Master! Part Three

"We had a legend to create."

Writer: Lizzie Hopley

Format: Audio

Released: September 2025

Series: Dark Gallifrey 4.03

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Master

Synopsis

In the past, the last survivors of the Master's experiment struggle to navigate a fractured landscape and the threat of the Doctor. 

In the present, Gamara must confront the consequences of her buried truths, as the monstrous Mother Quiver returns to claim her final victim.

Verdict

Master! concluded in strong style with this third part of the story to conclude the fourth series of Dark Gallifrey! I'm really enjoying the feel of this range and can't believe another series has come and gone. Time really is flying and now we've only got two more series and we have to wait until next year. As much as I love pretty much every incarnation of the Master, I do hope those series are given over to different Time Lords. There's so much to explore and surely the Monk at least could get involved in something as intriguing and impossible as Dark Gallifrey! I really liked how this part saw that lore and the series title come into fruition with it being revealed that the dark version of Gallifrey was where the Doctor and company were present and that it was in another dimension. The Doctor was confused as to how the Master even tracked it down but that was exciting. I thought the prospect of the Eighth Doctor doing battle with this incarnation of the Master again was fantastic, but I do feel we lacked much of the Doctor here. He had a quick few lines at the start and then for much of the episode he was literally talking in reverse and we couldn't understand anything he was saying! I don't want to say that I felt the Doctor was wasted here but he was certainly underutilised. It was nice of him to interact with Gamara and she has been a fantastic character throughout this adventure. I hope we haven't heard the last of her because she has a lot of potential with her position and just beliefs on Gallifrey and the High Council of the Time Lords. She's almost like a new version of the Celestial Intervention Agency with the Five and I like that a lot. She's also just a really likeable character and you could really hear how strong her beliefs were regarding her actions. The emotional journey for Olzel in the episode was terrific and I enjoyed the twist regarding her regenerating into the legendary Mother Quiver and that figure actually being the one who was interviewing (if that's the right word?) Gamara all along! The shift into phase eleven really felt different there which was great. It was an instant atmosphere shift which really made the pace pick up and inject a sense of urgency. Gamara having faith in the Doctor was very good and I liked how she knew her stuff as well when it came to the importance of her realising that everything was an experiment by the Master. His conversing with Gamara was strong stuff and I liked how he actually considered those that perished before her as the winners. They were the clever ones for getting out of dodge. His use of the Dissonants was disturbing and Olzel not actually suffering from it and just being subjected to the hypnotic presence and push of the Master was excellent. Talk about horrifying! That was the Master at his evil best though and this really was a scheme of length and downright fear. The use of the mensulum material was fascinating and the idea of a material that doesn't kill even if struck through each Time Lord heart was something, but what was the point then? Just to wound? I think a tad more clarity there would have been beneficial. I liked how the Doctor ended up getting the upper hand and the prospect of another sword fight with the Master was exciting, but it seemed to be over in a flash! That was a bit of a shame, but it was good that this Master got to escape once again and the prospect of another meeting with the Eighth Doctor excites me greatly. Overall, a long game and really well paced adventure that was complex and really interesting. A fine listen! 

Rating: 8/10