Redacted feels like event radio, a ten-part 'greatest hits' epic that draws from many different corners of the Doctor Who mythos. It also happens to be an adventure rooted in reality, two feet firmly on the ground, with possibly the most lifelike set of characters to ever be featured in a Who story in the past decade (and by that, I mean both in the sense of how they accurately reflect young adults of today and how they practically spring from the material, full of energy and amicability). You instantly care for Cleo, Abby and Shawna, and you root for them as they delve deeper into a mysterious alien conspiracy that started off as a conspiracy podcast gone wrong. It's great that the Doctor Who franchise has started to embrace its core ideal and become more inclusive, with gay and trans women as writers and leads. If I say so myself, Juno Dawson has written a masterpiece, and the combined efforts of Charlie Craggs, Lois Chimimba and Holly Quin-Ankrah breathe life into the production with much aplomb.
There are references to the bigger Who mythos all over the place, from actual supporting characters such as UNIT and Vastra to more obscure tidbits such as Rani Chandra and the mobile game The Lonely Assassins (I squealed with excitement when Larry Nightingale's fate was mentioned). Dawson obviously had so much fun connecting the dots between each facet of the franchise, crafting a darn impressive conspiracy mystery that doesn't end up fizzing out during the final few parts in the process. The only way to defeat belief in a lie is to create another belief, to express the self and open the eyes of those around you; how poignant is that?
But wait, there's more for you Season 13 fanatics who moan about atmosphere all the bloody time! Redacted is filled to the brim with unease, a slight tinge of horror that lingers in your taste buds, and it's absolutely magnificent. Much credit has to go to David Devereux's brilliant score, which creates the kind of tone Torchwood's first two seasons would've benefited from immensely. Nothing is as it seems, and paranoia is just around the corner.
*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ
Redacted presents an emotional journey quite unlike anything Doctor Who has attempted in its almost sixty-year lifespan; with Cleo at the helm, we get a pretty darn good impression of life in 2022 — our 2022, with society moving at a breakneck pace and the darkest shadows of humanity rearing their ugly heads on the daily. With a patient stride, it deftly weaves through all its story elements and creates a thoughtful and moving tale of belief, lies and how the two can both be weaponized to incite chaos and tragedy. Its somber tone, aided by an atmosphere so delectable that 'dripping' wouldn't cover it, is something I absolutely love — and it's used in such a wonderful way as well. It warms my heart that Jodie Whittaker's Doctor has this story under her belt, as it adds to her incarnation's layer of mystery... and also happens to be a stone-cold masterpiece.
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