posted
Please forgive my ignorance here, but "Utopia" just aired here in the US, which (re)introduced the Master. Airing of the previous DW series here have been sketchy at best, so I've seen very little of the show before the relaunch with the 9th Doctor.
What I'd like to know (without any future episode spoilers!) is what the Master's backstory? All I know is that basically he's another Time Lord and he's a "bad guy", but that's about it, and that just came from 2nd hand info. I've tried looking at a few sites, but just a quick glance told me they already incorporated the new stuff.
BTW, I loved the portrayal of the Master after he regenerated! He acted just like the Doctor, except for the "bad guy" stuff.
Registered: Jul 2002
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posted
You've pretty much got the gist of him already. He's an evil timelord bent on universal domination - why? well aside from being a crazy eyed nutter, he dose a have an oddly twisted motivation which is actually revealed somewhat in the next two episodes.
Aside from that his background is basically that he had already used up all his regenerations and got himself exterminated by the Daleks, after which the events of the 8th Doctor TV movie takes place. If you haven't seen that then all you really need to know is the last time he was seen before Utopia, he had fallen into the eye of harmony.
posted
Wikipedia has a decent writeup which I've pointed people to before. In short, he's the Moriarty to The Doctor's Holmes - his equal in every way, just evil. His motivations ranged from simply wanting to control the universe (heh), to seeking a way to extend his life, to wanting to torture the Doctor for shits & giggles. There's also the explanation for the character's original depictions in the following stories:
The two-part finale does into the Master's backstory as never before though, so you'll enjoy where this guy is coming from. Even before the current series, the guy has been known to have more lives than a cat - or the Doctor, for that matter.
Utopia kicked SO much ass, by the way. I knew the Master was going to show up eventually, but how he did - and the Doctor's reaction to it - was simply beautiful. All I have to do is imagine the guy seething "I... AM... THE MASTER!!!!" to get some good ol' fashioned willies going.
posted
Do they explain how he escaped the Eye of Harmony and gained more regenerations in the next episode? I did like how in Utopia he regenerates much in the same fashion as the 9th Doctor, albeit the energy that spews out of him is a different color.
Registered: Feb 2005
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posted
I loved Derek Jacobi as The Master in 'Utopia'. Just like the classic Master, full of restraint and quiet evil.
I didn't like John Simm as The Master. Too randomly wacky, and far too much like the Tenth Doctor for comfort. A real testament to modern television, where the producers think that the audience won't 'get it' unless things are spelled out for them. Look! He's exactly like The Doctor! But bad!
Incidentally, I didn't mind Eric Roberts so much as The Master in the movie. He pushed the character into pantomime evil without going overboard. Unfortunately, like a lot of the new series under Russel T. Davis (who I like a lot, but feel needs someone to tone it down), John Simm goes OTT with the muwhahaha!'s.
-------------------- 'Whether you think you can, or whether you think you can't, you are probably right.' - Henry Ford
Registered: Apr 2004
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posted
It's obvious that the Doctor voluntarily had the Master's essence decanted from the Eye of Harmony into custody on Gallifrey. I'd be interested to know whose idea that was; recent events (Father from the Family of Blood, the Master himself before his wife offed him) show that the Doctor is quite happy with the idea of using the TARDIS as a prison, I wonder if he'd really offer to relinquish custody, and if he was made a request he had to comply with, whether he'd suspect the other Timelords' motives?
posted
Obvious? How? Most people accept that the Eye of Harmony as depicted in the (poorly researched) TV Movie is not the Eye per se, but an access point to the Eye, since all TARDISes draw power from the "real" Eye of Harmony on Gallifrey as estasbished in the 70s. If the Master was languishing in eternal hell within the "real" Eye, someone on Gallifrey could suck him out again. Why? That would be telling.
posted
I didn't think much of Simm either - Derek Jacobi is far closer to the Master in my mind.
I think that the story suffers from the casting of John Simm. I'm not saying he's a bad actor (although I think we all watched Life on Mars for Gene, not Sam), but rather I think that he was an "in" actor (much like David Tennant was at the time he was cast), and that's why he got the job.
I thought this at the time, and having just watched the eppisodes repeated a few days ago realy brought it home just how much I disliked him as the Master.
As for Julias brother, he was a good set piece baddie for a single 90 minute adventure (which is pretty much what what the two final episodes are).
The main difference of opinion does seem to be those who have watched the original, and those who have not. I'm not sure what this says, but I'd be willing to bet that if you mentioned the Master in twenty years time, people would picture Delgardo or Ainsley, and not Simm.
If you realy want to know what the back story is, you can't beat watching some of the old serials. Get hold of an older sci-fi encyclopedia or something and have a quick read. The web is not the best place to look if you want to escape spoilers.
-------------------- I have plenty of experience in biology. I bought a Tamagotchi in 1998... And... it's still alive.
Registered: Apr 2005
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