With each passing season of Doctor Who, you can almost feel Russell T. Davies coming more and more into his own as writer on “Doctor Who.” And “The Sound of Drums” is further evidence of just how far Davies has come and how much more comfortable he is telling stories within the context not only of the new series but the entire history of “Doctor Who” as a whole.
It’s not to say it was a perfect story. It’s not and it still suffers a great deal from my usual criticism of Davies stories’ – throwing everything and the kitchen sink into a script as it occurs to him and not having an adequate sense of pacing. Outside of “Gridlock” earlier this year, this has been my problem with all of Davies scripts for the new series, up to and including last week’s storyline. But when Davies is bringing together elements of the old series and the new series in such a great hybrid, it can be easy to overlook this… well, almost.
SPOILERS AHEAD!
“The Sound of Drums” is an interesting hybrid of old-school Doctor Who storytelling and new-school Doctor Who storytelling.
As an old school Who fan, it’s interesting to note the current storyline is equivalent to the old six-part stories that were so popular in the Jon Pertwee era of the show. It’s also interesting to note that the big criticism lodged at some of those stories — it’s nothing more than a two-part story and a four-part tenuously put together — really applies here. Last week would have been the two-parter story, bringing back the Master and now this week and next week, we get to see the Master’s evil plan come to fruition.
It is good to have the Master back — and not just in name only, but the character Roger Delgado definitively created back during the third Doctor’s era. The new Master is positively old-school in his plot here. In the old Pertwee Master stories, you got the feeling the Master’s plots took more than five to ten minutes to hatch and required a sense of planning in order to pull them off. In his early days the Master was a very patient villain, allowing plots to take months or years to set up in the hopes of humiliating and utterly defeating the Doctor (always in that order). Of course, as we saw in most of the Delgado Master stories, the Master would often overlook one detail, get in over his head and have to call on the Doctor to help save his bacon (the Doctor would usually do it since helping the Master would, invariably, save the world or defeat whatever plot he’d hatched that week).
To see the Master’s current plan be one that has unfolded over the course of the entire three year run of the new series is an absolute delight. To think the Master was on the sidelines, pulling strings and taking advantages of opportunities to create and seize power as the Doctor fought various alien menaces is a nice touch. Add to it that the Master has taken advantage of opportunities created by the Doctor for him (the Master) to seize power and the plan becomes that much more devious and Master-like.
As if that weren’t enough, the Master still displays a penchant for wanting to gloat. Even after the Doctor, Jack and Martha create their devices to hide in plain sight, I fully believe the Master was aware the Doctor was there. But he waited until the right moment to out the Doctor and company so that he could humiliate his old enemy in front of the world. It’s interesting that during “The Christmas Invasion” Harriet Jones was on the TV begging the Doctor to save the world and now the Master uses the same type of broadcast to embarass his old enemy.
As I said before, Simms is really good as the Master. He does lack the casual menace that Roger Delgado pulled off in every scene, but Simms doesn’t ham up the role too much and take the villain too far over the top. I will admit I do miss the goatee and the famous “I am the Master and you will obey me.” line, but we’ve got one more week for that to possibly come up.
The plot-line itself is fairly interesting — the Master has been around for the past 19 months, moving in the shadows, creating a secret identity and a power base. He’s met a companion who he’s married (the fact that she’s blond and bears a bit of a resemblance to Rose is not lost upon the audience) and has broken the cardinal rule of the Time Lords — he’s become involved in a civilization on a more or less permanent basis. He’s done this by the use of a satellite system that is in every phone and electronic piece of equipment on Earth, making the people love him even if they don’t know what he stands for. He’s elected Prime Minister of Britain and has contact with an alien intelligence that he claims is peaceful, but as we find out in the waning moments is anything but.
Now, I have to admit I don’t buy for one second that this new alien race is new. I firmly believe there is some other old enemy behind it and we’ll see them next week. It would be too much of a roll your eyes moment for it to be the Daleks (and why would the Daleks hide anyway?). Based on the technology used and how it harkens back to last year’s Cybermen storyline, I wouldn’t be shocked to see the Master in league with the Cybermen. (And there is the whole turning the TARDIS into a time paradox creation device to consider as a way to open the rift between universes…).
In a lot of ways, what the Master is doing here feels a lot like the plot the Doctor undertook in “The Invasion of Time.” I have to wonder if the Master is trying to draw out this alien race to find out who they really are…but for what reason, I’m not quite sure.
But while there are a lot of old-school Who elements in place, this is a story that clearly is a modern Who story. It draws upon the history of the entire series old and new to tell the story. The old Who rarely told long-term story arcs and, for the most part, they weren’t that successful. (Key to Time, anyone?) This storyline is one that has not only been set-up all season, but over the course of the entire series. It’s this reason that I say Davies has matured a lot as a writer — because the way the pieces of the story come together doesn’t feel nearly as forced as series one’s Bad Wolf nor last year’s Torchwood. Instead, it feels more natural here as elements come together to create a storyline that is drawing on the long history of the show. And it’s all working.
And for those of you wondering if we’d ever see Gallifrey, you get your wish. A flashback shows us Gallifrey as it was before the Time War..and gives us a glimpse of the Time Lord acadamy. Now, I will say that the whole look into the vortex and find your place felt a bit too much like something from Harry Potter and the entire Acadamy flashback had a Potter-like vibe to it.
Meanwhile, we find out how the Master escapes from the heart of the TARDIS and why he can regenerate. It’s interesting to hear that the Time Lords decided he was the warrior they needed to defeat the Daleks, but he ended up running and hiding while it was the Doctor who destroyed the Time Lords.
And there’s even a big in-joke to the original proposed resolution to the relationship between the Doctor and the Master thrown in.
And yet, while it was good, it wasn’t quite the giddy heights of excellence we had the last few weeks. A lot of this I chalk up to the episode being the middle leg of a trilogy. It has to keep things going but it can’t start the resolution to the plot just yet. That will come next week. So, it may be that in hindsight, the overall story will come off better than I am initially giving it credit for. Hopefully it won’t be like two years ago when Bad Wolf had a great fifteen final minutes and then Parting of the Ways ground to a complete halt mid-way through the story and offered up a less than satisfying resolution.
But I will say this — I think this story has a lot more potential to it and more plot-lines to resolve than Parting of the Ways did. I guess we’ll have to wait and see what happens next Saturday when the final episode of series three hits the airwaves.
Until then, I’ll be looking forward to seeing how it all plays out…
Next up: The Doctor is utterly defeated…now what?
Does anyone else hear the drumming rhythm under the them music?
I keep hearing it now.
I liked the story… still a but peeved that it’s a 3 parter.
Loved the gas mask bit. Yes… this master is completely insane. I wonder if the jelly babies are important.
PfA.
I love the new Master. He’s like the evil version of Tennant’s Doctor: hyperactivity, long speeches, smugness, that dark edge, a lot of the things that Tennant brought to the role of the Doctor are mimicked here. Scenes like the one in the cabinet room, where he switches back and forth between loathing, mocking, sarcasm and just plain giddiness at seeing a plan come together, they were just plain brilliant. And of course, that one thing common to all Masters: the driving need to humiliate, goad and completely tear down the Doctor. My favourite line from the whole episode was at the very beginning, where “Master No. Six” is on TV: “What this country need – right now – is a Doctor.” Love it.
The new Master is good. He seems a tad more psycotic than the older ones. They just wanted to rule the world (or universe). This one actually seems more unhinged. I am sure more will be revealed.
I did notice the cloak at the airfield. Red lined satin. Could leather gloves and a goatee be far behind?
I do like that he is still well spoken when he is about to threaten people.
One question… why didn’t the Lazrus efect trigger a regeneration? Could this be used to ‘reset’ the Doctors regeneration counter? Or would the being turned human and back have done that? Hmmm.
Roll on part 3.
PfA
I have to say that never having seen Who until 2005 I *so* wanted to hate it. I dont know why, maybe it was my loyalty to American Sci-Fi like BSG and Trek.
It could be the nagging memory I had when I was eight, and accidentally watched about 5 minutes of an old Dr Who episode. Needless to say I thought the few minutes I watched were ridiculous and completely incomprehensible. Of course, I was still watching Battle of the Planets cartoons and Saturday afternoon “creature feature” on Ch 56 so what did I know…
Having watched this new Who from the start, each episode keeps getting better. When I saw BLINK I thought that was the best one yet. Then they introduce (or bring back depending on how long you’ve been a Whovian) the Master.
I really think this show is the best stuff on TV, even considering some of Sam’s legit criticisms above.
Maybe someone can tell me – is the “time war” everyone is talking about covered in any of the old TV shows – if so, which ones? Trying to figure out the history of this show is maddening for a noob like me.
TX
./D
Does anyone else hate Russell T Davies writing as much as me? Every time I see his name on the credits I cringe. Last weeks episode was ok but not perfect (It took the Doctor 2 seconds to fix Dr Yana’s machine. Is the sonic screwdriver pure magic?)
This weeks episode shows us the new Joker…I mean new Master, I will not pass complete judgement until next weeks episode but is it me or does the end of this episode look exactly like last years Dalek and Cybermen episode.
I can’t help myself we had 3 great episodes back to back and I just know Mr. Davies writing will destroy lovely pattern. my 2 cents
Well, first of all, the review is by yours truly and only edited and posted by Sam. That said, Sam does a great job of editing me to make me sound smarter and more thoughtful than I am…:)
A few responses…
If you put too much thought into figuring out the show’s history, it will drive you insane. For one thing, with the many transitions in actors and the behind the scenes leadership on the show, the series has had a variety of directions and I will tell you continuity is not the strongest point (though the JN-T years tried to make it an issue…) The thing is, at the time, the producers had no clue that the show would live on in repeats then on VHS and now DVD as it has. When it first aired few had VCRs and so it aired once, maybe twice and was gone to the ether. There are fans who will argue continuity until the cows come home, but honestly it gets to a point of absurdity. Just enjoy the show for what it is, I say. As for the history of the show, it is fascinating to me–not just in front of the camera but behind it.
As for the Doctor not regenerating–it’s happened before in Leisure Hive. The Doctor is put inside a machine and is fast forwarding in age, becoming an old man like we see here…So, there is a precedent for what happened in the old show. Also, I think it ties into Human Nature when we see the older John Smith passing away in bed at the end of life. Also, if you regenerate the Doctor, when he’s restored at episode’s end, he wouldn’t be Tenant anymore. Finally, the Doctor has been shown to hold off regeneration before in Planet of the Spiders….
Finally, I think the tapping is an homage to the classic Who theme…
The time war happened in the BBC Eighth Doctor novels. Well, _a_ time war did as it was between future Time Lords and past Time Lords without any Dalek involvement. Anyone looking to acquaint themselves with the show’s history would do at least as well by seeking out the novels and audio dramas. I don’t know how well they’ll work as an introduction, but there are some great stories there (and trustworthy rankings lists so you know what to seek out and what to avoid).
At the end of Sound of Drums, I think we’ve got a couple of questions that will probably be important: who are the Tralfamadorians and why does Mrs. Saxon exist. As for the first, they came out of a rift created by a paradox machine (as if every Davies script wasn’t a paradox machine); they can be any damn thing at all. I’m hoping for Mechanoids, but I expect it’s the lost souls of the Time Lords or some such nonsense. As for the second, she hasn’t done anything useful yet so either she’s just there as an item on a list for Davies’ rather literal-minded conception of the Master as the Doctor’s equal and opposite, or she’s Chekhov’s gun and she’s going to get fired in the second episode. My guess is that she had a meatier role in an earlier version of the script but it all got cut out in favor of more Master goofiness.
I still kind of liked the episode, but you’ve got to make allowances for RTD stories to not make an enormous amount of sense.
dingosatemybaby –
The time war is new with the recreated show. In fact, until Sarah-Jane and K9 showed up last season, I wasn’t even sure if this was a continuation of the old series (like ST:TNG) or a retelling (like BSG). Either was acceptable… It was just driving me (mildly) batty not being sure.
I would like to know more of the time war. And I think we will find out in drips. It sure made the Doctor darker. At least until he found Rose.
Michael –
I had forgotten Lesuire Hive until you meantioned it. Yes. Good point. And I am pretty sure the Doctor will rejig this machine to de-age. Hey, he may even get the 10 years back from when he repowered the whats-it on Pete’s World. He didn’t manage to hold of regeneration long in Planet of the Spiders (man, that episode terrified me… I’m mildly aracnaphobic… I don’t CARE how fake the spiders look to an adult).
And we all know the real reason he didn’t regenerate…. Tennant hadn’t handed in his resignation yet.
yes. Continuity was never strong. But we in Oz saw it more than others. Thanks to the ABC and replaying The Goodies and Dr Who. And you are right… I don’t really care about continuity. As long as we can all agree that the telemovie never happened. Because…. It was AWLFUL. At least as far as Who is concerned. ok?? And beside.. it gives the Doctor a regeneration back.
Now. Let me find my copy of The Lesuire Hive.
PfA
Phil–
Well, I hate to say it but the TV movie is canon….Human Nature confirmed it with McGann appearing in the drawing in the book. And who knows what the production staff of the series might have done with those elements had it gone to series? (Based on what I’ve read of proposed scripts, it would have been brutal….but that’s not the point of this.)
Like you, I’ve seen the original series a blue billion times…thanks to finding it during the height of its run on PBS and being near stations that were committed to running it. That plus getting a VCR and recording all the eps off the air.
And I may be drawing up novel continuity for my Planet of Spiders point…if you read Interference Book 1 and 2, that may be where it’s coming from.
Bill
I will say that I enjoy the novels and the audios, but they could be confusing if you’re only exposure to the series is the new series. The novels and audios are written (for the most part) by extremely die-hard fans and they are often steeped in the mythology of the show…I’d say go back and find some old eps on DVD and put them in the Netflix queue….it will give the new fans a better feeling of what the show was like. Also, I am not sure how canon the novels and audios are. With Human Nature beign adapted for the new series, does this mean the entire NA line is now rendered non-canon? And since the later BBC books begin to refer back to the NA line, does this make them non-canon as well?
See…it’s a slippery slope…LOL
Is it just me that doesn’t like the new Master then? I know John Simm is being revered currently as some sort of national hero in the UK after Life On Mars, but he really isn’t doing it for me as the Master. Derek Jacobi was fantastically menacing in the few moments he was afforded as the Master, this kind of evil version of Tenant’s Dr just comes off a little silly.
What’s with the jelly babies? Seems kind of an odd, unnecessary and incorrect reference to times gone by. Weird.
The thing that annoyed me most was the complete rubbish they came up with to explain the Masters escape from death in the Eye of Harmony during the 8th Dr TV Movie. The Timelords resurrected him. That’s it?? No explanation of how they did that? This seems to be something new that has been created just to get them out of that little problem with little thought or effort. Surely a little more imagination can be used to explain his return?? I mean what’s the point of a race that can regenerate a bunch of times if they can just be resurrected when they run out. Makes regeneration seem a little redundant.
Having said that I think the episode in general was a good build up for the final episode of the series. Not as good as the last 4 or so episodes this series, but still.
Oh and is it just me that wouldn’t mind seeing Martha’s entire family killed next episode?? I don’t seem to have any interest in these characters and think their deaths would be better used as a plot device to advance Martha as a character.
Andrew,
Harsh…
I like John Simm as the Master. I am a fan of the classic show as well, and I grew up on it. Lets also don’t forget, to the Brits, this is a children’s and family show.
It just seems to me looking at posts over time, I find some fans of the classic show seemingly wants to hate the new one, but still watch it never less. There also seems to be this need to hate RTD.
My attitude about the new show has always been, accept it on its own merit, and the producers will decide what is best from the old series works for them as cannon.
I do agree with Michael, RTD is growing as a writer for Doctor Who.
just one word:
HA
okay, a few more
HA-HAHAHAHHAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHAaaaaaaaaaa
okay, some may criticize my giddness, but I actually don’t care
This episode was BRILLANT!
I too have entertained thoughts of disappointment and disbelieve that RTD was selected the primary helmer of the new series.
blogger & poster comments about his standardized, two dimensional, over the top, vapid writing style have been merited.
But the snide quips stop with this piece
I was literally sitting upright, breath held, transfixed throughout the entire program
or perhaps it was the drums?
many thanks to RTD and BBC for providing us with such a touch tone season.
I thought it was a great episode.
You have to realise though, this version of the Master is absoultly NUTS!, Bonkers!, Out of His Mind!.
The older versions of the Masters were more Evil Genius Planning to take over the world.
I was pretty satisfied with the explanation the Master gave for his resurrection. Recall that in Five Doctors, the High Council offered him a set of 12 new regenerations if he’d save the Doctor. So they do have the power to do it….
Honestly, I don’t want the exact details of it…I mean, how many times in the JN-T years did we see the Master escape from some kind of horrible fate at the end of one story only to crop up three to four stories later and kind of shrug and go–well, i got away….
I enjoy the new character and I thought the jelly babies were a nice touch.
The jelly babies were a reference to the Tom Baker Doctor. As I recall there was one episode where eating the jelly babies was necessary as it acted as an antidote to something. Maybe the jelly babies in this episode were similar, the Master and his wife took them to resist the effects of something.
The drumming is obviously taken straight from the Doctor Who theme. It’s a great idea as it sticks with you.
what the hell did you thihnk was bad about the ending of “parting of the ways?” it was perfect!!!
in some ways better than parts of doomsday because doomsday was kinda a copy with the whole “ill send her back for her own safety so she doesnt get hurt but i will trick her into it” thing, and her figuring it out and coiig back. it was similar in ways. i loved parting of the ways, it was more circly. i dont really know wht i mean except i can sit down to watch 5 mins and watch it all, it seems like a round circly plot not an a-b plot so i guess the pacing ad everthing is good. omg i cant beleive u were dispanointed in that episode. parting is the best ^__^
ps. sound of drums was very good, but not ads gppd as for instance – parting
ps. comment was not meant to sound accusatory. i just love ‘parting’ i thought everybody did!!
I think the drumming was more likely a refrence to the drums of war and or a setup to use a cheap australian song as in “voodoo child” by the rouge traders.
Also who else thinks that the guilt has sent the master mad enough to rebuild the time lord race. and that the new race are embryonic versions of that race built from the doctor and the masters genetic code, (from the hand jack had) it just seems like a messed up ending that will screw with the doctors head witch seems to be the way this series loves to play it “lets mess with his head and see him come out shining”.
As an aussie who also grew up watching all the old repeats even back in the B/W days i gotta say i love the new 200+ series evne better than the original ones and the writing has been inventive and chalenging.
keep it up.
I’m not sure if the question about not liking the ending of Parting of the Ways was directed at me or not…but here are my overall criticisms of the episode as a whole…
–The Dalek Emperor serving as a god…fascinating idea, but dropped within three minutes of bringing it up.
–Once Mickey arrives on the scene, the episode grinds to a halt.
–Too much Rose sitting around in London, whining that her life is meaningless now.
–The Doctor doesn’t take any direct action after saying he would in Bad Wolf. He just sits around fiddling with the device and waiting for Rose to arrive.
–Rose goes Dark Willow from Buffy, season six.
–Once again, Rose is the catalyst for defeating the enemy, not the Doctor himself. It’s his show for heaven’s sake!
That’s my issues with it….it’s good but not as brilliant as it thinks it is.
I don’t take any offense to the comment about PotW, if it was directed at me…LOL
I just had some criticisms…to the point a good friend and I did our own commentary on the episode.
http://www.millenniumeffect.co.uk/2fans/
I will warn you–it is definitely PG-13. It includes adult language….listen at your own risk.
Doesn’t The Master say there are six billion Toclathene? I have no idea what a paradox machine is suposed to do, but six billion is the population of the Earth, he said it’d break The Doctor’s hearts… I reckon they’re somehow alternate humans or human souls or, um, something.
hya ppl.
I don’t know about anyone eles but I have been drumming my fingers to that tune all week -not on purpose.it’s really catching. I loved the last eisode and I agree with michael people really should stop analysing it. I mean if you are continually looking to pick holes with the programme then you are going to miss bits and really there is no point. just sit back and enjoy it kid.
by the way I think tennant is a great actor I’m sooo gonna miss him when he goes 🙁 he’s a great doc
I feel like an idiot. I’ve been drumming the Master’s “sound of the drums” for a week now, and never made the connection with the Who theme tune.
Duh.
aw your not and idiot
ahhhhhh final episode 2moz, i’m excited and sad at the same time
🙂
No No No. Lets not go back to the bad old days or Star treck. Dr Who needs MONSTERS , NOT TALK TALK TALK. As for Dr Who in a cage , looking like Tweety Pie, asking us to say Doctor, like shouting ‘we believe in Fairies ( peter Pan ) Also cut out the romance. Dr Who Is for boys, not girls. Lets have lots of ‘tentacles’ and ‘creepy things’ Success is so simple.
I have to say that I am getting very tired of hearing the so called old school fans ripping into the new episodes of Dr Who. The old Dr Who had terrible effects childish stories and leaned a little bit towards the gay side. The new Dr Who has amazing special effects great stories and for the first time in history its taking on the bigger budget American Sci-Fi shows. So in fifteen years time when people are moaning about the old David Tennant episodes someone like me can write. The old Dr Who had terrible effects childish stories and leaned a little bit towards the “whatever the hell Jack is”.
Come on guys I loved and watched the old Dr’s too but see it for what it is a trip down memory lane and not an excuse to claim that Tom Baker or John Pertwee could actually act in any way at all.
Dr who has always pushed out the boundaries and tested its viewers but b*tching about which Dr has the biggest screwdriver is just an excuse for a bunch of old men to complain about changes to their favourite children’s program. For the sake of scarf wearing gay forty year olds that still live with mummy please don’t make the new Dr Who series a geek fest.
Yes I did call the old Dr Who a children’s program because that was its market and I loved it. The new Dr Who is not primarily aimed at kids as it would not have been understood without the old fan base bringing their children up to date.
Please guys get a life…
Has anybody thought about the fact that Laserus (or whatever his name is) turned into a giant flesh-eating monster? I havn’t seen the final yet I was gone… but this ought to have SOME bearing…
reaver146, I love the new series but your comments on the old are as ridiculous, childish and offensive as some people’s on the new. The ONLY way the new series IMPROVES on the old is production values and fx. I could chuck a rock and hit fifty classic stories from the old series.
The Master truly made these last three episodes a poure delight to watch. I have always been a fan of the rivalry between the Master and the Doctor and to see their feud translated so well to a modern-day audience (as opposed to what happened in the TVM)makes the child in me soar with happiness. I only hope we have not seen the last of the Master!