O is the Master?! | Spyfall: Part One | Doctor Who

[@FatSnorlax]

What I always liked about this scene is that you can see the cogs turning in The Master's head "hmmm could come up with a plausible excuse here..... meh it would take too long.... oh bugger it time to have some fun!"

[@katej23]

I love the switch... from cute mild mannered Indian secrete agent to evil in the subtle change of facial expressions. Brilliant!

[@morfy2581]

watch the scene you can even hear cog-like ticking sounds.

[@thebreezybigt]

Nah, he thought further ahead, because he knew what was on the plane, and the reveal was him stalling for time.

[@danielqmul]

@@thebreezybigt or did he want the doctor to discover who he is?

[@MrMisanthrope84]

I love how he's like 'ah fuck it'

[@Dilopho]

2:40 love how mad he gets, not because she did anything to the bomb but because he felt insulted she thought it'd be that easy

[@daniellee773]

He kind of sounded like John Simm Master at that moment

[@AzguardMike]

"if this was Tennant or Capaldi, you'd actually of expected this! God I miss an actual challenge. Oh and by the way Fem-Doc, next time you see Martha Jones, remind her. Everyone I kill, it's all her fault for freeing me. Mwahahahahaha!"

[@swampymender4400]

​@@AzguardMike?

[@bluepolarbear]

@@AzguardMike Dude wtf lol

[@Phoenixfede1989]

@@daniellee773 maybe he is the regeneration after John Simm´s master. it feels kinda stupid if that would be the regeneration after Missy.

[@TheOtherDiscord]

"I'm bad at sprinting." "No, you're a champion sprinter." "Oops. Guess I should reveal my identity now."

[@EditedAF987]

Well he had planted a bomb on the plane so he was probably already planning to reveal himself anyways

[@Danielviomusic]

@@EditedAF987 there was no need to reveal himself. Just pretend to be a victim as he's been doing the whole episode. Lazy writing, as always.

[@EditedAF987]

@@Danielviomusic since when has the Master ever been in a disguise and not revealed himself to the Doctor? From the Master’s perspective it would be extremely unsatisfying to kill the Doctor without stopping to gloat and declare himself victorious beforehand. The only Master that was insane enough to do such a thing was the War Master, but killing the Doctor and finally achieving the ultimate victory of taking over the universe ended up feeling hollow and the Master got bored pretty quickly and just undid the whole thing. So I guess it’s really for the best that the Master is so self-sabotaging.

[@NutBreadMSMC]

@@EditedAF987 the War Master was Jacobi, right?

[@EditedAF987]

@@NutBreadMSMC yep

[@brentage5000]

Always love a good Master reveal " _Try_ to keep up...Missy. Short for Mistress. Well....I couldn't very well keep calling myself 'Master' now, could I?" "I love disguises. Do you still like disguises? Of course, they are rather necessary when you happen to be someone's former Prime Minister." "I did say look for the spymaster. Or should I say spy... Master? Hi." Every time...😊

[@ClarkeMarek]

O, it's you.

[@autumbreeze1129]

Ironically, the first quote is from one chronologically after the third one when it comes to The Master's personal timeline 😄

[@brentage5000]

@@autumbreeze1129 was it? All we know for sure is that O and Missy are both after Saxon, and that Missy caused Saxon's regeneration while he neutralized hers (supposedly). It would be such a Who-style twist for O to actually be before Missy* *Unless this was resolved in the books or audios, in which case, please recommend the appropriate stories🙏

[@autumbreeze1129]

@@brentage5000 wouldn't know about any audios clearing it up, but many have pointed out how Missy told Saxon any of her memories of regenerations between her and him were fuzzy, not to mention the fact that, in season 9, when trying to trick Clara by telling her 3 things, with one of them being a lie, she mentioned The Doctor being a little girl. All those little factors of Missy's casually offhand comments many took for granted as just Missy being Missy, only for context to suddenly notice how so many of the things she said lining up with what we learn in season 12

[@brentage5000]

@@autumbreeze1129 huh...you know, I remember that bit, but I never thought of it connecting to Thirteen! Interesting! Thanks😊

[@NickJustDoes]

The thing is, the master is easily smart enough to have come up with an excuse, but he was just like, "oh well, I'm caught, guess I have to give a big villain speech now"

[@pmc_]

He’s smart enough to come up with an excuse, but he’s unhinged enough to give a big villain speech

[@abbycollins]

I mean, if you really think about it he probably timed the speech to where the bomb would have as little time left as possible so the doctor wouldn’t fuck up his plans.

[@samuellennon1984]

@@pmc_ he's the Master. Literally one of thr original monologing villains in fiction. Kind of his thing to give a villain speech. Tbh I think it's his thing to be beaten by thr doctor.

[@piercelindenberg6842]

His line about not being good at sprinting reminded me of in “The Witch’s Familiar” Missy says that she never ran, that was always the Doctor.

[@Prince__Teclis]

The Master loves to monologue.

[@slateoffate9812]

Missy was crazy, theatrical. This guy is just unstable, and I love it.

[@autumbreeze1129]

That's why Missy is that way. She doesn't really remember being The Spy Master, but she has enough echoes of him in the back of her mind

[@JoboVT]

@@autumbreeze1129 I thought this version of the master came after missy. I even googled it. She used something called an Elysium field which granted her a new cycle of regenerations so she could survive

[@autumbreeze1129]

@@JoboVT really? Wow. That's just stupid. Missy goes from finally deciding to stand with The Doctor, showing a major amount a character growth, only to go right back to hating The Doctor right away? What a bullshit retcon! I'll stick with the headcanon she came after this one and simply doesn't remember it (she mentions to Saxon Master that she doesn't remember any of her regenerations between her from him, them being fuzzy). It at least makes sense then and doesn't make all the things Missy and The Doctor went through in seasons 7-9 feel absolutely pointless

[@JoboVT]

@@autumbreeze1129 I think after she uses the Elysium field she actually is good even going back in time to stop her younger self but maybe something went wrong with her next regeneration as when you regenerate you become a new person and she wasn't good for long so she may have reverted back to her old ways when she regenerated into the current master. Oh well I still think it's stupid that she regenerates and turns evil again

[@autumbreeze1129]

@@JoboVT again why I prefer the idea Saxon Master regenerates into the current Master and the reason Missy's memories are so fuzzy on the between regenerations is because having the Cyburium in his body when he died caused a problem during regeneration into Missy, but left the Cybermen idea in her subconscious. Would explain why she became so obsessed with them

[@gemgem396]

I love how he just couldn’t wait to reveal himself. Honestly, I think this might be the scariest version of the master

[@ordinalchaos6091]

Watch classic who. Youl change your mind

[@joelmole3157]

Still Jacobi for me but he’s a good one

[@Edward-nf4nc]

The 12 Doctor was scared to learn Missy was The Master returned, but you could see he was terrified when he heard the Saxon Master begin to speak.

[@Hei_Darkfire]

Yeah, the funny thing is that he didn't even have to reveal himself. He made a simple mistake, but he could have covered it up (You can argue he may have made the mistake intentionally to get the Doctor to get suspicious so she'd figure out he wasn't actually O). O went out of his way to reveal himself to the Doctor to the point he had to help her along in figuring it out, to the point he had to practically give it away.

[@ordinalchaos6091]

@@Hei_Darkfire chibbers shitty writing once again

[@cdname47]

I like as we don't really know their numbers, each master has their own codename. Professor Yana Harold Saxon Missy 0

[@conlooka9356]

Or War Master for Yana

[@Lior353]

They get shorter every time.

[@conlooka9356]

@@Lior353 next one's going to be a .

[@BH-98]

Then we have the TV movie where he’s called Bruce

[@CricketEngland]

And now it’s Rishi Sunak

[@Skanarchy31]

I love Sacha Dhawan's portrayal of the master, he plays him fantastically. That child-like excitement over the most evil actions is acted to perfection and the performance truly creates and image of insanity and unhinged madness,

[@lordsathariel4384]

the masters are theatrical Machiavellian or unhinged children with 1m iq i think he does the second one to perfection but he seems way ot erratic to me but iv always preferred the calm diabolical ones like missy and the old ones

[@willhorting5317]

Although Ainley was always "my" Master, I really enjoyed this one too. Overall reminded me of Ainley but with just enough early Simm sprinkled in. I fear that with a new Doctor coming, we will also get a new Master as well. And he/she won't be as believable.

[@DavidNicholson101]

@@willhorting5317 I’m really hoping this actor comes back. We haven’t seen enough of his Master. Hopefully Russel T. Davies will keep him on.

[@willhorting5317]

@@DavidNicholson101 yes. I hope he sticks around. But as I previously said, I fear he won't.

[@thereaperofthehiddenmist6914]

So not the master then

[@stephenmurphy2212]

They brought back the Master’s TCE (Tissue Compression Eliminator). Edit: Sacha’s the first modern series Master to actually use it.

[@niharikamishra_]

Proves he could have easily been an incarnation before Saxon and Missy

[@stephenmurphy2212]

@@niharikamishra_ nope the “Spy Master” is post-Missy. Big Finish confirmed this. Also this incarnation probably decided to go a bit “old school”, just like when the Saxon Master grew a beard in Series 10 like most of his predecessors did (Roger Delgado and Anthony Ainley).

[@niharikamishra_]

@@stephenmurphy2212 nevermind, after timeless children, I will accept anything that nullifies that nonsense.

[@ontos8914]

@@stephenmurphy2212 so they just ruined missys character then

[@elliottnoad1270]

@Ontos spoilers for the Missy big finish series and a TLDR at bottom sorry it's so long and if tone comes off as condescending/patronising as not intention.source of info TARDIS wiki and big finish Missy 2x1 during one of Missys adventures(before introducing 2013 Clara to the doctor), she attracted the attention of a woman called the Lumiat, who she initially mistook for the Doctor. Eventually the Lumiat revealed her true identity as Missy’s next incarnation, a distillation of goodness created by an Elysian field when Missy and the Saxon Master killed each other on the mondasian colony ship. Missy and the Lumiat went on a some adventures together. After Missy threatened to destroy a rare egg that was causing a truce in a civil war, the Lumiat snapped and threatened to kill her with her TCE. She missed and Missy shot her whilst throwing her the egg, smashing it and mortally wounding the Lumiat. Having grown bored of her, Missy dumped the Lumiat on a random planet mid-regeneration speculating the next incarnation won't share in the lumiats good nature, becoming this incarnation of the master in the clip Tldr; Missy had and used a plan to keep surviving which created a good incarnation who went by lumiat following being shot with laser screwdriver by Saxon master, and a younger missy killed her(the lumiat). Then she regenerated into the spymaster with the lumiats good nature gone.

[@TheDarkVampire666]

I get the feeling when he couldn’t put the box back in his pocket and threw it that it was a ad-lib as he genuinely couldn’t put it back.

[@jarondurkee1502]

That has to be improv, it just has to be

[@DeathGodRiku]

Probably but it's such a Master move

[@devinrobertson5251]

It's not improv at all, actually.

[@pikachucetthesecond4296]

You can always tell that the actors playing the Master are having such a good time playing them

[@abbycollins]

Honestly, crazy villains like that are probably the most fun to play. Like sure there’s some serious acting involved but for the most part it’s hammier than a ham sandwich, full of monologues and crazy villain hijinks. Plus it’s like, the most popular villain in British culture next to James Bond’s rogues gallery. Or the daleks.

[@jdawson01]

Honestly not expecting at all and took 30 seconds to process after he said “spy... Master”

[@smalltv7478]

Same! I was sitting with my family and thirty seconds later I shouted "WAIT HE'S THE MASTER! OH!!" and then everyone just looked at me and said "Hello, Joel..." It was such a great episode too. :D

[@MattJFPlays]

Honestly same

[@rcaldwell7255]

Literally it took me until, "call me master, me and her go way back" for me to get it and I went "whatttttt?"

[@stephenmurphy2212]

I knew from the moment he started to grin.

[@jdawson01]

R Cald same I didn’t catch it before and realised here I was like wtf

[@lauranickl8237]

3:15 Master, your 11th Doctor is showing 😂

[@StonksNZ]

And when he said "I made sure" he sounded a lot like the 11th Doctor.

[@TheOnlyGamingMC]

How

[@AdventuringwithTrevor]

Thats how i think of this version of the master is hes basically the 11th doctor in master form lol

[@WindyREDPanda]

An Evil bowtie.

[@cunningsmile4166]

​@@AdventuringwithTrevor becareful what you wish for

[@ShameleonFactor]

Forget the Master, I'm here for the Tissue Compression Eliminator.

[@stephenmurphy2212]

Also it’s finally made its new series debut.

[@Telos1807]

Shame it doesn't look like a sex toy anymore.

[@jujublue4426]

@@Telos1807 At least the Doctor's sonic screwdriver does

[@yukinagato1573]

@@jujublue4426HAH! XD

[@honse7747]

Forget the master I’m here for the doctor in a bow tie again

[@krishang7122]

'Doctor I did say look for the spymaster or spy........ Master' Sacha dhawan's best line ever

[@proleb7]

Absolutely

[@proleb7]

True

[@stephenmurphy2212]

That’s what we should call this incarnation: “The Spy Master”.

[@krishang7122]

@@stephenmurphy2212 thats right

[@BeliseoftheNIne]

Its a very epic line, and brilliantly done. That said, I read that Sacha had (and still has, to a point) some mental health issues over his portrayal of the Master. When you represent such a famed character, there is a risk that even as well as one might perform the role, people will still give them crap. People might say he was too nice, or not maniacal enough, or too insane, or whatever. He really struggled with that, made that struggle public, and still knocked the role right out of the park.

[@logon900]

Love when The Master pulls out the tiny Agent O, the crazy look in his eyes was just perfect in my opinion.

[@ZekromAndYugiAndDrago123]

"Ohhh.." "That is my name, and that is why I chose it" God I love the Master he's such a bastard

[@rosi1206]

Tellement xD

[@Cybermanalf]

This is such a great moment! Looking back on the episode it is so satisfying to see lots of small hints to this sprinkled throughout (such as O's subtle manipulation of Graham and Yaz)

[@DCSMedia]

Agreed

[@Bagofnowt]

I'd love to see a doctor's former companion join with the master against the doctor

[@snapsicle4855]

Imagine next doctor the master travels with her or him as the companion dream come true

[@KingKhan20000]

@@snapsicle4855 But the master is his own badass character so this seems wrong.

[@ankoku37]

a little moment I love is at 2:22 where he looks distressed and panicking, but it turns out he's just hurriedly trying to get out of their way so they can get to the front and see how good his plan was

[@stephenmurphy2212]

GRAHAM: Who is he, Doc? DOCTOR: He’s your former Prime Minister. GRAHAM: 😮

[@keyaanmatin4804]

Harriet Jones!?

[@Harveyc_Harveyc_]

HAROLD SAXSON YOUR FORMER PRIME MINISTER!!!

[@stephenmurphy2212]

@@keyaanmatin4804 no Theresa May lol

[@stephenmurphy2212]

@@Harveyc_Harveyc_ Prime Minister is two separate words. Sorry for sounding pedantic I like to correct peoples grammar. lol

[@Harveyc_Harveyc_]

@@stephenmurphy2212 ALRIGHT!!!

[@qwertyuio404]

3:41 _“Something you should know,_ _in the seconds before you die._ _Everything that you think you know_ _is a lie.”_

[@qwertyuio404]

_“I had to make them pay, for what I found,_ _so I burned Gallifrey down to the ground.”_

[@qwertyuio404]

_(he did the mash)_ _“I did the Master Mash!”_ _(the Master Mash)_ _“It was a Gallifrey smash!”_ _(he did the mash)_ _“And it blew up in a flash!”_ _(he did the mash)_ _“I did the Master Mash”_ kzbin.info/www/bejne/aYumlX6AnLejidk for anyone reading through my comments completely confused about what I’m saying.

[@qwertyuio404]

_“Once upon a time, before everything we know,_ _Tecteun explored the galaxies beyond her home._ _She found an impossible child abandoned and alone._ _She chose to adopt this refugee as her own.”_

[@qwertyuio404]

_(they did the mash)_ _“I did the Master Mash!”_ _(the Master Mash)_ _“It was a Gallifrey smash!”_ _(they did the mash)_ _“And it blew up in a flash!”_ _(they did the mash)_ _“I did the Master Mash”_

[@mickytherat8020]

@Mnich same

[@LiveHedgehog]

For as much as I dislike series 11 and 12, I must admit Sacha Dhawan is a great Master. I hope he sticks around for a while.

[@vishaansingh1019]

You can tell the show is in a bad place when the villain has a better actor and more consistent characterization than the hero

[@LiveHedgehog]

@@vishaansingh1019 Honestly I think anything good about the Master in series 12 comes entirely from Dhawan.

[@piercelindenberg6842]

Yeah, I’d love to see more of him.

[@obi501]

@@vishaansingh1019 honestly with the new year's special this year, that's not the doctor at all. I get they're trying to show that she doesn't know who she is but that doesn't mean that they should change fundamentally. The doctor would never be stuck in a prison for 20 years without an escape plan, in Capaldi's best episode Heaven Sent he escapes from that prison even though it takes 4½ billion years but from the doctor's perspective, not long at all. And then they resolve it instantly instead of having a series long arc. Chris Chibnall just can't write

[@sonnyofox6413]

I’ve seen a few episodes with this version of the doctor and am still disappointed. This actors portrayal of the master is magnificent, I’m still a big fan of missy though.

[@mushroom_man_jpg]

0:39 it always cracks me up how he went to lean on something but there wasn't anything there so he just stops

[@feyyazkasl8640]

İ just noticed it LOL

[@angelofthedeath2433]

He's a madman

[@thefirstera9874]

1:33 *Actor Does That Laugh And His Nose Has A Life Of It’s Own* Directors: You’re hired. 😂

[@stephenmurphy2212]

I like to imagine it was the 11th Doctor who first met “O” or “the Spy Master” all those years ago.

[@jackmcfadyen8244]

There could still be a chance to see the master meet the 11th doctor if they both decide to come back for the 60th and hopefully if would be a decent episode

[@MushroomHaterProductions]

Haven't been ruling that out since last year. Maybe the 11th and "O" were pals or something?

[@piercelindenberg6842]

I don’t think the Doctor ever met the real O. Remember, the Master says that he chose that name because he knew what the Doctor’s reaction was going to be.

[@TheFallofTheEleventh]

@@piercelindenberg6842 the Doctor literally says she met O “years ago”

[@piercelindenberg6842]

@@TheFallofTheEleventh I always assumed that the Master had already replaced him and was just playing along for the long game. It sounds like something he’d do.

[@rainbowrainbow4621]

2:43 He's so mad cause he knows the doctor should come up with something better than that. She should know better! And i love it!

[@bzzz5778]

Sacha Dhawan deserves the world, hope we'll see more of his Master in the future 🤞🏼

[@pauljordan0203]

same old Master, always causing trouble where ever he goes.

[@johnwang9914]

@n a Well, wouldn't that flying house be likely a Tardis in disguise. Most likely his way out. The bomb also did remarkably little damage for such a large bomb and really, the side windows of the cockpit can often be opened, it would've depressurized the cabin but the bomb could've been just sucked or thrown out.

[@ischeele7203]

Master: I think I will cause problems on purpose.

[@SamuelBlack84]

I can relate 😂

[@potterpenguin7285]

Can we please take a second and appreciate the beautiful soundtrack? Huge compliment to Segun Akinola, that was amazing. 👏🏽

[@lucasprobably]

Every master/doctor pairing since 2005 has had AMAZING chemistry

[@jetguy128]

why couldn't eleventh doctor face master?

[@hastekulvaati9681]

@@jetguy128The 11th Doctor was too into himself to face an equal. Doctor this, Doctor that.

[@azarothshadowsoul]

When I first watched it, this twist (and the Tissue Compression Eliminator's comeback) literally made me jump up from my seat and shout "What?!" 10th Doctor style

[@abbycollins]

14th*

[@LakeInTheDarkProductions]

Man this is the oldest cat and mouse ever. The doctor only consistently going full emo while destroying daleks while the master pretends to be the joker every life.

[@ischeele7203]

The Master takes the two sides of the same coin thing VERY seriously, so someone has to pick up the slack now that the Doctor isn't dressing too crazy anymore.

[@LakeInTheDarkProductions]

@@ischeele7203 naw....I think the bbc is stiffing royalties

[@sayasakjusaki9794]

Best describe ever😂😂😂 you explained it in Just this one Post 😂

[@SCOTTYD2031]

I am amazed at the energy this actor has portraying the master. Excellent job sir!

[@GoldenSunAlex]

When you're undercover and someone discovers a minor hiccup in your backstory do you: A) Say you were just making a joke. B) Say you lied on your file. C) Say you got out of shape. or D), do a dramatic reveal and blow up the entire plane.

[@TheNickofTime]

I think this works better than the previous twist reveal of a new Master incarnation (Missy's reveal in series 8) because here, O was just an unassuming supporting character without even a hint of mystery around him. By contrast, Missy was teased throughout the season as someone we should be excited about, and since she hadn't been in the show before, her being a new regeneration of an existing character was pretty much the first idea everyone jumped to. Of course the Master was the prime candidate, meaning that the eventual reveal was essentially just confirming what we already suspected. This, on the other hand, I'm delighted to say I did not see coming at all.

[@xanderm6090]

It can kind of be excused in Missy's case since it was the first female regeneration for The Master.

[@bsimester2010]

Before the reveal, some people thought Missy was a incarnation of "The Rani" (another classic who evil female Timelord) which made more sense because The Rani did scientific experiments with biology (explaining the Cybermen coming back to life)

[@themightyginger7524]

I don’t think anyone saw it coming until he said “spy...master”

[@williamusrex6417]

EVERYBODY SAW IT COMING!!!

[@katherinefrost6318]

@dr103 He went by a shortened form of 'Oh God', asked Team TARDIS really particular questions about travelling with the Doctor and what it was like, and when he goes inside the TARDIS, he says 'ridiculous', which could be him expressing amazement, but could also be showing his disapproval at the new interior. They're not necessarily hints you'd pick up on the first viewing, but if you watch it again, it becomes very clear.

[@ciarantimothy8081]

I didn't see it coming

[@2429Ryanspeer]

If my memory is good he was in an adventure in space and time He played the producer Waris Hussain

[@patchworkfellow]

Yup!

[@samuelbarber6177]

Director

[@2429Ryanspeer]

@@samuelbarber6177 oh my bad sorry

[@samuelbarber6177]

@@2429Ryanspeer it’s okay. I’m just a pedant

[@santinogerez8150]

Yes! That's something that I love, they also did the same thing with Freya, she was in "Doomsday" and then she became Martha!

[@SamuelRush]

His performance was fantastic, I had the privilege of seeing it first hand as I was sat at the back of the plane. Neurotic, hyper, angry, sadistic, what a roller coaster!

[@abbycollins]

Hopefully not blown up by the bomb /j

[@youcantakemehottogo]

Spyfall was basically two ancient time lords acting like children and fighting over yaz and I love it

[@jamesmartin6050]

Since The Master stole O’s identity and kept him in the tissue compression eliminator, I wonder what he really looked like before he stole O’s identity and after he regenerated from Missy.

[@Edward-nf4nc]

Are you sure the O Master comes after the Missy Master? Missy should not exist until the Saxon Master regenerates, but clearly she does. The O Master may be before the Missy Master as the Saxon Master says she can't regenerate after the laser screwdriver blast hit her at full power, and it did seem like she died and Missy would have no warning as it happened before the Saxon Master regenerates.

[@BlackRoseRhamnous]

@@Edward-nf4nc He does. Missy uses a device to recreate her whole body to allow her to regenerate, becomes a GOOD master called The Lumiat and after being shot by a past / future Master, becomes Sacha's Version.

[@abbycollins]

@@BlackRoseRhamnous how canon are those audio dramas anyways? I know some aspects are, like eight saying all the companions he had, but I’m not sure how much we could consider that explanation canon. It’s the most plausible reason but I’m not sure if it’s _the_ reason, if that makes sense.

[@BlackRoseRhamnous]

On a scale of not canon to VERY canon? They're a Yes

[@ButaneBoss]

1:32 That laugh always gets me. I love it so much.

[@Asphalt2005]

2:33 i love this bit, the awesomeness of the red cape and the facial expression of 13 Aw this is just soo nice

[@AlmightyArceus]

I have to be real, Sacha Dhawan has been my favorite portrayal of the master in New Who. John Simms is incredible but Sacha carries such a deep charisma that you literally can't take your eyes off him when he's onscreen. Love the dynamic he has with Jodie's Doctor. Can't wait for the next season!

[@Mr.cladmaniac]

Well John Simm's has a deep charisma as the master imo.

[@sarahberkner]

I haven't watched classic Who but me too, I'd never really liked the Master or Missy but Sacha does an amazing job.

[@Ocsttiac]

I feel like the reveal would have worked better if the "champion sprinter" bit was mentioned before this moment.

[@andrewmagnet292]

This is the Master 100% unhinged. He’s got the calm long game of the original Master but the batshit insanity of Missy.

[@plestrange511]

I love this scene! The way he sells it in less than an episode! Hope we see the master again in s13

[@MacrossSD]

Whatever I may think of Chibnall's time on Doctor Who, he did knock it out of the park with The Master, both in the choice of the firecracker performance of Sacha Dhawan , who rates right up there with Delgado and Ainley and Simm, and the writing of the character. If the actor playing The Master isn't abjectly gorging him or herself on the scenery, they're doing it wrong.

[@mynameismattfirered9276]

and theres no reason to recast, he can easily return to Ncuti's run

[@MorriganReads]

@@mynameismattfirered9276from what I’ve seen of Ncuti so far, I’d love his doctor and this master’s interactions!

[@plestrange511]

Love rewatching the first episode and seeing the small master reactions hidden while he was pretending to be O. If you rewatch the scenes- theres emotion & lil glints of reaction that give him away- brilliant acting!

[@joshrosenthal326]

Did you catch the 2nd Doctor reference of "May I suggest a strategic retreat, Doctor?" So many Easter eggs in those two episodes.

[@rosi1206]

Oui ! Plus on regarde l'épisode plus on voit qu'il y avait qq chose de pas nette en O ! :o Le salut ma tué xD

[@jarondurkee1502]

I hereby accept the new master, he’s perfect.

[@0megaFan]

I love how the Master just revels in surprising the Doctor with his new face. Same with Missy's reveal. His insane laugh at the Doctor realizing he's been pretending to be Agent O for YEARS just to trick her is amazing.

[@divinekitty1831]

Honestly, the way they act, you get the impression that every time the master regenerates, their first thought is "What dramatic thing am I going to do to reveal myself to The Doctor this time?"

[@raxleigh3981]

The one thing that was written well with 13's era was the Master. And the acting was so perfect as well.

[@tomwills5231]

Truly a MASTER of disguise...

[@pjgs4933]

Sacha Dhawan’s performance rocks. So does Whittaker. Her Doctor looks like she’s about to throw up here

[@danielcox3152]

Not surprising she's going to throw up from having to act the lines written for her

[@williamusrex6417]

Utter, utter crap, the pair of them.

[@andyh4518]

Proof that the Doctor could use a companion who's willing to throw a punch. He had his back to them while he was talking - just knock the guy out!

[@LinkJTO]

To be fair they had no ideal how dangerous he is

[@TheLegacyofHitchcock]

Master: “Ambushed him on his way to work-“ Graham: “Don’t make me do the old soft shoe shuffle!” Master: “Wha- *ZAP, starts glowing* Oh balls, I’ve got less than 10 of these left you know! They don’t come cheap!”

[@frostypizzaman1793]

To be fair, THAT'S what probably makes him so dangerous (not knowing what he's capablr of or knowing how dangerous he is (or knowing how dangerous he will be)).

[@AlephSharp]

@@CJ-my3nn Ace, Jamie, Leela, a couple others, yeah

[@redhood7650]

@@TheLegacyofHitchcock Graham socking the master would be something I think he'd do

[@samuelbarber6177]

I wasn’t expecting this at all so this threw me incredibly off guard, real shocker. Reminds of me of when I first watched Utopia- though in that case I already knew the Master was coming

[@samuelbarber6177]

@@williamusrex6417 what’s that supposed to mean? When I said that I knew that the Master was coming, that’s because I only got around to watching it, like, last year and I’d already seen many KZbin videos about that particular episode with the Master

[@nightowl8477]

3:38 _"Everything that you think you know is lore"_

[@something1600]

I love Graham's massive under reaction to the flying house.

[@MarUlberg]

What a great portail of The Master! The visceral "NOW" at 2:42 sounded like it was acctually coming from John Simm.

[@matthewphillips9404]

I love how everytime the master comes back he thinks he's won

[@joshpvgvideogamesandanimer5054]

I just love the moment The Master says "try to keep up" is the moment you know who you're dealing with

[@dreamfaller6372]

This is still such a great scene. The greatest Master reveal yet.

[@Fringewonder]

Call me master. Call you what. Thats was hilarious. 😭

[@Rougarou99]

One fun thing about the Master is that we have no idea at what point in their timeline he currently exists. This could be a post-Missy Doctor who survived Simm-Master’s blast, an incarnation between Simm and Missy, or even one from the classic series.

[@EditedAF987]

He can’t really fit into the classic era. He can’t be one of the pre Delgado masters as he references the events of Logopolis and the Deadly assassin and he can’t be a stolen body as whenever the master possesses a human the body decays rapidly so if he was the 13th Master then he should look really ill and diseased here rather than youthful and energetic

[@Rougarou99]

@@EditedAF987 The issue with the Master is how little we can actually confirm the order of their reincarnations. For all we know, they could have dozens of incarnations between Delgado and Simms.

[@EditedAF987]

@@Rougarou99 thankfully the expanded media helps to clarify the Master’s timeline a lot

[@Rougarou99]

@@EditedAF987 Is the expanded media canon? In some cases, they have been referenced on the show, but other times the show overwrites it.

[@EditedAF987]

@@Rougarou99 there is no such thing as canon. It’s all down to individual fans to have pick and mix headcanons as various pieces of expanded media conflict with each other and even the tv series contradicts itself a lot of the time. The excessive use of time travel in the show’s lore means that the timelines are constantly changing and evolving so nothing ever remains consistent

[@fadikhoory5350]

What's clever about this is unlike S3, many fans theorised that the surviving timelord could likely be the master, but here we're not even hinted he is the master in this season.

[@9nikola]

This season didn't focus on "who is that timelord?" like season 3 did, it focused on "what did the Master find out?". The first episode of the seasons set the questions up: Season 3 with the Face of Boe saying "You are not alone", and Season 12 with the Master saying "Everything that you think you know is a lie", then it is answered near the finale, with a masterful reveal in Utopia (with the next two episodes focusing on stopping him), and the Master forcing the Dcotor to find out about the Timeless Child in Timeless Children. So while this Master's reveal is a shock, it's less supposed to be compared to the Master's reveal in season 3 and more so with the Face of Boe's final line.

[@fabesey2016]

The actual moment of the reveal in S3 is genuinely a great swerve though, when Derek Jacobi pulls out the watch, it hits like a ton of bricks. S3 didn't need to lean on mystery box shock value to sustain itself, it just had good stories, whereas S12 is a massive course correction from 11, where you can't move for all the nostalgia bait and various keys being jangled at you.

[@JosephDickson]

Sacha Dhawan's portrayal of The Master is just plain fun.

[@katherinefrost6318]

The first clue was that he went by 'O', which was short for 'Oh God' - something which would definitely appeal to the Master's ego. The second clue was how interested he was in Team TARDIS and how they felt about travelling with the Doctor - I can't remember the exact details but he asked Graham a very particular question and that was what led me to remember the first clue and realise this guy was not who he seemed. The third clue is that when he enters the TARDIS he says 'Ridiculous', which could be someone being impressed with the TARDIS...or a fellow pilot (and former owner) disapproving of the decoration.

[@ellenmurphy2150]

I've read that Sacha was afraid of being the Master, that he wouldn't be very good. I'm sorry Sacha but you are one fine scarry, mad and terrifying Master. One of the only good things about the new seasons.

[@jall3ri]

Amazing when you watch it how the Master shrinking people connects to the Master in Logopolis

[@Harveyc_Harveyc_]

That laugh tho Omg he is INSANE!!! He even keeps one open wow 😮

[@FredrickTesla]

NGL, him just giving up and revealing his plan here feels like when I'm DMing and I have encounter planned and take the smallest excuse to spring it on my players.

[@clement8590]

Sacha Dhawan's interpretation of The Master is probably one of the best we've had. Really hope he's returning in series 13

[@DanTheMan2150AD]

I just wish he did more.

[@al3xgames790]

I like him but for me Missy takes the cake as the best master. For me anyway I really liked her interpretation

[@Pink_Panther79]

Nah, John Simm was an interesting character, funny and intimidating (best master)

[@oldschool3424]

“Champion sprinter” is one of the most weirdly specific things I’ve ever heard

[@2Scribble]

0:06 - see, funny part, is that during part one I kept wondering WHY the Doctor kept bringing up factoids about this random guy who is LITERALLY on camera with her :P like is this just a thirteen thing or is the writer trying to make us like this guy before he kills him? What? Then this twist and - OH... ... oh, she's been trying to sus him out the whole time lol

[@MitchellTF]

I love how he didn't even TRY to hide the lie...and the DOCTOR didn't even realize what was going on.

[@Kramlets]

He didn't choose the name "O", he literally just took this guy called "O"'s place. He can hardly take credit for that.

[@BestBFam]

It was the poor guy's first day though. So maybe he got to pick his call letter on the first day and the Master picked, "O."

[@jonathonmcknight1416]

Or the Master specifically chose some poor chap knowing in advance that his name would be "O".

[@niharikamishra_]

Nope he ambushed and compressed the guy before he reached Mi6 on his 1st day, and he took up the name O because C kept saying that every time he saw him.

[@CasperFGhost]

You know, these beings could make a comeback going into the next series with the Division and RTD at the helm

[@BestBFam]

Such an amazing reveal. I was so shocked but then on rewatch I could see these subtle hints of the Master were there all along. He and Jodi play off of each other really well too.

[@u.k.trainandbusvids]

I nearly spilled my Monster Energy drink at the reveal

[@MrSstiel]

Sacha Dhawan did a superb job as The Master. If I were opposite him @1:32 alone when he laughs, I would have found him frightening. He and Jodie Whittaker had great scenes shared with him and so did Mandip Gill in The Power of the Doctor.

[@dawritersroom01]

Turns out this Master did come after Missy, there was another incarnation in between them who was purely good, but she was killed by a past Missy. After regenerating, she never carried over any of that good.

[@thepackingpacjack7767]

I absolutely loved this reveal though it’s definitely in character for the Master to wait years To prank his best friend

[@haddy106]

He was doing the Time Lord equivalent of standing behind the door with a whipped cream pie

[@thepackingpacjack7767]

@@haddy106 yeah pretty much!

[@Emme-Kappa]

His Master was the best thing that came out of an otherwise quite uneven time for Doctor Who

[@michaelloparco2173]

The Man Who Needs Soup...new name for the track mates....

[@BillyBobJoe14]

I love the theory that he regenerated into Missy

[@mikelachey824]

Sacha was AMAZING as The Master. They have been spot on with how they've cast the role

[@krishang7122]

Chris chibnall promised that the master will return but he surprised us with a new face for the master

[@michaelangel6165]

I gotta say at first I was upset because it felt the development from missy was through out, sure the master could change but considering that this could be a past master and i like the acting i say he was the best part of this series still hoping the timeless child is reckon saying that he was the timeless child and not the doctor but that also reckon his death from the classic series

[@krishang7122]

@@michaelangel6165 was hoping the same

[@piercelindenberg6842]

@@michaelangel6165 Unfortunately, according to the Doctor Who wiki, the current Master is post-Missy. However, the is another incarnation before him that is only in an audio adventure called “the Lumiat”. The Lumiat actually was good and helped people, hence the name change. But past Missy killed the Lumiat, and the Master became the Master again. They didn’t ignore the character growth of Missy, well, in the show they did, but in the audio adventure, we get more of it.

[@krishang7122]

wow that's somthin new

[@leonardcastelleneta26]

how mad he gets when she tries to use the sonic is so great

[@zxshadowxz]

“That’s my name. And that is why I chose it.” I love the implication that The Master had to think of a code name, and then just giggled to himself because of this joke that might not even pay off.

[@JRP90]

The way his eye twitches when he laughs is just so…Masterful! 🤪👌🏻

[@jimmerjabberer]

That is a FANTASTIC evil laugh.

[@niharikamishra_]

So many Easter eggs and throwbacks, "O come on Doctor catch up" Gasps after saying Master "O come on, crack a smile" "Tissue compression is a classic" "You really think I will not make that sonic proof" (Doctor locked the TARDIS coordinates in Utopia)

[@Adel-zv1nr]

Love the fact that he is putting his hand on his right pectoral and not on his left when mentionning his heart

[@lucindabundy1887]

Sacha makes a fantastic master so excited for his return this autumn

[@katc7382]

this reveal had me in a chokehold when I first saw it, sooooo good!!

[@toad7260]

I think the master is good and outshines everybody else because he’s actually trying to act

[@hastekulvaati9681]

An absolutely amazing Master.

[@MushroomHaterProductions]

From 1:02 onwards, my jaw literally dropped until *after* the Next Time trailer. 😱

[@maheryand8894]

Whatever you think about thirteenth and her seasons, Sacha Dhawan really delivered. That unexpected reveal was awesome too, I loved how she spotted the thread to figure it out; it totally caught me by surprise the first time I watched. And credit where credit's due, Jodie's acting was spot on too, pure horror and shock which perfectly conveyed both the threat level and how hurt the doctor was. I was very anxious about where they'd take the character after Missy's glorious run, and I thought the next actor/actress would have a tough act to follow, but he completely nailed it

[@rosi1206]

L'horreur et le choc sont les mots exacts pour la décrire en effet :o

[@pokelordY]

I'm sorry, but this reveal was pretty poor. It was essentially "you run slower than what it says in your file, that's weird?" "Oh no! Doctor you caught me! I'm actually the Master!!!" Not exactly the best reveal I've seen.

[@archiewood4599]

he had a bomb on the plane anyways so he was gonna do it one way or another

[@ceciliaxx]

I actually half-disagree - I'm not sure if it was intentional on the writer's part, but this is VERY much like the Master. The Doctor didn't figure him out, she had no idea what he meant when he said "got me". However, he was simply dying to tell her, you can see that from the little how eagerly he explains himself. The Master is arguably more cunning and intelligent than the Doctor, but his greatest trait, and consequently, downfall, is his tendency to sacrifice his plans for the sake of drama. This scene captures that perfectly. Probably one of the only good scenes of the season to be honest.