Ghosts

"These messages are coming from the past."

Writer: Doris V Sutherland

Format: Audio

Released: June 2022

Series: Redacted 1.08

Featuring: Shawna, Cleo

Synopsis

Cleo gets a call from her mum. After what happens to Jordan, she doesn't want to wait around and risk losing someone else. So it's time to go back to the Powell Estate where she grew up. Meanwhile, Abby and Osgood are watching the world get much, much quieter...

Verdict

Ghosts was another great episode of the Redacted podcast series! Things are certainly getting tense as we head towards the final two episodes now and after a warning from the Thirteenth Doctor at the end of Requiem, the ghosts were here in full force. We’ve seen and heard countless different versions of ghosts in the Doctor Who universe and this felt like another type entirely. It was interesting stuff and I liked how this felt like an immediate follow on from the previous episode. It was so much so that we had a reprise of its final moments and things moved on immediately with Shawna and Cleo running from the warning. Don’t touch the ghosts, we know that’ll be easier said than done. The temptation factor of the episode was very good and after such an emotional and confrontational relationship with her mother, Cleo getting a voicemail from her like it was normal and how she used to act was intriguing. That also followed in slightly less interesting circumstances with an old neighbour checking on his orange juice delivery, but Cleo still holding out hope for acceptance from her mother is quite sad. Transitioning and coming out must be tough enough, and she alluded to that in the episode about her school experience and how those on the Powell Estate didn’t really accept her, but for your own mother to basically throw you out! Shawna tried to make her realise that this wasn’t normal behaviour. The very fact that Cleo hadn’t been referred to by her own name post coming out was horrifying. But the story of the trans person on the Estate that Cleo saw when she was young made sense when describing the reaction of her mother in really not liking them. She was almost repulsed which is quite sad. Cleo coming home was a big moment and I love the wider universe connection with the Powell Estate. The call to 999 after the threat of the ghosts was excellent and felt real. The emergence of Vastra as the Requiem was certainly not something I was anticipating, but I’m all for it! Having her in the modern day rather than the Victorian era is very exciting, but I must say it is a bit of a shame that Neve McIntosh isn’t reprising her role. She’s ironic as that character and I know for sure I’d have recognised the identity from her voice immediately if it was played by the original actress. Regardless, she sent Cleo and Shawna into action to lead into the penultimate part and I’m very excited to hear what part she has to play! Requiem not being on camera certainly made sense now. But I’m definitely going to hope for some details on what she’s been up to over the last century or so, and especially how she coped with Jenny dying. Also the location of Strax! Him showing up would be magnificent. I’d also love for Vastra to meet the Thirteenth Doctor. That would be monumental. Overall, another very good listen!

Rating: 8/10