The Red Lady [AUDIO/2015.10.12]

★★★★☆

  To this day, this remains one of John Dorney's most confident scripts. A wonderfully simple and yet terrifying idea, a memorable introduction to a new companion, and the kind of clever solution that would make anyone slap their head and go "why haven't I thought of this before?". 

  It's a very polished script (possibly the most polished an Eighth Doctor audio has been for some time at this stage) with wit and excitement flying around the place. The streets of 1963, the cozy museum offices... they're all brought alive by the excellent sound design, and Paul McGann is on fire here as Eight. Picturing him and Liv break and enter into a scholar's office and prove their credentials by hastily scribbling translations of old Mesopotamian tablets brings me such joy. Surprisingly for such a scary story, it's one of those adventures I would first think of when I'm asked to recommend a Doctor Who story that's the most accessible for the widest audience... and I think that's the right move for a fresh new boxset. The Red Lady is a haunting thriller, a great showcase for our three leads, and a second installment that carries on The Eleven's promise of excitement and brilliance.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ  

  It's funny, the way a few years can change things. I remember back in 2015 how some people complained about the detached nature of The Red Lady, how it seemingly wasn't at all connected to the Eleven's scheme and the bigger Doom Coalition narrative. Well, years after Doom Coalition 4 was released, here we are... we've basically been treated to the epilogue of the sixteen-part epic, two parts in!

(Artwork by June Hudson)