Escape From Reality: The Wrath of Medusa

"How does it feel to be totally defenceless?"

Writer: Rochana Patel

Format: Audio

Released: December 2022

Series: The War Master 8.01

Featuring: War Master

Synopsis

Crashing into a universe of fiction, the Master finds himself lost in a world of Greek mythology... with a Dalek assault squad close behind.

Verdict

The Wrath of Medusa was a great start to the Escape From Reality eighth series of The War Master! Derek Jacobi continues to shine as this To troubled and cunning incarnation of the Master amidst the backdrop of the Time War. I thought the pre-titles sequence that sets up what is to come with the Master escaping reality altogether was the War Master at his maniacal best as he was basically torturing a Dalek. To be fair, they were at war but even so this was uncomfortable listening in the best way possible. The concept of him scavenging from the leftovers and the battlegrounds of the Time War was excellent but now the Daleks were onto him and he only had one route out. I think the idea of the Master being on the run from the Daleks is terrific and should be strong throughout the rest of the series, but his only means of escape being to go sideways and into the Land of Fiction was quite spectacular! I do love traversing dimensions and realities so this is right up my alley. I think more of a firm link to The Mind Robber would have been beneficial, but there's still plenty of time for that to come. I'm not the biggest fan of Greek mythology and everything that comes with that so the elements for this adventure weren't wholly up my alley, but I did like the links back to The Time Monster as a means to explain the Master's interest with the gods and that period. I thought him being mistaken as the God of Death was good and I couldn't think of anything more fitting for him, especially in this incarnation. His interactions with Medusa were fascinating and I was surprised with how quickly they were talking of traversing different dimensions and realms. She saw the opportunity that came with the TARDIS purely from his arrival and that opened up a lot of potential in her mind. Perseus was a strong character who accompanied the Master a lot throughout the episode and his fate almost felt poetic. Athena too was great and whilst I won't pretend to be wholly knowledgeable on the Greek myths and history, I thought the story did a pretty solid job in educating me enough that I cared and it was interesting. Perhaps there was a little too much dialogue amongst them, but that's no big issue! I enjoyed how even in a realm of fiction, the Master was tapping into his desire to rule and have power. Physics were not defined by the laws he knew here and that was fun to ponder over, particularly when it came to navigating the TARDIS! Telepathic circuits rejoice. Touching upon origin stories for myths and legends was really good and I liked how things changed with retellings. That would impact characters here in the fictional world which I enjoyed as a concept. The Master actually utilising and bargaining with Medusa and her gorgon sisters to go against the Daleks was quite spectacular and a stunning image. The Daleks were guarding the Master's way out of the Land of Fiction so he would use it against them. The way he used Dalek eyestalks with minimal power to briefly cure blindness was devious and I liked how he wasn't scared to do anything to get his own way. He wasn't afraid to converse with Zeus who was presented as the god he was and that was great. Somehow despite physical stature the Master always felt in control and superior. That was a strong dynamic. Overall, a really strong start to the series that is going to jump around a number of fictional lands. An exciting prospect indeed!

Rating: 8/10