Rate & Discuss 3.12: The Sound Of Drums

[Rob McCow]

SFX review... 4 stars

Vote Saxon! Oh, you already have. Never mind, then.

So here we are: season three of Doctor Who hurtles into climax mode, bringing back one of the show’s essential villains for a 21st Century showdown. If we’re honest, John Simm’s casting as the resurrected Master was one of the great open secrets, stoking the less spoiler-averse among us for months now. But while we knew he was lined up for some arch nemesis action, we had no idea exactly what kind of Master the former Sam Tyler would deliver.

The portentously titled ‘The Sound of Drums’ answers that question, and Simm’s performance powers – if not dwarves - the entire episode. This is a very different proposition to the Master of old; out go the velvety theatrics and the Goatee of Death. This is a slick, frequently sick spin on the Time Lord’s Moriarty, every bit as contemporary as the Converse-clad, Kylie-quoting Doctor.

Simm is clearly having a hoot. There’s a pinch of Tony Blair in the shit-eating grin that launches us with a laugh and a shiver into the title sequence, a cartload of Jack Nicholson’s Joker in the scene where he gases the cabinet and, bizarrely, what appears to be a brief channeling of Simon Pegg (“I don’t know! It’s crrrrrrazy!”). It doesn’t take something as unsubtle as the Master munching on a jelly baby to tell us that this is very much a dark, cracked reflection of the Doctor himself, and Simm plays this side of the character with a ripely entertaining goblin charm. There’s even a mocking hint of sexual tension as he tells the Doctor “I love it when you use my name…” And somehow that’s even more unnerving than his old habit of reducing extraneous cast members to the size of dolls.

Naturally, Russell T Davies slips in a few fan-gasms along the way. The Master watches Teletubbies, demonstrating a taste for pre-school programming that’s survived countless regenerations (Roger Delgado’s Master tuned in to The Clangers in the Pertwee adventure The Sea Devils). He also paraphrases a famous line from the Tom Baker yarn Logopolis (“Peoples of the Earth, please attend carefully…” – a scaling back of his ambitions from “Peoples of the universe”, at least). And, finally, we get our first glimpse of Gallifrey in New Who, and a comic book-styled flashback to the secret origin of the Master, driven insane by the sight of eternity at a tender age(there’s a nice sense of Harry Potter-style mythology-building in seeing him as a kid).

Just like last year’s Army of Ghosts, this all plays as a bit of a set-up for next week’s episode, manoeuvering people into place for the Big Ending. But there’s good stuff along the way, from the sly Anne Widdecombe cameo that feels like something out of Brass Eye to the pure black comedy of the Master opening and closing the door on Vivienne Rook’s death-screams, knuckles clutched to his mouth in mock horror. Some effects triumphs too: Gallifrey is everything you ever dreamed it would be, and the final shot of the Death Star torture droid-styled Toclafane bombarding the Earth in their billions is spectacular and horrifying in equal measure. Martha’s family still feel sketchy compared to the Tyler clan, but kudos to Freema for giving Martha some balls in this one, telling the Doctor “I’ll do what I like!” You go, girl.

Oh, and there’s something deeply amusing about the Master sending the Torchwood team on a wild goose chase up the Himalayas. No doubt they came so hard they completely forgot where they were…

Best line:
“You’re on telly! You and your little band – which, by the way, is ticking every demographic box.”

[Jason Thompson]

At least two people here have complained about the lack of 'resolution' of plot from Utopia. Come on guys, there's still an episode to go, the story ain't finished yet!

[Milky Tears]

Is Torchwood next year going to be Captain Scarlet? We've got the cloudbase, we've got a man who can't be killed, we've got mysterious aliens everywhere. All we need now is Captain Ochre! Although maybe Ianto could fill that role.

I think McCow should replace "role" with "hole".

This thread needs more cheap gags!

[Carol Baynes]

And why didn't it trigger a regeneration?

Because it wasn't enough to "kill" him, presumably.

I still haven't seen this by the way, so I'm having a cheeky look.

[Stuart Wallis]

At least two people here have complained about the lack of 'resolution' of plot from Utopia. Come on guys, there's still an episode to go, the story ain't finished yet!

And next year, and the Christmas episode to boot. Still plenty of time.

8/10 for me. The main problem is, the Master's doing a lot of "correct" things for a villain to do - killing 6 million people on a whim, sneaking into high office, polishing off anyone who says that he's wrong, setting up the heroes as public enemy no. 1 and the like. Trouble is, the performance is so off-his-head that i couldn't always see him as a threat, at least not until the end, when he's converted the TARDIS and started the massacre. Still, he kept doing things that didn't stop the plot from getting too slow. Things did have to slow down in order to explain who he was, so I can live with that as it's important to newcomers.

Loved the Gallifrey stuff. (A black Time Lord! Did anyone notice him?) This story was much easier to get into up til end of part one, than last year's finale, even if there were bits of it recognisable from last time (celebrity guests etc). I'm intrigued by the Toclafane, and I can't wait to see what they're after.

[Ian Lethbridge-Stewart]

I loved it - 9/10 for me!!!
I am a huge fan of the Master (particularily the Ainley version) and so I was quite apprehensive about how John Simm was going to play the part. I knew he was a good actor but had no idea about how RTD was going to write this incarnation.
I have to say that I thought this new 'manic master' was excellent. The way he could convey total power and evil whilst acting like a complete fool was really well done. Yes, he's totally different from the previous Masters but then it does appear that he's just regenerated so he would have a different character -as to how he regenerated well, let's not get into that again!!
As others have said I loved the phone call between the Matser and the Doctor. I loved the Gallifrey stuff too. The classic series fan in me loved the continuity: the Time Lord costumes, the orange sky of Gallifrey, the Telly Tubbies gag and the brilliant "people of the Earth, please attend carefully" (did anybody else speak the "please attend carefully" line in sinc with John Simm? )

Captain Jack was good as ever (liked the Torchwood stuff) and Martha reacted very well to it all. The Doctor looked so helpless and kind of sorry at the end.
Looved the tear in the sky and cannot see how this will be resolved (so long as the Doctor is the main person behind resolving it I'll be happy)!!!

While at the back of my mind Anthony Ainley will always be the Master to me, I think John Simm shows amasing potential here.

Roll on next week.

PS - I didn't notice the Seal of Rassilon - where was it?

[Anthony Williams]

has anyone else found themselves drumming out that rhythm lots since last night?

Ant x

[Pip Madeley]

Aww, I had a tenner on you posting:

as usual, my opinions are on my blog.

Ant x

[Milky Tears]

I've never read Ant's blog.

[Wayne]

I've never read Ant's blog.

I never read anyones blog. If it's not on PS, it doesn't exist.

[Dirk Gently]

dum, dum, dum, dum, What dum, dum, dum, dum, Wayne dum, dum, dum, dum, Said dum, dum, dum, dum.

[Pip Madeley]

ooooo-eeeeeeeee-ooooooooooooo

[michael]

I think Russell used to watch Capt Scarlett andTerrahawks as a kid
or was it just me?

[Dave Lewis]

At least two people here have complained about the lack of 'resolution' of plot from Utopia. Come on guys, there's still an episode to go, the story ain't finished yet!

Surely it's been resolved, hasn't it? They got on their rocket, they're heading to Utopia. End of.

Good to see that other people are mentioning Terrahawks... I should have namechecked Windsor Davies just to make it clear I was first... "dicks hewitt". Etcetera.

[Paul Monk]

as to how he regenerated well, let's not get into that again!!

That was explained. The Timelords ressurected him as a warrior to help fight in the Time War. So presumeably he was given a full set of regenerations again.

[egdcltd]

Well, I'd been lurking since Daleks of Manhattan when I searched the web for peoples opinions of the human Dalek, so I thought I'd finally register and post.

I think the Toclafane may be the Time Lords. 6 billion is a good number for a planet full of people, and the Master said theat if the Doctor knew who they were, both his hearts would break. Maybe the spirits/souls/whatever of the Time Lords were captured in the drones when Gallifrey was destroyed.

Not sure on the new Master yet, although he does appear to have completely of his trolley. Jacobi seemed more menacing, but some of that could have been the contrast between the nice old guy as the Professor, and the psychopathic Master.

[Pip Madeley]

Surely it's been resolved, hasn't it? They got on their rocket, they're heading to Utopia. End of.

But does Utopia exist? The Master took the futuristic floppy disc thing out of his computer and scoffed at the idea... we'll just have to keep watching...

[Antony Cox]

I gave it 6/10

I wasnt disappointed with the story as such but Im not sure I like the Masters character. John Simm is obviously a good actor but the whole personality of the Master has been made too jokey and buffoon-like for my liking. I know the character was always a bit of a joke as he always ended up explaining in great detail to the Doctor what his plans were which was always his downfall (something which has already been stated by the new Master), but it was always written and played straight down the line. Even Anthony Ainleys campery didnt affect the seriousness of the Master, at least not for me, anyway.

I hope the finale next week lives up to the hype.

[Si Hunt]

I suppose you could observe that this is the first really "young" Master we have seen, and he must be quite hyper after all those years in a dying or borrowed body. Also each incarnation of the Doctor has been the same so why not a totally different Master?

PS - I didn't notice the Seal of Rassilon - where was it?

On the floor in one of the Gallifrey flashback scenes.

Si.

[Ian Lethbridge-Stewart]

That was explained. The Timelords ressurected him as a warrior to help fight in the Time War. So presumeably he was given a full set of regenerations again.

I'd forgotten about that - thanks for the reminder Paul. The Master has been a bit if a jammy g*t then hasn't he!!!

Thanks for Seal of Rassilon info Si, I shall look out for that on my next viewing!!!

[Milky Tears]

Well, I'd been lurking since Daleks of Manhattan when I searched the web for peoples opinions of the human Dalek, so I thought I'd finally register and post.

I think the Toclafane may be the Time Lords. 6 billion is a good number for a planet full of people, and the Master said theat if the Doctor knew who they were, both his hearts would break. Maybe the spirits/souls/whatever of the Time Lords were captured in the drones when Gallifrey was destroyed.

Not sure on the new Master yet, although he does appear to have completely of his trolley. Jacobi seemed more menacing, but some of that could have been the contrast between the nice old guy as the Professor, and the psychopathic Master.

Great work for an opening post. I think you could be onto something.

[Rob McCow]

Welcome to the board, egdcltd!

Although your theory seems plausible, I sort of hope it isn't true - simply because I'd personally like it better if the Toclafaine were something entirely new. But we'll see in a few days Some of the Toclafaine seem to have rather child-like voices too, which doesn't sound like the pompous old Time Lords we're all familiar with.

The chances are you could well be right though!

[Si Hunt]

Also why would they be slicing people up with knives?

Si.

[Stuart Wallis]

Because that's what it says in the script...?

[egdcltd]

Also why would they be slicing people up with knives?

Si.

The Toclafaine might be very damaged. After all, they don't sound like fully mature individuals, more like psychotic children

Maybe losing a war to the Daleks, having Galifrey blown up, then being turned into Star Wars torture droids seriously messed with their minds

It would be better if they didn't turn out to be some sort of Dalek though. Much as I like the Daleks, it would be a shame if they turned up in the last episode. Several million Daleks appearing from nowhere for the third season in a row is pushing it.