Masterplan

"My research is a threat to the future."

Writer: Matt Fitton

Format: Audio

Released: November 2014

Series: Dark Eyes 3.03

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Liv

Synopsis

When the Doctor decides to stop a war, the last thing he expects is to be trapped aboard a doomed spaceship with his oldest friend – who just happens to also be his old enemy. The Reborn Master is just as surprised: this isn't part of his master plan.

Meanwhile, Liv and Sally tiptoe around a brilliant and dangerous man. Professor Markus Schriver is a genius in the field of teleportation and neural manipulation. Unfortunately, he is also insane. 

The clock is ticking, and not everyone can make it out alive...

Verdict

Masterplan was an excellent episode to continue my way through the third series of Dark Eyes. There was some strong continuity with the wider Eighth Doctor Adventures which we haven't got a huge amount of since the opening episode in the range with The Great War, but having the Master goad the Doctor about the fates of Tamsin, Lucie and Alex in To the Death was tremendous. He was obviously concerned for Molly as he had her trapped so his oldest enemy using those names against him after the Time Lords allowed him to read up on the Doctor's file was superb. The Doctor scolded him with his retort and didn't want their names spoken by the Master. I thought the amount of dialogue we got with the Doctor and the Master was brilliant and the very idea of having them trapped in a ship destined for death within the hour was really good. Just having the pair talking is so compelling and the discussion about the meaning of the titles they chose was intriguing. Both wanted to see the universe but their definitions of involvement were vastly different. I liked that and it was nice to discuss in a story chronologically prior to The Sound of Drums/Last of the Time Lords. It expands that depth a little more which I am absolutely all for. I was surprised that we didn't get anything from Molly again in the episode but her presence was felt as the Doctor is out to save her. Expanding on the cliffhanger finish to The Reviled was very well done as the Doctor had broken the Laws of the Time Lords that he usually so stringently follows. The Master being fascinated by that because of how much he cared for Molly was interesting and I liked how he just couldn't understand his compassion for so many humans. They had tiny lifespans as far as he was concerned. The Doctor of course didn't share that sentiment and was going to do everything he could to free Molly. The way she was used by Liv to taunt Sally Morgan was superb as well and I was impressed with how she came into her own. There was a new kind of confidence when she was around Schriver and her trust in the Doctor has definitely increased. There was no allusion to her condition that's due to kill her, but she didn't get on with Sally that much was clear. Being threatened by the tissue compression eliminator didn't exactly set them off to the happiest of reunions! Schriver himself was a great character and I loved his maniacal nature. Only someone that was insane would be able to be contriving the gas that would become the Eminence, so he was a perfect fit. The idea of a single mind being able to control and thrive in the universe is just bonkers and sounds a bit boring as what would there be to do? The Master had his plans though in wanting to control that mind which I think is just brilliant and his whole scheme of spreading the antigens through the people he's had captive and dotted around the universe is just utterly insane. So I love it. It's getting a feeling of the Eighth Doctor and the Reborn Master being like the Third Doctor and Delgado's incarnation which is tremendous. There's a sense of newness and the unknown as these incarnations have wide scope and aren't restricted by things we've seen on television so there's a lot of manoeuvring. It was good for the Master to use the slice of Eminence in his mind to escape the ship and I also enjoyed getting an explanation as to how he escaped the Doctor setting a piece loose in his TARDIS. A nice bit of tidying up. Narvin meeting up with the Doctor at the end is great as we now look set for a Molly rescue mission in the finale, but the Eminence live on. Overall, a wonderful story! 

Rating: 9/10