So back in July 2007, I tripped over and broke my kneecap in 2. Ended up having to have two operations and be put on heavy medication because of an infection I developed. My one positive memory of my stay in hospital apart from one epic Vietnamese nurse who was 9 months pregnant and still working was watching this episode of Doctor Who.
If you’re approaching the series 3 finale make sure it’s the British version. Every country outside of Britain has the American version for some reason and it cuts out lots and lots and lots, it really butchers the episode
@@obiwankenobi687 Thank you! I own the blu-rays, but have been watching on Amazon due to sync issues with the full lengths (NTSC vs Pal) but I noticed the blu-ray was longer for that episode and I will be sure to watch that one.
For being pretty much a bottle episode, this is one of the best episodes squarely because of David Tennent and his performance. Most bottle episodes on tv shows are done to save money for future episodes, where they borrow from the smaller budgeted, fewer sets bottle episodes usually end up stale and sometimes even retreads of past episodes and end up being short their own story. Here though, you really get to see how well David can act with these moments of focusing on the backstory and feelings of the Doctor and he simply nails it to the nth degree.
The Doctor's descriptions of Galifrey are actually based on quotes from his granddaughter Susan all the way back in the penultimate story of Season 1 in 1964.
And in a beautiful piece of symmetry, some of that story was directed by Frank Cox, who was married to Bridget Turner; one of the old ladies in the car in 'Gridlock'...!
@@takebackconstantinople82 Episode Six ('A Desperate Venture'). Susan says "It's quite like Earth, but at night the sky is a burned orange, and the leaves on the trees are bright silver..."
The look on David's face when he talks about the second sunrise is some of the absolute best facial acting I have ever seen. You can see the longing in his eyes, the nostalgia for a lost homeland he'll never see again. He's so good in this role it's absolutely criminal. How could anyone live up to that kind of performance? Some would say nobody ever does live up to his work on this show, but I don't know... Maybe it's just something about his face that just feels familiar. For me, it's his eyes. Eyes are often windows to the soul, but it's also what's above them that can intensify the look in the eyes... Am I saying eyebrows are important? Maybe. Or is it the lack of them that's important...? Maybe I'm just rambling. Maybe I'm not. Maybe the eyebrows are more important than we could ever realize until they're gone... Guess we'll see what comes after David's eyebrows...
It's always been about David's eyes for me - his acting for any part starts with his eyes. That's what made his Killgrave from Jessica Jones so evil - his eyes were dead and cold. So unlike David is most of his other roles (except, maybe Secret Smile where he played another vile character).
I wonder how much being a lifelong Whovian helped here - he absolutely 'got' what he was talking about. But of course David being the superb actor he is also played a big part!
One of Martha's captors in this episode was played by Lenora Crichlow who was in another BBC TV series known as Being Human which was a horror-comedy-drama about a vampire, a werewolf and a ghost that all live in one house. A brilliant show and always fun to watch.
I would LOVE to see someone reacting to that show. It was so good. And not the US version. It was so...beige, compared to the original. They had drained all the charm from the show.
“he needed that right now, didn’t he?” it’s funny you say that, because i’ve always read david's face as playing the doctor in fear in that moment, rather than just straight shock
It's something to hear a hymn that was written in 1912 still sung in the very distant future... kind of gives you hope that the best of humanity, our music, our stories, will live on.
This is personally one of my favourite episodes, the characters are all really interesting and I love the moment where the roof opens up, everyone really sells the wonder and hope that that would entail with their facial expressions- such a great moment. Also I really love Brannigan cat, he’s just a really kind cat man, helping out strangers and being supportive of the doctor’s adventures.
Regarding 7:54, I think this moment is somewhat similar to the whole 'people singing from windows and balconies during covid lockdown' situation. It's a way to feel more united and less alone while being unable to do it physically.
When the kittens say “mama” they just filmed the kittens until they meowed in such a way they could ad the words. The behind the scenes of this episode is very fun to watch.
This episode introduces one of my favourite pieces by Murray Gold: "All The Strange, Strange Creatures". It plays while Martha and her captors are trying to out-maneuverer the Macra.
It's wild that I remember the ending of this episode as one of the most beautiful scenes-- when they're literally just sitting in a gross back alley-- purely because of the way the Doctor describes his home world. It's like I could see Gallifrey myself, and feel all the sadness of losing its beauty, through his words and his face alone. This show can do so much with so little. Beautiful underrated episode.
The Macra are a real deep cut to the classic series. They first appeared in The Macra Terror in 1967... and then never appeared again, until this episode. The Face of Boe's secret is *You Are Not Alone.* It has been revealed. What it actually means, well, that's up to you to interpret.
Glad you liked it! A very memorable episode for me. Really not a lot actually happens, but the world building is so cool, the characters are friendly, and hopping between vehicles to see how they're decorated is so fun.
It’s my belief they borrowed the idea from HG Wells, in The Time Machine his traveler goes even farther into the future to a time where there are giant sentient crab creatures that are the descendants of the Morlocks. The Eloi however have evolved it (devolved ij these cases) IIRC into moth like creatures.
Just to clarify about the singing scene - there was nothing suspicious or sinister about it, it was just people banding together in a desperate situation, showing unity and togetherness. I want to stress, that's not clever wordplay or a trick, there was genuinely nothing to it beyond that. Just a nice scene.
I love this episode. That last scene makes me cry. "The Old Rugged Cross" is one of my favorite hymns. When I was little, I used to request it in churh all the time and even sang it solo once.
One of my favorite episodes! I love how gritty it is, although the giant crabs did make me chuckle a few times, and the ending makes me tear up every time I watch it.
Tom is played by Irish actor Ardal O'Hanlon, who is famous for the television series Father Ted. If you want a chuckle, check out "I hear you're a racist now father" in your spare time.
Great episode! The first time we see The Doctor really opening up about his home, and the Time War......as you said, a great performance from DT there!
This is a great story - a bit deeper than just people stuck on a motorway. I don't think there was anything sinister about the hymn, it's simply a moment of collective hope and unity. A bit like banging pots, clapping for NHS workers, or the other things people did during COVID lockdowns. We do find out why Queen Elizabeth I was so angry with the Doctor...eventually.
Thanks for another adventure, the rather terrific thing about the Doctor Who Universe, is that they can and do 're-write' potential futures - though you will get to know that time always brings things back into more or less the same direction. It certainly keeps us all on our toes :D
My introduction with Doctor Who was rocky. My first episode was Fear Her from Series 2. I continued watching because I was enjoying it, but I considered the show a bit stupid. Fun, but too campy to take seriously. Gridlock was the episode that made me realize this show could be GOOD! Since then, my estimation of the show increased.
Bosses at the BBC wanted an antagonist that was visible. Russell being the fan he is suggested the Macra return, which had plagued an industrial colony in a Second Doctor story. In fairness, the best examples of Humanity aren't on the side of a highway either.
I love this episode. To this day, my sister and me do the : "happy?" " happy, appy! " . Like, 17 years later (is that right? Who knows), it's just become part of our everyday language. A little, sisters understand each other, moment. Anyone who here's it looks at us weird, cos we're Scottish, so we put on the accent too. Love your reactions btw. You're fast becoming one of my favourites. X
They did classical music concerts at the royal albert hall and later on around the uk with the music.... there was a giant scene showing clips of the show and during the concert actors dressed as monsters from the show joined the audience... they were great!! You can watch them on youtube... maybe react to them?
gridlock is one of my fav episodes ...keep up the great reactions ..blessed be all..cannabis is the way overgrow overshare overcare overseed everywhere worldwide
It was a choice to use the Macra for this episode, they are a rather deep cut as they appeared in a single serial from The Second Doctors era all the way back in 1967. A serial appropriately titled "The Macra Terror"
I think of this episode every time i see people promoting mood patches online. Patch to sleep? To boost a 'happy' mood? Calming? Yeah, no thanks. I've seen this episode and know how it turns out.
"You are not alone" from The Face.... When Chris finds out if his theory is true, I hope he remembers that Martha was with him. The loops are knitting together.
This is the first episode I ever saw, and not even in its entirety. But I was hooked and knew I needed to start from the beginning of the new iteration. I tried the originals, but just couldn't get into them.
@@HuntingViolets Due to the elaborate makeup it would probably be too labor intensive to do on an episodic basis (though the episode count per series/season seems to dwindle as time marches on), but I'd love for the Doctor to have a CatKind traveling companion. With all the jiggery-pokery available to the Doctor, this felinoid companion could even disguise as a nondescript human if the plot requires it, only for it to fail resulting in confusion and mayhem.
The Macra is a classic doctor who monster although they were presented differently. This episode is held in high regard and for me it doesn't do much for me personally but what the face of boe says is a good mystery
Great episode! This season has a lot of those. Episodes 8 & 9 released this week on Patreon & for UA-cam channel members.
So back in July 2007, I tripped over and broke my kneecap in 2. Ended up having to have two operations and be put on heavy medication because of an infection I developed.
My one positive memory of my stay in hospital apart from one epic Vietnamese nurse who was 9 months pregnant and still working was watching this episode of Doctor Who.
If you’re approaching the series 3 finale make sure it’s the British version. Every country outside of Britain has the American version for some reason and it cuts out lots and lots and lots, it really butchers the episode
@@obiwankenobi687 Thank you! I own the blu-rays, but have been watching on Amazon due to sync issues with the full lengths (NTSC vs Pal) but I noticed the blu-ray was longer for that episode and I will be sure to watch that one.
For being pretty much a bottle episode, this is one of the best episodes squarely because of David Tennent and his performance. Most bottle episodes on tv shows are done to save money for future episodes, where they borrow from the smaller budgeted, fewer sets bottle episodes usually end up stale and sometimes even retreads of past episodes and end up being short their own story. Here though, you really get to see how well David can act with these moments of focusing on the backstory and feelings of the Doctor and he simply nails it to the nth degree.
@@obiwankenobi687 could you mention any small thing that was cut so I could determine which version I saw?
Science fiction writers: Aliens and spaceships.
British science fiction writers: Traffic jams.😂
To be honest traffic jam can be scarier than any monster 😂😂
The Doctor's descriptions of Galifrey are actually based on quotes from his granddaughter Susan all the way back in the penultimate story of Season 1 in 1964.
And in a beautiful piece of symmetry, some of that story was directed by Frank Cox, who was married to Bridget Turner; one of the old ladies in the car in 'Gridlock'...!
in which episode out of the 4 parts of the Sensorites is Susan describing Gallifrey?
@@takebackconstantinople82 Episode Six ('A Desperate Venture'). Susan says "It's quite like Earth, but at night the sky is a burned orange, and the leaves on the trees are bright silver..."
gridlock is such an underrated episode. its so great
The look on David's face when he talks about the second sunrise is some of the absolute best facial acting I have ever seen. You can see the longing in his eyes, the nostalgia for a lost homeland he'll never see again. He's so good in this role it's absolutely criminal. How could anyone live up to that kind of performance? Some would say nobody ever does live up to his work on this show, but I don't know... Maybe it's just something about his face that just feels familiar. For me, it's his eyes. Eyes are often windows to the soul, but it's also what's above them that can intensify the look in the eyes... Am I saying eyebrows are important? Maybe. Or is it the lack of them that's important...? Maybe I'm just rambling. Maybe I'm not. Maybe the eyebrows are more important than we could ever realize until they're gone... Guess we'll see what comes after David's eyebrows...
It's always been about David's eyes for me - his acting for any part starts with his eyes. That's what made his Killgrave from Jessica Jones so evil - his eyes were dead and cold. So unlike David is most of his other roles (except, maybe Secret Smile where he played another vile character).
I wonder how much being a lifelong Whovian helped here - he absolutely 'got' what he was talking about.
But of course David being the superb actor he is also played a big part!
One of Martha's captors in this episode was played by Lenora Crichlow who was in another BBC TV series known as Being Human which was a horror-comedy-drama about a vampire, a werewolf and a ghost that all live in one house.
A brilliant show and always fun to watch.
I would LOVE to see someone reacting to that show. It was so good. And not the US version. It was so...beige, compared to the original. They had drained all the charm from the show.
@@ms_scribbles I agree plus the US version used CGI instead of practical effects.
@@ms_scribbles That would be an amazing reaction series.
Being Human is superb stuff
100% agree. That series was awesome.
I've always thought of this as a mini classic. Way better than it has any right to be based on how silly the premise is
“he needed that right now, didn’t he?” it’s funny you say that, because i’ve always read david's face as playing the doctor in fear in that moment, rather than just straight shock
It's something to hear a hymn that was written in 1912 still sung in the very distant future... kind of gives you hope that the best of humanity, our music, our stories, will live on.
This is personally one of my favourite episodes, the characters are all really interesting and I love the moment where the roof opens up, everyone really sells the wonder and hope that that would entail with their facial expressions- such a great moment.
Also I really love Brannigan cat, he’s just a really kind cat man, helping out strangers and being supportive of the doctor’s adventures.
Regarding 7:54, I think this moment is somewhat similar to the whole 'people singing from windows and balconies during covid lockdown' situation. It's a way to feel more united and less alone while being unable to do it physically.
I love Brannegan so much. "This is the bane of my life, the lovely Valerie." 😂
When the kittens say “mama” they just filmed the kittens until they meowed in such a way they could ad the words. The behind the scenes of this episode is very fun to watch.
"I'm totally lost, but I'm here for it." I think you just summed up Doctor Who. 😄
8:40 there is a poster to the left here saying Bad Wolf with a similar character to rose which is a nice reference to that story arc 😃
Yes, they were such delightful kidnappers. 😂
This episode introduces one of my favourite pieces by Murray Gold: "All The Strange, Strange Creatures".
It plays while Martha and her captors are trying to out-maneuverer the Macra.
It's wild that I remember the ending of this episode as one of the most beautiful scenes-- when they're literally just sitting in a gross back alley-- purely because of the way the Doctor describes his home world. It's like I could see Gallifrey myself, and feel all the sadness of losing its beauty, through his words and his face alone. This show can do so much with so little. Beautiful underrated episode.
It's a great script and a great hard sci-fi concept executed to perfection. One of my favourites.
The Macra are a real deep cut to the classic series. They first appeared in The Macra Terror in 1967... and then never appeared again, until this episode.
The Face of Boe's secret is *You Are Not Alone.* It has been revealed. What it actually means, well, that's up to you to interpret.
Yeah there’s also stunning animated version of the story with Patrick Troughton. That’s really how I discovered it.
Glad you liked it! A very memorable episode for me. Really not a lot actually happens, but the world building is so cool, the characters are friendly, and hopping between vehicles to see how they're decorated is so fun.
The macra is a crab like creature from classic who
But there are no Macra?
It’s my belief they borrowed the idea from HG Wells, in The Time Machine his traveler goes even farther into the future to a time where there are giant sentient crab creatures that are the descendants of the Morlocks. The Eloi however have evolved it (devolved ij these cases) IIRC into moth like creatures.
‘He looks so good by the way’ me whenever I see David Tennant’s face 🤪😍
OMG! It's Ardal O'Hanlon under that cat makeup!
("Father Ted", "My Hero", and a celebrity contestant on Taskmaster Season 13!)
It was such a great episode! Murray Gold who does the music just gets better and better each season too!
1:40
no, these two are a couple, I think. The farmers from American Gothic are father and daughter.
For context, what you call a freeway in the US is roughly equivalent to what we call a motorway in the UK
Just to clarify about the singing scene - there was nothing suspicious or sinister about it, it was just people banding together in a desperate situation, showing unity and togetherness.
I want to stress, that's not clever wordplay or a trick, there was genuinely nothing to it beyond that. Just a nice scene.
I love this episode. That last scene makes me cry. "The Old Rugged Cross" is one of my favorite hymns. When I was little, I used to request it in churh all the time and even sang it solo once.
This is one of those episodes i saw as a kid that always made me emotional
CNR: Are we going to get a follow-up to the Queen story this week?
Whovians: Ha. Hahaha. AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
One of my favorite episodes! I love how gritty it is, although the giant crabs did make me chuckle a few times, and the ending makes me tear up every time I watch it.
This was by chance my very first episode of doctor who. Ever. It hooked me. Hard.
Tom is played by Irish actor Ardal O'Hanlon, who is famous for the television series Father Ted. If you want a chuckle, check out "I hear you're a racist now father" in your spare time.
"Small ... far away ... !" 😂
I loved him in Death in Paradise, but he doesn't join the cast from the 6th and 9th Season.
Great episode!
The first time we see The Doctor really opening up about his home, and the Time War......as you said, a great performance from DT there!
This is a great story - a bit deeper than just people stuck on a motorway. I don't think there was anything sinister about the hymn, it's simply a moment of collective hope and unity. A bit like banging pots, clapping for NHS workers, or the other things people did during COVID lockdowns.
We do find out why Queen Elizabeth I was so angry with the Doctor...eventually.
Thanks for another adventure, the rather terrific thing about the Doctor Who Universe, is that they can and do 're-write' potential futures - though you will get to know that time always brings things back into more or less the same direction. It certainly keeps us all on our toes :D
My introduction with Doctor Who was rocky. My first episode was Fear Her from Series 2. I continued watching because I was enjoying it, but I considered the show a bit stupid. Fun, but too campy to take seriously. Gridlock was the episode that made me realize this show could be GOOD! Since then, my estimation of the show increased.
Martha is brilliant in this and it's great how she takes a stand with the Doctor and he actually shares with her, something he seldom does.
Bosses at the BBC wanted an antagonist that was visible. Russell being the fan he is suggested the Macra return, which had plagued an industrial colony in a Second Doctor story.
In fairness, the best examples of Humanity aren't on the side of a highway either.
Bo: You are not alone.
Doctor: Oh, sorry! This is Martha, I thought I introduced her.
I love this episode. To this day, my sister and me do the : "happy?" " happy, appy! " . Like, 17 years later (is that right? Who knows), it's just become part of our everyday language. A little, sisters understand each other, moment. Anyone who here's it looks at us weird, cos we're Scottish, so we put on the accent too.
Love your reactions btw. You're fast becoming one of my favourites. X
Love this one. It’s a really underappreciated gem.
Top, top episode - for me perhaps the first real S tier episode you've reached. God I love gridlock. Haunting and beautiful.
OH Gridlock, i actually really love this episode
1:27 yh that’s what I thought as soon as I watched the episode for the first time they just look so similar 😂
Never trust bliss! It should be a Teeshirt!
They did classical music concerts at the royal albert hall and later on around the uk with the music.... there was a giant scene showing clips of the show and during the concert actors dressed as monsters from the show joined the audience... they were great!! You can watch them on youtube... maybe react to them?
The Macra is truly terrifying.
weird fact about the american gothic painting. thats his daughter not his wife. the point was to show how difficult life on the frontier was
Chris: "Never trust Bliss."
Me: "Bless Bliss."
Beautiful music with this episode!
Yes!! This season has outdone itself with the music.
massively underrated ep
gridlock is one of my fav episodes ...keep up the great reactions ..blessed be all..cannabis is the way overgrow overshare overcare overseed everywhere worldwide
yes and the face of boue lol
Just realized - from above all those vehicles look like coffins
It was a choice to use the Macra for this episode, they are a rather deep cut as they appeared in a single serial from The Second Doctors era all the way back in 1967. A serial appropriately titled "The Macra Terror"
I’ll never get over the Doctor’s face here 14:03
you are not alone
The face of Bo was a great reveal. The remember being blown away by
I watched a reaction to that episode and the reactor had an open mouth for about 30 seconds before exclaiming “ I wasn’t expecting that”😊
Yes! Batman! I couldn't stop thinking about it since the beginning of the series, and especially in this episode.
There seems to be a lot of people who aren’t so keen on this one, but I personally love this episode
One of my favorite endings.
The Face of Boe is definitely one of a favourite characters.
This is a spoiler
Anybody apot the Ghost in this episode? (It's a reference to an actor)
Holy macra!
I think of this episode every time i see people promoting mood patches online. Patch to sleep? To boost a 'happy' mood? Calming? Yeah, no thanks. I've seen this episode and know how it turns out.
I didn't even realize those existed! I'm intrigued, but more cautious due to this episode lol
Wish they'd made more of the Macra here as their only previous appearance is mostly missing from archives😢🎩
this episode was so good
The song affected Martha but not the Doctor.
We old Brits know who he is!
"You are not alone" from The Face.... When Chris finds out if his theory is true, I hope he remembers that Martha was with him. The loops are knitting together.
This is the first episode I ever saw, and not even in its entirety. But I was hooked and knew I needed to start from the beginning of the new iteration. I tried the originals, but just couldn't get into them.
The song 'Gallifrey' by Dr. Noise. You're welcome.
"You Are Not Alone" will gain new meanings soon enough 😉
Shhhhhhh spoilers
the 2nd doctor took on the macra
My favourite part of day, yeaah.
Are these kittens supposed to grow up to be anthropomorphic cats?
Yes.
@@paulpenna5615 I was sort of expressing my disbelief at this outcome. :)
@@HuntingViolets Due to the elaborate makeup it would probably be too labor intensive to do on an episodic basis (though the episode count per series/season seems to dwindle as time marches on), but I'd love for the Doctor to have a CatKind traveling companion. With all the jiggery-pokery available to the Doctor, this felinoid companion could even disguise as a nondescript human if the plot requires it, only for it to fail resulting in confusion and mayhem.
@@Redfern42 I would like to see some variety, like Jabe from series one, etc.
There was actually only one car. They re dressed it for each one.n
I want to know your theory. Want to know if it’s right.
I won’t confirm or deny
Tenth Doctor + kittens! ❤
The Macra is a classic doctor who monster although they were presented differently. This episode is held in high regard and for me it doesn't do much for me personally but what the face of boe says is a good mystery
Keep those words in your head: "You Are Not Alone"
🦀
There's no such thing as Macra.