The Doctor, Williams and the Draconian Prince head to the Ogrons' planet to find evidence of the Master's actions but the Master tricks Jo into leading them into a trap.The Doctor, Williams and the Draconian Prince head to the Ogrons' planet to find evidence of the Master's actions but the Master tricks Jo into leading them into a trap.The Doctor, Williams and the Draconian Prince head to the Ogrons' planet to find evidence of the Master's actions but the Master tricks Jo into leading them into a trap.
- Directors
- Paul Bernard
- David Maloney(uncredited)
- Writers
- Malcolm Hulke
- Sydney Newman(uncredited)
- Donald Wilson(uncredited)
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis episode was Roger Delgado's final appearance as The Master. Due to time constraints in the studio his final scripted scene was not taped. Delgado was due to reappear as The Master in Series 11, but was killed in a car accident while in Turkey for a film called "Bell of Tibet.".
- GoofsDue to an unfortunate decision to place a glass table in front of the yellow Chromakey panel which serves for the President's video / TV screen, part of Congressman Brock's broadcast can be seen superimposed onto the table. It is not being seen through the table, as there is also a black chair in between the screen and the table.
- Quotes
Dalek Voice: [over the radio] We are about to enter hyperdrive and return to our base. Do not fail the Daleks.
[the transmission ends]
The Master: Right, we'll see who rules the galaxy when this is over. Do not fail the Daleks, indeed. You stupid tin boxes.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Doctor Who: The Pertwee Years (1992)
The big reveal to this story is that Master with the help of the Daleks have manupluted a war between earth and draconia. I love when the Daleks do this and any villain that does this. You don't always need a big invasion plan just mess with the enemies head and they'll start a war between themselves. Which what they do by using a fear image enhancer to make both sides think the other is attacking them when in reality it's the ogrons. The entire story until episode 4 is all about power play and fear mongering and it's great drama.
We get to see both sides of this war starting. Humanity who believe the Draconians are wanting a war. We get some great side characters in madam president who is on the edge of bringing humanity to war/firing the first or last shot. But we see her struggles to keep her people save and her morals intact. She wants to avoid it at all costs. We later hear a little about the outside world/people. Two sides. One in which is against the war and so uses the presidents face as symbol of hate/war. The other who want to start fighting against the Draconians and use the face of the president as a symbol of we are coming to get you enemies of earth. It's just brilliant world building to this story and probably one of the most realistic who stories. It was definitely reflecting fears and riots at the time and with today's eyes feels like there are some parallels to Margaret Thatcher which it is spookily similar to her and the day she decided to sink the belgrano.
We then also see the Draconians side to this, as they also think the humans are trying to attack them and start a war. However as we later discover, General William once attacked an innocent Draconian ship that came on a peace mission. So naturally they all fear/believe this why the humans want a war and finish them off. We also get to see great parallels to the Draconian prince who isn't sure about firing first or last. Which considering the sexist ways of Draconians not allowing woman in places really adds to the theme of how two different cultures could be easily manupluted to go to war. The make up/design of the Draconians is absolutely brilliant and could easily work today and I'm shocked they haven't come back yet. I totally understand why Pertwee loved them.
While alot of this story is a runaround and the main cast getting constantly locked up or called spy's for both sides etc it's still good fun and hearts back to the olds days. But there's so much to enjoy here both dialogue and action scenes. Such as the Dr. on the ships, ogrons smashing into places and an awesome shots of the master on the cliff. Especially when the Daleks appear. What a great surprise that was.
Jo gets some excellent moments here too, really setting up the theme of how her character is growing up. There's some great comical moments in the cell as she tries to come with an escape and says what the Dr and her must do and goes oh what I'm I worrying for? It's great. She also finally gets to defeat the master this time. Whereas in her first episode she got hypnotized here she sings riddles and stops the master from getting into her head. It's a great moment for her character and shows how far she's come from her first episode and showing how she's becoming much more independent. She also gives the ogron an banana which always makes me laugh.
The biggest problem this story has that even fans of this story agree on is the disappointing rushed ending, while it was great and a nice full arc of having General Williams team up a Draconian and then try and make peace together, the master/drs escape is very clumsy. It's a messy scene of the Dr gets shot and ogrons run away and somehow the master has escaped. Its not the production teams fault but it's such a horrible turn of fate that this is Roger Delgados last appearance. An actor who was both passionate, dedicated and very talented and was taken from us far too soon. I cried my eyes out as a child learning of this, but I always liked the idea of Roger as the master in the sky reading his war of the world's book. For me hell always be the definitive Master.
Infact when the Blu-ray collection set came I really wanted to see a scene which fixes this story, yes I know comics etc have but just a short scene with some look alike and brilliant impressionists to add a scene into the original story. So much so I had two ideas for said scene. One I can't find the other is this : The Dr and Jo after tricking the ogrons run away to find the TARDIS. The master and ogrons corner him as he mentioned he signed for some Daleks to return. The Daleks know the Dr will try to find there home base in "Planet" so a Dalek back to the master. If we keep the theme of these Daleks being the last three from "Evil" they need to protect the planet at all cost.
As the master confronts them the Dalek emerge. The altercation/panic happens, the dr gets shot and falls to the ground everybody runs away, we get the reveal it was the Dalek who fired the shot. The master is seen limbing away and cursing them. We hear a voice from another master. It's revealed that the master saved the dr from getting a full blast of the Daleks gun and let himself get the hit. Refusing to regenerate because of the dr, he stumbles to his tardis. It's revealed from the voice that master made sure this happens as he saw an alternative timeline were the Daleks rule and keep him as a Prisoner. So he must let the Dr find and destroy there base in "Planet". He hoped he could trap the Dr there with the Daleks too, or at least have the Daleks destroyed and deal with the Dr next. Using all his strength he tries to stop the timelords getting to the Dr and it causes the TARDIS to start exploding and causes him serious burns. He gives the Dr a message in his had in is tardis about were he's sending him. The Dr thanks him and eventually will forget this and why he's on the planet. The timelords also want to get in contact with the dr to get him back to Gallifrey and work out a way to stop the master and bring him on trial. The master contacts the timelords and agrees to make a bargain. I'll return to Gallifrey to be allowed a regeneration and be isolated if you let me make the Dr go to the planet to stop the Daleks. They agree. The master slowly regenerates in his buring tardis laughing.
Maybe one day I'll get some fans together and we'll try and film it. Who knows?
Rating 3/5 8/10.
- mbellfield
- Aug 8, 2021
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