The Sound of Drums

"He's Prime Minister. The Master is Prime Minister of Great Britain."

Writer: Russell T Davies

Format: TV

Broadcast: 23rd June 2007

Series: 3.12

Featuring: Tenth Doctor, Martha, Captain Jack

Synopsis 

The Doctor, Martha and Jack return to present day London, horrified to discover that the newly elected Prime Minister Harold Saxon is actually the Master. Contact from an alien race known as the Toclafane is on the way but with the TARDIS trio framed as fugitives, they must stop the Master before he unleashes a new wave of terror. But his dark ambitions reach beyond the stars.

Verdict 

The Sound of Drums is another excellent episode to form the middle third of this incredible series finale! The quote just about sums up how incredible this episode is. The Master is Prime Minister of Great Britain. Within the Whoniverse, that sentence is just remarkable. Imagine the havoc he'd have wreaked leading the country back in the 1970s and '80s but now think of that with modern technology and possible the most psychotic incarnation of the rebel Time Lord yet. After the astounding cliffhanger to Utopia, I liked the simplicity in which the Doctor, Martha and Jack returned to modern day Earth. The Doctor repaired Jack's vortex manipulator and together they returned to normality. Well, until they realised who the new Prime Minister was. The beat was heard throughout the city, even by Martha herself. Somehow the Master had unleashed subtle propaganda with the four beats somehow telling you to vote Saxon. An adequate disguise I must say. Oh, the Master is married now by the way. Not too much to take in during this episode then! Lucy Saxon was a wonderful character and I love the idea of the Master having a companion of his own. Imagine that as a spinoff! She was almost seductive in nature which was an admirable quality. Her interview with Vivien was heart wrenching as the Master came in, heard what was said, and then had the Toclafane murder her in horrific fashion. In true style of the Master, he made some humour out of her screams. The Master's first Cabinet meeting as PM wasn't surprising at all in what he did. The files were tossed up in the air. He made a mockery of his associates and told them exactly what was funny and what wasn't, with some brilliant facial expressions, and then simply gassed them. If anyone thought Hitler was an awful leader, just imagine what the Master would do in charge of Britain's political affairs. He'd constructed the Archangel Network in his attempts for world domination, which it was pretty evident that was what he was after, and that's what cleverly prevented the Doctor from sensing that another Time Lord was still alive in events leading up to the finale with Martha throughout the series. The kidnapping of the Jones family was hard to watch for Martha and I think we're really going to see her best performance in the final episode of this finale. Seeing the Master as a child on Gallifrey was massively welcomed and it was superb to finally see the planet since the revival. It looked incredible! I loved the reference to the day the Doctor and the Master chose their names. How different they were. I also loved the reference to the possibility of the Master being the Doctor's brother, continuing a subtle trend from the Classic era. We also had many past story references with World War Three, The Christmas Invasion, The Runaway Bride, Army of Ghosts/Doomsday, Smith and Jones and The Lazarus Experiment all nicely thrown in. The Master knowing of Torchwood and sending them on a wild goose chase up to the Himalayas was intriguing. I'd love to know what Gwen, Owen, Tosh and Ianto got up to on the roof of the world! The look of joy when the TARDIS was found turning to despair when the Doctor and co had discovered what the Master had done to it was fantastic. He'd created a paradox machine in place of the TARDIS. The Valiant was a terrific setting for first contact and I liked the bullish representation of the USA and its President. But then the Toclafane arrived and they weren't interested in Winters, they wanted their Master. And he ordered his murder. The President of the USA was murdered live on television at the command of the British Prime Minister. Keep that in mind! But after the Doctor failed to get the perception filter key he'd created onto the Master, and Jack was temporarily killed by his impressive laser screwdriver, Martha teleported away to safety. The Doctor was aged 100+ years using a reversal of the Lazarus technology and was pretty much useless. The paradox ensued and the sky literally cracked open to release the Toclafane, who removed one tenth on the population. It seemed that this time the Master had one. His plan had come into fruition in incredible style. Here he stood, finally, as leader of the world. Just how will the Doctor and co stop him now? It seems everything is in the hands of Martha Jones. I look forward to the finale, which is where the final rating of the story as a whole will appear.