It wasn't Tinkerbell Jesus so much as the Master screaming "Noo! nooooooo! How can this beeeeee?" while his random floozy in a red dress stood off to the side, as if the Master were like every Random Villain Evar and did not have a LONG history of quietly accepting temporary defeat with dignity and cunning. The Master does not take over the world so that he can sleep with indigenous women and fritter about in impromptu pop dance clubs or other such hedonistic activities (I'm not entirely sure the Master is hedonistic at all-- the Doctor seems more consumptive in that respect), he takes other the world just to prove that he can, because it's stimulating and fun. Some people do Sudoku; the Master conquers.
I was really upset that they had the Master choose to die-- the real Master, after all, will always choose to live, even as the Doctor's pet, because he knows he can escape some day (cf. The Daemons and The Sea Devils)-- but then there was the shot near the end with the ring and the echo of his laugh and I thought, "Ah ha! He planned this all along!" The wife still confuses me, though. Is the Master affecting the Doctor's preference for companions and blondes in addition to his speech patterns and spastic attitude? The Master is NOT Bizarro!Doctor, people. COME ON.
I will admit, however, that my pervy fangirl heart nearly forgave all of that when Jack manhandled the Master into the room and shouted for handcuffs.
Blink was indeed awesome, as Chaos told me it would be, and I'm more than a little in love with Sally Sparrow. I think my favorite bit was the DVD conversation in general, and specifically Martha's add-in, "I'm working in a shop! I have to support him!" I have a very strong image in my mind of Martha coming home from a hard day at work to find the Doctor sprawled on a chaise longue in a feather-trimmed dressing gown, eating bon-bons.
I *did* get the package. The Dalek was a squishy and wonderful as I expected, and then! A surprise! I am currently ruminating on the picspam I shall do.
Is the Master affecting the Doctor's preference for companions and blondes in addition to his speech patterns and spastic attitude? The Master is NOT Bizarro!Doctor, people. COME ON.
True, but considering the Master and the Doctor's relationship, they do have to play off each other so far as personalitites go, and a calmer, more laconic Master (i.e. Delgado) would have made a Doctor like Ten look...well, spastic. And I look at Lucy as being analogous to Gallea in The Time Monster - she was there to make him a convincing politician and establish his identity on Earth. After he had what he needed, he couldn't care less about her.
(I firmly believe that he was indulging in dance music and snogging Lucy simply because he was bored. He had finally actually taken over the Earth, and now he wasn't sure what to do with himself, and poking the Doctor and telling him to entertain him didn't work so well after a while. Less hedonism than directionlessness, really.)
And he could be yelling "Noooo!" at the sheer implausibility of the plot device that defeated him. As in "What? WHAT? NO! Are you serious? No WAY."
Not saying I entirely disagree with you - I liked the Master in early-"The Sound of Drums" better than "Last of the Time Lords", but there was some reason for his characterization.
I have a very strong image in my mind of Martha coming home from a hard day at work to find the Doctor sprawled on a chaise longue in a feather-trimmed dressing gown, eating bon-bons.
And you know he whined all day about not having his time machine and having nothing to do and dammit this was just like the last time he got stuck in the seventies until Martha let him take something apart to keep him occupied.
I know the Master has to play off the Doctor-- Four's Ainley!Master is more animated than Three's Delgado!Master-- but-- mrr. Ten's Master is cute as a button, I'll give him that. The dancing around really wasn't the problem so much as the Standard Villain behavior.
I totally agree that a politician needs a wife-- but she stuck around! Wearing a red dress! And they cuddled and such! And it was her picking up the ring in the end, so apparently she's a proper Companion which, I'll allow that the Master could get a bit lonely and want a companion after the Time War, but-- he likes blondes, too? Really? Wouldn't he have picked someone a bit smarter? He didn't even once sneer at human stupidity. Tormenting Jack and the Doctor seemed classless as well, but Ainley!Master would possibly do something like that so I'll let it slide.
Argh, I dunno. Regeneration, especially after 70+ years in a fobwatch, can effect the personality a lot. Just-- the Master is special. He's not supposed to be a Standard Villain! D:
i actually kinda liked the plot device. not the bit where it magically made the doctor grow young and transform into Tinkerbell Jesus, but the bit with the telepathic network and Martha spreading one instruction across the globe and having everyone think the same thing at the same time-- that was really nifty.
"Who looks at a toaster and says, 'This could be a little more sonic?'" "Me, apparently." "Well, I don't want a sonic toaster. Fix it." But Martha, look at it! It's happy! It likes being sonic!" "Does it still make toast?" "Weeeargh, I mean... it makes a bloody great seismic air cushion! It's levitatory! You can take the bread out of the cupboard, into the toaster and then onto the plate, hands-free!" "Does it make toast?" "Also, I've added a great doodad on the side that measures the frequency of the sound when you knock the knife against the plate." "Does. it. make. toast." "You're not gonna let that go, are you?"
At some point, the Doctor and Martha are going to run off to deal with some alien disturbance, and then the Doctor says, "Never mind, I've got this one already. Let's keep out of the way." If Three ever runs into him on a street corner mid-adventure, Ten'll have to act dumb. ^_^ WAIT A MINUTE THIS IS HOW MARTHA MEETS LIZ. THEY MEET CASUALLY IN THE CITY AND GO OUT FOR A COFFEE AND THEN DINNER AND SO ON, AND TOTALLY DON'T REALIZE THEY EACH KNOW THE DOCTOR UNTIL MUCH LATER.
P.S. I WANT TO SEE TEN VS. THREE IN A TECHNOBABBLE BITCHFIGHT.
And it was her picking up the ring in the end, so apparently she's a proper Companion which, I'll allow that the Master could get a bit lonely and want a companion after the Time War, but-- he likes blondes, too? Really?
Well, strictly speaking, we don't know that that was her hand picking up the ring. Coulda been someone else.
Argh, I dunno. Regeneration, especially after 70+ years in a fobwatch, can effect the personality a lot.
There is that. He's probably quite insane by this point.
but the bit with the telepathic network and Martha spreading one instruction across the globe and having everyone think the same thing at the same time-- that was really nifty.
I was okay with it until I realized, in combination with the rest of the season, just how skeezy the subtext of that scene was. The Doctor doesn't escape that situation by being cleverer than anyone else, or more ingenious, or more resourceful, or anything. People don't believe in him for any particular reason. Humans are asked to believe in him simply by virtue of the fact that He Is The Doctor - and that, in the end, is the only reason he wins. It makes him too godlike, given the whole idea that humanity is easily duped and too weak to resist the Master's takeover, but become magnificent and great when they are in service of him. Aaah.
"Does. it. make. toast." "You're not gonna let that go, are you?"
*gigglefit* This conversation happened. It are canon. Especially the happy sonic toaster.
YES! Yes yes yes. I think it'll be even better if they meet before they know they have the Doctor in common, or maybe even before Liz meets the Doctor at all. So while they're talking Martha has to keep catching herself to make sure she doesn't accidentally tell Liz her future, or talk about the Doctor before she knows who he is.
I can't help but think that a meeting between Ten and Early!Three would be a bit sad, though, because Ten would really really want to fix his own TARDIS and get himself off Earth, but he couldn't do that without screwing with continuity. He probably would play dumb the whole way through, just so neither of him would be tempted. Of course, he can't resist the lure of a technobabble-off and thus gives himself away.
the whole idea that humanity is easily duped and too weak to resist the Master's takeover, but become magnificent and great when they are in service of him. Yeah, that the one word was "Doctor" was about the threshhold of my suspension of disbelief, as well. Though I think the point was that they just had to say one word at a specific time; they could slip that beneath the notice of the archangel network, but a more organized resistance or change of opinion (Master = good ----> Master = bad) would soon be brought under the control of the network.
I have no idea how chanting "Doctor" made him grow young and fly, though. I think you're right that the Master was protesting that. "How can that be? Seriously, do you even have technobabble to back this up? You don't, do you. Sheesh. I go to all the trouble of creating a highly complex scheme for world domination, and you defeat me with this shoddy plot device? I have schematics! A schedule of events! What do you have? Glowy stuff. I REFUSE TO BE DEFEATED BY GLOWY STUFF."
The Master really is adorable though, and I have a plan for how his reign really ends. It involves GalacticEmperor!Adric and a squad of Undercover Agents from Space.
He Is The Doctor - and that, in the end, is the only reason he wins. It makes him too godlike I think the show is aware of what it's doing-- someone mentioned somewhere that if a Time Lord held or possessed the Time Vortex, he would become an angry and vengeful god. I think they're speaking directly to Ten in the Christmas Invasion: "That's the kind of man I am. No second chances." That was right after Nine died from holding the Vortex. So I figger it, Nine chose to regenerate after consuming the Time Vortex and thus didn't completely become a god, but he was changed: his powers are greater, he's more bitter. Vengeful God Lite, you could say, and it's entirely possible that Ten is restraining himself. Season Four finale: the Doctor demands blood sacrifices? THE MASTER MUST STOP HIM. Total role reversal! I love it. Let's do it. I'll call RTD and get him on board. ^_^
Especially the happy sonic toaster. I bet the next day, the Doctor installs a Blurble Function.
Martha: (staggers downstairs first thing in the morning) Oh bugger, I really want some toast. Too bad you're useless. Toaster: (blurbles sadly) Martha: O.O Doctor: (bounces in) Martha! Good morning! And good morning to you, too! (pats toaster) Toaster: (blurbles happily) Martha: I can't believe you did that! DOCTOR! Doctor: Martha, please. Let's not argue in front of the toaster.
How sad would it be if Martha found the TARDIS and got so excited about being able to go home, and then Ten had to explain why they couldn't?
If Three met Ten, he'd likely recognize him as a Time Lord but not himself-- and thusly would get very, very angry. Ten might have to run away from himself, dodging blasts from Sonic Screwdriver 1.0.
Is it believable that Martha wouldn't tell the Doctor about Liz for a while? She'd be a little shy about the whole thing, maybe, and initially uncertain that there was anything to tell? Liz, of course, is reserved and wouldn't say anything to Three. I'm planning, of course, for the great spit-take moment when Martha casually reveals that the woman she's been dating for the past few weeks is Liz Shaw.
HEY GUESS WHAT JACK WOULD BE HANGING AROUND, TOO. Martha: Let's take a day trip to Cardiff! Ten: Let's not. Ten wouldn't know that Jack is in Cardiff in the 70s yet, but one liners are above continuity! But: imagine the beginning of Utopia, but instead of Jack tackling the TARDIS, he tackles Ten! And insists on buying him a coffee!
Though I think the point was that they just had to say one word at a specific time; they could slip that beneath the notice of the archangel network, but a more organized resistance or change of opinion (Master = good ----> Master = bad) would soon be brought under the control of the network.
That's probably it. Doesn't make the Doctor-chanting any better, but at least that bit of the resolution makes some sense. The blue sparkles, not so much. (At least it wasn't really the chemical gun, though. I can't even look at that thing without seeing someone's macro text: "We just need the black cartridge. Then we can print him to death.")
The Master really is adorable though, and I have a plan for how his reign really ends. It involves GalacticEmperor!Adric and a squad of Undercover Agents from Space.
a) Yes, yes he is. There were a few moments where I found him terribly squeezable. Which...is probably not what I'm supposed to think, but oh well.
b)I WANT TO HEAR THIS PLAN. Mostly so I can figure out how Adric becomes Galactic Emperor. My curiosity, she is piqued.
I think the show is aware of what it's doing
I'm sure the show is aware of what it's doing. I just wish it'd stop doing it. :D I get why they're taking Ten in the All Shall Love Him And Despair direction - he's much older than One was when he said "I am not a god", he's seen the Time War, he's the only one like him in the universe - but that doesn't mean I have to like it.
Series 4 looks to be getting a little better about it, though. Most of the time.
Doctor: Martha, please. Let's not argue in front of the toaster.
Martha: Look, Doctor, I'll get you...something else you can fiddle with, all right? A TV or something. You can make it into a hologram if you want. Just please. No more sentient appliances. Doctor: *grumbles* Don't see what's wrong with a sentient toaster. All our appliances back on Gallifrey could communicate, how else would you know when your toast was done properly? Martha: You might've noticed? This is Earth. We don't talk to our toasters here. Doctor: You were talking to it just now. Martha: Yes, but I didn't expect it to talk back. That's the whole point.
If Three met Ten, he'd likely recognize him as a Time Lord but not himself-- and thusly would get very, very angry.
Especially considering that the Time Lord who told him about the Master in Terror of the Autons was wearing a business suit as well. Even without the snappy bowler hat, Three'd probably think Ten was one of those blokes, sent to run errands for the Time Lords when they couldn't be bothered to get their hands dirty. There would be much snide commentary, and possibly a flat refusal to do anything Ten said - thus forcing him to reveal his identity?
Is it believable that Martha wouldn't tell the Doctor about Liz for a while? She'd be a little shy about the whole thing, maybe, and initially uncertain that there was anything to tell?
Hmm. She was pretty forthcoming about her engagement in Sontaran Strategem, which is the only reason I hesitate, but back in 1969, when the Doctor had other things on his mind, she probably wouldn't bother, mostly because, like you said, she didn't think there was anything to tell. I think at some point, Ten should be with her when Liz stops by her apartment, which is when the "Liz Shaw? You've been dating Liz Shaw? That explains a lot, actually." moment happened.
But: imagine the beginning of Utopia, but instead of Jack tackling the TARDIS, he tackles Ten! And insists on buying him a coffee!
OH OH AND THE BEST PART WOULD BE that Jack and Ten wouldn't have to work out their issues with Jack's immortality in between trying to not get eaten. They'd have plenty of time to sit down and chat and discuss things at their leisure and have make-up sex hugs afterwards!
[this comment is from approx. 3 million years ago, but there's a formatting error that keeps bugging me on re-reads. Thus, you get this in your inbox again. Soz!]
The gun in four parts seemed perfectly logical to me because I am silly and naive, and tend to give sci-fi shows a lot of leeway on plot (characterization, on the other hand...) so I felt like a berk when Martha scoffed, "A gun in four parts? Did you really believe that?" The Master fell for it, too! And he's, like, smart and stuff!
TBPH I was kinda hoping that once they got the fourth part, the gun would turn into a Transformer.
That macro should definitely be done, however. >P
There were a few moments where I found him terribly squeezable. Which...is probably not what I'm supposed to think, but oh well. You do know that in my live-blog of the first episode of The Sea Devils I call him "My Poor Widdle Master-Poo"? I think the ship of Thinking the Master is Adorable has overbooked, boarded, sailed, docked, and magically turned into an origami swan.
Ok ok ok, I'm not sure how much to tell you about GalacticEmperor!Adric because I've started plotting out the fic for it, but I don't think I'm going to narrate the actual part where he becomes Emperor so here goes: After freeing himself of the Master via abandoning him as a human baby on the edge of the Silver Devastation, Adric travels through time and space trying to fix the problems he caused while under the influence of the Master. This part is rather vague, but basically, he accidentally becomes a King. Trips and falls and lands on the altar next to a princess or something, idk. He probably feels like he can help the most if he's in charge, and his internship with the Master certainly gave him the skills to acquire power quickly. Also, he still doesn't know how to act around girls.
Anyway, by this point (a few decades before "tSoD" and "LotTL") he has become rather Doctor-ish himself, what with the traveling and saving planets and all, so he's a pretty good king and an even better diplomat (read: great at bluffing and sucking up) with lots of contacts and favors owed to him, so he gradually becomes ruler of the planets around him, extending his reach over several systems. He's probably ethically ambiguous at times (he spent an awful lot of time with the Master), but generally tries to be a good guy. Anyway, he grows old with dignity, has kids, names a planet Tegan, starts a Traken Memorial Fund, is BFF with the Face of Boe, designates a Blue Star as the royal symbol, etc. And THEN he senses the Master has returned but I want to write that properly. ^_^ the fun part is going to be Adric vs. Lucy. "He wouldn't even keep you around if it weren't for me!" "Oh, so you were his training companion? Did you think you had taught him to loooove?" "No, that was Jamie/Sarah Jane/K-9."
I'm sure the show is aware of what it's doing. I just wish it'd stop doing it. THAT'S EXACTLY HOW I FEEL ABOUT THE ROMANCE. Which Season 4 was also being wonderful about until (spoilers)Professor Ravensong Moonshine Boom Chicka Wa Wa.(end spoilers.)
With the God thing though, I feel like 1) it's a natural progression and 2) there's decades of canon without it, so it's not like we have to suffer through it, you know? I'd say I was being hypocritical in not similarly allowing romance, but as the Doctor gets older and more god-like, romance with mortals makes even less sense. One lived somewhat normally (hence the granddaughter), Two was just a bit older than that (I think the 450 age from TotC has been retconned? I'm not sure.) and Three is almost newly mortal when he's trapped on Earth, but beyond that the experience imbalance gets really squicky. Which isn't to say it can't work, or that others having crushes on the Doctor (e.g. Martha and Jack) isn't perfectly reasonable, but basing 50% of the character interaction on potential romance is really annoying. Maybe that's my heterophobia talking, idk.
Either way, I am completely stumped as to why I think Donna and the Doctor would be fabulous casual sex partners.
I'm gonna break the comment here since it's getting rather long. ^^
Of course, then they have to get into an involved discussion on the ethics of returning the toaster to its previous state after it's been modified. The Doctor would argue that destroying its sentience is akin to murder; Martha would argue that the Doctor owes her a toaster, and he's not allowed to use his sonic screwdriver on the ATM.
A really adorable compromise would be if the Doctor boils her a fresh bagel every morning. While WEARING AN APRON. Martha insists. >P She also possibly makes him clean up around the house. "Are you going to complain if I improve the vacuum cleaner?" "Not if you keep the house clean, dear." Martha learns a lesson about setting caveats after the vacuum cleaner wakes her up at 4am because it's bored.
There would be much snide commentary, and possibly a flat refusal to do anything Ten said - thus forcing him to reveal his identity? Ooh yes, and MAYBE Three tries to warn Liz off of Martha, and Liz halfway believes him, and this upsets Martha, which upsets Ten, and thus Ten comes banging on Three's TARDIS door in the middle of the night to yell at him for interfering with the women's relationship when Three's real problem is with Ten, which it actually *shouldn't* be and he would know that if he'd only shove aside his great poofy hair and listen. In the middle of explaining that he is the Doctor, Ten realizes that he doesn't remember this happening when he was Three, which means that Something Is Wrong. And then Canada explodes.
she probably wouldn't bother, mostly because, like you said, she didn't think there was anything to tell. Yeah, in The Sontaran Experiment she'd already made the relationship official with an engagement, but this would just be a few dates (to begin with) and Liz is maybe a little reserved, and Martha's a little insecure. speaking of the Sontaran Experiment, how cool was it that the UNIT trailer looked exactly like the one from The Invasion? I vacillate between yelling at RTD to get some ideas of his own and squeeing at all the Classic Who tie-ins. But AHAHAHA, yes, Martha's in another room so the Doctor answers the door and spends a few minutes goggling. Liz takes this in stride, much as she did when the Brig imagined her naked on their first meeting because he so did, you know it.
I wonder, would Ten insist on tagging along on their date? Just because he's bored to keep an eye on things. And also because Martha got flustered and claimed it wasn't a date. If he's annoying enough, Liz and Martha might sneak out while he's in the bathroom and leave him with the check. Or would that be too mean?
Jack and Ten wouldn't have to work out their issues with Jack's immortality in between trying to not get eaten. They'd have plenty of time to sit down and chat and discuss things at their leisure It would be kinda hilarious, actually, if Jack and the Doctor are being boring and srs, sitting in the kitchen drinking tea and talking about ~emotions when Liz and Martha stumble in from a night out, boozy and groping each other while they chatter on about the adventure they just had.
Question 1: How long will it take for Jack to hit on Martha and Liz at the same time? How long will it take for him to follow through, to both their satisfactions?
Question 2: How long will it take for Jack to offer the Doctor a job in Torchwood, a la Three at UNIT?
Question 3: Will the Doctor be bored enough that he might experiment with Jack's immortality? "Well, if we combine vinegar and baking soda, with a sprig of parsley, and give your hair a good washing with the mixture, you might be able to die!" "Ok, first of all, how are we going to test if it works? And second of all, did something happen to make you think I'm really dumb?" "No! No no no, no. Why?" "That mixture isn't going to do anything but make my scalp tingle." "We could market it!" "Or you could stop messing around and help me! Doctor, be straight with me." "Eh?" "Bad choice of words. Just tell me, seriously: will I ever be able to die?" (pause) "Have I introduced you to the toaster?"
P.S. After seeing "Frontier in Space" (which is a whole nother post, let me tell you. Where has this serial been all my life???), I noticed that even the Almighty Delgado ran around and was camp and shouted, "No! No, you can't do this!" so Simms is hereby forgiven for that. Delgado is still my precious, though.
Also, there's a line in "Time Crash" that I hadn't caught before: Five: Does he still have that rubbish beard? Ten: No. Well, a wife. Me: Eek!
"Frontier in Space" was a bit camp all around, I think. Enjoyable camp, yes, but still camp. But the Master makes up for it by casually reading War of the Worlds while he's waiting for his Evil Plot to unfold.
Also I want to see your reaction post to "Frontier in Space", because it is AWESOME OMG. Even in its campness. And if there was ever a doubt in anyone's mind that Jo and the Master are The Missus and The Ex, respectively, then this serial erases it completely. Except you could probably make a case that The Missus and The Ex are having it off behind The Husband's back; that is how excellent this story is.
Five: Does he still have that rubbish beard? Ten: No. Well, a wife. Me: Eek!
I am quite enamored of that joke, yes I am. Hurrah, Moffat, for saying what everyone was thinking. :D (Both with regard to Lucy and the absent Beard of Evil.)
I do not think I shall ever ever complain about camp. It is so very close to crack.
Except you could probably make a case that The Missus and The Ex are having it off behind The Husband's back; that is how excellent this story is. WORD.
My only fic-block with Delgado!Master is that he seems so stand-offish, like he doesn't want to soil his spiffy Nehru suit with physical contact, but he was manhandling left and right in this serial. WHILST being perfectly solicitous, I would add. I half expected him to come into their cell to fluff their pillows.
OH OH BRAINSTORM: The Master, Butler from HELL. Imagine the scene: The Doctor and Jo travel to a lovely manor in the 1920s (re: Black Orchid and The Unicorn and the Wasp). Jo lounges happily in a wicker chair beneath a tree, the afternoon sunlight dappling her face. The Doctor, in a crisp velvet jacket, inspects the garden. A prim voice offers him some tea and gorgonzola. The Doctor turns, delighted at the thought of refreshment.
"You!" he says. The butler laughs and reveals the pistol aimed at the Doctor, hidden beneath the tray (re: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom).
"Indeed, it is me, Doctor," he says. "The hostess and I are so glad you could make it to our little party."
Jo sits up in shock and dismay. "Mrs. Thorpleton!" she cries.
The Doctor glances around quickly; the amiable Mrs. Thorpleton is nowhere to be seen. "What have you done with her!" he hisses.
The Master sets aside the tray and smirks. "The lady requests your immediate presence in the ballroom," he says smoothly. "Come along now, and don't cause any trouble." He aims the gun at Jo. "You know what I am capable of."
I really could say a ton more about Frontier in Space here but I should probably do a proper meta post instead. I've seen the first episode of Planet of the Daleks; would you suggest I finish it before meta-ing Frontier in Space? (Imagine my panic and confusion when I finished Frontier in Space and the plot wasn't resolved!)
Hurrah, Moffat, for saying what everyone was thinking. :D (Both with regard to Lucy and the absent Beard of Evil.) It's a shame, actually, because Lucy was rather great and hot and her relationship with the Master was pretty interesting and hot. Although the Doctor and the Master being each other's companion would be even more interesting and hot.
I was really upset that they had the Master choose to die-- the real Master, after all, will always choose to live, even as the Doctor's pet, because he knows he can escape some day (cf. The Daemons and The Sea Devils)-- but then there was the shot near the end with the ring and the echo of his laugh and I thought, "Ah ha! He planned this all along!" The wife still confuses me, though. Is the Master affecting the Doctor's preference for companions and blondes in addition to his speech patterns and spastic attitude? The Master is NOT Bizarro!Doctor, people. COME ON.
I will admit, however, that my pervy fangirl heart nearly forgave all of that when Jack manhandled the Master into the room and shouted for handcuffs.
Blink was indeed awesome, as Chaos told me it would be, and I'm more than a little in love with Sally Sparrow. I think my favorite bit was the DVD conversation in general, and specifically Martha's add-in, "I'm working in a shop! I have to support him!" I have a very strong image in my mind of Martha coming home from a hard day at work to find the Doctor sprawled on a chaise longue in a feather-trimmed dressing gown, eating bon-bons.
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Hey, did you get the package?
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Thank you so much! ::hugs::
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True, but considering the Master and the Doctor's relationship, they do have to play off each other so far as personalitites go, and a calmer, more laconic Master (i.e. Delgado) would have made a Doctor like Ten look...well, spastic. And I look at Lucy as being analogous to Gallea in The Time Monster - she was there to make him a convincing politician and establish his identity on Earth. After he had what he needed, he couldn't care less about her.
(I firmly believe that he was indulging in dance music and snogging Lucy simply because he was bored. He had finally actually taken over the Earth, and now he wasn't sure what to do with himself, and poking the Doctor and telling him to entertain him didn't work so well after a while. Less hedonism than directionlessness, really.)
And he could be yelling "Noooo!" at the sheer implausibility of the plot device that defeated him. As in "What? WHAT? NO! Are you serious? No WAY."
Not saying I entirely disagree with you - I liked the Master in early-"The Sound of Drums" better than "Last of the Time Lords", but there was some reason for his characterization.
I have a very strong image in my mind of Martha coming home from a hard day at work to find the Doctor sprawled on a chaise longue in a feather-trimmed dressing gown, eating bon-bons.
And you know he whined all day about not having his time machine and having nothing to do and dammit this was just like the last time he got stuck in the seventies until Martha let him take something apart to keep him occupied.
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I totally agree that a politician needs a wife-- but she stuck around! Wearing a red dress! And they cuddled and such! And it was her picking up the ring in the end, so apparently she's a proper Companion which, I'll allow that the Master could get a bit lonely and want a companion after the Time War, but-- he likes blondes, too? Really? Wouldn't he have picked someone a bit smarter? He didn't even once sneer at human stupidity. Tormenting Jack and the Doctor seemed classless as well, but Ainley!Master would possibly do something like that so I'll let it slide.
Argh, I dunno. Regeneration, especially after 70+ years in a fobwatch, can effect the personality a lot. Just-- the Master is special. He's not supposed to be a Standard Villain! D:
i actually kinda liked the plot device. not the bit where it magically made the doctor grow young and transform into Tinkerbell Jesus, but the bit with the telepathic network and Martha spreading one instruction across the globe and having everyone think the same thing at the same time-- that was really nifty.
"Who looks at a toaster and says, 'This could be a little more sonic?'"
"Me, apparently."
"Well, I don't want a sonic toaster. Fix it."
But Martha, look at it! It's happy! It likes being sonic!"
"Does it still make toast?"
"Weeeargh, I mean... it makes a bloody great seismic air cushion! It's levitatory! You can take the bread out of the cupboard, into the toaster and then onto the plate, hands-free!"
"Does it make toast?"
"Also, I've added a great doodad on the side that measures the frequency of the sound when you knock the knife against the plate."
"Does. it. make. toast."
"You're not gonna let that go, are you?"
At some point, the Doctor and Martha are going to run off to deal with some alien disturbance, and then the Doctor says, "Never mind, I've got this one already. Let's keep out of the way." If Three ever runs into him on a street corner mid-adventure, Ten'll have to act dumb. ^_^ WAIT A MINUTE THIS IS HOW MARTHA MEETS LIZ. THEY MEET CASUALLY IN THE CITY AND GO OUT FOR A COFFEE AND THEN DINNER AND SO ON, AND TOTALLY DON'T REALIZE THEY EACH KNOW THE DOCTOR UNTIL MUCH LATER.
P.S. I WANT TO SEE TEN VS. THREE IN A TECHNOBABBLE BITCHFIGHT.
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Well, strictly speaking, we don't know that that was her hand picking up the ring. Coulda been someone else.
Argh, I dunno. Regeneration, especially after 70+ years in a fobwatch, can effect the personality a lot.
There is that. He's probably quite insane by this point.
but the bit with the telepathic network and Martha spreading one instruction across the globe and having everyone think the same thing at the same time-- that was really nifty.
I was okay with it until I realized, in combination with the rest of the season, just how skeezy the subtext of that scene was. The Doctor doesn't escape that situation by being cleverer than anyone else, or more ingenious, or more resourceful, or anything. People don't believe in him for any particular reason. Humans are asked to believe in him simply by virtue of the fact that He Is The Doctor - and that, in the end, is the only reason he wins. It makes him too godlike, given the whole idea that humanity is easily duped and too weak to resist the Master's takeover, but become magnificent and great when they are in service of him. Aaah.
"Does. it. make. toast."
"You're not gonna let that go, are you?"
*gigglefit* This conversation happened. It are canon. Especially the happy sonic toaster.
YES! Yes yes yes. I think it'll be even better if they meet before they know they have the Doctor in common, or maybe even before Liz meets the Doctor at all. So while they're talking Martha has to keep catching herself to make sure she doesn't accidentally tell Liz her future, or talk about the Doctor before she knows who he is.
I can't help but think that a meeting between Ten and Early!Three would be a bit sad, though, because Ten would really really want to fix his own TARDIS and get himself off Earth, but he couldn't do that without screwing with continuity. He probably would play dumb the whole way through, just so neither of him would be tempted. Of course, he can't resist the lure of a technobabble-off and thus gives himself away.
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Yeah, that the one word was "Doctor" was about the threshhold of my suspension of disbelief, as well. Though I think the point was that they just had to say one word at a specific time; they could slip that beneath the notice of the archangel network, but a more organized resistance or change of opinion (Master = good ----> Master = bad) would soon be brought under the control of the network.
I have no idea how chanting "Doctor" made him grow young and fly, though. I think you're right that the Master was protesting that. "How can that be? Seriously, do you even have technobabble to back this up? You don't, do you. Sheesh. I go to all the trouble of creating a highly complex scheme for world domination, and you defeat me with this shoddy plot device? I have schematics! A schedule of events! What do you have? Glowy stuff. I REFUSE TO BE DEFEATED BY GLOWY STUFF."
The Master really is adorable though, and I have a plan for how his reign really ends. It involves GalacticEmperor!Adric and a squad of Undercover Agents from Space.
He Is The Doctor - and that, in the end, is the only reason he wins. It makes him too godlike
I think the show is aware of what it's doing-- someone mentioned somewhere that if a Time Lord held or possessed the Time Vortex, he would become an angry and vengeful god. I think they're speaking directly to Ten in the Christmas Invasion: "That's the kind of man I am. No second chances." That was right after Nine died from holding the Vortex. So I figger it, Nine chose to regenerate after consuming the Time Vortex and thus didn't completely become a god, but he was changed: his powers are greater, he's more bitter. Vengeful God Lite, you could say, and it's entirely possible that Ten is restraining himself. Season Four finale: the Doctor demands blood sacrifices? THE MASTER MUST STOP HIM. Total role reversal! I love it. Let's do it. I'll call RTD and get him on board. ^_^
Especially the happy sonic toaster.
I bet the next day, the Doctor installs a Blurble Function.
Martha: (staggers downstairs first thing in the morning) Oh bugger, I really want some toast. Too bad you're useless.
Toaster: (blurbles sadly)
Martha: O.O
Doctor: (bounces in) Martha! Good morning! And good morning to you, too! (pats toaster)
Toaster: (blurbles happily)
Martha: I can't believe you did that! DOCTOR!
Doctor: Martha, please. Let's not argue in front of the toaster.
How sad would it be if Martha found the TARDIS and got so excited about being able to go home, and then Ten had to explain why they couldn't?
If Three met Ten, he'd likely recognize him as a Time Lord but not himself-- and thusly would get very, very angry. Ten might have to run away from himself, dodging blasts from Sonic Screwdriver 1.0.
Is it believable that Martha wouldn't tell the Doctor about Liz for a while? She'd be a little shy about the whole thing, maybe, and initially uncertain that there was anything to tell? Liz, of course, is reserved and wouldn't say anything to Three. I'm planning, of course, for the great spit-take moment when Martha casually reveals that the woman she's been dating for the past few weeks is Liz Shaw.
HEY GUESS WHAT JACK WOULD BE HANGING AROUND, TOO.
Martha: Let's take a day trip to Cardiff!
Ten: Let's not.
Ten wouldn't know that Jack is in Cardiff in the 70s yet, but one liners are above continuity! But: imagine the beginning of Utopia, but instead of Jack tackling the TARDIS, he tackles Ten! And insists on buying him a coffee!
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That's probably it. Doesn't make the Doctor-chanting any better, but at least that bit of the resolution makes some sense. The blue sparkles, not so much. (At least it wasn't really the chemical gun, though. I can't even look at that thing without seeing someone's macro text: "We just need the black cartridge. Then we can print him to death.")
The Master really is adorable though, and I have a plan for how his reign really ends. It involves GalacticEmperor!Adric and a squad of Undercover Agents from Space.
a) Yes, yes he is. There were a few moments where I found him terribly squeezable. Which...is probably not what I'm supposed to think, but oh well.
b)I WANT TO HEAR THIS PLAN. Mostly so I can figure out how Adric becomes Galactic Emperor. My curiosity, she is piqued.
I think the show is aware of what it's doing
I'm sure the show is aware of what it's doing. I just wish it'd stop doing it. :D I get why they're taking Ten in the All Shall Love Him And Despair direction - he's much older than One was when he said "I am not a god", he's seen the Time War, he's the only one like him in the universe - but that doesn't mean I have to like it.
Series 4 looks to be getting a little better about it, though. Most of the time.
Doctor: Martha, please. Let's not argue in front of the toaster.
Martha: Look, Doctor, I'll get you...something else you can fiddle with, all right? A TV or something. You can make it into a hologram if you want. Just please. No more sentient appliances.
Doctor: *grumbles* Don't see what's wrong with a sentient toaster. All our appliances back on Gallifrey could communicate, how else would you know when your toast was done properly?
Martha: You might've noticed? This is Earth. We don't talk to our toasters here.
Doctor: You were talking to it just now.
Martha: Yes, but I didn't expect it to talk back. That's the whole point.
If Three met Ten, he'd likely recognize him as a Time Lord but not himself-- and thusly would get very, very angry.
Especially considering that the Time Lord who told him about the Master in Terror of the Autons was wearing a business suit as well. Even without the snappy bowler hat, Three'd probably think Ten was one of those blokes, sent to run errands for the Time Lords when they couldn't be bothered to get their hands dirty. There would be much snide commentary, and possibly a flat refusal to do anything Ten said - thus forcing him to reveal his identity?
Is it believable that Martha wouldn't tell the Doctor about Liz for a while? She'd be a little shy about the whole thing, maybe, and initially uncertain that there was anything to tell?
Hmm. She was pretty forthcoming about her engagement in Sontaran Strategem, which is the only reason I hesitate, but back in 1969, when the Doctor had other things on his mind, she probably wouldn't bother, mostly because, like you said, she didn't think there was anything to tell. I think at some point, Ten should be with her when Liz stops by her apartment, which is when the "Liz Shaw? You've been dating Liz Shaw? That explains a lot, actually." moment happened.
But: imagine the beginning of Utopia, but instead of Jack tackling the TARDIS, he tackles Ten! And insists on buying him a coffee!
OH OH AND THE BEST PART WOULD BE that Jack and Ten wouldn't have to work out their issues with Jack's immortality in between trying to not get eaten. They'd have plenty of time to sit down and chat and discuss things at their leisure and have make-up sex hugs afterwards!
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The gun in four parts seemed perfectly logical to me because I am silly and naive, and tend to give sci-fi shows a lot of leeway on plot (characterization, on the other hand...) so I felt like a berk when Martha scoffed, "A gun in four parts? Did you really believe that?" The Master fell for it, too! And he's, like, smart and stuff!
TBPH I was kinda hoping that once they got the fourth part, the gun would turn into a Transformer.
That macro should definitely be done, however. >P
There were a few moments where I found him terribly squeezable. Which...is probably not what I'm supposed to think, but oh well.
You do know that in my live-blog of the first episode of The Sea Devils I call him "My Poor Widdle Master-Poo"? I think the ship of Thinking the Master is Adorable has overbooked, boarded, sailed, docked, and magically turned into an origami swan.
Ok ok ok, I'm not sure how much to tell you about GalacticEmperor!Adric because I've started plotting out the fic for it, but I don't think I'm going to narrate the actual part where he becomes Emperor so here goes: After freeing himself of the Master via abandoning him as a human baby on the edge of the Silver Devastation, Adric travels through time and space trying to fix the problems he caused while under the influence of the Master. This part is rather vague, but basically, he accidentally becomes a King. Trips and falls and lands on the altar next to a princess or something, idk. He probably feels like he can help the most if he's in charge, and his internship with the Master certainly gave him the skills to acquire power quickly. Also, he still doesn't know how to act around girls.
Anyway, by this point (a few decades before "tSoD" and "LotTL") he has become rather Doctor-ish himself, what with the traveling and saving planets and all, so he's a pretty good king and an even better diplomat (read: great at bluffing and sucking up) with lots of contacts and favors owed to him, so he gradually becomes ruler of the planets around him, extending his reach over several systems. He's probably ethically ambiguous at times (he spent an awful lot of time with the Master), but generally tries to be a good guy. Anyway, he grows old with dignity, has kids, names a planet Tegan, starts a Traken Memorial Fund, is BFF with the Face of Boe, designates a Blue Star as the royal symbol, etc. And THEN he senses the Master has returned but I want to write that properly. ^_^ the fun part is going to be Adric vs. Lucy. "He wouldn't even keep you around if it weren't for me!" "Oh, so you were his training companion? Did you think you had taught him to loooove?" "No, that was Jamie/Sarah Jane/K-9."
I'm sure the show is aware of what it's doing. I just wish it'd stop doing it.
THAT'S EXACTLY HOW I FEEL ABOUT THE ROMANCE. Which Season 4 was also being wonderful about until (spoilers)Professor Ravensong Moonshine Boom Chicka Wa Wa.(end spoilers.)
With the God thing though, I feel like 1) it's a natural progression and 2) there's decades of canon without it, so it's not like we have to suffer through it, you know? I'd say I was being hypocritical in not similarly allowing romance, but as the Doctor gets older and more god-like, romance with mortals makes even less sense. One lived somewhat normally (hence the granddaughter), Two was just a bit older than that (I think the 450 age from TotC has been retconned? I'm not sure.) and Three is almost newly mortal when he's trapped on Earth, but beyond that the experience imbalance gets really squicky. Which isn't to say it can't work, or that others having crushes on the Doctor (e.g. Martha and Jack) isn't perfectly reasonable, but basing 50% of the character interaction on potential romance is really annoying. Maybe that's my heterophobia talking, idk.
Either way, I am completely stumped as to why I think Donna and the Doctor would be fabulous casual sex partners.
I'm gonna break the comment here since it's getting rather long. ^^
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A really adorable compromise would be if the Doctor boils her a fresh bagel every morning. While WEARING AN APRON. Martha insists. >P She also possibly makes him clean up around the house.
"Are you going to complain if I improve the vacuum cleaner?"
"Not if you keep the house clean, dear."
Martha learns a lesson about setting caveats after the vacuum cleaner wakes her up at 4am because it's bored.
There would be much snide commentary, and possibly a flat refusal to do anything Ten said - thus forcing him to reveal his identity?
Ooh yes, and MAYBE Three tries to warn Liz off of Martha, and Liz halfway believes him, and this upsets Martha, which upsets Ten, and thus Ten comes banging on Three's TARDIS door in the middle of the night to yell at him for interfering with the women's relationship when Three's real problem is with Ten, which it actually *shouldn't* be and he would know that if he'd only shove aside his great poofy hair and listen. In the middle of explaining that he is the Doctor, Ten realizes that he doesn't remember this happening when he was Three, which means that Something Is Wrong. And then Canada explodes.
she probably wouldn't bother, mostly because, like you said, she didn't think there was anything to tell.
Yeah, in The Sontaran Experiment she'd already made the relationship official with an engagement, but this would just be a few dates (to begin with) and Liz is maybe a little reserved, and Martha's a little insecure.
speaking of the Sontaran Experiment, how cool was it that the UNIT trailer looked exactly like the one from The Invasion? I vacillate between yelling at RTD to get some ideas of his own and squeeing at all the Classic Who tie-ins.
But AHAHAHA, yes, Martha's in another room so the Doctor answers the door and spends a few minutes goggling. Liz takes this in stride, much as she did when the Brig imagined her naked on their first meeting because he so did, you know it.
I wonder, would Ten insist on tagging along on their date? Just because he's bored to keep an eye on things. And also because Martha got flustered and claimed it wasn't a date. If he's annoying enough, Liz and Martha might sneak out while he's in the bathroom and leave him with the check. Or would that be too mean?
Jack and Ten wouldn't have to work out their issues with Jack's immortality in between trying to not get eaten. They'd have plenty of time to sit down and chat and discuss things at their leisure
It would be kinda hilarious, actually, if Jack and the Doctor are being boring and srs, sitting in the kitchen drinking tea and talking about ~emotions when Liz and Martha stumble in from a night out, boozy and groping each other while they chatter on about the adventure they just had.
Question 1: How long will it take for Jack to hit on Martha and Liz at the same time? How long will it take for him to follow through, to both their satisfactions?
Question 2: How long will it take for Jack to offer the Doctor a job in Torchwood, a la Three at UNIT?
Question 3: Will the Doctor be bored enough that he might experiment with Jack's immortality?
"Well, if we combine vinegar and baking soda, with a sprig of parsley, and give your hair a good washing with the mixture, you might be able to die!"
"Ok, first of all, how are we going to test if it works? And second of all, did something happen to make you think I'm really dumb?"
"No! No no no, no. Why?"
"That mixture isn't going to do anything but make my scalp tingle."
"We could market it!"
"Or you could stop messing around and help me! Doctor, be straight with me."
"Eh?"
"Bad choice of words. Just tell me, seriously: will I ever be able to die?"
(pause) "Have I introduced you to the toaster?"
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Also, there's a line in "Time Crash" that I hadn't caught before:
Five: Does he still have that rubbish beard?
Ten: No. Well, a wife.
Me: Eek!
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Also I want to see your reaction post to "Frontier in Space", because it is AWESOME OMG. Even in its campness. And if there was ever a doubt in anyone's mind that Jo and the Master are The Missus and The Ex, respectively, then this serial erases it completely. Except you could probably make a case that The Missus and The Ex are having it off behind The Husband's back; that is how excellent this story is.
Five: Does he still have that rubbish beard?
Ten: No. Well, a wife.
Me: Eek!
I am quite enamored of that joke, yes I am. Hurrah, Moffat, for saying what everyone was thinking. :D (Both with regard to Lucy and the absent Beard of Evil.)
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Except you could probably make a case that The Missus and The Ex are having it off behind The Husband's back; that is how excellent this story is.
WORD.
My only fic-block with Delgado!Master is that he seems so stand-offish, like he doesn't want to soil his spiffy Nehru suit with physical contact, but he was manhandling left and right in this serial. WHILST being perfectly solicitous, I would add. I half expected him to come into their cell to fluff their pillows.
OH OH BRAINSTORM: The Master, Butler from HELL. Imagine the scene: The Doctor and Jo travel to a lovely manor in the 1920s (re: Black Orchid and The Unicorn and the Wasp). Jo lounges happily in a wicker chair beneath a tree, the afternoon sunlight dappling her face. The Doctor, in a crisp velvet jacket, inspects the garden. A prim voice offers him some tea and gorgonzola. The Doctor turns, delighted at the thought of refreshment.
"You!" he says. The butler laughs and reveals the pistol aimed at the Doctor, hidden beneath the tray (re: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom).
"Indeed, it is me, Doctor," he says. "The hostess and I are so glad you could make it to our little party."
Jo sits up in shock and dismay. "Mrs. Thorpleton!" she cries.
The Doctor glances around quickly; the amiable Mrs. Thorpleton is nowhere to be seen. "What have you done with her!" he hisses.
The Master sets aside the tray and smirks. "The lady requests your immediate presence in the ballroom," he says smoothly. "Come along now, and don't cause any trouble." He aims the gun at Jo. "You know what I am capable of."
I really could say a ton more about Frontier in Space here but I should probably do a proper meta post instead. I've seen the first episode of Planet of the Daleks; would you suggest I finish it before meta-ing Frontier in Space? (Imagine my panic and confusion when I finished Frontier in Space and the plot wasn't resolved!)
Hurrah, Moffat, for saying what everyone was thinking. :D (Both with regard to Lucy and the absent Beard of Evil.)
It's a shame, actually, because Lucy was rather great and hot and her relationship with the Master was pretty interesting and hot. Although the Doctor and the Master being each other's companion would be even more interesting and hot.
"So you're going to keep me?"
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