Why You Forgot About It: You didn't - You just think the last 10 minutes are the only good bit. Why You Should See It (Again): Tennant gets the show stolen from him TWICE. THIS is probably the best known episode on this list, period. Of course you know this one. They bring back Captain Jack and The Master. But the former is just there for comic relief, and the latter is really only at his sinister best the last 10 minutes. John Simm doesn't even show up until the final 5 minutes! And he's got so much grandstanding to come.... But that ignores the fact this isn't John Simm's episode. This is Derek Jacobi's, and even David Tennant can't outshine that man. Jacobi owns the episode the minute he shows up. And that's in the first few minutes. Jacobi runs his Master in disguise as a brilliant character study - His Professor Yana is allowed to convey his ebullient joy at finding a new mind to interract with, his reflective feeling of loss at how all his knowledge means nothing, his concern at wanting to achieve SOMETHING, and his frustration at being able to work out brilliant problems but lack the final piece of the puzzle (that it is provided by The Doctor is a charming and hidden wink at the Master-Doctor dynamic that's always been there). None of the brilliance in those final ten minutes would mean anything without Jacobi painting such a complete picture of Yana. You know him better than any New Series one-story character, and that's down to Jacobi taking every piece of script he's given and making Yana as three dimensional as he can - When he opens that Fob Watch and becomes The Master (with a capital "THE"), it is so authoritatively done not only because he suddenly rivals even Roger Delgado with his sinister, sneering evil - It's because it completely sits apart from the gentle Yana we got to know, which has created a base that contrasts sharply against this dark, companion-killing Time Lord on hand. Tennant's been acting his pants off as the 10th Doctor this whole year and commanding every episode - Now he's doing the same just to keep up. And then - Simm! Say what you want about the "Superman" solution to the coming two episodes; John Simm not only steals his scenes upon regenerating but also provides one of the BEST cliffhangers the show EVER had. How WILL the Doctor get out of it? (And funnily enough, the solution was on hand the whole time - literally!) That the "Next Week" preview didn't feature the Doctor, Martha, or Jack and showed a Master in charge of Britain truly did leave us on the edge of our seats - DID the Doctor even get out of there? How? All the press focused on Barrowman returning as Captain Jack Harkness for this episode, and he does everything he can to play up his role too - But this meant that when the Master is revealed, it would always seem to be those final minutes that meant everything to the casual viewer - what seemed to be Series 3's "small-time adventure/calm before the storm" (much like "Boom Town" in Series 1) was actually a discreet character study that was then ripped apart in front of you for dramatic effect - "The Sound Of Drums"/The Last of the Time Lords" was successful because all the groundwork was laid here, and it sets up everything to come perfectly.
In a parallel universe where game shows' final jackpots and consequent fortunes depend on knowledge of obscure music trivia and Jon Pertwee/Tom Baker Doctor Who episodes, I've probably gone rich, insane, and am now a powermad despot. But happily we're not there, so I'm actually rather pleasant. Really.
