...NEW DR WHO TONIGHT, (MAYBE!!!) 14/04/07, 7.40pm, GRIDLOCK...

[VisibleMan]

I've tried to give RTD a chance but after the good first episode and okay second this is a very poor mess.   He's more often than not totally lost when it comes to writing stories that emerge from the character and emotion pieces he's good at, and his view of SF is in flashy sensation headlines like "year five billion" that are almost set up to fail.

The art and costume deparments seem to think they're working on Eastenders while the inside of the cars looked like a 1950s view of the future (ie the 1970s).

The kidnapping of Martha was pointless, and the Macra were totally wasted, demoted from intelligent evil to stock mindless threat in order to pep up the episode's action quotient.  Who would choose to travel on a subterranean Motorway that was perpetually gridlocked when they have flying cars?

More animal headed aliens next week. At least it's a two parter and a historical, which have tended to be better.

[Leigh S]

It might ahve been jsut me having a Toddler running around, but was that a complete and utter mess?

All the elements seemed to be there, but they didnt add up at all.  If i remember my Macra correctly, they have a hypnotic hold on humans in some way?  This would explain the mental 6 years to drive 10 miles idea... but i dont think its mentioned thats the reason why they are doing it...

If you gave that plot a shake to get all the bits to fall into place, it might ahve been quite fun.... AS was, it was one of the worst so far  - shame, after my slightly optimistic start to the season to have such a clunker... and I dont mind the gay agenda, but every episode?  and I probably wouldnt mind every episode, but so clunkily done?

If I didnt know better, I'd have thought it was a spoof of all RTDs weaknesses - Freema seemed a bit unconvincing this week, but then, who can blame her when thats the plot youve been given...  

[DavidXBrunt]

I reallt liked that. Macra! It's only the drokking Macra!

[Lobo Baggins]

Macra! It's only the drokking Macra!

Don't be silly, David.  There's no such thing as Macra.  No such thing as Macra!

[SamuelAWilkinson]

RTD trying to do satire is never a pretty sight.

True, but this effort is noticeably better than that one in the first series where a baddie claimed that there were aliens in orbit with 'massive weapons of destruction' that could be deployed in 45 seconds. What a cock.

[SamuelAWilkinson]

RTD trying to do satire is never a pretty sight.

True, but this effort is noticeably better than that one in the first series where a baddie claimed that there were aliens in orbit with 'massive weapons of destruction' that could be deployed in 45 seconds. What a cock.

[Leigh S]

So.. can anyone actually summarise the plot in a way that makes sense?

[paulvonscott]

Rebellion should get in touch with RTD and say what they have that could make a TV show, even if RTD didn't do it, he might be able to pass it onto the right person.  You never know, a TV show would do a lot for potential sales. more than a film perhaps.

[paulvonscott]

Rebellion should get in touch with RTD and say what they have that could make a TV show, even if RTD didn't do it, he might be able to pass it onto the right person.  You never know, a TV show would do a lot for potential sales. more than a film perhaps.

[Banners]

"Yards", "feet" and "miles". You think they'd have got around to using metric on roadsigns by the time women were able to give birth to kittens...

[pauljholden]

MASSIVE, MASSIVE SPOILERS...

The Dr takes Martha to New New York - about 25 years after his last visit - where, almost as soon as they arrive, she gets kidnapped by a couple who need a third passenger to move from the motorway (a massive tube containing thousands of vehicles that move forwards so slowly people have been there years) to the fast lane (which, it turns out, is populated by devolved Macra - massive, stupid, crabs). The Dr, while trying to find Martha is taken by a cat-nun to the face of Bo in New New York's parliment. Where, it turns out, everyone except those in the undercity and the motorway died 25 years ago due to a drug that evolved into an air born virus (which, handily, has since died out). The face of Bo and the cat-nun have been supplying enough power to let the motorway run on its own, the Dr uses some patented Dr who magic to release the vehicles and everyone ends up happily ever after.

There's some other bits thrown in about the face of Bo's last words ('You are not alone Dr') and Gallifry and Martha feeling like the rebound girlfriend.

And ..er.. that's it.. (I think)

Next week: 1930s Manhatten, pig men, Daleks.

- pj
 

[Leigh S]

OK, so what about motivations - whats making people go on the roads?  If people can communicate with each other, surely the Macra would have been common knowledge?  I know they are kind of an urban myth... but hundreds of em attacking every car to go in the fast lane...?

Theres a promise of  something good at the end, but surely, there are people near the end - if noone ever gets to the end after 23 years....

It just doesnt stand up to any kind of thought

Why does it take the Doctor to point out theres no police or what have you - are people really going to ahve been kept in the dark about the plague that wiped out the over city?  

[pauljholden]

Hey, I didn't write it!


-pj

[Noisybast]

The one question that sprang to my mind was "How did the Macra get there?". Surely someone would have noticed several hundred gigantic crabs arriving?

[Adrian Bamforth]

"OK, so what about motivations"

AAAH ha ha ha ha ha ha ha etc.