Doctor Who Season 12 Villains Ranked Best To Worst

While we are all none the wiser as to just how The Master got back, overall we're glad he did. His manic appearance during the cliffhanger for Spyfall worked thanks to the element of surprise, even if Sacha Dhawan's performance was a little over the top.

There were no such qualms in the second episode however, Dhawan delivering a deliciously evil portrayal of the Doctor's arch nemesis. The manic, evil and narcissistic aspects of the grand villain were all displayed to perfection, the best of Simm combined with the horrors of Ainsley. The depiction of The Master as a central Nazi figure was truly chilling stuff, with the character's suitability for the role scarily obvious.

Unfortunately Dhawan's Master suffered in the final episode, coming across more as an eccentric Narrator than the unbalanced villain from earlier in the series. Dumping a heap of exposition for Dhawan to deliver was a poor choice, as was the decision to place The Master front and centre while leaving Whittaker's Doctor largely redundant.

One expects and hopes that The Master will return sooner rather than later, but some explanation as to how he keeps surviving is desperately needed. Many forum threads have suggested that having The Master as The Impossible Child would have been a better choice, so it will be interesting to see if Chibnall pulls another ret-con and make this Who lore next season.