GUYS PLEASE, NO SPOILERS this ideally includes hinting at spoilers please, dr who NEEDS to be experienced spoiler free. Remember how we felt when the BBC spoiled the twists for us, don't be like the BBC
The worst type of commenters are those who think how super clever they are with their comments, but they're just spoiling just like other notice-me-senpai fans
Since they don't contain spoilers, can we get a reaction to the 2 appearances David Tennant did for the Catherine Tate Show? 1 of them is seasonal with Christmas just around the corner.
The fact that people love Doctor Who as much as they do when the BBC is constantly spoiling it shows that it doesn't NEED to be experienced spoiler free. But since Angela has requested it, it's only respectful to keep your goddamn traps shut about future story events, come on people
@@chazo1367 Well, I'm pretty sure David Tennant lived on that planet as a child when enacting out Doctor Who... and now that plannet is gone. Gosh, he has been preparing for this role a long time.
Especially as the description is taken almost word for word from an episode 60 years ago where their home planet was described by Susan, the Doctor's first companion (and granddaughter).
"The Macra Terror." Sadly, it's one of the lost serials from the Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton) that's missing in its entirety, but they released an animated version in 2019.
I remember it, macro in the tunnels of the London Underground. So sad it's missing, one of the old Patrick Troughton serials I would dearly love to see again.
I won't reveal a thing, but I envy you experiencing all this for the first time without foreknowledge. The end of this episode brings genuine tears to me every time, even knowing what happens - and this time was no different. Murray Gold never fails to delight with his scores, the man is a musical magician
@@kingofnonation5843is this why we love watching newbies reacting to episodes and series we’ve all been watching for decades? Makes sense, is just adorable.🤷♂️😊
There's a few things that I think make people love the Face of Boe despite just a handful of appearances: 1) the score, as you pointed out. Terrific piece of music. 2) character design. It's a magnificently realistic prop, and also somehow non-threatening. 3) but most of all, it's the sense of wonder they inject with the dialogue and Tennant's performance relating to him. Everything about the Face of Boe is wondrous, right from his title: "The." Singular. One. And when he dies, it is as though the universe is just that less wondrous, and magical, and mysterious. It's heartbreaking, and beautiful.
The fact that's he's a big head makes it feel like he's all knowledge and wisdom and then finding out he's billions years old it's like he's this serene god.
Tennant's acting in the scene where he describes Gallifrey to Martha is wonderful. He manages to make me feel nostalgia for a planet that we as the new audience of modern Doctor Who hadn't ever seen. "Underneath the burnt orange sky..."
“The score is just beautiful” Damn right it is. The incredible Murray Gold giving us such amazing music from 2005 to 2017, then back from 2023 onwards😃
Tenant's acting was INSANE in this episode, flipping between the different moods of The Doctor so seamlessly and the emotional weight of the episode is crazy for a television series. It's episodes like this that help you understand why it's been on TV for so long and the fan base is so devoted
God, Doctor who comes across as such a silly and campy show (which it is) but damn... the messages and themes and score and everything below the surface just HITS HARD!! It's so special and I'm glad you're understanding and seeing it for how special the show is
This episode... hit different. The idea that the being "stuck in traffic" is the only reason they are alive. The Face of Bo sealed the "undercity" which is kind of like a ... poor neighbourhood? So the people who were the worst off were all that survived, the meek shall inherit? The Doctor was already known as one of the few Time Lords who "served the universe" and aided entire planets.
Russels addition of companion family dynamics and making the doctor wrestle with the loss of the time lords and the loss of his companions is such a huge addition to the series. This episode is really built on that and two good simple sci-fi concepts.
Every time I see this episode, I love it more and more. All the people on the motorway stuck there for decades, still choosing goodness and coming together to help each other and to love each other, with the Face of Boe committing the ultimate act of kindness by giving his life to save everyone, and Martha helping the Doctor open up about the Time Lords. It's such a beautiful episode, and it can't be stated enough how good David, Freema, the supporting cast, and Murray Gold's music are in tandem with the wonderful writing.
I NEVER noticed before (and I've watched the episode more than once) but the couple in the pre-opening credits sequence are based on the portraits in the painting, American Gothic!
This episode has so much goodness. Face of Boe, Gallifrey descriptions, kittens, lesbians, great music, Classic monsters, cryptic messages, societal commentary... And the Doctor finally opening up to Martha and having a tiny bit self awareness about how he's treating her. Also, just enjoyed the glimpses of different characters and aliens you get, making you curious about the world. David is indeed SO GOOD at making you feel things and making things meaningful or giving context simply through the way he performs a line. And yes, people should stop hinting. Even just overly focusing on something or giving that playful wink wink sort of comments will make you realise something is Notable And Important. It's best to try to comment as if you have zero context for things revealed later. It's tricky, and I don't think I've always succeeded myself either, but worth it to keep reactors unspoiled while still having some comment interaction.
Around 20:10 - what a gorgeous smile of pure joy. You might consider screen grabbing that for use as a profile pic for yourself. Most folks “fake” smiles in photos are fine but if you manage to capture a “genuine” smile on film it is something special.
RIP Face of Boe. It's very telling of such a brilliant character that we have only ever seen him 3 times & talked to him only once before and yet his death hits sooo hard. I think it's cool we don't know much about him too. I think with how ancient he is, just the idea of him plugging himself into the system for what he thought was going to be a century shows so much about his kindness. That even someone as old as him still cares about all those people. Much like the Doctor. Ahh I could go on and on about it but I love this story and FoB so much, I'm glad he resonated with you too
Always felt like this one was massively underrated. Wasn't keen on our first trip to New Earth, but this is genuinely great, and one of RTD's better episodes.
This is an underrated type of episode which is the Companion Realizes They Jumped Into Danger With Guy They Hardly Know episode. For Rose, it was The End of the World. Some, but not all, companions down the road get one and IMO opinion, it's a critical part in their journeys as companions.
I agree. It's that moment when the serious stakes hit them, and each companion has to face the fact that they may die on these trips that you get a huge reveal about their characters. Each of them decide for themselves that despite the risk, that what they get out of the journey is worth it; but each has different take-aways from the experience, and reasons for staying despite the danger, that show who they are as people.
The cat guy is played by Ardal O'Hanlon, a hilarious Irish actor probably best known for his role as Father Dougal on the classic BBC sitcom Father Ted.
This shows just how much the Doctor needs Martha. He really needed someone to stop him & get him to face some of the pain of his past in order to get through it instead of shoving it deep down where it could fester.
I think a large part of how much everyone adores the Face of Boe is to do with his theme. Murray Gold's absolute genius is on full display in it. It's so beautiful and nostalgaic in its own right that I feel like you could pair it with almost anything and you would get some degree of the feeling of "this thing is an ancient legend, old and kind and wise beyond measure, something majestic that loves and is worthy of love".
"The second sun would rise in the South" is my favourite lore detail about Gallifrey. It implies there's a) the other sun existed before it and b) the planet has some truly wacky orbital happenings. There's some delightful theory crafting about why, but sadly nothing confirmed in the show itself. 😢
Since it's in a previous episode, I know what Ten has to say about that: "Gravity schmavity" - Time Lords would not be concerned with a few wacky orbital problems if the aesthetics were worth the effort.
@@Longshanks1690 I suppose, technically, what I said could mean one sun was replaced with another, but for clarity I meant to convey Gallifrey being part of a binary star system. I'll leave it at that.
@@LightLMNI'm guessing the second sub would just be the one that rose later or is smaller or something like that. And the timelords would give the finger to gravity.
I agree!! NO SPOILERS!!! I absolutely love watching you enjoy Doctor Who. You have totally renewed my love of the series. Thank you. Thank you so much!
It's an epically underrated episode, this. Too many people skip over it when they rank series' but it's just so damn good. High concept sci-fi, big emotions, big ideas, sweeping score, full of pathos and atmosphere. It's brilliant.
I love this episode! My favorite moment is when they are all singing "The Old Rugged Cross" and I like that Martha starts singing as it is a song that has been with the human race since 1912.
This episode sealed martha as a fabulous companion, to have the strength to force the doctor to speak, only the most special of companions will reach him like this.
I would agree, and her quick thinking about turning off the power was what brought them enough time for the Doctor to save them. One of the more underrated companions.
This episode for me took on an even greater meaning after COVID. Seeing everyone separated but still keeping each other together as a community is so beautiful.
I’ve been waiting for this episode! It’s one of my favourites. The Doctor rarely talks directly about Gallifrey or his family, but he says a lot in this one. Tennant puts so much wistfulness in his descriptions. There’s no one left to really share his grief with him. He can describe it to people, but no one remembers alongside him. 24:17 I’ve never connected the shot of the sunset to the burnt orange he was talking about, so thank you for that. And I loved when you said they don’t need a bliss patch when they have real joy. Very insightful. I loved that thought ❤
See, this is why we need to bring back the 'fake spoiler' norm. Like how the Macra are the ghosts of every crab humanity has ever eaten come back for revenge, or how The Face of Boe is the ultimate fate of Bo Jackson.
This is my second favorite episode of the whole "Doctor Who" (just a reminder - personal favorite episodes are not the same as objectively best episodes), and we are still really far from my personal most favorite episode, so I was really excited and fascinated to watch funnylilgal react to "Gridlock". As always - reaction is on point, I love seeing those emotions I felt when I first seen this episode. Well, who am I kidding, the moment when people in cars saw the sunlight for the first time in years still bring me to tears on occasional re-watches.
@@Kostyurik Not sure how true that is, although it surely would've been adorable since he was very attached to one of the kittens, but I haven't be able to find a source that says he adopted one.
So, Doctor Who was mostly filming in and around Cardiff at this time. I was working there at the time, and I'm convinced that the rush hour traffic on the M4 out of Cardiff was the inspiration for this episode.
Thomas Kincaid Brannigan is played by Irish actor and comedian Ardal O'Hanlon. After filming this episode, Ardal ran into David at a different time, and David didn't recognize him out of the makeup. Ardal has been in three different BBC series: Father Ted, in which he played a Catholic priest, My Hero, where he played a superhero trying to fit into human life with hilarious results, and Death in Paradise as an Irish Detective Inspector solving crimes on an island in the Caribbean.
I really love this episode. The Face of Boe is great and anything with kittens is amazing in my book😂. I said this in one of your previous videos but series 3 is one of my faves. Cannot wait for you to react to the rest! Are you watching Torchwood when you're not juggling a full time job, a full time TH-cam channel, moving and weddingplanning?😅
11:00 I was intrigued and a little surprised by your reaction to this scene; I think you're missing additional context. Both hymns chosen for this episode have some subtler meanings for the plot. I'm Roman Catholic, so my first exposure to "Old Rugged Cross" (a Protestant hymn) was actually watching this very episode, years ago. Martha, on the other hand, is English; if she's not Anglican herself, she's grown up in a country with a strong Anglican influence, and she _does_ know the hymn (notice that she mouths the words at two different points). I don't buy for a second that it's a case of her drinking the motorway Kool-Aid; on the contrary, she's drawn into the communal hymn because that's hymns at their best: bringing people together in mutual comfort and faith (as Brannigan says, "We're not abandoned-not while we have each other"). While the citizens on the motorway _have_ had time to grow accustomed to some pretty wretched circumstances, even though there's no sign of actual Christianity surviving into this era and location, they still find comfort in the hymn and its theme. Tellingly (and in contrast to Martha), the Doctor just observes; no matter how much he knows about the cultures and practices of the many civilizations in the galaxy, he's never actually part of them. "Old Rugged Cross" has two main themes. The first is awe at Christ's sacrifice. The Face of Boe serves as a Christological type in this episode, sacrificing himself to bring freedom to everyone else (note the hymn's line "...the dearest and best for a world of lost sinners was slain", and Novice Hame's line "My lord gave his life to save the city"). The other theme is commitment to the hard road of struggle in anticipation of future glory. For Christians, it's laboring through life's sufferings and resisting sin to achieve salvation; for the New New Yorkers, it's enduring the motorway until they get off it. The other hymn tied to the plot, "Abide with Me", _is_ a Catholic hymn; it's the one the city sings while the Doctor tells Martha about Gallifrey and the Time War. The basis of "Abide with Me" is the biblical story of Jesus meeting the two disciples on the road to Emmaus right after his Resurrection. The hymn has a few verses, but only two were chosen for this episode's choral rendition, and I think that's intentional (the song loops during the scene, so it wasn't a timing issue). The Doctor himself is a Messianic archetype (in this and many other episodes), and the last two lines of each verse are fitting. The first verse ends with "When other helpers fail and comforts flee / Help of the helpless, O abide with me"; is there any better description of the Doctor than "help of the helpless"? Similarly, the second ends with "Change and decay in all around I see / O, Thou who changest not, abide with me"; although the Doctor _does_ change via regeneration, he's still the Doctor (in his own words, "Same man, new face"). Maybe it's partly _because_ I'm Catholic, but the two hymn-related scenes are my two favorite in this episode (though David Tennant's extraordinary performance in the second is a big part too), and they've stuck with me for years since.
I had no idea about any of this, thank you for taking the time to break this down. Awesome to have some context and deeper meaning to something so familiar.
5:18 Thing is, she's not wrong. He's rebounding, not just from Rose, but from losing a companion. Watching this again, you can see him edging into it: "Just one trip, and then I take you home." "Well, you've had one trip... I guess we could do one more."
Less than five minutes and your nose is already red. The singing, Face of Boe’s death, the Doctor talking about Galllifrey and the Time Lords. I don’t like lies but I understand the Doctor wanting to pretend Gallifrey and the Time Lords are still alive. You really feel the Doctor’s pain in his voice.
I was so thrilled when Novice Hame got a "redemption arc" in this episode! Yes, "CatKind" children! That was a trip! The following observation is NOT a spoiler, merely a fervent wish. I so want a member of the CatKind to become a traveling companion of the Doctor! Maybe even a daughter of Brannigan and Valerie as a fun callback.
the way a lot of this episode is such a good metaphor for learned helplessness... I have to say its not one of my favs (once you start poking holes in it theyre never ending) but the emotion behind it resonates. Watching Martha get the whiplash of one amazing adventure to being alone stuck for potentially years...terrifying. This episode made me love her.
"Oh my God it's the sky, the real sky." That line kills me, the rest of the episode is great too. The monsters below them, the Macra haven't been around since the second doctor fought them in the sixties
Honestly it is such a joy watching you react to these stories for the first time and remembering my own first time watching them. Especially since you get genuinely invested. I've seen some reactors who seem emotionally stunted and are incapable of taking anything seriously, so these brilliant moments have no effect on them. So thank you for being vulnerable and genuine and really enjoying these stories. I am very excited to see your reactions going forward into the things I know are coming, and I just wish I could sit and binge through it with you right now.
10:30 People have a phenomenal ability to assume that what they have going on is totally normal. Living in your car, on a permanent gridlock? Sure. That's life. Let's have kittens. But never look *too* closely.
David IS so good. Might have said on here before (I follow a few Doctor Who reactions), I started NuWho in 2011. I was surprised how quickly I loved the show, and felt there was no way I could attach to another Doctor after Eccleston. One episode. One was all it took because David. Is. That. Good! And I fell harder and harder with each episode. Gridlock is an episode that took me years to appreciate, because I was always in a hurry to get to later episodes, but the emotion in this one is real!😢
You are so beautifully invested In this show, and it is so appreciated. You have by far the best and most emotional reaction to watching theses episodes and it really resonates with other fans of the show.
One of my favourite moments is the look on the guys face in the back when the doctor says Novice Hame was breeding humans for experiments 😂😂 he was a great character.
There are things I want to say, but can't, so what I will say is that I enjoyed this episode in general, and I loved all the bits with Boe and with the nun. Also I loved Branagan - both the personality and the fact he was a cat.
I love this episode, but the closing fall away shot of the Doctor telling Martha about his home is just beautiful stuff. One of the most underrated moments in all of New Who is you ask me. As others have said, man Tennant can sell emotion so incredibly well. Just his eyes alone, so much sadness and memory and missing time long gone (for a Time Lord lol). In any event, this episode to me is one you watch and you think, yeah, this one is pretty good. Then you don't watch it for years or whatever and then you remember why it's so good. Understated, great writing, incredible performance just from Tennant alone - great stuff. Also, kitties!
Ahhhhh, did you continue on from this point, or did you go back to Christopher Eccleston's run afterwards? My first experience was with Jon Pertwee but really started watching with Tom Baker the 4th version.
@ICEcoleman2k actually my second episode was either the 11th doctor's first adventure with R.S. (doing it like this in case Angela reads this) or the second part of the lizard story (again, keeping it vague but hoping you know what I'm talking about)
@keyblademasterclark ahhhhh ok, cool. Yeah I'm an old school watcher. I was about 3 or 4 catching a glimpse of the 3rd, and about 9 starting with the 4th and watched ever since, about 1978/79
What I enjoy in RTD's scripts is how he builds on the contrast of a very ordinary human companion facing the weirdness of the Doctor and his world: the richness of concepts, the tempo, the wide emotional scale, and the blatant cheesiness. He is also good at building long story arcs. While, being the show runner, he may insert details relevant to the series arc into any episode, in his own scripts he may make even more use of such material, sometimes spanning from one series to another. And he usually does that in a very surprising and satisfying manner.
David's acting reminiscing over Gallifrey with the hint of pain in his voice feels so genuine. I do wonder with scenes like that what the actors are drawing from, is it something personal they just think of or are they really just talented enough to pull it out of nowhere.
I always thought that this episode was heavily underrated . So many things to say about it! Face of Boe's scene always atuck with me: how you can feel that emotional for an individual you saw just like two times
The couple in the very beginning of the episode were dressed up to look like the farmer and his wife in the famous painting "American Gothic" by Grant Wood.
Having been a Doctor Who fan since the mid-70s, I smile inside thinking of all the things to come for you watching NuWho. There will be so many "Aha!" moments, coupled with as many "Huh?" moments along this journey. Every answer will bring 20 new questions. Enjoy the ride! Wait until you get to the part where.... Cheers!
I think it's interesting that when he was here with Rose, they encountered Cassandra, who they knew from a first season episode with Christopher Eccleston as the Doctor, and this visit we "bump into" the Face of Bo, who we also originally met in that same first season episode.
Thomas Kincade Brannigan (catman) was played (in his own accent) by Ardal O'Hanlon, a hilarious comedian; he played Father Dougal MacGuire on the comedy show Father Ted- a show to check out.
The face of Bo really needs to share his secret blend of herbs and spices for his ☁lol but really he's such an enigmatic character we can't help but be intrigued by his serenity and wisdom.
The Doctor’s speech at the end of the episode is actually referencing a speech of Susan’s (the Doctors granddaughter) in the 1st Doctor episode The Sensorites. It’s such a beautiful, beautiful speech in both versions.
I drive OTR from the mippippippi to the rockies and Duluth to KC... this episode is so close to my life and the trucker lifestyle. Cobbling together a home in 125sqft of useable living space.
GUYS PLEASE, NO SPOILERS
this ideally includes hinting at spoilers please, dr who NEEDS to be experienced spoiler free. Remember how we felt when the BBC spoiled the twists for us, don't be like the BBC
The worst type of commenters are those who think how super clever they are with their comments, but they're just spoiling just like other notice-me-senpai fans
Since they don't contain spoilers, can we get a reaction to the 2 appearances David Tennant did for the Catherine Tate Show? 1 of them is seasonal with Christmas just around the corner.
@@DHARMN00 yes please
The fact that people love Doctor Who as much as they do when the BBC is constantly spoiling it shows that it doesn't NEED to be experienced spoiler free. But since Angela has requested it, it's only respectful to keep your goddamn traps shut about future story events, come on people
@@DHARMN00he did another?
"Kitten for the road? Tardis cat!"
Angela that's someone's child. :p
So are all the other strays he takes along!
@@manjackson2772Strays, stowaways, stewardesses who think it's an actual phone booth.
😂😂
That woman gave birth to kittens. The dad isn't even a full cat, what the devil is going on 😭
@@dylandickie2013 wibbly wobbly timey ness
David Tennant being able to make people cry just by describing something show's how incredible he is as an actor.
It's also the way his eyes shine, you feel like he was really talking about a place he lived in as a child, he draws you in just through all that.
@@chazo1367 Well, I'm pretty sure David Tennant lived on that planet as a child when enacting out Doctor Who... and now that plannet is gone.
Gosh, he has been preparing for this role a long time.
Especially as the description is taken almost word for word from an episode 60 years ago where their home planet was described by Susan, the Doctor's first companion (and granddaughter).
The Macra were villains in a very old episode of Doctor Who, so bringing them back was a tribute to that.
Thank you for bringing that up. I had forgotten.
"The Macra Terror." Sadly, it's one of the lost serials from the Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton) that's missing in its entirety, but they released an animated version in 2019.
I think that is one of the lost Second Doctor serials.
I remember it, macro in the tunnels of the London Underground. So sad it's missing, one of the old Patrick Troughton serials I would dearly love to see again.
common misconception, macra actually do not exist. there is no such thing as macra
I won't reveal a thing, but I envy you experiencing all this for the first time without foreknowledge. The end of this episode brings genuine tears to me every time, even knowing what happens - and this time was no different. Murray Gold never fails to delight with his scores, the man is a musical magician
Its one the reasons why the doctor has a companion, he can see them react to the universes wonders since he has seen it all
@@kingofnonation5843 thats the point of the companion, we see it through their eyes
Knowing what happened to the time lords. Knowing more of the details brings so much more to the conversation the doctor is having.
@@kingofnonation5843is this why we love watching newbies reacting to episodes and series we’ve all been watching for decades? Makes sense, is just adorable.🤷♂️😊
@turbopokey yep we get to re experience it through their eyes
1 we never forget the face of Boe.
2 David Tennent can sell THE HELL out of an emotional scene.
"Beau"
Theres a two parter that is proof of that given he's playing two characters
@@tycol322 Get your spoiler out of here.
This episode has NO business being as emotional as it is! 😆
Plus, KITTENS!!! 😻
There's a few things that I think make people love the Face of Boe despite just a handful of appearances:
1) the score, as you pointed out. Terrific piece of music.
2) character design. It's a magnificently realistic prop, and also somehow non-threatening.
3) but most of all, it's the sense of wonder they inject with the dialogue and Tennant's performance relating to him. Everything about the Face of Boe is wondrous, right from his title: "The." Singular. One. And when he dies, it is as though the universe is just that less wondrous, and magical, and mysterious. It's heartbreaking, and beautiful.
The fact that's he's a big head makes it feel like he's all knowledge and wisdom and then finding out he's billions years old it's like he's this serene god.
That is very well described.
Tennant's acting in the scene where he describes Gallifrey to Martha is wonderful. He manages to make me feel nostalgia for a planet that we as the new audience of modern Doctor Who hadn't ever seen.
"Underneath the burnt orange sky..."
And that description of Gallifrey was actually almost word for word the same one said by his granddaughter Susan in a very early episode.
“The score is just beautiful” Damn right it is. The incredible Murray Gold giving us such amazing music from 2005 to 2017, then back from 2023 onwards😃
Murray Gold's score always adds to scenes in this Season, it's Electric!
The Dr Who Promenade concerts at the Albert Hall are worth watching
Tenant's acting was INSANE in this episode, flipping between the different moods of The Doctor so seamlessly and the emotional weight of the episode is crazy for a television series. It's episodes like this that help you understand why it's been on TV for so long and the fan base is so devoted
One thing Tenant does extremely well is menace. When he makes a threat as the Doctor, you believe it.
God, Doctor who comes across as such a silly and campy show (which it is) but damn... the messages and themes and score and everything below the surface just HITS HARD!! It's so special and I'm glad you're understanding and seeing it for how special the show is
It can be campy, sure, but it's not silly by any means.
@ doctor who is SO silly in the best way
@@NathanJasper of course it's silly - this episode features a human woman who has given birth to a litter of kittens! And we love it!
Hi Niall! ❤ absolutely love your channel. Its good to see you here 😊
"I recognised her right away"
Slight difference. You saw New Earth mere months ago, the Doctor has probably been travelling around A LOT since then 😅
This episode... hit different.
The idea that the being "stuck in traffic" is the only reason they are alive. The Face of Bo sealed the "undercity" which is kind of like a ... poor neighbourhood? So the people who were the worst off were all that survived, the meek shall inherit?
The Doctor was already known as one of the few Time Lords who "served the universe" and aided entire planets.
That final scene where the doctor tells martha that he lied and talked about gallifrey is one of my favourites of this season. Its so moving ❤
Russels addition of companion family dynamics and making the doctor wrestle with the loss of the time lords and the loss of his companions is such a huge addition to the series. This episode is really built on that and two good simple sci-fi concepts.
Every time I see this episode, I love it more and more. All the people on the motorway stuck there for decades, still choosing goodness and coming together to help each other and to love each other, with the Face of Boe committing the ultimate act of kindness by giving his life to save everyone, and Martha helping the Doctor open up about the Time Lords.
It's such a beautiful episode, and it can't be stated enough how good David, Freema, the supporting cast, and Murray Gold's music are in tandem with the wonderful writing.
I NEVER noticed before (and I've watched the episode more than once) but the couple in the pre-opening credits sequence are based on the portraits in the painting, American Gothic!
Me too! First time I caught that. (although, to be fair, most of my viewings have been in reaction channels, and that bit usually gets cut)
really...?
was the first thing, that i thought when i saw them...where is his fork ?
This episode has so much goodness. Face of Boe, Gallifrey descriptions, kittens, lesbians, great music, Classic monsters, cryptic messages, societal commentary... And the Doctor finally opening up to Martha and having a tiny bit self awareness about how he's treating her. Also, just enjoyed the glimpses of different characters and aliens you get, making you curious about the world.
David is indeed SO GOOD at making you feel things and making things meaningful or giving context simply through the way he performs a line.
And yes, people should stop hinting. Even just overly focusing on something or giving that playful wink wink sort of comments will make you realise something is Notable And Important. It's best to try to comment as if you have zero context for things revealed later. It's tricky, and I don't think I've always succeeded myself either, but worth it to keep reactors unspoiled while still having some comment interaction.
And Ardal O'Hanlon is in this episode.
Macra... From a story in 1967. A very minor reference but oh my goodness it was glorious!
Around 20:10 - what a gorgeous smile of pure joy. You might consider screen grabbing that for use as a profile pic for yourself. Most folks “fake” smiles in photos are fine but if you manage to capture a “genuine” smile on film it is something special.
Beautiful smile indeed.
RIP Face of Boe. It's very telling of such a brilliant character that we have only ever seen him 3 times & talked to him only once before and yet his death hits sooo hard. I think it's cool we don't know much about him too. I think with how ancient he is, just the idea of him plugging himself into the system for what he thought was going to be a century shows so much about his kindness. That even someone as old as him still cares about all those people. Much like the Doctor. Ahh I could go on and on about it but I love this story and FoB so much, I'm glad he resonated with you too
Always felt like this one was massively underrated.
Wasn't keen on our first trip to New Earth, but this is genuinely great, and one of RTD's better episodes.
This is an underrated type of episode which is the Companion Realizes They Jumped Into Danger With Guy They Hardly Know episode. For Rose, it was The End of the World. Some, but not all, companions down the road get one and IMO opinion, it's a critical part in their journeys as companions.
I agree. It's that moment when the serious stakes hit them, and each companion has to face the fact that they may die on these trips that you get a huge reveal about their characters.
Each of them decide for themselves that despite the risk, that what they get out of the journey is worth it; but each has different take-aways from the experience, and reasons for staying despite the danger, that show who they are as people.
The cat guy is played by Ardal O'Hanlon, a hilarious Irish actor probably best known for his role as Father Dougal on the classic BBC sitcom Father Ted.
Why even mention this to her? It's not likely she's seen it.
@@flaggerify even if she hasn't seen it, it doesn't mean she never will.
@@flaggerify It's called "conversation". Just a thing we humans do.
@@feralart If she ever does she'll have forgotten by then.
@@therealpbristow That's a talk between two or more people. He made a post.
When someone you like makes it clear that they don't feel the same way, it breaks your heart. Even if you already knew.
No SPOILERS! Clues are SPOILERS!
(I'm picturing that Peaky Blinders meme. "No spoilers! No fricking spoilers!")
So I probably shouldn't mention that the next episode features Colonel Mustard in the study?
@@johnmcclure40 nah, that's later on...
This shows just how much the Doctor needs Martha. He really needed someone to stop him & get him to face some of the pain of his past in order to get through it instead of shoving it deep down where it could fester.
Martha was firm, when the Doctor needed firm.
One of my all-time faves, this was actually my FIRST episode of Doctor Who! It very much confused me at the time, but I still loved it!
That's so funny, it's the same for me!
Murray Gold really went all out with the Face of Boe’s theme.
"The Old Rugged Cross" was my dad's favorite hymn and we sang it at his funeral. Hearing it in this episode always gets to me
I love that episode. Martha finally gets the Doctor open up by the end was emotional. She is a good listener.
I think a large part of how much everyone adores the Face of Boe is to do with his theme. Murray Gold's absolute genius is on full display in it. It's so beautiful and nostalgaic in its own right that I feel like you could pair it with almost anything and you would get some degree of the feeling of "this thing is an ancient legend, old and kind and wise beyond measure, something majestic that loves and is worthy of love".
"The second sun would rise in the South" is my favourite lore detail about Gallifrey.
It implies there's a) the other sun existed before it and b) the planet has some truly wacky orbital happenings.
There's some delightful theory crafting about why, but sadly nothing confirmed in the show itself. 😢
Since it's in a previous episode, I know what Ten has to say about that: "Gravity schmavity" - Time Lords would not be concerned with a few wacky orbital problems if the aesthetics were worth the effort.
Or, more logically, it implies that the planet has two suns.
@@Longshanks1690 I suppose, technically, what I said could mean one sun was replaced with another, but for clarity I meant to convey Gallifrey being part of a binary star system. I'll leave it at that.
@@LightLMNI'm guessing the second sub would just be the one that rose later or is smaller or something like that. And the timelords would give the finger to gravity.
I agree!! NO SPOILERS!!! I absolutely love watching you enjoy Doctor Who. You have totally renewed my love of the series. Thank you. Thank you so much!
I hope this goes to twice a week soon! I can't wait for you to get further!!
Same!
I think it will go back to twice a week as soon as she is done reacting to Chernobyl.
It's an epically underrated episode, this. Too many people skip over it when they rank series' but it's just so damn good.
High concept sci-fi, big emotions, big ideas, sweeping score, full of pathos and atmosphere. It's brilliant.
I love this episode! My favorite moment is when they are all singing "The Old Rugged Cross" and I like that Martha starts singing as it is a song that has been with the human race since 1912.
This episode sealed martha as a fabulous companion, to have the strength to force the doctor to speak, only the most special of companions will reach him like this.
I would agree, and her quick thinking about turning off the power was what brought them enough time for the Doctor to save them. One of the more underrated companions.
This episode for me took on an even greater meaning after COVID. Seeing everyone separated but still keeping each other together as a community is so beautiful.
I’ve been waiting for this episode! It’s one of my favourites. The Doctor rarely talks directly about Gallifrey or his family, but he says a lot in this one. Tennant puts so much wistfulness in his descriptions. There’s no one left to really share his grief with him. He can describe it to people, but no one remembers alongside him. 24:17 I’ve never connected the shot of the sunset to the burnt orange he was talking about, so thank you for that. And I loved when you said they don’t need a bliss patch when they have real joy. Very insightful. I loved that thought ❤
Gridlock is honestly one of my top eps of 10s era
'Imagine that! A 50-foot head!'
Face of Boe: *gets aroused*
See, this is why we need to bring back the 'fake spoiler' norm.
Like how the Macra are the ghosts of every crab humanity has ever eaten come back for revenge, or how The Face of Boe is the ultimate fate of Bo Jackson.
Tennant’s acting was absolutely on point in this one! Damn! RIP Face of Boe 😢
Love this episode. David Tennant really makes you believe Gallifrey is gone and that he’s the only survivor, an amazing performance👏🏻
This is my second favorite episode of the whole "Doctor Who" (just a reminder - personal favorite episodes are not the same as objectively best episodes), and we are still really far from my personal most favorite episode, so I was really excited and fascinated to watch funnylilgal react to "Gridlock". As always - reaction is on point, I love seeing those emotions I felt when I first seen this episode. Well, who am I kidding, the moment when people in cars saw the sunlight for the first time in years still bring me to tears on occasional re-watches.
Oh, by the way - after the episode was shot, David Tennant actually adopted one of the kittens. The black one if I remember correctly
This is a super underrated episode
@@Kostyurik Not sure how true that is, although it surely would've been adorable since he was very attached to one of the kittens, but I haven't be able to find a source that says he adopted one.
So, Doctor Who was mostly filming in and around Cardiff at this time. I was working there at the time, and I'm convinced that the rush hour traffic on the M4 out of Cardiff was the inspiration for this episode.
Russell’s best strength is the family talk and the emotion behind that definitely need more of that injected into my veins
Thomas Kincaid Brannigan is played by Irish actor and comedian Ardal O'Hanlon. After filming this episode, Ardal ran into David at a different time, and David didn't recognize him out of the makeup. Ardal has been in three different BBC series: Father Ted, in which he played a Catholic priest, My Hero, where he played a superhero trying to fit into human life with hilarious results, and Death in Paradise as an Irish Detective Inspector solving crimes on an island in the Caribbean.
So fun fact
A comic has the Doctor visit Hame on her deathbed and she has her last moments with him by her bedside
I believe there's a video on the Doctor Who covid quarantine channel.
I really love this episode. The Face of Boe is great and anything with kittens is amazing in my book😂. I said this in one of your previous videos but series 3 is one of my faves. Cannot wait for you to react to the rest!
Are you watching Torchwood when you're not juggling a full time job, a full time TH-cam channel, moving and weddingplanning?😅
No Torchwood for now, but if I do watch it, I don’t think I’ll do edits. Just full lengths
11:00 I was intrigued and a little surprised by your reaction to this scene; I think you're missing additional context. Both hymns chosen for this episode have some subtler meanings for the plot.
I'm Roman Catholic, so my first exposure to "Old Rugged Cross" (a Protestant hymn) was actually watching this very episode, years ago. Martha, on the other hand, is English; if she's not Anglican herself, she's grown up in a country with a strong Anglican influence, and she _does_ know the hymn (notice that she mouths the words at two different points). I don't buy for a second that it's a case of her drinking the motorway Kool-Aid; on the contrary, she's drawn into the communal hymn because that's hymns at their best: bringing people together in mutual comfort and faith (as Brannigan says, "We're not abandoned-not while we have each other"). While the citizens on the motorway _have_ had time to grow accustomed to some pretty wretched circumstances, even though there's no sign of actual Christianity surviving into this era and location, they still find comfort in the hymn and its theme. Tellingly (and in contrast to Martha), the Doctor just observes; no matter how much he knows about the cultures and practices of the many civilizations in the galaxy, he's never actually part of them.
"Old Rugged Cross" has two main themes. The first is awe at Christ's sacrifice. The Face of Boe serves as a Christological type in this episode, sacrificing himself to bring freedom to everyone else (note the hymn's line "...the dearest and best for a world of lost sinners was slain", and Novice Hame's line "My lord gave his life to save the city"). The other theme is commitment to the hard road of struggle in anticipation of future glory. For Christians, it's laboring through life's sufferings and resisting sin to achieve salvation; for the New New Yorkers, it's enduring the motorway until they get off it.
The other hymn tied to the plot, "Abide with Me", _is_ a Catholic hymn; it's the one the city sings while the Doctor tells Martha about Gallifrey and the Time War. The basis of "Abide with Me" is the biblical story of Jesus meeting the two disciples on the road to Emmaus right after his Resurrection. The hymn has a few verses, but only two were chosen for this episode's choral rendition, and I think that's intentional (the song loops during the scene, so it wasn't a timing issue). The Doctor himself is a Messianic archetype (in this and many other episodes), and the last two lines of each verse are fitting. The first verse ends with "When other helpers fail and comforts flee / Help of the helpless, O abide with me"; is there any better description of the Doctor than "help of the helpless"? Similarly, the second ends with "Change and decay in all around I see / O, Thou who changest not, abide with me"; although the Doctor _does_ change via regeneration, he's still the Doctor (in his own words, "Same man, new face").
Maybe it's partly _because_ I'm Catholic, but the two hymn-related scenes are my two favorite in this episode (though David Tennant's extraordinary performance in the second is a big part too), and they've stuck with me for years since.
Yeah, I had to look it up because I am not a church person and I didn’t recognize this song
really good comment, thank you
I had no idea about any of this, thank you for taking the time to break this down. Awesome to have some context and deeper meaning to something so familiar.
5:18 Thing is, she's not wrong. He's rebounding, not just from Rose, but from losing a companion. Watching this again, you can see him edging into it: "Just one trip, and then I take you home." "Well, you've had one trip... I guess we could do one more."
Less than five minutes and your nose is already red. The singing, Face of Boe’s death, the Doctor talking about Galllifrey and the Time Lords. I don’t like lies but I understand the Doctor wanting to pretend Gallifrey and the Time Lords are still alive. You really feel the Doctor’s pain in his voice.
I was so thrilled when Novice Hame got a "redemption arc" in this episode! Yes, "CatKind" children! That was a trip! The following observation is NOT a spoiler, merely a fervent wish. I so want a member of the CatKind to become a traveling companion of the Doctor! Maybe even a daughter of Brannigan and Valerie as a fun callback.
There are so many moments in Doctor Who that I can't wait for you to experience for the first time. Keep 'em coming!
the way a lot of this episode is such a good metaphor for learned helplessness... I have to say its not one of my favs (once you start poking holes in it theyre never ending) but the emotion behind it resonates. Watching Martha get the whiplash of one amazing adventure to being alone stuck for potentially years...terrifying. This episode made me love her.
"Oh my God it's the sky, the real sky." That line kills me, the rest of the episode is great too.
The monsters below them, the Macra haven't been around since the second doctor fought them in the sixties
The monster in this episode is a monster that the Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton) fought back in the '60s.
Honestly it is such a joy watching you react to these stories for the first time and remembering my own first time watching them. Especially since you get genuinely invested. I've seen some reactors who seem emotionally stunted and are incapable of taking anything seriously, so these brilliant moments have no effect on them. So thank you for being vulnerable and genuine and really enjoying these stories. I am very excited to see your reactions going forward into the things I know are coming, and I just wish I could sit and binge through it with you right now.
There are some cute GIFs of Tennant playing with the kittens. No spoilers, just cute extra footage.
The face of Boe always reminded me of a great aunt/uncle, a caring old relative vibe, which was really endearing to me
I love how we all fell in love with a big ol head with a calm voice. Haha
The outtakes with the box of kittens! 😂
10:30 People have a phenomenal ability to assume that what they have going on is totally normal. Living in your car, on a permanent gridlock? Sure. That's life. Let's have kittens. But never look *too* closely.
David IS so good. Might have said on here before (I follow a few Doctor Who reactions), I started NuWho in 2011. I was surprised how quickly I loved the show, and felt there was no way I could attach to another Doctor after Eccleston. One episode. One was all it took because David. Is. That. Good! And I fell harder and harder with each episode. Gridlock is an episode that took me years to appreciate, because I was always in a hurry to get to later episodes, but the emotion in this one is real!😢
In the behind the scenes, they said it was really difficult to get David away from the kittens because he loved them so much
You are so beautifully invested In this show, and it is so appreciated. You have by far the best and most emotional reaction to watching theses episodes and it really resonates with other fans of the show.
One of my favourite moments is the look on the guys face in the back when the doctor says Novice Hame was breeding humans for experiments 😂😂 he was a great character.
There are things I want to say, but can't, so what I will say is that I enjoyed this episode in general, and I loved all the bits with Boe and with the nun. Also I loved Branagan - both the personality and the fact he was a cat.
I've been waiting for this one, I knew you would love seeing the doctor in this beautiful, vulnerable moment ❤
I love this episode, but the closing fall away shot of the Doctor telling Martha about his home is just beautiful stuff. One of the most underrated moments in all of New Who is you ask me. As others have said, man Tennant can sell emotion so incredibly well. Just his eyes alone, so much sadness and memory and missing time long gone (for a Time Lord lol). In any event, this episode to me is one you watch and you think, yeah, this one is pretty good. Then you don't watch it for years or whatever and then you remember why it's so good. Understated, great writing, incredible performance just from Tennant alone - great stuff. Also, kitties!
Loved the speech at the end .
This was actually my first doctor who episode
Ahhhhh, did you continue on from this point, or did you go back to Christopher Eccleston's run afterwards? My first experience was with Jon Pertwee but really started watching with Tom Baker the 4th version.
@ICEcoleman2k actually my second episode was either the 11th doctor's first adventure with R.S. (doing it like this in case Angela reads this) or the second part of the lizard story (again, keeping it vague but hoping you know what I'm talking about)
@keyblademasterclark ahhhhh ok, cool. Yeah I'm an old school watcher. I was about 3 or 4 catching a glimpse of the 3rd, and about 9 starting with the 4th and watched ever since, about 1978/79
@ICEcoleman2k I haven't seen much classic who. Remembrance of the Daleks is one I've seen and is my favorite classic who story
Great choice for a first episode! Despite being in the middle, it kind of explains a lot in this one.
What I enjoy in RTD's scripts is how he builds on the contrast of a very ordinary human companion facing the weirdness of the Doctor and his world: the richness of concepts, the tempo, the wide emotional scale, and the blatant cheesiness.
He is also good at building long story arcs. While, being the show runner, he may insert details relevant to the series arc into any episode, in his own scripts he may make even more use of such material, sometimes spanning from one series to another. And he usually does that in a very surprising and satisfying manner.
David's acting reminiscing over Gallifrey with the hint of pain in his voice feels so genuine. I do wonder with scenes like that what the actors are drawing from, is it something personal they just think of or are they really just talented enough to pull it out of nowhere.
I always thought that this episode was heavily underrated . So many things to say about it!
Face of Boe's scene always atuck with me: how you can feel that emotional for an individual you saw just like two times
The couple in the very beginning of the episode were dressed up to look like the farmer and his wife in the famous painting "American Gothic" by Grant Wood.
That painting is actually a farmer and his spinster daughter.
@@HuntingViolets Thanks for the correction. My wife is the one who took art history in college, not me. I preferred music.
For some reason, that cat-man makes me think of *Father Ted* and *My Hero*
Can't quite put my finger on why ...
Of note; this was a budget saving ep. They only built 1 van interior set and just redressed it for the different vans. 😯
Having been a Doctor Who fan since the mid-70s, I smile inside thinking of all the things to come for you watching NuWho. There will be so many "Aha!" moments, coupled with as many "Huh?" moments along this journey. Every answer will bring 20 new questions. Enjoy the ride! Wait until you get to the part where.... Cheers!
This one’s an absolute classic
I have a great photo of my niece aged six hugging the Face of Boe prop at an official Doctor Who exhibition in 2007. She loved that big old face.
I think it's interesting that when he was here with Rose, they encountered Cassandra, who they knew from a first season episode with Christopher Eccleston as the Doctor, and this visit we "bump into" the Face of Bo, who we also originally met in that same first season episode.
Thomas Kincade Brannigan (catman) was played (in his own accent) by
Ardal O'Hanlon, a hilarious comedian; he played Father Dougal MacGuire
on the comedy show Father Ted- a show to check out.
If comedy doesn't take your fancy, he was also a lead detective in Death in Paradise.
@@AlmightyCRJ THAT's where I knew the voice from! Detective Inspector Jack Mooney! Thank you, that was bugging me!
your right the score is beautiful, good ol' Murry Gold is to thank for that, all they music he makes for the doctor who is incredible
The face of Bo really needs to share his secret blend of herbs and spices for his ☁lol but really he's such an enigmatic character we can't help but be intrigued by his serenity and wisdom.
It's so much fun watching you watch it for the first time, it reminds me how I felt seeing it for the first time
There is behind the scenes footage of David playing with the kittens.
Watching reactions to episodes like these makes me so excited to see future reactions to other episodes!
face of boe's theme is easily one of the most beautiful scores from the whole show
I'm pretty sure this was the first episode of Dr. Who I ever saw at a buddies house when they had it on TV.
The Doctor’s speech at the end of the episode is actually referencing a speech of Susan’s (the Doctors granddaughter) in the 1st Doctor episode The Sensorites. It’s such a beautiful, beautiful speech in both versions.
I drive OTR from the mippippippi to the rockies and Duluth to KC... this episode is so close to my life and the trucker lifestyle. Cobbling together a home in 125sqft of useable living space.
One of my favorite episodes.
It's even better on the re-watch.
Anytime I hear of spoilers I always think of Megamind "Get back! Get back you savages!"
Sometimes, I wouldn't mind a sticker that will let me forget
After an 18 hour shift at the hospital yesterday, I need a Doctor….
very firefly with these emotion drugs that kill off a load of people