Doctor Who: Why Master stories without the Doctor are so fun

In his own series, the War Master enjoys causing so much havoc when the Doctor’s not around to stop him.

(Photo credit: The War Master/Doctor Who/Big Finish Productions.

Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.

More than once, the Master has been given their own Doctor Who spin-off series, at least on audio. But why? What makes the evil Time Lord so great to listen to away from the Doctor?

Next month, Big Finish will be releasing Missy: Series One – a Doctor Who spin-off box set focusing on Missy’s adventures and evil schemes away from the Doctor. This will be a very exciting release. But it’s not the first time that Big Finish have done this.

We’ve also had The War Master, starring Derek Jacobi in the title role. Taking place before he used the Chameleon Arch and called himself “Yana”, this series focuses on what he got up to during the Time War. Once again, this doesn’t feature the Doctor. (Well, not until July, anyway.)

But even here, while this is the first true spin-off for the Master, it’s not the first time we’ve heard some of his adventures away from the Doctor. Back in 2013, Big Finish released Mastermind. Instead of featuring the Doctor, or even any of his companions, the story instead focused on the Master (played by Geoffrey Beevers) telling a story to two UNIT officers. It’s an excellent story, and reveals a great deal about what happened to him after the TV movie.

But why do these stories get told? What’s the appeal of having one of the most evil characters in Doctor Who take center stage?

Even in other spin-offs, the Master proves himself to be a very dangerous foe.

(Image credit: Gallifrey/Big Finish Productions.

Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.)

A genuine threat

Well, one reason is that, without the Doctor present, we’re actually given a good idea of just how dangerous the Master can really be. When the Doctor’s around to stop him/her, we know that the Master will lose. Even if the Doctor regenerates in the process (such as in Logopolis, The Movie and The End of Time), the Master will still fail.

But what happens when the Doctor isn’t there? Considering that the Master is supposed to be just as smart as the Doctor, and that the Doctor always has to use all of their wits to defeat their greatest enemy, then it’s not hard to imagine so many others losing against the evil Time Lord.

Even when you could argue that companions have stopped him in the past, such as Martha Jones in Last of the Time Lords, it was only possible with the Doctor telling her what to do first. So showing what happens when the Doctor isn’t around to stop the Master is a great way of reminding us of just how evil and ruthless the villain really is.

This isn’t just true in his/her own series, either. The Master has appeared in several other spin-offs, including UNIT and Gallifrey: Time War. The latter example is especially great at showing just how dangerous he really is. Without giving too much away, the War Master actually gives us one of Gallifrey‘s most shocking moments. And believe me, I do not say that lightly.

Geoffrey Beevers wrote and performed his own Master short story on audio with I am the Master.

(Image credit: Doctor Who/Big Finish Productions.

Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.)

Ruthless, but fun

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Of course, there is one additional reason why it’s great to hear the Master in their own series. Because, every once in a while, it’s genuinely fun to hear what happens when evil wins.

Especially when you’ve got a character like the Master. A lot of the time, they’re such a charming and strangely lovable character. They’ll kill you without a second thought, but up until that point, they’re definitely easy to love.

Delgado and Jacobi’s incarnations are prime examples of this. Both can be wonderfully charming, which just makes them more terrifying when they do reveal their true colors.

We all love it when the Master shows up in a Doctor Who story. The stakes are immediately heightened, and they represent a great challenge for the Doctor. But more than that: they really are a great character in their own right. Despite being evil, you can’t help but love watching or listening to them. Put it like that, it’s no wonder that they’ve been given at least two spin-offs so far.

Do you think the Master deserves their own spin-off? Are you a fan of the character? What appeals to you the most about the Doctor’s greatest enemy? Let us know in the comments below.