The Decayed Master Part Two

"Only the dead and the dying can enjoy him."

Writers: Lauren Mooney & Stewart Pringle

Format: Audio

Released: August 2026

Series: Dark Gallifrey 6.02

Featuring: The Master

Synopsis

Across the canals and through the swirling balls of 18th century Venice, stories of Lupo's genius fill the air. The greatest mask-maker in the Republic's history, the delicate brushwork of Lupo is legendary. But Lupo has a dark past, on a burned-sienna planet galaxies away. He made a pact, and an exceedingly powerful enemy. 

And now that enemy is coming, through the ancient, legendary 'skiproads', to tear apart everything Lupo has built and unleash his nightmarish powers on the majestic floating city.

Verdict

The Decayed Master continued in excellent style with this seductively good second part! I think the nature of this decayed version of the Master means that stories feel slow but boy do they deliver. I think the pacing is so important and it is similar in some regards to the War Master incarnation, but the nature of this Master being so desperate and close to the end of his life means that things are more measured and calculated. He's also more vulnerable and that brings a different dynamic to things as well with how he is. I thought that was exploited well with him being tied down and there really didn't seem much hue could do against Naava. His strength in this incarnation is most certainly mental and not physical! I am loving the Venice setting in the eighteenth century as incredibly that does feel like somewhere he would be able to blend in. The use of masks is iconic in Italy and particularly in this city so to have that as a strong focus was really good. There just feels something really authentic about a mask maker at this time and Il Maestro supposedly being one of the best around was a delight. I think Lupo as the great one though that came to confront the Master was terrific but the Time Lord was hardly too worried. Hell, he'd seen past the deception and the disguise immediately! I thought Naava had a pretty quiet opening half of the episode which was a shame as the recap quickly reminded me of just how exciting she was in part one. It's strange but it feels like an awfully long time since I blogged the opening part of the story! Lupo having a deal in place beyond mere Earth was intriguing and I'm very interested to hear how things conclude in the final part with the Master now getting pretty whacky and firmly having the upper hand. I thought Naava's slip of the tongue when it came to her experience and knowledge of the sliproads was good because instantly you could hear the machinations in the mind of the Master ticking. I was already loving the exploration of getting him a whole new regenerative cycle which feels like a pretty important thing for this incarnation and a constant goal. It really is incredible to think of his longevity in this incarnation as he continues to be on the brink of death. The Master versus Lupo feels like a fun potential for the finale and the setup here was really strong. Just what will come on the other side of the sliproads? The threat they provide just from their very makeup and the spits in the continuum of time and space is very exciting. Nightmarish powers indeed as the synopsis says. I think the Master getting to interact with another Time Lord like this is a delight and just having them somewhat casually discuss the works of Rassilon and how things could be mistranslated was terrific. I'd love more of that. Oh and a word for Geoffrey Beavers and the way he pronounced Madame Zanetti's name. Chef's kiss in the accent and it was just great to hear the Master that way! I thought the little ten minute add on after the end credits with the history of York was a little strange but I'm sure it's something that will become clearer as the finale or the series itself goes on. I thought we were getting a throwback to The Meddling Monks for a second! Overall though, a really strong setup for what looks to be an exciting finale! Delicious.

Rating: 9/10