History Recap / BigFinishDoctorWho052Scherzo

* AnguishedDeclarationOfLove
* AlienLunch: ''[[{{Squick}} Literally]]''.

* BrightIsNotGood

* CaptainObvious

* EldritchAbomination: The Sound Creature.

* InternalHomage Much like in [[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWho029TheChimesOfMidnight The Chimes of Midnight]], written by the same author, The Doctor and Charley find themselves in a place where they can't see anything, and Charley can again smell - although erroneously, this time - a musty smell, and the smell of oranges and cake. Both Edward Grove and the Sound Creature say that they view the Doctor and Charley as its parents.
* IronicEcho

* {{Narrator}}

* NothingIsScarier

* PsychologicalHorror

* TorturePorn

* BodyHorror: UpToEleven, and then some.

A PsychologicalHorror BottleEpisode. This story marks the beginning of the Divergent Universe arc that continues up to "The Next Life". It is also one of the rare main range stories that have no other characters other than The Doctor, his companion, a dead thing and the MonsterOfTheWeek. Even the TARDIS is missing after the characters leave it.

* ContinuityNod: Much like in [[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWho029TheChimesOfMidnight The Chimes of Midnight]], written by the same author, The Doctor and Charley find themselves in a place where they can't see anything, and Charley can again smell - although erroneously, this time - a musty smell, and the smell of oranges and cake. Both Edward Grove and the Sound Creature say that they view the Doctor and Charley as its parents.

* DarkerAndEdgier: One of the very, ''very'' few episodes of ''Series/DoctorWho'' that are almost entirely devoid of comedy. Compared to "Scherzo", even [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E10Midnight "Midnight"]] has more light-hearted moments.

* BiggerBad: There's something... ''Else''.

A PsychologicalHorror BottleEpisode. This story marks the beginning of the Divergent Universe arc that continues up to "The Next Life". It is also one of rare main range stories that have no other characters other than The Doctor, his companion, a dead thing and the MonsterOfTheWeek. Even the TARDIS is missing after the characters leave it.

* JourneyToTheCenterOfTheMind: The Doctor and Charley after they [[TwoBeingsOneBody merge. Later, the Sound Creature enters their minds through the [[OrificeInvasion ear.]]]]

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: In order to protect themselves against the Sound Creature, the Doctor and Charley has to increasingly fuse their bodies together, until they essentially become one creature for a brief time. After the defeat of the Sound Creature, the two of them are now able to separate and escape from the experiment chamber, having obtained a greater understanding and acceptance of each other in the process. All the BodyHorror aside and with how integral the Doctor and Charley's discussion of love and relationships are to the story, the joining of their bodies can easily be seen as a metaphor for the more, well, ''physical'' aspects of being in love, and it is perhaps the closest the Doctor has ever gotten to having such a relationship with a companion.

* BottleEpisode: Quite literally. The Doctor and Charley spend most of the story trapped inside what is essentially a huge, circular test-tube.

--> '''The Doctor''': "[[BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind How did you get inside my head]]?"
--> ''' The Sound Creature''': "Through your ear, obviously."

* BottleEpisode

* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: This episode, and the two next episodes, give Charley exactly what she wants in a few very different ways: [[spoiler: to be a mother]]. She'll live to regret that wish.
* BigDamnKiss: The single most horrifying use of the trope in all of ''Series/DoctorWho''.
* BiggerBad: There's something... ''Else''.
* BizarreAlienSenses: Timelords can sense, hear and taste time in all forms.
* BodyHorror: UpToEleven, and then some.

--> '''[[spoiler: The Sound Creature]]''': "Through your ear, obviously."
* [[spoiler: CreepyChild: The Sound Creature, oddly enough. It regards The Doctor and Charley as its parents.]]
* DarkerAndEdgier: One of the very, ''very'' few episodes of ''Series/DoctorWho'' that are almost entirely devoid of comedy. Compared to "Scherzo", even [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E10Midnight "Midnight"]] has more light-hearted moments.

* EnergyBeings: [[spoiler: One made of sound]].
* EvolutionaryLevels: The Doctor's and Charley's [[ItMakesSenseInContext food]] goes through this. And the Sound Creature, in its own way.
* FateWorseThanDeath: The Doctor considers [[spoiler: being stuck in a ClosedCircle with no escape as this]].

** As will eventually be revealed in "The Next Life", the creature that the Doctor and Charley feed on [[spoiler: will become sentient, follow them out, become a vessel for all of the Divergence and will cooperate with Zagreus]].
* [[spoiler: FusionDance]]: Of the Doctor and Charlie.

* IgnoredEpiphany / CassandraTruth: As the next episode reveals, [[spoiler:there's indeed someone toying with them.]]

* JourneyToTheCenterOfTheMind: [[spoiler: The Doctor and Charley after they [[TwoBeingsOneBody merge]]. Later, the Sound Creature enters their minds through the [[OrificeInvasion ear.]]]]
* JumpScare: [[spoiler:With most of the story's soundscape being a constant droning hum and conversations between Charley and the Doctor, the Sound Creature's sudden and massive outbursts of loud noise becomes this]].
* KissOfDeath: A truly horrifying one.
* LightIsNotGood: Light is blinding, searing, horrible, and [[PaintingTheMedium represented by a sound]] that will ''hurt'' your ears.
* MedicalHorror: The Doctor thinks that [[spoiler: slitting his throat]] will help them contact the Sound Creature. Charley [[spoiler: slits it for him with her bloodied brooch. His vocal cords are laid bare, but he's still able to talk due to the creature's influence]].

* SelfMadeOrphan: [[spoiler:The Sound Creature tries to become one by convincing the Doctor and Charley to die for evolutionary purposes. It almost succeeds.]]
* SkewedPriorities: Poor, poor Charley.
* {{Squick}}: The only food source is a strange creature that keeps coming back, evolving each time it returns. Charley is less than thrilled to be eating raw alien meat, but adapts. It's when the creature returns the final time that The Doctor and Charley notice [[spoiler: it has Charley's face.]] Charley is naturally freaked out by it.

* TwoBeingsOneBody: [[spoiler:The Doctor and Charlie after their FusionDance.]]
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: What happened to the food? [[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWho064TheNextLife "The Next Life"]] reveals that [[spoiler: ''it followed them out''.]]