Red Rose - Season 1

Six months on from the death of Red Rose's first victim, attention turns to a group of teenage mates from Bolton.

Summer stretches out in front of them, with an infinite sense of possibilities, but when one of the gang downloads the mysterious Red Rose app, plans change. What starts innocently, as a game of admiration rapidly descends into something much darker.

Red Rose digs deeper, manipulating and isolating, demonstrating the terrifying full scope of its power. When tragedy strikes the town, the friends wonder - could this be due to Red Rose? Some feel complicit, others are in denial, but their worst suspicions and fears are unfortunately confirmed.

Disturbed, but resolved to find out what Red Rose is, the gang resolve to play along, to discover its secrets, and the ‘games' begin. But this agency comes with consequences. Is history repeating itself? When Red Rose lashes back with a very public demonstration of its reach, it feels like Bolton itself is turning against our group of friends.

The gang get out of Bolton, and are surprised by what they find. They learn about another potential victim, and a deceitful mission unearths truths that flip the gang's understanding of Red Rose on its head. But even out of town, they can never really escape. The more they discover, the more they realise Red Rose is one step ahead.

The thin veil between Red Rose and reality is breaking down, and so the gang plan to go analogue to nullify the technological terror of Red Rose. But their digital lockdown isn't as secure as they thought. Red Rose will go to any lengths to succeed in its aims, destroying lives and warping beliefs, as it recontextualises friendships, and even family ties.

Red Rose has been silent for six weeks. Has it gone, or is it just asleep? Regardless, the group of friends throw off the trauma of Red Rose, in exchange for the glorious aftermath of GSCE results day. But while celebrating and commiserating up on the Moors, new cracks begin to appear. Meanwhile the door to Red Rose is unlocked, prompting a deadly counterstrike.

The endgame is in sight, but together or apart, the gang are all under threat. Shaken, weakened, and divided, they're being attacked on all fronts. But perhaps ‘defeat' could end up being an opportunity? As their understanding of this enigmatic danger evolves, so do their methods, while their resolve to survive is stronger than ever.

As the gang finally get close to the heart of Red Rose, they face a dilemma they could never have imagined. How much more will they have to sacrifice to destroy it? And to what extent will they triumph over, or succumb to, their own personal demons? Can something like Red Rose truly be destroyed…?