Footpatrol. I'm doing a survey!"). And then, of course, there's the point where he's found by sister Haim, we learn what exactly is going on with the city and get to meet once again with an old friend....

At this point, you're probably wondering what I was moaning about at the onset of this review. Well, while the ideas and part of the realisation is great, this episode is marred by problems that are more obvious than in the previous two. Scipt-wise, there are several things that were disappointing. First, the treatment of the reappearance of the Macras: they first appeared in "The Macra Terror" back in the 60s and, while it's always great to see the resurgence of friends and foes of old, here the Macras are reduced to little more than a plot device which was greatly underwhelming. There's also the fact that the Doctor and Martha are seperated without any mean of communication between them for the greatest part of the episode: it does work in regard of the first and last scenes, but it's something quite risky to do so early in their association, when their relationship still needs to be better defined

There are also at least two serious glitches regarding the Doctor's characterization, which are all the more shocking that they are very rare this season (compared to the previous one). One of these is down to the script, when the Doctor temporarily loses trace of Martha and goes back to the mood sellers: his revengeful spat at them feels quite out of character: I know he feels guilty and tends to get it out on someone else when he does, but this was way out of order and uncalled for. The other is more down to David Tennant: sorry, but everytime I hear him scream Martha's name from the top of the stairs when she's taken away, I cringe, I can't help it

But all is well and forgotten when we reach the final minutes: the Face of Boe's sacrifice and his final words to the Doctor would have been enough to make it an outstanding, emotional end. But that wasn't enough. No, they had to conclude not on that mindblowing revelation, but on that last scene in the alley, and suddenly, all that time the Doctor and Martha have spent away pays off. All those special effects, all that action and that running are suddenly forgotten in favor of two people who are tentatively forming a connection, sitting face to face on battered plastic chairs in a damp and dark alley; in favor of the trembling voice of a man remembering the beautiful landscapes of old, of the anguish on the face of a 900something years old alien who is all powerful (from New Earth: "You want to take it to a higher authority, there's no one. It stops with me") but who has also lost everything

And every time, every time, I weep


A few things to watch out for

Favorite scene: I think it's quite obvious from the above, don't you think? *g*

Favorite line: There's one that cannot be ignored given all of its implications:

"You are not alone"

It's also interesting to note that New Who, and this season in particular, focuses especially on what it means to be the Doctor. As a result we come across a few definitions of him, and I adore that of Brannigan and his wife: few words, but it's so accurate:

"He's completely insane!"
"That, and a bit magnificent"

Other noteworthy stuff:

The last scene. Wait, I've already mentioned it, haven't I? Sorry, not thinking straight, I'm still drying my eyes from whatching the whole ep over for this review

Continuity: the geek in me did a little dance of joy when the Doctor took out the arrow embedded in the TARDIS' door, a little souvenir from the previous episode *g*

For those of you who still needed to have it spelt to them: drugs kill. Seriously, even if they have a seemingly harmless name like, er, Bliss

If you squint, you can spot a poster on the Doctor's left when he's in the Asian girls' car. There are two chinese characters clearly visible, and they can be translated by "Bad Wolf". Whoever came up with that deserves a medal!

What kind of children could possibly have a cat person and a human? The answer's in this episode. And while they are adorable cutties (btw, the Doctor's obviously cured from his aversion to cats!), when I try to think about the mechanics of it, I suddenly feel like I've been given WAY to much information :s

I've always thought one of the coolest thing about Ten was the coat (and the specs - unfortunately, they don't make an appearance in this episode), but its cool factor's now gone through the roof with the revelation that he got it from Janis Joplin - you can't beat that!

Next episode: Daleks in Manhattan