Doctor Who 3x03 - "Gridlock"
 

Plot Summary - Written by Russell T. Davies
The Doctor returns to a now much grittier New Earth with Martha, eventually to meet the Face of Boe one final time. While there they encounter a spaceship pilot named Thomas Kincade Brannigan — a cat being of a similar appearance to the Sisters of Plenitude — and his wife, Valerie and find the streets being ruled by sinister Pharmacists.

umm, no poll?

Give me a chance. :P

you do know Tom already made one? or is it not made in the correct way?

Only staff are permitted to create episode polls...

http://www.dannystewart.com/forums/s...67&postcount=4

yeah ok. so was there a problem with Tom's, were you just showing that you were the boss, or did you not know about it?

I told you. Only forum staff can make episode polls. Tom must have created his poll whilst I made mine, and so I hadn't known about it.

for me, this was so close to being brilliant, 9.9...just for the pure energy and emotion, it was a stunning episode. Those four words were predicted right :P...but still, best episode of the season so far.

I liked it too! Dougal off "Father Ted" was brilliant. although I do think the plot was a bit empty in places. I felt I didn't know much about those giant crabs, and why were these people driving to the upper city. there was no real threat to the planet in this episode, nothing sinister. the whole plot just felt like something thrown togeteher to make the Doc meet Boe. but the acting was superb, especially by Dougal off "Father Ted" and that smartly dressed man. for all of this, I give it 7 out of 10.

It was a fine episode and the best so far. Just as well I didn't give the last ones 8 or 9, eh Danny? :P

I'm really not sure about this latest one. Technically, it was absolutely stunning, with fantastic effects, stunning make-up and wonderful performances (this post brought to you by the Oxford English Thesaurus). Story-wise however, it wasn't that great in my opinion. It struck me as a thinly-veiled political statement, and I'm surprised there wasn't something about congestion charges in there.

I'm really going off Russell T. Davies' writing, I'm afraid. I think I'm right in saying that he's a gay Welshman and while I'm certainly not homophobic or prejudiced against Welsh people in any way (I go to uni in Wales and absolutely love it there for a start), I'm getting slightly bored of his habit of inserting gay characters into almost every single bit of TV he writes for. I do still love Dr. Who, and indeed some of RTD's earlier work, but I'd like to see him write a bit more about something outside of himself, if you see what I mean.

I know this probably makes me sound like a complete prannet, but believe me that isn't my intention at all. I can be quite appallingly bad at expressing myself in writing at times.

Hamster -- I understand exactly what you mean. I really enjoyed this episode a lot, but there are certain RTDisms that drive me up the wall, especially when he does the same types of things over and over again. Don't worry, you don't sound like a "prannet" at all.

Also, I must say, RTD gets about a billion bonus points for bringing back the Macra. That may be the single coolest thing that man has done.

bringing *back* the Macra? am I missing something?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/class...e/macraterror/

;)

oh wow, I didn't know that.

That was easily the best episode of the series so far. Extremely enjoyable. I cried during that singalong of Old Rugged Cross, that was a really great part. Also, when the Doctor started talking about Gallifrey at the end and got all emotional, I cried at that part too, especially since Boe had just died. :(

10/10 for me.

Do you think that he was talking about the Master? Or?

yes, of course he was talking about the Master. Series One, they bought back the Daleks. Series Two, they bought back the Cybermen. They are slowly going through all the old villains until, eventually, series 3- the Master.

I wish you wouldn't be so arrogant about it.

arrogant? who's being arrogant? in regards to the Master, I thought everyone saw it the way I see it.

You say "yes, of course they're talking about the Master, it's obvious," when you could say "well, I think it'll be the Master, I don't see how it could be anything else given what we've seen and heard so far."

This was very good, another enjoyable episode, and really sad as well, I cried when the Face of Boe died, I was sad when the Doctor explained about Galifrey and about how the planet fell apart. although it does set up for what could be an exicting finale, i am quite sure the Master is coming back, but im open till the end, and im sure whatever happens it's going to blow us into an Oncoming Dalek fleet which will vapourise us in an instant :P Itt had a nice blend of a lot fo tihngs, and seeing Ardal O'Hanlon as a Cat was quite well set in :)

Sadly, it does have the typical blend of RTDism, a lot of you know last year i was a very vocal speaker against some of his ideas (Love and Monsters being the worst) and again, his writing stumbled, the most annoying bit was the explanation of those aliens, the Macra, sure, it was nice to bring them back, but some explanation of why they were down there would have been nice, as they felt really out of place there. my guess as to RTD's faults, the time slot, he just can;t fit in enough of what he likes in 45 minutes, hence why his 2 parters are very good, perhaps he should just stick to specias and let friends and associates do the single episodes.

Oooh, im so very sorry Mister Omnipotent.

EDIT: And Chris, dont bring up Love and Monsters, you know how I loved it so. :P

Although I agree with that, I think RTD sometimes needs to write single-episode stories to impart messages, such as the Face of Boe's four words, which will tie in with the series finale.

I disagree with that. I haven't liked many of RTD's two-parters. Look at Aliens of London and World War Three. *shudder*

farting aliens. I hated them. boooo!

I quite liked those. Though the enemy could have been a bit less childish I agree.

then he gave them a reprise in a later episodes. when I saw it I was saying "yeah, umm, boring. more Daleks please"

I must say, the Slitheen were handled much better in "Boom Town" than they were in "Aliens of London."

Funny how people change over the years isn't it :P

2005
2007

Yeah. This is why nowadays I try to take a step back and give at least one point lower than I instinctively go for. After a second or third viewing, I'd have given AoL a 4/5, and now after two years, I'd probably give it as low as a 3/5. It hasn't well withstood the test of time.

yeah, it truely is :P.

it's because so much better came after those episodes, so you look back and think, "tcah, I *LIKED* that shit?"

Even if nothing better came afterwards, I'd like to think I would have still realized at some point that they weren't anywhere near as good as they could have been.

I thought you liked those, you have given them both perfect 10's. Or has opinion changed? :)

Both? RTD has done three two-parters so far. :P

And as I said, my opinion has changed since I watched them. RTD's episodes always seem less enjoyable after their first viewings.

I too didn't really enjoy Aliens of London/World War Three. :(

I guess with the return of the Daleks the following week, it would pale in comparsion :P

I do agree mind, a lot of RTD's episodes lose thier shine, if any was on in the first place. he should let other handle episodes,. The guy has a great imagination, and that can be used for production, but writing should be left to those whoc an write, deep, immersing episodes. :)

I completely agree with you there, Chris. He makes a fine producer but he should leave at least 90% of the writing to other people.

He should do what they do in BSG, where the producers sit down with all the writers and carve up what they want to do with the series, the leave the writing to the actual writers.

They do do exactly that -- it's just that RTD sits on both sides of the table, instead of just the producers side.