Were it not for a few of Delgado's other appearances, this would easily be the best Third Doctor-Master story, hands down. The Master gets a lot more screen time here than in previous or later appearances - the scene in which he's watching The Clangers is particularly enjoyable. We also get more evidence of how strong the his previous friendship with the Doctor must have been, given that the Doctor is willing to travel all the way to a remote island just to visit him. Sure, you could argue that he's just making sure the Master is safely under lock and key (which he isn't), but the fact of the visit itself is fairly striking. Even more striking is that, just this once, the Master isn't using hypnotism to get his way with Trenchard - instead, he uses the doddering old man's sense of patriotism and belief that he's entitled to more than he's gotten in life against him. Trenchard's death is that much more tragic in the sense that he's killed by the very creatures the Master is trying to contact - and the Master could not care less when it happens. It's not a perfect story, sadly - the music veers from being atmospheric and moody to making you want to put an icepick in your ear. The Master's escape is also a bit too convenient, to the point of being impossible in the time that he has available. But fans would love to see the Sea Devils come back someday - and they wouldn't mind the Doctor and the Master having another sword fight, either.
Tony Whitt has previously written TV, DVD, and comic reviews for CINESCAPE, NOW PLAYING, and iF MAGAZINE. His weekly COMICSCAPE columns from the early 2000s can still be found archived on Mania.com. He has also written a book of gay-themed short stories titled CRESCENT CITY CONNECTIONS, available on Amazon.com in both paperback and Kindle format. Whitt currently lives and works in Chicago, Illinois.
