Masterpiece

"Soon I shall be whole again."

Writer: Justin Richards

Format: Audio

Released: April 2016

Series: Jago & Litefoot 11.04

Featuring: Sixth Doctor, Jago, Litefoot

Synopsis

The Master's plan is nearing completion – and he is sure that Jago and Litefoot will help him bring it to fruition. With Inspector Quick increasingly under the Master's influence, the Infernal Investigators find themselves tired and fatigued, as if their very life force is being drained away...

With the help of Ellie together with strangers hpynost Madame Sosostris and her assistant Mr Nocturne, Jago and Litefoot finally track down the Master. But as they make their way towards his lair, the Time Lord's true scheme is revealed.

Verdict

Masterpiece was a terrific little episode to conclude a really solid and consistent eleventh series of the Jago & Litefoot spinoff! This almost felt like something of a conclusion to large aspects of the range with the Master's comments about the meeting here potentially being the last time they would ever see the Doctor. He of course meant because he would be taking his artron energy life force, but knowing that there isn't long left with this range for myself for the worst and most saddening of reasons made this feel pretty poignant. I think the continuity is great in having the Sixth Doctor appear in disguise once again as Professor Dark and I really enjoyed that when Jago and Litefoot couldn't wrap their heads around what was happening to them as they were growing weaker and weaker, Baker Street was where they went for getting in touch with the Doctor. It was a solid idea to go to his own residence, but would he really just show up? The throwback to The Year of the Bat and Litefoot remembering the use of letters and time travel there was brilliant and it turned out that the Doctor had arrived a little early. He'd got the letter all fine which was nice to know and had certainly been looking out for his old chums, but he had to let events play out and ensure there was no paradox. What if his early interference meant that the letter never got written? But then how would he come to be when and where he was? Jago's description of the potential issues with a paradox without ever really understanding it was a glorious moment that I thoroughly enjoyed. He's just such a fun character that continues to shine. I liked the use of the Master in this story and with it being the finale, he was rightly the focus. In his decaying incarnation, he's desperate and that makes him incredibly dangerous. The fact he was feeding upon humans to renew himself was pretty horrifying, but he needed the Doctor to sustain himself fully. The replenishment from humanity wasn't a long term solution, but it was good to hear him have a bit more energy after taking the life force. It was a really great performance from Geoffrey Beavers. The qualities he brings to the role of this very different incarnation of an iconic character are endless. I thought the use of the mirrors in the story was really good and it was amusing to think that they were linked to the DNA of Jago and Litefoot respectively. It would obviously be somewhat suspicious if they were both feeling bad, had been randomly gifted new mirrors, and then suddenly they were seeing premonitions of them looking in somewhat zombified states. That was the fate that awaited them as the mirrors continued to drain their life force. The Master wanting to utilise them both to be in a position to take on the Doctor's own artron force was a dastardly plan. I thought the way it all turned back on him was fantastic though as Quick revealed he wasn't actually under the Master's hypnosis. It was all a ploy! I'd have liked some details on just how that came to be, but it was a moment where the tables had clearly turned against the Master. The Master wasn't actually draining the life force from them but the Time Lord was actually rejuvenating them with what little life force he had left after the Doctor's own alterations ensured the flow was reversed. It was pretty simple but very effective! It was also good for the Master to then be able to escape in the TARDIS and despite it being nearly powerless, he'd siphoned the residual energy from the Doctor's own TARDIS landings and take offs at Baker Street to dematerialise. Destination Traken perhaps? The cliffhanger finish after the Master tapping into Ellie's demeanour and her feeling her vampire aspects take over was very good and another great setup for the next series to come. It's been a long time coming to return to this so I'm very excited! Overall, a great conclusion to a very good series. 

Rating: 8/10