It’s the third episode of Big Finish’s The War Master, and we’re already getting a “Master-lite” story. However, in the case of The Sky Man, it surprisingly works rather well.
This is due to three reasons. The first is that we end up getting a lot more exploration of the Master’s new companion Cole. Introduced in the previous episode The Good Master, Cole is desperate to make a difference. To save a world, any world, from the Time War.
The Master’s solution? “Pick one.” The Master giving Cole a choice to save any world, and so casually, is a perfect example of how casually the Master sees life. To him, all other lives are just the same. All other worlds, too. Not in the same way the Doctor sees lives, with each of them being important. No, the Master sees everyone as being less important than he is. To him, one whole world is as expendable as another.
When Cole does pick a world, the civilization they find is one of low technology and agriculture. Cole finds himself involved with the locals, trying to help out with the farming while waiting to “save the world”. The Master meanwhile decides to take a holiday. He thinks it’s time to relax and try making wine. At least, so he claims.
Initially, the story begins rather innocently. Cole learns a lot about the difficulties of farming, and of the people of the world. He causes a couple of problems occasionally, but he still makes a few good friends. There’s even a bit of romance in his life when he meets Elidh.
The Master’s companion
Then, very gradually, things start to change. It’s very subtle, but as the episode goes on, the tone becomes gradually darker and darker. Cole wants to save this world, but will he actually succeed? Or will he only make things worse?
This is the second reason why a Master-lite story works. The story doesn’t just reveal more about the companion, but how traveling with someone like the Master could affect them. Cole’s a nice guy, but he makes some pretty desperate choices in this episode. Someone like the Doctor might try to steer him away from such choices, or help out more directly. The Master, however, is all too happy to just sit back and allow Cole to make these choices. Regardless of the consequences.
This leads me to the final reason why this Master-lite story works so well. The Master may only have a few scenes in this one, but in every scene, there’s a lot of foreshadowing. Hidden meanings and foreshadowing that only make sense on a second listen.
The Sky Man is an absolutely brilliant episode. It’s a difficult listen at times, but that’s to be expected from a writer like James Goss. He’s very good at mixing the light with the darkness, and there’s a lot of darkness in The Sky Man.
He also uses the Master-lite structure for The Sky Man really well. Over the entire episode, the Master’s presence can be felt. He’s not always seen, but that’s when he works best: hiding away and planning his schemes. There’s no doubt that he’s up to something. The question is, what? When the episode finishes and the horror is over, what will the Master do next?