History Recap / DoctorWhoS29E3Gridlock

* AdventurerOutfit: Brannigan is wearing googles, a scarf and a leather jacket. He's basically a suburban dad.

** Not to mention the idea that the world could come to an end without you realizing it. Your trap is your salvation, unless some outside party decides to come help you. And barring the Doctor, there's no help coming for another 76 years.

* AlienSky: As the episode ends, the Doctor describes Gallifrey's sky, and the way when the red of the sun hit the silver trees it looked like the sky was on fire . . .
* AllThereInTheManual: As to how the Macra wound up in the motorway in the first place, they were in New New York's zoo, and got free when everyone else died.

-->'''Brannigan:''' This Martha . . . she must mean a whole lot to you.\\

* TheAtoner: Novice Hame, the cat nun assistant to the Face of Boe was the survivor out of the three-named cat nuns from [[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E1NewEarth "New Earth"]].

* FateWorseThanDeath: Going to the motorway. Sitting in the eternal traffic jam, going 'round and 'round year upon year upon decade, with the only interaction being with whoever you already have with you or can phone. And everyone goes to the motorway in the end.

* GiantEnemyCrab: The Macra. They can be found at the bottom of the motorway in [[NewNeoCity New New York]] (on New Earth). In the "fast lane", you can reach speeds of up to thirty miles per hour! (Usually taking six years to get to Brooklyn from Queens!) However, this comes with a risk: the potential of being sliced and mauled by the Macra. What's even scarier is that you only really get to see these claws above the fumes.

* IAteWhat: Martha is disgusted to learn that food in the cars is made from recycled waste, after taking a few bites of a cookie offered to her.

The Doctor tells Martha that her one trip is over, and she can go home now... unless she wants to travel more. No reason, really, he'd just like to travel more. In fact, he'd like to take her to the future - and how about another planet? Martha is all for it, but throws him by asking if they can visit ''his'' home. Planet of the Time Lords, after all; got to be worth a look? The Doctor finds himself agreeing, fondly recalling the burnt orange sky, mountains covered in red grass, a gleaming city under its mighty glass dome...

...but nah, why would he want to go back there? Better idea: New New New, etc., York. Where drugs are cheap, legal and socially acceptable. Where people inexplicably look like cats. Where traffic never moves. [[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E1NewEarth Where the Doctor also took Rose once]].

Martha gets kidnapped by a couple named Milo and Cheen so that they can have enough people in their car to get access to the elusive fast lane. The Doctor chases after her... into the Traffic Jam from Hell.

Martha refuses to leave until the Doctor tells her just what he is and what's going on. The Doctor sits down with her and tells his story from the beginning, starting with "there was a war"...

** Not to mention the idea that the world could come to an end without you realizing it. Your trap is your salvation, unless some outside party decides to come help you. And barring the Doctor, there's no help coming for another 70 years.

* AlienSky: As the episode ends, the Doctor describes Gallifrey's sky, and the way when the red of the sun hit the silver trees it looked like the sky was on fire...

-->'''Brannigan:''' This Martha... she must mean a lot to you.\\

* TheAtoner: Novice Hame, the cat nun assistant to the Face of Boe was the survivor out of the three-named cat nuns from "New Earth".

** The Doctor asks for the Duke of Manhattan.
** One of the car drivers is a completely red dude -- we saw another one on "New Earth".

'''Martha:''' How long will it take?\\
'''Cheen:''' ''(nonchalantly)'' Six years.\\

* AdultFear: This episode becomes very disturbing if you start thinking about being stuck in an inescapable traffic jam that will ''never'' end.

** Not to mention the idea that the world could come to an end without you realizing it. Your trap is your salvation, unless some outside party decides to come help you. And barring The Doctor, there's no help coming for another 70 years.

** Thomas Kinkaide Brannigan: "Til the Journey's End."

* HypocriticalHumor: Brannigan refers to the Cassinis as "sisters", claiming that he's a traditional type despite being a catman married to a humanoid.

* NoAntagonist: A rare ''Doctor Who'' story with no sentient villain. Even the virus that wiped out the entire population of New Earth has long since perished, having had no-one left alive to infect and propagate itself with.

* SeriesContinuityError: In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E1NewEarth "New Earth"]], the Doctor says the titular planet is in the galaxy [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messier_87 M87]]. In this episode, he says it's 50,000 light-years from the former location of Old Earth. That's a difference of around ''twenty million'' light-years, even accounting for the episodes being set five billion years in the future.

Martha gets kidnapped by a couple named Milo and Cheen so that they can have enough people in their car to get access to the elusive carpool lane. The Doctor chases after her... into the Traffic Jam From Hell.

Before he dies of extreme toxic smoke inhalation, though, he gets picked up by CatFolk Thomas Kinkaide Brannigan and his wife Valerie. Estimated time of arrival? Oh, another six years or so.

The Doctor will not be deterred, but before he can continue he's caught by Hame, one of the cat-nurse-nuns he met during his last trip here. She transports him against his will to the upper city, where the only other remaining "person" is the Face of Boe, the oldest being in the galaxy, who's the only thing powering the motorway and keeping the rest of demi-humanity alive. It turns out that the planet's inhabitants all got wiped out by an unstoppable plague that killed everyone (including itself). And all the motorways are closed, and have been closed for years. All those cars with all their eternal fuel and food supplies are driving in eternal circles around the deadly city smog.

* TheAtoner: Novice Hame, the cat nun assistant to the Face of Boe was the survivor out of the three-named cat nuns on "New Earth".

* FateWorseThanDeath: Going to the motorway. Sitting in the eternal traffic jam, going around and 'round year upon year upon decade, with the only interaction being with whoever you already have with you or can phone. And everyone goes to the motorway in the end.

* SeriesContinuityError: In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E1NewEarth "New Earth"]], the Doctor says the titular planet is in the galaxy [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messier_87 M87]], which is a ''long'' way from Earth. In this episode, he says it's 50,000 light-years from the former location of Old Earth. That's a difference of around ''twenty million'' light-years, even accounting for the episodes being set five billion years in the future.

* SeriesContinuityError: In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E1NewEarth "New Earth"]], the Doctor says the titular planet is in the galaxy [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messier_87 M87]], which is a ''long'' way from Earth. In this episode, he says it's 50,000 light-years from the former location of Old Earth. That's a difference of ''millions'' of light-years, even accounting for the episodes being set five billion years in the future.

** Thomas Kinkaide Brannigan: "Until Journey's End."

The Doctor tells Martha that her one trip is over, and she can go home now... unless she wants to travel more. No reason, really, he'd just like to travel more. In fact, he'd like to take her to the future - and how about another planet? Martha is all for it, but throws him by asking if they can visit ''his'' home. Planet of the Time Lords, after all; got to be worth a look? The Doctor finds himself agreeing, fondly recalling the burnt orange sky, mountains covered in red glass, a gleaming city under its mighty glass dome...

The Doctor tells Martha that her one trip is over, and she can go home now... unless she wants to travel more. No reason, really, he'd just like to travel more. In fact, he'd like to take her to the future - and how about another planet? Martha is all for it, but throws him by asking if they can visit ''his'' home. Planet of the Time Lords, after all; got to be worth a look? The Doctor finds himself agreeing, fondly recalling the burnt orange sky, mountains covered in red glass, a gleaming city under its might glass dome...

The Doctor tells Martha that her one trip is over, and she can go home now... unless she wants to travel more. No reason, really, he'd just like to travel more. In fact, he'd like to take her to the future: New New New, etc., York. Where drugs are cheap, legal and socially acceptable. Where people inexplicably look like cats. Where traffic never moves. [[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E1NewEarth Where the Doctor also took Rose once]].

* TakeThat: To metropolitan traffic jams in general, London in particular. The people on the Motorway think travelling 6 miles in 10 years is making good time.

* TheAtoner: The cat nun who's the assistant to the Face of Boe was the survivor out of the three-named cat nuns on "New Earth".

* NewNeoCity: New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York.

* AdventurerOutfit: Brannigan.

* BigWordShout / SayMyName: MAAAAAAAARTHAAAAAAAAAAAA!

* TheCityNarrows: The other side of New New York.

* MuckMonster: The Macra.
* NationalStereotypes: Irish Catman. Including that one guy who ''really'' went out of his way to look [[IAmVeryBritish British]]. Bowler hat, something about manners...

* OneWordTitle

* YouAreNotAlone / ThereIsAnother:

* CallBack:

As Face dies, he imparts his final message, as foreshadowed in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E1NewEarth "New Earth"]]. The message? "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E11Utopia You are not alone.]]"

* YouAreNotAlone / ThereIsAnother: So says the Face of Boe.

The Doctor will not be deterred. He gets into the upper city, where the only remaining "people" are an elderly cat nun and the Face of Boe, the oldest being in the galaxy, who's the only thing powering the motorway and keeping the rest of demi-humanity alive. It turns out that the planet's inhabitants all got wiped out by an unstoppable plague that killed everyone (including itself). And all the motorways are closed, and have been closed for years. All those cars with all their eternal fuel and food supplies are driving in eternal circles around the deadly city smog.

Martha gets kidnapped by the ghost chick from ''Series/BeingHuman'' so that her kidnappers can have enough people in the car to get access to the elusive carpool lane. The Doctor chases after her... into the Traffic Jam From Hell.

Before he dies of extreme toxic smoke inhalation, though, he gets picked up by CatFolk Thomas Kinkaide Brannigan (who looks like [[Series/FatherTed Father Dougal]] as a cat-person) and his wife Valerie. Estimated time of arrival? Oh, another six years or so.

Screw ''that''. The Doctor jumps from car to car, and tries climbing down to Martha's spot, but he can only get so far.

Meanwhile, [[Recap/DoctorWhoS4E7TheMacraTerror giant evil crabs that feed off pollution]] have snatched Martha's car out of the air and are hell-bent on eating her. The Doctor quickly recognises them from an old MissingEpisode and notes that they've devolved into mindless beasts over time, living in the depths of the motorway. Even if he could get there, there's hardly any way to get back.

The Doctor will not be deterred. He gets into the upper city, where the only remaining "people" are an elderly cat nun and the Face of Boe, the oldest being in the galaxy, who is the only thing powering the motorway and keeping the rest of demi-humanity alive. It turns out that the planet's inhabitants all got wiped out by an unstoppable plague that killed everyone (including itself). And all the motorways are closed, and have been closed for years. All those cars with all their eternal fuel and food supplies are driving in eternal circles around the deadly city smog.

The quarantine placed on the planet was set to last 100 years, so it has to be released manually. The Face gives his life to open up the motorway exits and save Martha. The Doctor opens the gates of... well, Heaven, and all the cars ascend into the bright upper city, with the people inside praising Jehova for saving them from the crabs of... well, Hell. They sing hymns and everything. This planet really sets off the Doctor's messianic side, after that whole "getting baptised by nuns with a panacea and curing all the lepers with a single touch" thing he did last time.

* AdventurerOutfit: Brannigan, for no apparent reason.
* AdultFear: Plot holes aside, the episode becomes very disturbing, in a peculiar fashion, if you start thinking about being stuck in an inescapable traffic jam that will ''never, ever end'' (maybe you have to drive to work to appreciate it).
-->'''The Doctor:''' What if the traffic jam never stops? What if there's no help coming, not ever? What if there's nothing? Just the motorway, with the cars going round and round and round and round, never stopping. FOREVER.
** Not to mention the idea that the world could come to an end without you realizing it. Your trap is your salvation, unless some outside party decides to come help you. And barring The Doctor, there is no help coming for an other 70 years.
* AliensOfLondon: Despite being New New York, every person you see (except Brannigan and the news anchor) sounds very much British due to the TARDIS' TranslationConvention.

** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS4E7TheMacraTerror The Macra]]. From a MissingEpisode no less.

* GiantEnemyCrab: The Macra. They can be found at the bottom of the motorway in [[NewNeoCity New New York]] (on New Earth). In the "fast lane" you can reach speeds of up to thirty miles per hour! (Usually taking six years to get to Brooklyn from Queens!) However, this comes with a risk: the potential of being sliced and mauled by the Macra. What's even scarier is that you only really get to see these claws above the fumes.

* HypocriticalHumor: Brannigan refers to the Cassinis as "sisters", claiming that he's a traditional type. When he's a catman married to a humanoid.

* NationalStereotypes: Irish Catman. Including that one guy who ''really'' [[IAmVeryBritish went out of his way to look British. Bowler hat, something about manners...]]

* OneDrinkWillKillTheBaby: When Martha finds out one of her kidnappers is pregnant, she rips off the woman's Honesty patch in disgust.

* SelectiveObliviousness: Everyone is on some level aware that they've not seen any sign from the government and/or the people on the surface for over 20 years, but it takes some serious prodding from the Doctor before they even start to acknowledge the ElephantInTheLivingRoom.

* UnusuallyUninterestingSight: The people on the underground motorway are disturbingly blasé about the fact that nobody ever gets anywhere, that there's no police, and that the news doesn't do anything special. Martha needs to take a bit of time to adjust to this. This helps to make people never question ''what happened'': the surface got wiped out by a virus.
* VillainDecay: Deliberately invoked. After a few billion years, the Macra devolved into a much less intelligent form, so instead of being invisible puppet masters (like the Silence would be later in New Who) they're just... giant crabs living on car fumes.

* ShoutOut:
** According to WordOfGod, the concept of an endless traffic jam in a dystopian city is a shoutout to Mega-City One in ''ComicBook/JudgeDredd'', and the man with the bowler hat is based on Max Normal, a supporting character in the comic.
** The setting, [[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E1NewEarth New New York]], may be a reference to ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}''.
** [[Film/{{Serenity}} An airborne drug causes most of the inhabitants of a planet to lay down and die.]]

'''WARNING! THERE MAY BE UNMARKED SPOILERS!'''