Big Finish Doctor Who/Recap/085 Red

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


The Seventh Doctor and Mel arrive at the Needle, a futuristic settlement run by the computer Whitenoise, and immediately discover a murder. An impossible murder, as it turns out, since the citizens of the Needle have chips in their brains preventing them from committing any act of violence. Something is infecting the citizens and systems of the Needle, inciting them to shocking, extreme acts of murder-- and the last thing they see is the color red...

Red contains examples of:

  • Ax Crazy: What happens to those possessed by the killer, euphemistically referred to as "redlining."
  • Bondage Is Bad: Played with a bit; Vi Yulquen is a wannabe masochist, and not a very nice person, but it's implied that her obsession is a product of her repressed society which stifles both pleasure and pain.
  • Blood Sport: Simulations of this are apparently an approved form of entertainment for citizens of the Needle, despite the limitations on violent thoughts.
  • Body Surf: The Red travels from person to person, feeding on their repressed violent urges and inciting them to cause harm.
  • The Computer Is Your Friend: Whitenoise.
  • Darker and Edgier: Deals with some pretty adult themes for a Doctor Who story.
  • The Evils of Free Will: To ensure a peaceful society, citizens of the Needle are controlled via nanochip, and any thoughts of violence (as well as pleasurable urges, which are "precursors to violence") are "edited" from their minds. Unlike in most examples, however, the residents are free to leave at any time and most choose to stay because it is simpler not to have to be responsible for their actions.
  • Fantastic Drug: Slow, which affects the user's perception of time, enhances feeling, and can rapidly repair any physical injury.
  • The Killer in Me: Literally. Celia Fortunatè is revealed to be the carrier of the Red, which was created when her capacity for violence corrupted Whitenoise's systems.
  • Les Yay: There is a strongly implied attraction between Celia and Yulquen, and hints of a past relationship between Yulquen and Nuane.
    • With a touch of Reality Subtext- Yulquen is played by comedienne Sandi Toksvig, who is a lesbian.
  • Madness Mantra: "Red. Red. Red. Red. Red..."
  • Snuff Film: The Red Tape, a video record of each of the killings in the Needle.
  • Utopia Justifies the Means
  • The Virus: The Red.