BOOK OF LISTS: RANKING THE MASTERS - PART 3

Movin' right along. The ranking of this particular incarnation will, no doubt, cause some controversy. Many say he's the best. Whereas I just think he's okay. 


THE ROGER DELGADO MASTER

He is, without a doubt, the definitive Master. We appreciate Delgado in much the same way that we respect Hartnell. Both create that fundamental core that all other actors to play the part must base their own interpretation upon. Just like Hartnell, we still end up seeing some very wild variations on those initial foundations. But props must still be given to Delgado for bringing the character to life. He did such a good job that the Master is still kicking around so many years later.

I will even admit that it would be nice for the next performer to take on the role to bring back some of the Delgado Master's more prominent attributes. I particularly love how suave this incarnation is. And we don't see that level of charm in any other version of him. It would be nice to see a Master who seems more composed. I loved the fact that the insanity is really only hinted at in this particular interpretation. We know the Delgado Master is a vicious sadist - but we only see it being displayed during certain extremes. Otherwise, his calmness is greatly unsettling. And there is much to be relished about that style of villainy. Delgado's Master definitely shows a lot of class.

So if he's so great - why am I only giving him a mid-ranking status? Why aren't I making him the best Master there ever was like most fans do? Well, that's the crux of it, right there - isn't it? If you've been following my blog for more than a few entries you very quickly get the impression that I don't get along well with Popular Fan Consensus. It's not some knee-jerk reaction that automatically causes me to dislike what other people like. There are plenty of things that are popular in Doctor Who that I greatly adore, too. But the stuff that fandom harps on about endlessly gets met with higher expectations when I examine them. Because I take this attitude, I do find certain things are actually a bit over-rated. Tom Baker, to me, is not the greatest Doctor, ever. Even though most seem to think so. And the same applies to the Delgado Master. I just don't think he's as awesome as most people think he is. I don't think he's awful, either. But I'm not as impressed as most of fandom is.

It's not just my oppositional attitude at play, here. Giving the Delgado Master five stories in a row when he was first introduced also did a lot of damage to my appreciation of him. So many appearances back-to-back very quickly revealed the limitations of the character. The Master, in this incarnation, always seems to be meddling with things that he thinks he can control (be it Autons, mind parasites, Doomsday Weapons or Azal the Daemon). The Doctor is always warning him that these things that he thinks he can control will come back and bite him in the ass. The Master scoffs him and presses on. The thing he thinks he can control will then turn around and bite him in the ass. The Master, in defeat, shakes his fist at the Doctor but lives to fight another day.

This is the formula for almost every Master story Delgado stars in (Claws of Axos and Frontier In Space are the two notable exceptions) and it gets the whole thing to feel just a bit tedious. That tedium is felt more poignantly when it's experienced over and over throughout an entire season. This many appearances at once also shows the Master getting defeated a whole bunch of times in a row. Being beaten so much reduces the credibility of the character considerably. By the end of Season Eight, he's not a threat I'm taking all that seriously.

Those are my two biggest issues with this incarnation of the Master. I have a few minor quibbles on top of that - but I won't bother to go into them, here.

Rather, I'll celebrate this Master a bit more. There is definitely that same sort of excitement that I get watching him as I do when I enjoy old Hartnell episodes. The character is in its infant stage and it's great watching various trademarks develop. We see, for the first time, his ability to hypnotize and his great love for disguise. We even get to witness a bit of the tissue compression eliminator at work (which gets a way better explanation in the novelization of Terror of the Autons!). It's all right there for us to enjoy with the knowledge that these traits will continue throughout many incarnations to come. It's a lot of fun.

It's this version of the Master that is also responsible for some of the most memorable moments in the show's history. I'll always remember that gorgeous scene where the Keller Machine shows the Master his greatest fear and it's a giant-sized image of the Doctor looming over him and laughing at him. Or the Master standing triumphantly at the edge of a ridge on the planet of the Ogrons and the Daleks suddenly trundle in behind him. I even love it when the Master keeps grumbling over how antiquated the Doctor's TARDIS is during Claws of Axos.

I could never get into the duel sequence in The Sea Devils, though. As fun of a fight as it is, I just can't look past the fact that a maximum security prison would leave a few swords conveniently lying around like that. Too big of a stretch for me!



The countdown will continue shortly...



Part One:
https://robtymec.blogspot.ca/2017/11/book-of-lists-ranking-masters-part-1.html


Part Two: 
https://robtymec.blogspot.ca/2017/11/book-of-lists-ranking-masters-part-2.html