History Recap / DoctorWhoNSS3E3Gridlock

The Doctor will not be deterred. He gets into the upper city, where the only remaining "people" are an [[Recap/DoctorWhoNSS2E1NewEarth elderly cat nun]] and the Face of Boe, the oldest being in the galaxy, who is the only thing powering the expressway and keeping the rest of humanity alive. It turns out that the rest of humanity all got addicted to the drugs, causing them to waste away in drugged-out bliss... and then the drugs produced an unstoppable plague that killed everyone (including itself). And all the expressways 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.

* CuteKitten: Most likely the reason for an anthropomorphic cat and a human woman having a litter of seemingly ordinary kittens.

* HypocriticalHumor: Brannigan refers to the Cassinis as 'sisters', claiming that he's a traditional type. When he's a catman married to a human.
** Although considering that, if Cassandra's claims in previous episodes are to be believed, there are no pure blooded humans left, this may be less hypocritical than it seems.

* InterspeciesRomance: The Brannigans. She's human, he's a cat-man; their kids are litter of kittens ([[RuleOfCute who can say "Mama"]]).

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. Where the Doctor also took Rose once.

The Doctor will not be deterred. He gets into the upper city, where the only remaining "people" are an [[Recap/DoctorWhoNSS2E1NewEarth elderly cat nun]] and the Face of Boe, the oldest being in the galaxy, who is the only thing powering the expressway and keeping the rest of humanity alive. It turns out that the rest of humanity all got addicted to the drugs, causing them to waste away in drugged-out bliss... and then the drugs produced an unstoppable plague that killed everyone (including itself). 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 expressway 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 "curing all the lepers with a single touch" thing he did last time.

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. Where the Doctor also took Rose once. By now, Martha's figured out that she's the Doctor's "rebound", and she doesn't like it one bit. Also, the TARDIS has taken them to the undercity slums, where things aren't quite as happy as they are above the smog.

The Doctor will not be deterred. He gets into the upper city, where the only remaining "people" are an [[Recap/DoctorWhoNSS2E1NewEarth elderly cat nun]] and the Face of Boe, the oldest being in the galaxy, who is the only thing powering the expressway and keeping the rest of humanity alive. It turns out that the rest of humanity all got addicted to the drugs, causing them to waste away in drugged-out bliss... and then the drugs produced an unstoppable plague that killed everyone (including itself). 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 expressway 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. This planet really sets off the Doctor's messianic side, after that whole "curing all the lepers with a single touch" thing he did last time.

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.

Screw ''that''. The Doctor tries climbing down to Martha's car anyway, but can only get so far.

The Doctor will not be deterred. He gets into the upper city, where the only remaining "people" are an [[Recap/DoctorWhoNSS2E1NewEarth elderly cat nun]] and the Face of Boe, the oldest being in the galaxy, who is the only thing powering the expressway and keeping the rest of humanity alive. It turns out that the rest of humanity all got addicted to the drugs, causing them to waste away in drugged-out bliss...and then the drugs produced an unstoppable plague that killed everyone (including itself). 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 expressway exits and save Martha. As face dies he imparts his final message, as foreshadowed in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoNSS2E1NewEarth New Earth]]". The message? "[[Recap/DoctorWhoNSS3E11Utopia You are not alone.]]"

* PoliceAreUseless: A call to the police gets the Doctor put on hold.

* DrugsAreBad: Both Martha and the Doctor are unamused by a street populated by drug-dealing booths, and bliss killed all of New Earth's population apart from New New York's undercity.

* DrugsAreBad: Bliss killed all of New Earth's population apart from New New York's undercity.

* NewNewYork: Technically there are 16 "New"s, but...

* CuteKitten: Most likely the reason for an anthropomorphic cat and a human woman having a litter of seemingly ordinary kittens.

* EverythingsCuterWithKittens: Most likely the reason for an anthropomorphic cat and a human woman having a litter of seemingly ordinary kittens.

** Also falls into HalfHumanHybrids, as based on Cassandra's claim to fame, Mrs. Brannigan can't be a pure-blood human.

* CallBack: [[Recap/DoctorWhoS4E7TheMacraTerror The Macra]]. From a LostEpisode no less.

* AliensSpeakingEnglish: Despite being New New York, every person you see is very much British. It makes you wonder what Neo-London might sound like.
** Brannigan is Irish.

* FlatWhat: Martha's reaction to the length of time the Carjacking journey will take.

* ShoutOut: The old couple in the opening who are attacked by the Macra? Take a look at the painting, American Gothic.

** The setting, New New York may be a reference to Futurama.

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

Martha gets kidnapped by the ghost chick from ''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 [[CatGirl Cat Guy]] Thomas Kinkaide Brannigan (who looks like [[FatherTed Father Dougal]] as a cat-person) and his wife Valerie. Estimated time of arrival? Oh, another six years or so.