Even before the big surprise at the end, I found it very entertaining. The best Chris Chibnall-written episode yet, I think. It may help that they have much more time to tell the story than usual, so the pace doesn't have to be quite so frenetic - though it certainly wasn't leisurely.
As to why Shephen Fry hasn't appeared on Who before, I imagine he's very busy as well as being very expensive. Also he doesn't seem to do that much acting these days, so it was quite a coup for the show to get him.
The reviewer of the episode in my morning paper doesn't seem to be a Stephen Fry fan. She wrote: 'Stephen Fry also popped up as MI6 boss “C” but was killed off five minutes into his cameo, which is handily the exact limit of many people’s tolerance for Stephen Fry.' Which, whilst rather unkind, made me smile.
It's worth mentioning that there was another casting coup in securing Lenny Henry to play Barton. I suspect that he's little known in the US, but in Britain he's probably as famous as Fry.
I'd heard Lenny Henry's name before, and I'm pretty sure I've seen his face, but I'm not sure I'd ever actually put them together until now. He was certainly good, although he felt a bit underused.
Seriously, I'm tickled pink by this, as the Master is my all time favourite Who villain.
There's been some speculation that O is the Master between Simm!Master and Missy, which would explain why his characterisation has been wound back. However, wherever he comes on his own personal time line, you just know he's devised this whole elaborate scheme (whatever it turns out to be) in order to get the Doctor involved!
LOL! Yes. Yes, it is. And I did love his reaction to, well, getting that reaction. He's such a massive drama lord, and I love him to pieces. :)
There's been some speculation that O is the Master between Simm!Master and Missy,
Somebody made that same suggestion on my DW version of this post, and it's certainly possible. I'm not betting on it, though. It seems... unnecessarily convoluted, not that that's not something Who can be at times. And I can believe him going back to his old ways after a regeneration, really. I'd just like to know how it happened!
People have also been speculating that it may be some kind of AU version of the Master, since there do seem to be some kind of multiversal shenanigans going on, and that could be interesting.
However, wherever he comes on his own personal time line, you just know he's devised this whole elaborate scheme (whatever it turns out to be) in order to get the Doctor involved!
Yes, that's usually true no matter what he's doing! Oh, man, I love the absolute glee on his face when
( ... )
An out of sync Master is not likely, I grant you, but the time-wimey possibilities are fun to contemplate. So is an AU Master (though it does raise the question of what happened to his own Doctor?)
Another possibility: since the series is going with a spy theme, could the Master be a double agent?
Maybe AU Master carelessly lost his Doctor and had to go universe-hopping just to find another one. I mean, he probably would, wouldn't he? I refer you to the quote in my icon. :)
And, ooh, the Master as a double agent is an interesting possibility! I'm not sure how it would work or make sense, but it might...
Sigh. I am now waiting very impatiently for next week! (Or whenever I'm actually able to watch the darned thing, since I'm working this weekend.)
I so didn't see that coming. I was enjoying O too in his nerdiness. I have to say I was very sceptical about them all being able to run and catch a plane just before it took off but of course... Master. He probably slowed it down nicely for them. Where did Barton go though? The only parachute?
I did think that 12 had some effect on Missy, but maybe all that was lost in the regeneration?
I totally didn't see it coming, either, and I love the fact. Well done keeping that secret, Chibnall and co.!
Catching the plane was the kind of improbable thing that sometimes just happens on Who, so I didn't even blink at it, really, but the Master orchestrating the whole thing seems perfectly likely. I know I really don't think that "slip-up" about the sprinting was an accident. He so wanted to watch her figuring it out!
I'm not sure where Barton went, either, though. Honestly, I could never quite make out the Master's line of dialog after the Doctor asks, even after rewinding a couple of times to try.
I did think that 12 had some effect on Missy, but maybe all that was lost in the regeneration?
That's what I figured as the most likely thing, but see comments above for alternate speculations. I do hope it will be addressed one way or the other, if only just a little bit. I did find Missy's arc really interesting.
I miss a lot of dialogue when they talk too fast in their dialect so afterwards I look at a rather bare-bones site here that somehow downloads subtitles (which we don't get here). It's confusing though because there's no indication of which character is speaking.
But where's Barton? We saw him coming in. Called away before takeoff. By me! Stick with me, Yaz, 'cos I control everything.
I was in glee by the end, which I suppose was a bit inappropriate considering the Companions are all plummeting to their deaths and the Doctor is trapped. Just it was so much more like Who as I remembered it!
Poor Stephen Fry struck down by lasers. I was shocked by the Master reveal, but in retrospect should have expected it as forcefields and so on are still a bit beyond an even brilliant agent in this day and age.
Lenny Henry makes a good villainous sidekick. It's a pity he will come to a sticky end.
I assume Barton escaped the same way the Master did, dhopping or teleporting or whatever the device the Master used did.
Eh, everyone trapped and/or plummeting to what looks like certain death is basically a Tuesday for Doctor Who characters, anyway. :)
And, yeah, I noticed the high-tech forcefield, but sort of shrugged it off by telling myself that, well, spies in the Whoniverse probably do have access to secret alien technology. I mean, UNIT certainly has enough of it hoarded away. In retrospect, I should have paid more attention to it!
Comments 22
As to why Shephen Fry hasn't appeared on Who before, I imagine he's very busy as well as being very expensive. Also he doesn't seem to do that much acting these days, so it was quite a coup for the show to get him.
Reply
And, yeah, all true enough, but he really does seem like such a natural presence for the show! I'm glad they got him eventually.
Reply
It's worth mentioning that there was another casting coup in securing Lenny Henry to play Barton. I suspect that he's little known in the US, but in Britain he's probably as famous as Fry.
Reply
I'd heard Lenny Henry's name before, and I'm pretty sure I've seen his face, but I'm not sure I'd ever actually put them together until now. He was certainly good, although he felt a bit underused.
Reply
Seriously, I'm tickled pink by this, as the Master is my all time favourite Who villain.
There's been some speculation that O is the Master between Simm!Master and Missy, which would explain why his characterisation has been wound back. However, wherever he comes on his own personal time line, you just know he's devised this whole elaborate scheme (whatever it turns out to be) in order to get the Doctor involved!
Reply
There's been some speculation that O is the Master between Simm!Master and Missy,
Somebody made that same suggestion on my DW version of this post, and it's certainly possible. I'm not betting on it, though. It seems... unnecessarily convoluted, not that that's not something Who can be at times. And I can believe him going back to his old ways after a regeneration, really. I'd just like to know how it happened!
People have also been speculating that it may be some kind of AU version of the Master, since there do seem to be some kind of multiversal shenanigans going on, and that could be interesting.
However, wherever he comes on his own personal time line, you just know he's devised this whole elaborate scheme (whatever it turns out to be) in order to get the Doctor involved!
Yes, that's usually true no matter what he's doing! Oh, man, I love the absolute glee on his face when ( ... )
Reply
Another possibility: since the series is going with a spy theme, could the Master be a double agent?
Reply
And, ooh, the Master as a double agent is an interesting possibility! I'm not sure how it would work or make sense, but it might...
Sigh. I am now waiting very impatiently for next week! (Or whenever I'm actually able to watch the darned thing, since I'm working this weekend.)
Reply
I did think that 12 had some effect on Missy, but maybe all that was lost in the regeneration?
Reply
Catching the plane was the kind of improbable thing that sometimes just happens on Who, so I didn't even blink at it, really, but the Master orchestrating the whole thing seems perfectly likely. I know I really don't think that "slip-up" about the sprinting was an accident. He so wanted to watch her figuring it out!
I'm not sure where Barton went, either, though. Honestly, I could never quite make out the Master's line of dialog after the Doctor asks, even after rewinding a couple of times to try.
I did think that 12 had some effect on Missy, but maybe all that was lost in the regeneration?
That's what I figured as the most likely thing, but see comments above for alternate speculations. I do hope it will be addressed one way or the other, if only just a little bit. I did find Missy's arc really interesting.
Reply
But where's Barton? We saw him coming in.
Called away before takeoff. By me! Stick with me, Yaz, 'cos I control everything.
Reply
Reply
Poor Stephen Fry struck down by lasers.
I was shocked by the Master reveal, but in retrospect should have expected it as forcefields and so on are still a bit beyond an even brilliant agent in this day and age.
Lenny Henry makes a good villainous sidekick. It's a pity he will come to a sticky end.
I assume Barton escaped the same way the Master did, dhopping or teleporting or whatever the device the Master used did.
Reply
And, yeah, I noticed the high-tech forcefield, but sort of shrugged it off by telling myself that, well, spies in the Whoniverse probably do have access to secret alien technology. I mean, UNIT certainly has enough of it hoarded away. In retrospect, I should have paid more attention to it!
Reply
I also wonder what happened to UNIT and Torchwood. "They're all gone" without any explanation?
Reply
Reply
Leave a comment