This is one of those stories that some people are on the whole positive about (though not as positive as they are about the next entry on the list), but that opinion tends to change once they've had to sit through it. Although it's only a six-parter, it feels much longer, which is probably because the plot is almost too complex for its own good. In a timey-wimey nutshell, the Master has taken (all too tenuous) control of an alien entity that feeds on evil because... oh, let's just say "reasons". At the same time, he takes mental control of a Chinese national in order to wreak havoc on the first world peace conference because this somehow gets him closer to a nuclear missile which is being transported across England. Yeah, the whole thing gets confusing very quickly. Suffice it to say, the Master has already progressed to wanting to do away with Earth simply because the Doctor likes it, or something to that effect. Mind you, there are some great bits in this overly complex and lengthy story, too. Most notable is the revelation that the Master fears the Doctor triumphantly mocking him, plus fans got to see see him hypnotising a solider using a side mirror on a moving vehicle. Hell, it's even worth it to see him listening to experimental 70's rock and smoking a cigar. But this is one of the stories that has almost too many poorer elements to include it on the other list, such as a pacing that would make molasses jealous.
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.
