diff --git a/src/app/(frontend)/voiceover/[id]/page.tsx b/src/app/(frontend)/voiceover/[id]/page.tsx
index 28680f9..8785d37 100644
--- a/src/app/(frontend)/voiceover/[id]/page.tsx
+++ b/src/app/(frontend)/voiceover/[id]/page.tsx
@@ -4,10 +4,11 @@ import { getPayload } from "payload";
 import { headers as nextHeaders } from "next/headers";
 import Link from "next/link";
 import { notFound, redirect } from "next/navigation";
-import { ArrowLeftIcon, MicIcon, TriangleAlertIcon } from "lucide-react";
+import { ArrowLeftIcon, EyeOffIcon, MicIcon, TriangleAlertIcon } from "lucide-react";
 
 import { Card, CardContent } from "@/components/ui/card";
 import { VoiceoverRecorder } from "@/components/frontend/voiceover/VoiceoverRecorder";
+import { SpoilerDescription, SpoilerGate } from "@/components/frontend/voiceover/SpoilerGate";
 import { getScriptForUser } from "@/lib/voiceover";
 import { isPayloadUser } from "@/utils/access-control/isPayloadUser";
 
@@ -38,44 +39,58 @@ export default async function VoiceoverScriptPage({
   if (!script) notFound();
 
   return (
-    <div className="flex min-w-0 flex-col gap-6 p-5">
-      <Link
-        href="/voiceover"
-        className="flex w-fit items-center gap-1 text-sm text-muted-foreground transition-colors hover:text-primary focus-visible:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-ring"
-      >
-        <ArrowLeftIcon className="size-3" />
-        Voiceover scripts
-      </Link>
+    <SpoilerGate spoiler={script.spoiler}>
+      <div className="flex min-w-0 flex-col gap-6 p-5">
+        <Link
+          href="/voiceover"
+          className="flex w-fit items-center gap-1 text-sm text-muted-foreground transition-colors hover:text-primary focus-visible:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-ring"
+        >
+          <ArrowLeftIcon className="size-3" />
+          Voiceover scripts
+        </Link>
 
-      <div className="flex items-start gap-3">
-        <MicIcon className="mt-0.5 size-5 shrink-0 text-muted-foreground" />
-        <div className="flex min-w-0 flex-col gap-1">
-          <h1 className="text-lg font-semibold">{script.title}</h1>
-          {script.description?.trim() && (
-            <p className="text-sm text-foreground/80">{script.description}</p>
-          )}
-          <p className="text-sm text-muted-foreground">
-            Read the script at your pace, then submit one clear take for review.
-          </p>
+        <div className="flex items-start gap-3">
+          <MicIcon className="mt-0.5 size-5 shrink-0 text-muted-foreground" />
+          <div className="flex min-w-0 flex-col gap-1">
+            <h1 className="text-lg font-semibold">{script.title}</h1>
+            <SpoilerDescription spoiler={script.spoiler} description={script.description} />
+            <p className="text-sm text-muted-foreground">
+              Read the script at your pace, then submit one clear take for review.
+            </p>
+          </div>
         </div>
+
+        {script.status === "draft" && (
+          <Card className="border-dashed border-violet-500/50">
+            <CardContent className="flex items-start gap-3 p-4 text-sm">
+              <EyeOffIcon className="mt-0.5 size-4 shrink-0 text-violet-300" />
+              <div className="flex flex-col gap-1">
+                <p className="font-medium text-violet-300">Draft preview</p>
+                <p className="text-muted-foreground">
+                  This script is still a draft and is hidden from other users.
+                </p>
+              </div>
+            </CardContent>
+          </Card>
+        )}
+
+        {script.spoiler && (
+          <Card className="border-amber-500/40">
+            <CardContent className="flex items-start gap-3 p-4 text-sm">
+              <TriangleAlertIcon className="mt-0.5 size-4 shrink-0 text-amber-400" />
+              <div className="flex flex-col gap-1">
+                <p className="font-medium text-amber-300">Potential campaign spoilers ahead</p>
+                <p className="text-muted-foreground">
+                  This script may include, infer, or otherwise expose campaign spoilers. Read on
+                  only if you are comfortable with that.
+                </p>
+              </div>
+            </CardContent>
+          </Card>
+        )}
+
+        <VoiceoverRecorder script={script} />
       </div>
-
-      {script.spoiler && (
-        <Card className="border-amber-500/40">
-          <CardContent className="flex items-start gap-3 p-4 text-sm">
-            <TriangleAlertIcon className="mt-0.5 size-4 shrink-0 text-amber-400" />
-            <div className="flex flex-col gap-1">
-              <p className="font-medium text-amber-300">Potential campaign spoilers ahead</p>
-              <p className="text-muted-foreground">
-                This script may include, infer, or otherwise expose campaign spoilers. Read on only
-                if you are comfortable with that.
-              </p>
-            </div>
-          </CardContent>
-        </Card>
-      )}
-
-      <VoiceoverRecorder script={script} />
-    </div>
+    </SpoilerGate>
   );
 }
diff --git a/src/app/(frontend)/voiceover/page.tsx b/src/app/(frontend)/voiceover/page.tsx
index d6afee9..17f490b 100644
--- a/src/app/(frontend)/voiceover/page.tsx
+++ b/src/app/(frontend)/voiceover/page.tsx
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import {
   ArrowRightIcon,
   CheckCircle2Icon,
   Clock3Icon,
+  EyeOffIcon,
   MicIcon,
   SparklesIcon,
   TriangleAlertIcon,
@@ -18,6 +19,7 @@ import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button";
 import { Card, CardContent, CardDescription, CardHeader, CardTitle } from "@/components/ui/card";
 import { listScriptsForUser, type VoiceoverScriptView } from "@/lib/voiceover";
 import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
+import { redactText } from "@/lib/redaction";
 import { isPayloadUser } from "@/utils/access-control/isPayloadUser";
 
 export const metadata: Metadata = {
@@ -32,6 +34,7 @@ const submissionStatusClasses: Record<string, string> = {
 };
 
 function ScriptAvailability({ status }: { readonly status: string }) {
+  const isDraft = status === "draft";
   const isOpen = status === "open";
 
   return (
@@ -39,11 +42,19 @@ function ScriptAvailability({ status }: { readonly status: string }) {
       variant="outline"
       className={cn(
         "shrink-0 gap-1",
-        isOpen ? "border-emerald-500/40 text-emerald-400" : "text-muted-foreground",
+        isOpen && "border-emerald-500/40 text-emerald-400",
+        isDraft && "border-violet-500/50 text-violet-300",
+        !isOpen && !isDraft && "text-muted-foreground",
       )}
     >
-      {isOpen ? <CheckCircle2Icon className="size-3" /> : <Clock3Icon className="size-3" />}
-      {isOpen ? "Open" : "Closed"}
+      {isDraft ? (
+        <EyeOffIcon className="size-3" />
+      ) : isOpen ? (
+        <CheckCircle2Icon className="size-3" />
+      ) : (
+        <Clock3Icon className="size-3" />
+      )}
+      {isDraft ? "Draft" : isOpen ? "Open" : "Closed"}
     </Badge>
   );
 }
@@ -81,15 +92,23 @@ function SpoilerBadge() {
 }
 
 function ScriptCard({ script }: { readonly script: VoiceoverScriptView }) {
+  const isDraft = script.status === "draft";
   const isOpen = script.status === "open";
+  const isRecordable = isOpen;
 
   return (
-    <Card className={cn("flex h-full flex-col", !isOpen && "opacity-75")}>
+    <Card
+      className={cn(
+        "flex h-full flex-col",
+        isDraft && "border-dashed border-violet-500/50",
+        !isOpen && !isDraft && "opacity-75",
+      )}
+    >
       <CardHeader className="gap-3">
         <div className="flex items-start justify-between gap-3">
           <div className="flex min-w-0 flex-col gap-2">
             <CardTitle className="min-w-0">
-              {isOpen ? (
+              {isRecordable || isDraft ? (
                 <Link
                   href={`/voiceover/${script.id}`}
                   className="rounded-sm outline-none transition-colors hover:text-primary focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-ring"
@@ -101,7 +120,8 @@ function ScriptCard({ script }: { readonly script: VoiceoverScriptView }) {
               )}
             </CardTitle>
             <CardDescription>
-              {script.description?.trim() || `Voiceover script #${script.id}`}
+              {(script.spoiler ? redactText(script.description) : script.description)?.trim() ||
+                `Voiceover script #${script.id}`}
             </CardDescription>
           </div>
           <div className="flex shrink-0 flex-wrap items-center justify-end gap-2">
@@ -129,7 +149,11 @@ function ScriptCard({ script }: { readonly script: VoiceoverScriptView }) {
           <SubmissionStatuses script={script} />
         </div>
 
-        {isOpen ? (
+        {isDraft ? (
+          <p className="mt-auto text-sm text-violet-300/90">
+            Draft preview: this script is still hidden from other users.
+          </p>
+        ) : isRecordable ? (
           <Button asChild className="mt-auto w-full sm:w-fit">
             <Link href={`/voiceover/${script.id}`}>
               <MicIcon data-icon="inline-start" />
diff --git a/src/components/frontend/voiceover/SpoilerGate.tsx b/src/components/frontend/voiceover/SpoilerGate.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f2b0dd0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/frontend/voiceover/SpoilerGate.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,162 @@
+"use client";
+
+import { useRouter } from "next/navigation";
+import { createContext, useContext, useMemo, useRef, useState, type ReactNode } from "react";
+import { TriangleAlertIcon } from "lucide-react";
+import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
+import { redactText } from "@/lib/redaction";
+
+import {
+  AlertDialog,
+  AlertDialogCancel,
+  AlertDialogContent,
+  AlertDialogDescription,
+  AlertDialogFooter,
+  AlertDialogHeader,
+  AlertDialogTitle,
+} from "@/components/ui/alert-dialog";
+import { buttonVariants } from "@/components/ui/button";
+
+const HOLD_CONFIRM_MS = 1000;
+
+interface SpoilerAcknowledgment {
+  readonly acknowledged: boolean;
+  readonly acknowledge: () => void;
+}
+
+// Default to acknowledged so consumers outside a gate are never blocked.
+const SpoilerContext = createContext<SpoilerAcknowledgment>({
+  acknowledged: true,
+  acknowledge: () => undefined,
+});
+
+export function useSpoilerAcknowledgment(): SpoilerAcknowledgment {
+  return useContext(SpoilerContext);
+}
+
+function HoldToConfirmButton({
+  onConfirm,
+  children,
+}: {
+  readonly onConfirm: () => void;
+  readonly children: ReactNode;
+}) {
+  const [holding, setHolding] = useState(false);
+  const timerRef = useRef<number | null>(null);
+  const doneRef = useRef(false);
+
+  const cancel = () => {
+    if (timerRef.current !== null) {
+      clearTimeout(timerRef.current);
+      timerRef.current = null;
+    }
+    setHolding(false);
+  };
+
+  const begin = () => {
+    if (timerRef.current !== null || doneRef.current) return;
+    setHolding(true);
+    timerRef.current = window.setTimeout(() => {
+      timerRef.current = null;
+      doneRef.current = true;
+      onConfirm();
+    }, HOLD_CONFIRM_MS);
+  };
+
+  return (
+    <button
+      type="button"
+      className={cn(buttonVariants(), "relative touch-none select-none overflow-hidden")}
+      onPointerDown={(event) => {
+        if (event.button === 0) begin();
+      }}
+      onPointerUp={cancel}
+      onPointerLeave={cancel}
+      onPointerCancel={cancel}
+      onContextMenu={(event) => event.preventDefault()}
+      onKeyDown={(event) => {
+        if ((event.key === " " || event.key === "Enter") && !event.repeat) begin();
+      }}
+      onKeyUp={(event) => {
+        if (event.key === " " || event.key === "Enter") cancel();
+      }}
+      onBlur={cancel}
+    >
+      <span aria-hidden="true" className="absolute inset-0">
+        <span
+          className={cn(
+            "absolute inset-0 origin-left bg-primary-foreground/40 transition-transform ease-linear",
+            holding ? "scale-x-100 duration-[1000ms]" : "scale-x-0 duration-0",
+          )}
+        />
+      </span>
+      <span className="relative">{children}</span>
+    </button>
+  );
+}
+
+export function SpoilerGate({
+  spoiler,
+  children,
+}: {
+  readonly spoiler: boolean;
+  readonly children: ReactNode;
+}) {
+  const router = useRouter();
+  const [acknowledged, setAcknowledged] = useState(false);
+
+  const value = useMemo(
+    () => ({
+      acknowledged: !spoiler || acknowledged,
+      acknowledge: () => setAcknowledged(true),
+    }),
+    [acknowledged, spoiler],
+  );
+
+  return (
+    <SpoilerContext.Provider value={value}>
+      {children}
+      {spoiler && !acknowledged && (
+        <AlertDialog open>
+          <AlertDialogContent>
+            <AlertDialogHeader>
+              <AlertDialogTitle className="flex items-center gap-2">
+                <TriangleAlertIcon className="size-5 text-amber-400" />
+                Potential campaign spoilers
+              </AlertDialogTitle>
+              <AlertDialogDescription>
+                This recording page may include, infer, or otherwise expose campaign spoilers.
+                Continue only if you are comfortable with that. Press and hold the confirmation
+                button for one second to continue.
+              </AlertDialogDescription>
+            </AlertDialogHeader>
+            <AlertDialogFooter>
+              <AlertDialogCancel onClick={() => router.push("/voiceover")}>
+                Go back
+              </AlertDialogCancel>
+              <HoldToConfirmButton onConfirm={value.acknowledge}>I understand</HoldToConfirmButton>
+            </AlertDialogFooter>
+          </AlertDialogContent>
+        </AlertDialog>
+      )}
+    </SpoilerContext.Provider>
+  );
+}
+
+/**
+ * Renders the script description, redacted until the spoiler gate is
+ * acknowledged (plain text for non-spoiler scripts).
+ */
+export function SpoilerDescription({
+  spoiler,
+  description,
+}: {
+  readonly spoiler: boolean;
+  readonly description: string | null;
+}) {
+  const { acknowledged } = useSpoilerAcknowledgment();
+  const text = spoiler && !acknowledged && description ? redactText(description) : description;
+
+  if (!text?.trim()) return null;
+  return <p className="text-sm text-foreground/80">{text}</p>;
+}
diff --git a/src/components/frontend/voiceover/VoiceoverRecorder.tsx b/src/components/frontend/voiceover/VoiceoverRecorder.tsx
index 1dad3d8..04cd68f 100644
--- a/src/components/frontend/voiceover/VoiceoverRecorder.tsx
+++ b/src/components/frontend/voiceover/VoiceoverRecorder.tsx
@@ -1,31 +1,14 @@
 "use client";
 
-import { useCallback, useEffect, useRef, useState, type ReactNode } from "react";
 import { useRouter } from "next/navigation";
-import {
-  CheckCircle2Icon,
-  LockKeyholeIcon,
-  MicIcon,
-  SparklesIcon,
-  TriangleAlertIcon,
-} from "lucide-react";
+import { CheckCircle2Icon, LockKeyholeIcon, MicIcon, SparklesIcon } from "lucide-react";
 import { toast } from "sonner";
 
 import { submitVoiceRecording, withdrawSubmission } from "@/app/(frontend)/voiceover/actions";
-import {
-  AlertDialog,
-  AlertDialogCancel,
-  AlertDialogContent,
-  AlertDialogDescription,
-  AlertDialogFooter,
-  AlertDialogHeader,
-  AlertDialogTitle,
-} from "@/components/ui/alert-dialog";
-import { buttonVariants } from "@/components/ui/button";
 import { Badge } from "@/components/ui/badge";
 import { Card, CardContent } from "@/components/ui/card";
 import type { VoiceoverScriptView } from "@/lib/voiceover";
-import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
+import { useSpoilerAcknowledgment } from "@/components/frontend/voiceover/SpoilerGate";
 import { TeleprompterReader } from "@/components/frontend/voiceover/TeleprompterReader";
 import {
   VoiceCapture,
@@ -33,104 +16,13 @@ import {
 } from "@/components/frontend/voiceover/VoiceCapture";
 import { VoiceoverTakes } from "@/components/frontend/voiceover/VoiceoverTakes";
 
-const HOLD_CONFIRM_MS = 1000;
-
-function HoldToConfirmButton({
-  onConfirm,
-  children,
-}: {
-  readonly onConfirm: () => void;
-  readonly children: ReactNode;
-}) {
-  const [holding, setHolding] = useState(false);
-  const timerRef = useRef<number | null>(null);
-  const doneRef = useRef(false);
-
-  const cancel = useCallback(() => {
-    if (timerRef.current !== null) {
-      clearTimeout(timerRef.current);
-      timerRef.current = null;
-    }
-    setHolding(false);
-  }, []);
-
-  const begin = useCallback(() => {
-    if (timerRef.current !== null || doneRef.current) return;
-    setHolding(true);
-    timerRef.current = window.setTimeout(() => {
-      timerRef.current = null;
-      doneRef.current = true;
-      onConfirm();
-    }, HOLD_CONFIRM_MS);
-  }, [onConfirm]);
-
-  useEffect(() => {
-    return () => {
-      if (timerRef.current !== null) clearTimeout(timerRef.current);
-    };
-  }, []);
-
-  return (
-    <button
-      type="button"
-      className={cn(buttonVariants(), "relative touch-none select-none overflow-hidden")}
-      onPointerDown={(event) => {
-        if (event.button === 0) begin();
-      }}
-      onPointerUp={cancel}
-      onPointerLeave={cancel}
-      onPointerCancel={cancel}
-      onContextMenu={(event) => event.preventDefault()}
-      onKeyDown={(event) => {
-        if ((event.key === " " || event.key === "Enter") && !event.repeat) begin();
-      }}
-      onKeyUp={(event) => {
-        if (event.key === " " || event.key === "Enter") cancel();
-      }}
-      onBlur={cancel}
-    >
-      <span aria-hidden="true" className="absolute inset-0">
-        <span
-          className={cn(
-            "absolute inset-0 origin-left bg-primary-foreground/40 transition-transform ease-linear",
-            holding ? "scale-x-100 duration-[1000ms]" : "scale-x-0 duration-0",
-          )}
-        />
-      </span>
-      <span className="relative">{children}</span>
-    </button>
-  );
-}
-
 export function VoiceoverRecorder({ script }: { readonly script: VoiceoverScriptView }) {
   const router = useRouter();
   const isOpen = script.status === "open";
-  const [spoilerAcknowledged, setSpoilerAcknowledged] = useState(false);
+  const { acknowledged: spoilerAcknowledged } = useSpoilerAcknowledgment();
 
   if (script.spoiler && !spoilerAcknowledged) {
-    return (
-      <AlertDialog open>
-        <AlertDialogContent>
-          <AlertDialogHeader>
-            <AlertDialogTitle className="flex items-center gap-2">
-              <TriangleAlertIcon className="size-5 text-amber-400" />
-              Potential campaign spoilers
-            </AlertDialogTitle>
-            <AlertDialogDescription>
-              This recording page may include, infer, or otherwise expose campaign spoilers.
-              Continue only if you are comfortable with that. Press and hold the confirmation button
-              for one second to continue.
-            </AlertDialogDescription>
-          </AlertDialogHeader>
-          <AlertDialogFooter>
-            <AlertDialogCancel onClick={() => router.push("/voiceover")}>Go back</AlertDialogCancel>
-            <HoldToConfirmButton onConfirm={() => setSpoilerAcknowledged(true)}>
-              I understand
-            </HoldToConfirmButton>
-          </AlertDialogFooter>
-        </AlertDialogContent>
-      </AlertDialog>
-    );
+    return null;
   }
 
   async function handleSubmitTake(
diff --git a/src/lib/voiceover/emotionTags.ts b/src/lib/voiceover/emotionTags.ts
index b113eb0..34e7079 100644
--- a/src/lib/voiceover/emotionTags.ts
+++ b/src/lib/voiceover/emotionTags.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ export interface VoiceoverSegment {
   readonly directive?: string;
 }
 
-const TAG_PATTERN = /\[([a-z][a-z\s,-]*)\]|\{([a-z][a-z\s,-]*)\}|<([a-z]+)>/gi;
+const TAG_PATTERN = /\[([a-z][a-z\s,-]*)?\]|\{([a-z][a-z\s,-]*)\}|<([a-z]+)>/gi;
 
 function normalizeScript(script: string): string {
   return script
@@ -73,9 +73,14 @@ export function parseEmotionTags(script: string): VoiceoverSegment[] {
       flush(source.slice(cursor, matchIndex), false);
     }
 
-    const emotive = normalizeTag(match[1] ?? "");
-    if (emotive) {
-      pendingTags.push(emotive);
+    if (match[1] !== undefined) {
+      const emotive = normalizeTag(match[1]);
+      if (emotive) {
+        pendingTags.push(emotive);
+      } else {
+        // Empty [] is an explicit reset: the next text renders plain again.
+        pendingTags = [];
+      }
     }
 
     const sfx = normalizeTag(match[2] ?? "");
diff --git a/src/lib/voiceover/index.ts b/src/lib/voiceover/index.ts
index ee54609..6d8f88b 100644
--- a/src/lib/voiceover/index.ts
+++ b/src/lib/voiceover/index.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import type { User, VoiceScript, VoiceSubmission } from "@/payload-types";
+import { isSuperuser } from "@/utils/access-control/hasPermission";
 
 type PayloadType = Awaited<ReturnType<typeof import("payload").getPayload>>;
 
@@ -87,10 +88,11 @@ export async function listScriptsForUser(
   payload: PayloadType,
   user: User,
 ): Promise<VoiceoverScriptView[]> {
+  const canSeeDrafts = await isSuperuser(payload, user);
   const [scriptsRes, submissionsRes] = await Promise.all([
     payload.find({
       collection: "voice-scripts",
-      where: { status: { not_equals: "draft" } },
+      where: canSeeDrafts ? undefined : { status: { not_equals: "draft" } },
       sort: "-createdAt",
       limit: 0,
       depth: 0,
@@ -122,7 +124,8 @@ export async function getScriptForUser(
       overrideAccess: true,
     })
     .catch(() => null);
-  if (!script || script.status === "draft") return null;
+  if (!script) return null;
+  if (script.status === "draft" && !(await isSuperuser(payload, user))) return null;
 
   const submissionsRes = await payload.find({
     collection: "voice-submissions",