UK Edition
Feeds
'Gridlock' takes contemporary issues such as mass congestion, pollution and designer drugs and stretches them to their logical conclusion to create some engaging science fiction. Since returning to our screens, Doctor Who has succeeded at doing this on several occasions, such as the Guantanamo Bay analogies in 'Dalek' and the constant craving for upgraded technology in the Cybermen episodes. On the subject of old enemies, what a nice touch to have The Macra back for a bit of an encore, although the poor crabs have devolved as The Doctor observed.
Huge credit goes to Russell T Davies' writing skills and notable performances from Ardal O'Hanlon (Brannigan) and Lenora Crichlow (Cheen) for generating enough emotional pathos for their characters' predicaments without any sense of contrivance or schmaltz. When required, the visual effects are also astounding and cleverly not over-used. That final fleeting glimpse of the orange New Earth skyline (harking back to The Doctor's Gallifreyan memories) lives on in our minds.
The episode intriguingly builds on the relationship between The Doctor and Martha and bodes well for the future of the pair. The concluding scene where the medical student demands answers from the Time Lord is superbly played and wisely not overstated. The direction is utterly spot on, with Richard Clarke never rushing these scenes or quick cutting, instead allowing the performances to really breathe. The Face of Boe's death scene is perfectly judged too.
Our emotions are also heightened by a rather touching ensemble scene when the daily hymn is broadcast to the masses in their cars. Eerily reminiscent of the singing portion of Paul Thomas Anderson's opus Magnolia, the scene was a creative risk but managed to blend in perfectly and bring a tear to more eyes than those of Martha. The music was a sign of hope and solidarity in the face of abject frustration and displayed the core essence of humanity.
Overall, 'Gridlock' is up there with the very best of Doctor Who's episodes since the show hit our screens in 1963. Wonderfully written, superbly directed and containing an array of note-prefect performances, this story deserves to be recognised for taking some fascinating concepts and realising them to their full potential.
