Like The Doctor’s, The Master’s aka Missy’s personality has evolved over the decades. One character trait that has changed quite a bit since Classic Doctor Who is how sexual the character has become since the revival of the program. His role on the show used to mainly be a dastardly foil to what we would now refer to as his frenemy, The Doctor. While still just as villainous in New Who, both the John Simm and Michelle Gomez incarnations brought a new super flirty (and even a bit lecherous) dynamic to the character.
More from Doctor Who
- Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor Who Christmas special is a “complete reinvention”
- Ncuti Gatwa is “so nervous” to take on Doctor Who role
- The Doctor and Donna are better than ever in “Wild Blue Yonder”
- Take the Black: House of the Dragon season 2 trailer hints, the Fallout show, and more
- Jodie Whittaker didn’t pick up on any of the hate for her version of the Doctor
In the days of yore, The Master showed little to no interest in the matters of sex. In the Third Doctor story ‘The Time Monster,’ The Master’s interactions with Queen Galleia have romantic overtones, but are quite courtly and businesslike. The 1996 Doctor Who movie presents The Master in a transitional phase of his development. His kissing Grace Holloway is passionate, but he is really just “activating” her to destroy the Earth. It is not until 2007 that we are witness to just how lustful The Master has become.
The terms “Master” and “Mistress” have taken on something of a sexually dominant quality in the realm of Doctor Who. This is best illustrated in The Master’s relationship with his wife, Lucy. They not only have an overtly sexual relationship, but she is also very much his submissive. This is in contrast to Galleia, who refuses to submit to most of his demands and becomes angry when she learns that he is a cad.
The Master of the New Doctor Who experiences evil and destruction on a carnal level. In ‘The Sound of Drums,’ Simm’s Master subtly flirts with The Doctor during a phone conversation. At the beginning of the exchange, just saying The Doctor’s name causes The Master to shudder with pleasure. After The Doctor addresses him, he covertly states, “I like it when you use my name.” There was a similar moment when The Master, in reference to the Time War, asks The Doctor how it felt to be responsible for “two almighty civilizations burning.” Soon after The Master jokes, “Are you asking me out on a date?” In ‘Last of the Time Lords,’ he implies a threesome between himself, Lucy, and a masseuse:
"Time for my massage. Who shall I have today? Tanya. Come on, sweetheart. Lucy, have you met Tanya? She’s gorgeous. Tanya, when we get to the stars, I’m gonna take you to Katria Nova. Whirlpools of gold. You two should get to know each other. That might be fun."
I have quite a crush on John Simm, so this was something of an enjoyable moment for me, despite the character being a cad.
Missy playfully refers to The Doctor as her boyfriend and claims that he loves her. She revels in flirting with him mercilessly. And, of course, there is the kiss between them in ‘Dark Water.’ What fans were not aware of until recently, however, is that there could have been a whole other dimension to that scene — a dimension that harkens back to Simmy’s proclivities.
During the Doctor Who panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2015, Jenna Coleman and Michelle Gomez revealed that, during the taping of ‘Dark Water,’ there was one take in which Missy holds Clara’s hand for the duration of the kiss between Missy and The Doctor. They also demonstrate the hand-holding, as seen in the featured image of this article. Chris Hardwick, who is moderating, quips, “That answers a lot about the dynamic of season nine, then.” I have to agree with the audience member who exclaimed “That’s hot!” and also with Gomez who said, “I don’t think that’s odd at all.” They really should have left that bit in.
Here is the panel video for your viewing pleasure. The discussion regarding the kiss starts at 30:27 and ends at 31:32.
What do you think of how The Master/Missy has evolved? Let us know in the comments.