Killing Time: The Sincerest Form of Flattery

"The real people know when they're being lied to."

Writer: James Goss

Format: Audio

Released: August 2021

Series: War Master 6.01

Featuring: War Master

Synopsis

For centuries, the Stagnant Protocol has been forgotten by the universe: an empire populated by a race that can never advance... a race the Master seeks to seize control of. 

Unfortunately for him, he has a rival – Calantha – and she understands how to manipulate the system better than he could ever hope. His only chance of defeating her lies in the hands of some old acquaintances, whether they realise it or not. 

One thing, however, is certain. Whichever of them may win, the Stagnant Protocol is destined to lose...

Verdict

The Sincerest Form of Flattery was a decent start to the Killing Time sixth series of adventures with the War Master! This was a very political affair which was intriguing and this is certainly an incarnation well suited to that environment and type of story, but I can't help but being left with a feeling of wanting a little more. The reference to The Master of Callous series with the Master having his own vineyard was strong continuity and this episode really did feel like it could fit in with that second series of the range. This did feel a little contained for a Time War era adventure but I think that will be okay as there is clearly more to come in the series. This looks set to be more of an ongoing adventure across the four episodes with the Master accepting defeat at the hands of Calantha this time around, but he would be back. Sometimes you have to lose the battle to win the war and that's exactly what he was thinking here. I thought Calantha was a really strong character and the idea of her almost being an equal to the Master was quite something, especially in this incredibly devious and conniving incarnation. He seems one more than willing to play the long game, even more so than his predecessors, so having someone to try and defeat is brilliant. As a Torchwood listener from Big Finish, I was more than familiar with Alexandria Riley so it was nice to hear a familiar Welsh accent! She played the role well and the course of the relationship between the Master and Calantha was developed very nicely. Going from a simple guard with the Master claiming he allowed himself to be captured to now having her rise through the ranks to Minister for Internal Affairs was fantastic. I liked the political direction. The concept of the Stagnant Protocol was fascinating as I am intrigued by the Master's wants with a population that cannot advance. He came to offer Calantha children but she wasn't interested due to her own political ambition. It said a lot about her to put herself above the future of her race. She just wanted power. That was someone strong to oppose the Master. It was fun throughout the episode to have her always one step ahead of the Master and whilst his calm demeanour remained evident, it was clear that frustration was building. She was certainly impressive and he admired what she had done with the spreading of the plague. She even banished her own son to the outer worlds to try and tackle it at its source, even though she was very much in control of things. The demonstration of it being in play just as it was to be revealed that there actually was no plague was intriguing. It's fun for the Master to set his sights now on bringing the plague to her and who knows what consequences that will have on the already stagnant population. I suspect that is where Nyssa might fit in given her medical expertise. I'm excited to hear where both Nyssa and Jo fit in and react to a new incarnation of the Master given their respective histories with the Time Lord, especially now in a Time War setting. The Master somewhat trying to distance himself from the actions of the Time Lords whilst enjoying posing as a mediator was fun. He was a Time Lord when it suited him. That's the Master at his best serving his own means, and now a full plan is in action and I'm excited to see what dastardly direction he sends the series in moving forward! Overall, an intriguing start that sets things up well but could have done with a bit more action and excitement. 

Rating: 7/10