The Master

[Saber]

YANA was a great character. Derek Jacobi played him so well. When he realised he was the Master the way his portrayal changed was excellent. He played the Master with such menace and bitterness and cunning, totally opposite to YANA and I think it worked so well. It updated the character but kept him the same old familiar Master. Then when Simm took over he got a bit too manic and crazy. He didn't have the suave sophistication that other incarnations had and He came off more of a psychopath than a menacing genius, which is I think the better way to play it. I didn't hate Simms portrayal but I think it is one of my least favourites. I'm not sure if it was the writing or the acting but it just didn't really work for me. I liked the writing even less in TEOT, but in that story I think he was portrayed a lot better.

[Blazin Goliath]

I agree, for the most part. The only part I disagree with is that I liked Simms- I think he showed a new side to the Master. However, if I had the ability to choose, I would have chosen Jacobi to play the Master all the way through. While Simms gave off an excelent portrayal of a mad man with an agenda, Jacobi's Master was just... Evil. When he said "Now I can say I was provoked" to Chantho, chills raced up my spine.

[Tardis-Console]

Yea, of the two I preferred Derek Jacobi. None have ever come close to Delgado though. He's my Master.

[Joshua]

I really hated Simms' portrayal, which is a shame because I've heard so much about The Master in the Classic series, but I can't imagine liking him because Simms was so detestable (less so in this compared to TEoT though)

[Peri-Peri]

I really hated Simms' portrayal, which is a shame because I've heard so much about The Master in the Classic series, but I can't imagine liking him because Simms was so detestable (less so in this compared to TEoT though)

Don't let it put you off. The Master in the classic series is far better than we've had so far in NuWho.

[TheDoctorDonna]

I never really got the fuss with the Master. I enjoy a lot of his stories but I do think he is overly regarded in the show. I'd be more than happy to not have another return but at the same time I wouldn't be against it, either.

I think Simm did well in his portrayal with what was written, but I don't think he was written particularly well for Simm. Jacobi on the other hand was excellent. He was both written and played brilliantly in that incarnation.

[Roranicus]

I didn't mind Simm in the role. He played it well and gave a different interpretation like most of the others have and like all the different Doctors do. It might not be to everyones tastes but I wouldn't call it bad.

[Peri-Peri]

I think Simm was fine in the role but I think the Master could have been written a lot better. At times he was great but for the most part he was uneven and a bit too crazed.

[hannahcole93]

I never really got the fuss with the Master. I enjoy a lot of his stories but I do think he is overly regarded in the show. I'd be more than happy to not have another return but at the same time I wouldn't be against it, either.

Same here...

I do prefer Jacobi's portrayal to Simm's... Simm in a way does seem more modern and maybe more child friendly in comparison to the older Masters- I always found it hard to get on with the Master in the classic's I've watched- maybe that's because I haven't seen enough of them to understand but I just get lost when I watch the classics with the Master. However I understand Simm's master perfectly well, and Jacobi's! I always saw Jacboi as a better master, as it was like an older master who had gotten older (with the show) and kind of showing the newer audience who the master is. (If I made sense there!)

[Blazin Goliath]

Made perfect sense

I feel the same way about the cybermen. I know some people love them, but it always seemed to me like the only reason the Doctor didn't defeat them right away was due to Murphy's Law.

However, the Master has always had an appeal for me. He just seems like more of an inside threat- He's a Time Lord genius, who (used to) own a TARDIS, and can keep up with the Doctor in every way. I like the idea of having an enemy who really, really threatens the Doctor.

[Twisted-Sister]

Just looking at Simm, I think the Master started out well in this story. He was mad and dangerous and intent on having things his way, just like the Master of old. It started to go a bit wrong though towards the end and while he was still mad and dangerous he started to become a bit of a comical caricature of a panto villian and it all got a bit silly. Thankfully they calmed him down again for his dying scene which I thought was pretty good.

Jacobi on the other hand gave me chills. He played it beautifully. Menacing and creepy, angry and psychotic, but still with an odd sort of charm. They should have kept him in the role throughout because he totally walked it.

[Oh-Wise-One]

I think the Master is great but I didn't enjoy him in this story at all. It was a combination of factors, really, but it just didn't work for me.

[Scott]

I think he was just modernised. Yes, he was very different from those who came before him, but that doesn't make him bad. He was updated and fitted in with the type of villains we see on these kinds of shows today. He wasn't perfect and Simms certainly isn't my favourite incarnation (Delgado) but I wouldn't call this one bad. Just different.

[Nyki]

I enjoyed both of them, though Jacobi more.  I think Simm was really strong in TSOD, less so in LOTTL, and even less in TEOT.  I agree, though, that Delgado was the ultimate Master.

[Aneurin]

I think my view of the Master in this story is hindered but how much I really disliked him in TEOT. There were times in this story where he was funny but he never gave me a feeling of dread of feat like in the classic series. As TS said he seemed a bit panto.