How The Most Hated Master Became Loved

[@owenmcgheeandbdawg]

Missy was possibly my favourite character of that era. She was insane and psychotic in such a charming way.

[@rdzu834]

*Depraved, not psychotic (people like myself who’ve experienced psychotic episodes aren’t fond of the word being used like that) But I agree. She was definitely very entertaining and unpredictable a lot of the time. I really like how she evolved especially in World Enough and Time/The Doctor Falls.

[@rhylin26]

Remember when we thought the next Master had to have come before her, because her redemption arc was so good?

[@megarotom1590]

wait... they're not... HOW... WHY... GAH?! I do not believe any master has come after her

[@EnderKingDubs]

I can't remember where exactly I saw it, but I remember an interview where Gomez said she didn't watch any previous Master Stories to prepare for the role. When someone says that it's normally a red flag. Usually, it's a sign of someone valuing their ego more than the work they're contributing to. But I feel when she said it, there was genuine purpose to her choice. I think she knew going into it that Moffat would write Missy in such a way as to display exactly the kind of character the Master, and especially this version of them would be. She didn't let previous versions color her performance because she knew it would already color some of the written characterization, so she was free to bring her own performance and energy to the character, which really made Missy feel like a fresh take on the Master while still honoring and even building on the legacy of previous incarnations. I think she was exactly what the Master as a character has needed for a long time. The Doctor always says they're friends but we never see that. Here, even if Missy still has many Master-isms, it shows in the writing and their chemistry that they really are friends. And best of all, they're perfect foils for each other, not in the sense that they're opposites as the Doctor and Master often are, but more that they push each others' characters in perfect sync. When the Doctor is at his lowest, doubting himself, doubting if he even knows how to be the Doctor, Missy is right there, tempting him, poking and proding him to see if he'll snap and join her. No other Master could play foil to the Doctor, especially this Doctor, like Missy does. And on the other side, when the Doctor refuses, when he saves the day and remains true to who he tries to be, suddenly Missy is filled with doubt. She was already uncertain, shaken by her latest change, not quite knowing who she is, just like the Doctor, but knowing she wants to be on the Doctor's side again, if he won't join her, her only option becomes joining him. Their arcs mirror each other perfectly, with Doctor rediscovering the love, compassion, and selflessness that has defined his character, and Missy seeing there's more to life than burning everything down around her, learning that very same selflessness. It was the perfect capstone to the Master's character to stand with the Doctor and I will never forgive them for confirming that the Sacha Dhawan Master comes after Missy chronologically.

[@GalileoSunshine]

beautifully said, and I completely agree!

[@glynhorton4923]

A lot of the love that emerged for Missy I think is down to how well Michelle Gomez played her. Michelle Gomez is an astonishing actress, watchable in anything she is in. She has really made Missy her own

[@oliverstrucker5829]

I do agree with you that every Master is unique and Missy definitely shows that and the fact she actually betrays her past self to help the doctor just shows how far she’s come.

[@oddworlddude]

Missy is a fantastic take on the Master and if you like her, you really should consider looking into her Big Finish audio stories. Not only does she have her own audio box set range (also called 'Missy'), but she also has plenty of scenes in the multi-Master 50th anniversary story called 'Masterful'. That story in of itself is a masterpiece, if you'll forgive the pun.

[@Drakull_Art]

i love Missy so much and i hate how they thrown all her character development in the trash with the Sacha Dhawan Master in the 13th era....

[@megarotom1590]

I like that master but feel like he made more sense to someone that was the master before Missy or something probably quite a few before

[@unclekarl5219]

I have to wonder if people were genuinely expecting the master to remain good after season 10. It’s like making the daleks suddenly become good guys

[@megarotom1590]

@@unclekarl5219 I don't think they expected to just feature good guy masters and just them but just that they had options that weren't... completely throwing the character development in the trash and in a way that just makes zero sense to begin with imo the 13th era master was an earlier incarnation or there was a bigeneration or something. Like that would make infinitely more sense than the explanation they gave

[@unclekarl5219]

@@megarotom1590it’s not an earlier incarnation. The master chose to side with the doctor at one point during one specific situation. Easily disregarded by the next regeneration.

[@megarotom1590]

@@unclekarl5219 well ik it’s not I’m saying they should have went an earlier incarnations or something. Because Missy really did CHANGE as a person maybe not as a strictly good person however somewhere on the way. And they threw it in the trash They had other options to keep the master around without throwing her development in the trash without they just did the worst option (it wasn’t even what you think it is either, it’s much dumber)

[@andrescarnederes2295]

Out of all the masters that resembled Roger Delgado, Missy was the closest to give me those vibes. So elegant yet so insane! Michelle and Peter's relationship on screen and off screen was so similar to Delgado and Pertwee

[@user-nv9vn8fm1d]

I hated her for most of it because it felt an overload of quirky-ness like most of the Moffat stuff but I always cry rewatching her last episode. She was brave and loyal but nobody in that universe will ever know.

[@LibertyBridgeProductions]

I remember at the time I didn’t think she was hated, I always liked her. I think the Capaldi era at the start got flack for being more mature and coming after the 50th.

[@jayfeather965]

Missy and 12 were amazing together

[@cheylikespie]

The news that people didn't like her at first shocks me. I was really just watching it at the time as I go in and out of participating in the fandom. I loved Michelle Gomez from the second she showed up onto my screen, even before we knew she was Missy. Something about her performance completely entranced me.

[@ACIoannina]

I couldn't have said it better. That's the first I hear of people disliking Missy. Gomez was perfect in the role as written, I don't think we got enough of her! A Missy spin-off would have been very loved

[@Ohkapi]

Missy is the best in her era. Love her a lot

[@kyrauniversal]

She had much more sophistication to her than River Song ever would. Brutally honest opinion.

[@Chichicoco417]

Ap ap! let's not go there 😂

[@kyrauniversal]

@@Chichicoco417 From the TARDIS' perspective, dear. Do you really think that the one who has her console number stored under THE MISSUS would let some random woman repeatedly wipe her and The Doctors memories of her (resets won't work for a TARDIS), claim to be his future wife, as well as that whole Child of the TARDIS thing (A classic case of THAT'S NOT MINE) And to top it all off, the first time she ever fully meets this woman, when she's cognizant enough to differentiate between a Temporal Grace for the inhabitants, and a self defense mechanism, she gets shot without an apology and has to repeatedly watch all this trauma happen to the one she loves most. "I want you safe, my Doctor."

[@Craigy2818]

She's my favourite incarnation, honestly. She was actually amazing and unhinged.

[@kimmmmm871]

In Korean fandom, unlike Doctor, Missy regenerating into a woman was very openely accepted from the get go, mainly due to her trickster nature. She's more chaotic, and felt natural for her to just tryout all the options. Plus, people loved the twist reveal.

[@PlatinumAltaria]

The fact that Missy was the first big character development for this character was honestly so refreshing. It would be nice to see more old faces get the chance to take on new forms.

[@michaelyapp3254]

I love her early appearances. But when the Doctor locks her in the vault and won’t let her out till she develops Stockholm syndrome, that whole situation is the opposite way round to me. My headcannon is her final laugh is her saying to herself “Yep, sod the Doctor”

[@jonhinson5701]

Missy is, hands down, one of my favorite characters on Dr. Who. I wish they would bring her back along with Riversong and Captain Jack.

[@tevman09]

OMG she was the best! My absolute favourite portrail of the character to date

[@judgemario]

Missy is my favorite Master. I preferred her approach to the character so much more than the others. I loved her arc. I loved her with Capaldi and Clara. Gomez was phenomenal.

[@Hessy-ob5ws]

I really loved Michelle Gomez's iteration of the character - easily the best version in modern Who. Quirky, eccentric, clever, flirty, funny, scheming, charismatic, charming, disarming, psychotic (when in the mood) - just such a well-rounded, multi-faceted character with a proper character arch. So much more than the sometimes slightly one-note hyper-energised madmen as portrayed by Simm and Dharwan. Though l thought Dharwan was the best thing about the 13th Doctor's tenure, he was a bit of a regression to the Simm mode of the Master (l believe John Simm did himself wish he could have brought a little bit more variety to the character). Also - as others have mentioned - all the character development with Missy was thrown out by Chibnall as if it had never happened. Personally, l think Sasha Dharwan would have been a great Doctor (l digress!). The success of Michelle Gomez gave me great hopes for a female 13th Doctor - but unfortunately such hopes were quickly dashed (though a Missy vs Jodie's Doctor episode could have been very interesting - not to be though!).

[@gferrol118]

Personally I really enjoyed Missy. She feels like the perfect place to end the Masters story. After all the awful stuff that they've done in the past, she finally started to change, like the Doctor always wanted. And when she finally decides to do the right thing, she gets killed by her past self. Truly a poetic end to the Master, if Missy is the final regeneration.

[@toyotatacoma1616]

I thought, based off of Missy’s characterization, that the next Master would have a human companion. I still desperately want that to happen. The character works much better as a classy bastard than a joker archetype.

[@thapotatonater827]

Ngl the moment Gomez was revealed to be the master I knew she was gonna be one of the best, I still love watching her in greenwing.

[@selatidos]

she convinced me with the jokes ,the victorian dressing ,and being not so different to the doctor!

[@MatthewCaunsfield]

I'm glad they toned down the "screaming insane" aspect of the Master in Missy's run. It's the least good aspect of the Master in nuWho

[@MrShedinthepeg]

I loved Missy… absolutely bananas

[@tidmouthmilk12]

I really hope we get Missy (or a Missy-like) character again in Doctor Who. As far as the show is concerned there isn't really any direct continuity between her getting cornered on Skaro in series 9 and her imprisonment in the Vault during series 10* so maybe, *maayyyybe* there's a chance the Doctor could run into her again in future. Maybe we could find out why she was being sentenced in the first place. Or have the Doctor sowing the seeds for their past self to take her down the path of good. *Or if there is, I wasn't aware of it 😅

[@davidmacfarlane1763]

Most hated? Oh no the one from the TV movie would be the most hated ;)

[@velahtielredfang9417]

Yeah but at least he always dresses for the occasion.

[@OGdadpool]

I loved Missy from day one. Her insanity was so much fun.

[@benpeterjohnson7850]

Missy has been the best thing to ever happen to nu-who. I would watch a spin off.

[@selatidos]

❤i loved her ,why the doctor cant travel back as 15 when she was still in that incarnation,and discover she really wanted to being better and with the doctor in series 10,and discover why the real reason she didnt stand with him?!

[@erez87xp]

she was amazing

[@andyjones207]

Missy should have her own spin off series. Who doesn't like an anti-hero?

[@kiyru44]

I love Jodie but If Michelle Gomez wasn’t missy she should have been the first female doctor

[@craiglee3048]

I disagree with this premise. I hated her to begin with and never stopped hating her. Sorry/not sorry. Admittedly I hated Simms even more.

[@dragonfly8568]

Who the hell hated missy. I loved her, michelle gomez owned that roll. I think the only thing I ever disliked about her portrayal was her being called missy because it seemed a little sexist to me.

[@atb4255]

Crazy revisionist history right here with this title and it not being about Eric Roberts

[@mr.wafflesrz1137]

Missy is like an evil-ish bugs bunny

[@mikaelhultberg9543]

Missy is, in my humble opinion, the best version of the Master.

[@dearls921]

Missy would have to be my Master just as Capaldi is my Doctor

[@tomnorton4277]

Missy was the third best character in Peter Capaldi's era. I didn't actually watch Season 10 but Missy proved beyond any shadow of a doubt that it's possible to do a Time Lord gender swap correctly. It helped that Michelle Gomez never acted like she was breaking the glass ceiling, even though she absolutely was. She just let her performance speak for itself. The only characters I'd put above Missy are Clara and Davros. Clara became the heart of Doctor Who for 2 seasons and Jenna Coleman was better than Peter Capaldi, despite being young enough to be his daughter, in almost every episode. Even in The Zygon Inversion, one of Capaldi's best performances, Coleman was still acting circles around him. She was doing it quietly but had a much harder job due to playing Clara and Bonnie simultaneously whilst ensured that they had different mannerisms, expressions and even ways of walking. Meanwhile, Davros benefitted from the less is more philosophy. He only appeared in 2 episodes but they were both bangers. When he croaked "Am I a good man?" I believed he was genuinely asking. He had the demeanour of a man on his death bed questioning his entire life's work. I didn't believe Peter Capaldi when he asked the same question.

[@leighluvsrats]

I love missy

[@EliaquimGuedesCrispim]

Missy was so fine, she blew my mind!!!

[@Someone_1994]

music?

[@59rlmccormack]

We liked her.

[@TheMsLourdes]

People hated Missy???? What was the matter with y'all back in the day?

[@cutthr0atjake]

What hate?

[@rattyfan3594]

Missy was one of the worst things about the Capaldi era. I find some of the episodes that she appears in almost unwatchable.

[@BreaksBee]

the odd one out over here fellas.

[@addictedfoolgamer1970]

You are totally allowed your opinion. There’s no ‘odd one out’ here. I would be interested to read what it was you don’t like about the Missy episodes? What would have made them watchable to you?

[@BreaksBee]

@@addictedfoolgamer1970 bro took my comment a bit too seriously.

[@addictedfoolgamer1970]

@@BreaksBee sorry I didn’t think I was. I was just trying to encourage some feedback so wanted to use your humour to do that. Bro.

[@BreaksBee]

@@addictedfoolgamer1970 i'm sorry but i do not know what that means also i've not watched is this season 12? in like 4 years.