3. Mr. Saxon (Series Three)
I'll get this out of the way now; The Last of the Time Lords is the worst single episode of New Doctor Who ever made. Sorry. I know it has its fans but that's just how I feel. The Master as played by Dick Dastardly, ear-scraping cheesy pop-songs aplenty, Gollum-Doctor and the worst Deus Ex Machina resolution since God Himself first came out of a machine. I shudder to even type it. If you're still reading then, a) thank you for putting up with that little rant, and b) I don't think the arc that preceded the aforementioned crime against television was at all half bad. Just because the payoff wasn't to my taste, doesn't mean the set-up wasn't either. There was a real ominous undercurrent to series three as we gradually began to work out who this Saxon character was the Face of Boe's dying message hinting at more Time Lords near the start of the series was spine-tinglingly exciting and there were some curious and creepy developments with Martha's parents being utilised by this seemingly omnipotent, malevolent character in his quest to trap the Doctor. Plus, the idea that the finale takes place only a single day after the Doctor and Martha Jones first set off on their adventures is a nice touch. Then there's the end of Utopia; far and away the best entry in the three part finale. Upon every rewatch I still get that gobsmacked chill I got the first time around; sure, we'd all worked out who Saxon was by then, but it was still a knock for six to hear Derek Jacobi say that line; 'I. AM. THE. MASTER!'
Joe Gardner
26 year old novelist and film nerd from London. Currently working on his third novel and dreaming up more list-based film articles to flood WhatCulture with.
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