You know, I was wondering about that little tent I kept seeing in the background. It was the Doctor’s doghouse?
Also, I got the impression that Lucy wasn’t as enthusiastic about the Master by the beginning of this episode. She looked intimidated and tired, like she was just going along with him to avoid pissing him off.
Oh, I purposely avoid the UK threads to avoid spoiling the series for myself. I really enjoy watching this show with my kids. I enjoy it as much as they do. I think this is the only show other than the Animaniacs where this is true.
I had no clue about the negative reaction in the UK. Can you link to the prior thread if you still have it?
Jim
She had the biggest ever case PTSD, from seeing the end of the universe. Said my husband, “That actress plays ‘broken’ really well.”
As I posted in the UK thread, the hint of a black eye was a nice touch.
Here you go.
Thanks for the link. Kind of funny to see the Tinkerbell and Gollum thing be prevalent in that thread too. I actually enjoyed the episode, I loved the first part of this 3 parter. The finale was nothing great, but good enough.
As much as I loved the Tom Baker Doctor, some of those got tedious. This new show, never gets tedious.
Jim
This was good for a Russell Davies script. Which means it was mediocre, at best.
The Tinkerbell thing was stupid, even with the pseudoscience.
The house elf doctor was worse.
But the worst was The Doctor getting all torn up about The Master dying. Give me a break. Let’s put it this way: if the only living humans in existence were me and Osama bin Laden, and I could kill him, I definitely would.
Not really the same thing though - correct me if I’m wrong, but weren’t they friends and classmates once upon a time before the Master, for whatever reason, went batshit and evil?
I thought it was sad and shame that the Master couldn’t have stayed around longer. Here’s hoping if and when they do bring him back, they’ll get Simm to do it again.
You’re not wrong. In the second episode of the three-episode finale, when Martha asked The Doctor who The Master was, he responded with just that description, “friends and classmates”.
Then Martha said something like, “I thought you were going to say he’s your brother.” To which The Doctor replied, “You watch too much television.”
I liked the episode and I liked Simm as a villian. I just didn’t like him as The Master. The Master should have a bit of class. More diabolical than batshit. Jacobi was perfect. Simm not so much.
And a goatee, dammit!
I have to agree that The Master as mentally ill doesn’t work for me, either. He was Evil[sup]TM[/sup]. That’s it.
Why did he have Chameleon impersonate King John to keep the Magna Carta from being signed? Because he was Evil[sup]TM[/sup].
Why did he take time out from his busy schedule to commit meaningless, nearly random homicides, leaving a macabre trail of shrunken barbie dolls in his wake? Because he as Evil[sup]TM[/sup].
Why shrink The Doctor’s TARDIS? Because it was an Evil[sup]TM[/sup] thing to do.
The Master specialized in little, maddening evils (and massive homicide) that would wreak havoc. This whole plot to take over the World, kill all the humans, and declare war on the universe was too big. It just didn’t work for me. I hope they bring him back, and do him justice… so to speak.
Er, wouldn’t wiping out 10% of the world’s population constitute massive homicide that would wreak havoc? For that matter, wouldn’t declaring war on the universe also qualify?
OBL was my friend and classmate. Oh, the times we had!
Well, there you go, I stand corrected! 
Would you believe “massive serial homicide”?
And as I said, declaring war on the universe is too big. I still think the perfect Master plot from the new series would have been the schoolhouse plot from season 2 with Anthony Head and Sarah Jane Smith.
I can’t remember if it was part of a trailer or a publicity still, but before School Reunion aired in the UK there was an image of Anthony Head standing in front of the sign on the Headmaster’s office door, with him blocking out the “Head” part. That got tongues wagging on Outpost Gallifrey!
After that episode aired, I turned to my and said, “He should have been The Master.”
She agreed wholeheartedly. (Otto, things like that allow me to overlook her disdain for Flash Gordan.)
You turned to your what?!
But oh my, ASH as The Master…
If she has disdain for the current incarnation on Sci Fi then her disdain should not only not be overlooked, it should be actively encouraged.
I dunno. I remember clear back to the 4[sup]th[/sup] Doctor (forget the story title), when he had an opportunity to kill the Daleks at their inception. IIRC, he hemmed and hawed about it, because he felt it was genocide.