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Doctor Who: TV versus audio – multi-Master stories

By James Aggas

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In 2017, we had our first multi-Master story on television. But we also had our first multi-Master just one year before on audio. How do the two approaches compare?

(Image credit: Doctor Who/BBC.

Image obtained from: BBC Press.)

It took a long time for Doctor Who to give us a multi-Master story on-screen with World Enough and Time/The Doctor Falls. But we also had another multi-Master story on audio with The Two Masters just a year before. So we have to ask: how do they compare with each other?

You know, it’s kinda funny, really. You wait forever for a multi-Master story to happen in Doctor Who. Not just on television, but even in the expanded universe. You wait years and years, but for some reason, we never seem to get one. And then – within just a year of each other – two come along at once!

Still, The Two Masters and World Enough and Time/The Doctor Falls are two very different stories. It’s not just because of the medium they tell their stories in, but also what those stories are about, and even how the Masters are used. So while they each feature the same key idea, their approaches are radically different in many ways. Let’s take a look at each of the ways they stand out.

Story

It’s clear that with World Enough and Time, Steven Moffat really wanted to keep the fact that it was a multi-Master story a surprise. Up until “Razor’s” conversation with Missy, there are no hints that it’s a multi-Master story at all.

There were plenty of hints that it’s a Cyberman story, at least, and there’s a lot of focus on Missy as she tries to be a good person. But there’s absolutely nothing to remotely hint in the story itself that even hints at another Master until the “surprise” ending of the first part.

By contrast, The Two Masters makes it clear from the very title. Even though the first part of the story focuses on Geoffrey Beevers’s Master only (or does it?), not only are there are a couple of hints that another incarnation is involved. There’s also the fact that, like many serials from the Classic Series, it’s in four parts instead of just two. So the reveal of there being too Masters within the story is, unsurprisingly, revealed relatively early on. As a result, we get quite a bit more time with both incarnations in the story.

It could be argued that it that helps that The Two Masters is part of a trilogy. The final part, to be specific. But then again, World Enough and Time and The Doctor Falls also acts as the finale to Series Ten.

And in some ways, The Two Masters surprisingly works well as a standalone story. What keeps me re-listening to all three stories, and not just The Two Masters itself, is that we get a couple of really great Master stories that hint at what’s going on in the finale, but no more than that.

Keep in mind, this isn’t a criticism, either way. It’s really simply two very different approaches to the idea. While it would’ve been nicer to have a little more of Simm’s Master beforehand, it’s clear that Moffat wanted to give the audience a huge surprise and really build up to it.

It’s truly a shame that the BBC betrayed that surprise by completely spoiling it in their trailers. But before we get to that, let’s take a look at the surprise that The Two Masters gave us…

Considering the title of the story, it was pretty obvious that the Master was in this one. So how did The Two Masters still give us a shocking reveal?

(Photo credit: Doctor Who/Big Finish Productions.

Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.)

The reveal – The Two Masters

While not every great Master story needs a great reveal, those moments do stand out. The Keeper of Traken, Survival, and of course Utopia – we all remember those classic moments when it’s revealed that it was the Master all along!

Wait, hold on. How on Earth can you have a twist like that in The Two Masters? The title makes it clear from the start that the Master’s in it, right? So how can you surprise listeners by revealing that “it was the Master all along”?

By doing something very, very clever. Something that was hinted at in the previous two stories, but only becomes explicitly revealed here. Now, you might want to skip to the next page on this one, as I’m definitely entering spoiler territory here. But the genius of this twist is too good not to discuss.

For the first half of The Two Masters, the two incarnations are at war with each other. For some reason, the later incarnation played by Alex Macqueen is trying to kill his earlier self, as played by Geoffrey Beevers. Neither the Doctor nor the listener know why the Master is attempting something so insane (even by his standards) until we reach the end of part two.

And then comes the reveal…the Masters are in the wrong bodies. Somehow, the older Master’s mind has been swapped with his younger self, and vice versa. Best of all, the younger Master had no idea it was his own future body that he’d stolen.

What really makes this work how the Masters have been written across the whole trilogy. Up to this point, Beevers’s Master has been acting unusually cheerful and cheeky, while Macqueen acts more restrained and sinister. It’s a fantastic twist hidden in plain sight, and actually allows us to get slightly different performances than what we usually get from these two actors.

The reveal – World Enough and Time

Now, the reveal in World Enough and Time was of course ruined by how much the BBC was keen to promote it. I’ll be honest: I genuinely didn’t think it was meant to be that major a surprise until I watched the episode. I thought Simm’s Master would be revealed early on. In fact, considering they showed him in the very first trailer for the whole series, I kept expecting him to show up before the finale! (Yes, almost two years later, and I still have a lot to say about the BBC spoiling that.)

But despite that…objectively speaking, the reveal is set up really well. For one thing, the makeup does an excellent job of hiding John Simm’s features. I’ve had several people say that it was still obvious, due to the eyes. And I can see that. But that was still an incredible makeup job.

And, I must admit, it was a job that still fooled me. Partially, because I was more intrigued by the Cybermen’s story, and so forgot that this was a multi-Master story for a time.

Razor

But there’s also how well Razor as a character is realized, thanks to both Moffat’s writing and Simm’s performance. He’s a genuinely likable character that somehow never comes across as annoying, and he’s so gloriously silly that you can’t help but love him. Moments like wearing something over his eyes as a “clever disguise” really made me smile.

So it wasn’t until he started acting weird around Missy that it became clear who he really was. And even then, I doubt it would’ve been that obvious until the moment of the reveal itself if it hadn’t been spoiled.

Now, the twist in The Two Masters genuinely shocked me. But I still think that World Enough and Time‘s twist was, in terms of the story, at least, also built up well. It may have not have had the payoff that Moffat wanted to, but only because of poor choices from the BBC. Because the moment was so satisfying, and because it was so great to see Simm finally return, I might have a slight preference for this particular reveal.

Alex Macqueen’s fun-loving Master is a radically different incarnation to Geoffrey Beevers. How well is this difference explored in The Two Masters?

(Photo credit: Doctor Who/Big Finish Productions.

Image obtained from: Big Finish Productions.)

Clash of personalities

One thing a lot of us enjoy about multi-Doctor stories is how often they clash in terms of personality. We don’t want the Doctors bickering too much, but it can be fun when they do. The early scenes between Ten and Eleven in The Day of the Doctor, for example, are always incredibly fun to watch.

So it’s natural for a multi-Master story to also feature this element. And, on this level, at least, The Two Masters is definitely more enjoyable. Because the two Masters featured in the story are incredibly different.

You’ve got the sinister and scary Master, played by Geoffrey Beevers. He’s definitely more of your old-school villain, and the fact that he’s horrifically scarred means that he cares even less about being liked, only feared. He’s a very classic and deliciously evil Time Lord.

Now let’s look at Macqueen. His Master is a lot more fun, and actually, far closer to Simm’s and Gomez’s incarnations than the Classic ones. He enjoys making jokes and bad puns, even when he’s killing people. No, especially when he’s killing people. He’s completely insane, but also, really enjoyable to listen to.

Similar Masters?

Now, as you can imagine, this leads to difficulties between the two working together. While initially, they seem to get along well, especially when they’re trying to kill the Doctor, there does come a point when things get really difficult between them. Especially when it comes to deciding which incarnation should rule the universe. So the clash of personalities here is even more significant than in multi-Doctor ones.

But Simm and Gomez, on the other hand, don’t seem to have that problem. In fact, they practically love each other at the start. And why wouldn’t they? They’re not just evil, they’re both eccentric, energetic, and they love to have fun. So where’s the clash here?

Well, that’s the key thing. Because, while outwardly, they seem similar, there is a more significant change. And that’s what the whole story of World Enough and Time/The Doctor Falls is really about…

The Master and Missy might not have been the main villains of The Doctor Falls. But did they still work well within the story?

(Image credit: Doctor Who/BBC.

Image obtained from: official Doctor Who website.)

How well the story uses the Masters

Now this is a particularly interesting point. Because while both The Two Masters and World Enough and Time/The Doctor Falls are multi-Master stories, they approach that idea in completely different ways.

The Two Masters, while one of them seems to be seeking the Doctor’s help against both himself and a dangerous cult, essentially has the Master as the main villain. Particularly when the two incarnations of him ally together. Both of them are against the Doctor, and they find a way of making themselves the most powerful people in the universe. That’s really what you’d expect from a multi-Master story.

However, the Series Ten finale, particularly The Doctor Falls, goes for a very different approach. Some fans might have been disappointed that neither Master was really the villain of the finale. While Missy seemed to join forces with her former self against the Doctor initially, they quickly got replaced by the Cybermen.

However, what makes this story so effective is how it’s the culmination of an arc that began with Extremis – specifically, Missy’s redemption. Across a great deal of Series Ten, it appears that she’s trying really hard to be good. Especially when we see her take charge at the start of World Enough and Time.

The past returns

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And this is what makes Simm’s return so significant. Because it comes at the worst possible point, at least in terms of Missy’s development. Just as she’s growing, just as she’s trying to change herself, and just when she’s trying to be friends with the Doctor again, her previous self turns up. Simm’s Master is a physical reminder of everything she used to be and everything she’s trying to move away from. So the story of the Series Ten finale is radically different to that of The Two Masters.

As a result of this, they’re both incredibly interesting approaches. They’re both very strong stories in their own right. I think what really matters is exactly what you’re looking for.

If you’re looking for a multi-Master story with the character distinctly as the villain, then there’s a good chance you’d prefer The Two Masters. While I do think Simm’s Master was at his best in his final episodes, even I have to admit that he doesn’t exactly get up to much as a villain.

But if you’re looking for an interesting exploration of the Doctor’s oldest enemy – and his oldest friend – then you might just prefer World Enough and Time/The Doctor Falls. Like The Day of the Doctor, it’s a great way of showing just how much a Time Lord can change over their many lives.

Next. Gallifrey overview: How the Doctor Who spin-off told one epic story. dark

Which do you prefer? For a multi-Master story to focus on the incarnations as evil villains? Or to show how much they can change across multiple lives? Let us know in the comments below.

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