Doctor Who review: I Am the Master – Missy’s Magical Mystery Mission is a fun short read
By James Aggas
A certain evil Time Lady gets to have a lot of fun in Missy’s Magical Mystery Mission. But the Doctor Who villain may have met her match in the form of a cleaner called Daphne…
The third story from the recent Doctor Who anthology I Am the Master: Legends of a Renegade Time Lord is a rather fun one. And, with a title like Missy’s Magical Mystery Mission, it’s certainly easy to guess why.
Jacqueline Rayner’s short story is told mainly from the perspective of Daphne Nollis. Kind-hearted but also a little naive, Daphne is a simple cleaning lady working for Tivone of Enfis, the tyrannical ruler of her world. However, she has a rather unusual day away from her workplace when she finds herself with four tyrants and a hologram. A hologram who likes to refer to herself as “Miss E.”
Yes, this short story features the rather colorful and insane incarnation originally portrayed by Michelle Gomez. Rayner certainly knows how to write for the character extremely well. Reading the short story, it became all too easy to imagine Gomez saying Missy’s dialogue, which naturally ranged from hilarious to terrifying.
Whether in literature, on-screen, or on audio, Missy continues to be a highly entertaining psychopath.
Image Courtesy Big Finish Productions
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Clear message
As for the story itself, Missy’s Magical Mystery Mission is a short but entertaining read. Each of the four tyrants stands out as rather colorful but rather nasty characters. Which makes their inevitable deaths as part of Missy’s scheme rather fun to read. (One of which, involving rain and a pit, was surprisingly grim. Something that I rather approved of, as a horror fan.)
The resolution features a strong feminist message. I won’t say “subtext” in this case because of how clear it is. But, at the same time, it seems appropriate, especially when you’ve got not just a villain like Missy, but someone as rather likable as Daphne. Despite her naivete – or perhaps even because of it – she’s a suitably endearing character, giving us another reason to enjoy the story.
More light-hearted than the previous two entries in the anthology, Missy’s Magical Mystery Mission is a lot of fun to read, and a nice little short story to enjoy with one of Doctor Who‘s most colorful villains.
Next. Did the Master hear the sound of drums in the Classic Series?. dark
Are you a fan of Missy? Have you enjoyed other stories featuring this rather distinctive incarnation, such as those found in the anthology The Missy Chronicles? Let us know in the comments below.