Doctor Who: The True Saviour of the Universe ends the Doctor’s reign as Ruler of the Universe
By James Aggas
For some time, the Doctor has been ruling the universe – and no one’s happy about it. But who is ready to take over as The True Saviour of the Universe?
The final episode of Ruler of the Universe, The True Saviour of the Universe, ends things in a big way. Not just for this particular Doctor Who/Bernice Summerfield box set, but for the overall story that began back in the previous volume The Unbound Universe.
And it’s a pretty satisfying finale, too. The main theme is what this whole box set’s been building towards: the fact that the Doctor is simply no good at running the universe. Oh, he can make daring escapes, fight monsters and even save the universe in the nick of time on a daily basis. But the actual position of President of the Universe? It is, to say the least, an absolutely terrible fit for our hero.
So it’s unsurprising that, in this episode, the people want to replace him. But with whom? Who would want a position with such power? Who would want to steal the Doctor’s place as ruler of the universe?
Oh, by the way, the Master returns in this episode.
Photo: The Unbound Master returns once more. But is he really the main threat this time?
(Image Courtesy Big Finish Productions.)
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The Master – Out in the open
One thing I do enjoy about The True Saviour of the Universe is how the Master is handled. Don’t get me wrong, I loved The Emporium at the End, and I thought that Mark Gatiss Sam Kisgart had a lot of fun with it, especially as Emma Reeves’s characterization for the villain was written so well. But one thing that was kind of strange was the fact that, in that earlier story, he was never referred to as “the Master” – even though it was super obvious and Kisgart had even played the role before!
Thankfully, there’s no alias this time. From the very start of the episode, both the Doctor and Bernice know exactly who he is. He doesn’t even try to hide it. But this time, is he really the one scheming against the Doctor? Or is there something else going on?
James Goss’s story features a lot of twists and turns, and does leave you guessing. When you reach the ending, however, you are given quite the satisfying resolution. As the conclusion to the Unbound Universe arc, this episode had a lot to wrap up, but Goss handled everything really well. Without giving too much away, it can perhaps be best summed up with the following quote from The Five Doctors:
"To lose is to win, and he who wins shall lose."
Overall, The True Savior of the Universe was a great way of wrapping up a rather fantastic box set – one that gave us an extremely unique glimpse of the Doctor like never before. A very satisfying finale indeed.
dark. Next. Dreamland – More or less ten years later
With the Unbound Master’s upcoming appearance in The War Master, are you excited about his return? Do you think he will be a good match for his other self? Have you listened to any of his previous stories? Let us know in the comments below.