Doctor Who: The Master & The Doctor
I know I said I wouldn't have time to post, but I'm making time for this one.
I just watched The Sound of Drums and Last of the Time Lords back-to-back. (I would recommend it strongly. Ooo, yes! *taps The Rhythm gleefully*) Next time, I will be doing it with jellybabies & tea. Just FYI. Re-watching gave rise to some thoughts. No, not slashy ones, although they were there, too.
These were more, 'Wow, the Doctor and the Master are really fucking similar' thoughts. Observations (and incidentally spoilers for The Waters of Mars) below the cut.
For the purposes of this discussion, I'll be focusing on Last of the Time Lords and The Waters of Mars. Please bear in mind I've not seen The Waters of Mars since it aired ... although, it was kind of scarring (what with this planet's surface being 70% water, and us being about 60%, and also, suicide), so I think I can pull this off.
Also, I'd like to point out that this has probably all been said before. But hey, whatever, I'll repeat it anyway.
First point, which I must actually credit to TVTropes, where I heard about it (and I'm trusting it's true because I can't check): in the Children in Need preview for The End of Time, the Doctor said "Funny? No? Little bit?"
He is basically quoting the Master in The Sound of Drums. (When he goes in to address the Cabinet and asks them to crack a smile when he throws all the Very Important Folders in the air ...)
As if that wasn't creepy enough, it gets better.
We all remember the Time Lord Victorious speech. It's dark and scary enough on it's own, right? Becuase the Doctor's gone a bit crazy, without anyone to hold him back and remind him that, actually, some things Should Not Be Done.
Now, think back to The Sound of Drums. During their phonecall (potentially to antagonise the Doctor, although actually I think he's more impressed than anything), the Master says "You must have been like a god." In The Waters of Mars, that's exactly what the Doctor tries to be.
Further, compare the Time Lord Victorious speech (in essence, "I'm the last, I can do whatever the hell I like to History, and History is gonna like it!") to this from the Master in Last of the Time Lords:
Doctor: You're changing history. Not just Earth - the entire universe!
Master: I'm a Time Lord. I have that right.
The similarity of sentiment actually scared me quite a bit while I was re-watching. What I think is really worrying/interesting is that the Doctor doesn't even seem to notice how similar the two of them are. (I think he only notices that what he's done is wrongwrongwrong - not that it's kind of the same thing the Master tried to do with the 'toclafane'.)
The Master's attitude to the 'toclafane' is quite telling of how similar they are, too: "Time Lord and humans combined - hadn't you always dreamt of that, Doctor?" and "You see? I'm doing it [taking over the universe] for them!* After all - you love them! So very, very much ..."
* He actually sounds quite sincere, I think, when he says that. Even taking into account his tendancy towards sarcasm. Hence my inclusion of it as 'proof' of similarity.
'Cause, actually, helping the 'toclafane' isn't inherently bad. No, think about it: they're trapped at the end of everything, with nowhere left to run, screaming in the dark ... and the Master offers them a way out. Yes, it's a sick & twisted way out, and a way of making himself Lord and Master of All Creation - BUT, he is saving the 'toclafane' from the end of the universe. There are less sick ways to do it, but it's not, in itself, a bad thing. In fact, it's actually the sort of thing the Doctor would want to do: save humanity. (OK, so he wouldn't destroy another generation of humanity to do it, but he would want to help them and save them from the end of the universe, I'd imagine.)
That's all I've got for now, but believe me, I'm going to do a really detailed re-watch of some key episodes at some point in the future, and do a proper analysis of this. (Probably around the same time I do my Merlin S1 (& possibly S2) colour-as-symbol analysis :P)
Before I go, one last thing: the Master, in an offhand manner, mentions the Doctor sealing the rift in the Medusa Cascade. Medusa Cascade? Isn't that where the finale of S4 takes place? *gleeful bounce* I love noticing little hints like that, even if it is belatedly. Dear Lord that was an early hint! Two specials (Time Crash & Voyage of the Damned) and a whole damned series in advance!
Stuff like that always impresses me about RTD's writing generally. He's a master (haha, pun not intended thankyouverymuch) of advance planning and hint-dropping - even when the hints won't even be seen as hints.
There's the Master's ring, too; he must've been planning his return (technically five specials and a whole series in advance, although everybody with a brain knew it was going to happen eventually :P) since at least the writing of that episode. I often wonder how much he actually has planned. I mean, did he know back then that the Master's drums were real? And that the Time Lords were going to use him as they did? If so ... I am in awe.
And now, with my observations duly typed up, I'm going to get some sleep. G'night!
.
I just watched The Sound of Drums and Last of the Time Lords back-to-back. (I would recommend it strongly. Ooo, yes! *taps The Rhythm gleefully*) Next time, I will be doing it with jellybabies & tea. Just FYI. Re-watching gave rise to some thoughts. No, not slashy ones, although they were there, too.
These were more, 'Wow, the Doctor and the Master are really fucking similar' thoughts. Observations (and incidentally spoilers for The Waters of Mars) below the cut.
For the purposes of this discussion, I'll be focusing on Last of the Time Lords and The Waters of Mars. Please bear in mind I've not seen The Waters of Mars since it aired ... although, it was kind of scarring (what with this planet's surface being 70% water, and us being about 60%, and also, suicide), so I think I can pull this off.
Also, I'd like to point out that this has probably all been said before. But hey, whatever, I'll repeat it anyway.
First point, which I must actually credit to TVTropes, where I heard about it (and I'm trusting it's true because I can't check): in the Children in Need preview for The End of Time, the Doctor said "Funny? No? Little bit?"
He is basically quoting the Master in The Sound of Drums. (When he goes in to address the Cabinet and asks them to crack a smile when he throws all the Very Important Folders in the air ...)
As if that wasn't creepy enough, it gets better.
We all remember the Time Lord Victorious speech. It's dark and scary enough on it's own, right? Becuase the Doctor's gone a bit crazy, without anyone to hold him back and remind him that, actually, some things Should Not Be Done.
Now, think back to The Sound of Drums. During their phonecall (potentially to antagonise the Doctor, although actually I think he's more impressed than anything), the Master says "You must have been like a god." In The Waters of Mars, that's exactly what the Doctor tries to be.
Further, compare the Time Lord Victorious speech (in essence, "I'm the last, I can do whatever the hell I like to History, and History is gonna like it!") to this from the Master in Last of the Time Lords:
Doctor: You're changing history. Not just Earth - the entire universe!
Master: I'm a Time Lord. I have that right.
The similarity of sentiment actually scared me quite a bit while I was re-watching. What I think is really worrying/interesting is that the Doctor doesn't even seem to notice how similar the two of them are. (I think he only notices that what he's done is wrongwrongwrong - not that it's kind of the same thing the Master tried to do with the 'toclafane'.)
The Master's attitude to the 'toclafane' is quite telling of how similar they are, too: "Time Lord and humans combined - hadn't you always dreamt of that, Doctor?" and "You see? I'm doing it [taking over the universe] for them!* After all - you love them! So very, very much ..."
* He actually sounds quite sincere, I think, when he says that. Even taking into account his tendancy towards sarcasm. Hence my inclusion of it as 'proof' of similarity.
'Cause, actually, helping the 'toclafane' isn't inherently bad. No, think about it: they're trapped at the end of everything, with nowhere left to run, screaming in the dark ... and the Master offers them a way out. Yes, it's a sick & twisted way out, and a way of making himself Lord and Master of All Creation - BUT, he is saving the 'toclafane' from the end of the universe. There are less sick ways to do it, but it's not, in itself, a bad thing. In fact, it's actually the sort of thing the Doctor would want to do: save humanity. (OK, so he wouldn't destroy another generation of humanity to do it, but he would want to help them and save them from the end of the universe, I'd imagine.)
That's all I've got for now, but believe me, I'm going to do a really detailed re-watch of some key episodes at some point in the future, and do a proper analysis of this. (Probably around the same time I do my Merlin S1 (& possibly S2) colour-as-symbol analysis :P)
Before I go, one last thing: the Master, in an offhand manner, mentions the Doctor sealing the rift in the Medusa Cascade. Medusa Cascade? Isn't that where the finale of S4 takes place? *gleeful bounce* I love noticing little hints like that, even if it is belatedly. Dear Lord that was an early hint! Two specials (Time Crash & Voyage of the Damned) and a whole damned series in advance!
Stuff like that always impresses me about RTD's writing generally. He's a master (haha, pun not intended thankyouverymuch) of advance planning and hint-dropping - even when the hints won't even be seen as hints.
There's the Master's ring, too; he must've been planning his return (technically five specials and a whole series in advance, although everybody with a brain knew it was going to happen eventually :P) since at least the writing of that episode. I often wonder how much he actually has planned. I mean, did he know back then that the Master's drums were real? And that the Time Lords were going to use him as they did? If so ... I am in awe.
And now, with my observations duly typed up, I'm going to get some sleep. G'night!
.