Doctor Who: Utopia, Sound of Drums and Last of the Timelords

[Mabus]

Years ago when I first watched season 3, for some reason I only managed to see the first two episodes of the three-parter, and just didn't bother to watch the third one for some reason. Now, after seeing the review, I'm glad I didn't, cause the third is just... all over the place.

[PerrySimm]

At the time the episode first crossed my timestream, it seemed decent enough for new Who... but now finally having seen The Master from the 80s, this regeneration seems just way off the mark.

Definitely happy to see more Who is coming soon!

[Jonathan101]

At the time the episode first crossed my timestream, it seemed decent enough for new Who... but now finally having seen The Master from the 80s, this regeneration seems just way off the mark.

Definitely happy to see more Who is coming soon!

I'm not sure I would call it "way off the mark" since Time Lords can and do change personalities when they regenerate.

The Master is a bit weird since Anthony Ainley (80s Master) played him similar to Robert Delgado (70s)...but, Ainley wasn't simply another regeneration but a version of the Master possessing some random innocent man; possibly it was STILL the Delgado version, although all we're told before the possession is that the Master has used him his 13 regens and it dying before he took over Ainley.

The essential characteristics of him being an evil but short-sighted genius are consistent throughout.

[Trooper924]

At the time the episode first crossed my timestream, it seemed decent enough for new Who... but now finally having seen The Master from the 80s, this regeneration seems just way off the mark.

Definitely happy to see more Who is coming soon!

I'm not sure I would call it "way off the mark" since Time Lords can and do change personalities when they regenerate.

The Master is a bit weird since Anthony Ainley (80s Master) played him similar to Robert Delgado (70s)...but, Ainley wasn't simply another regeneration but a version of the Master possessing some random innocent man; possibly it was STILL the Delgado version, although all we're told before the possession is that the Master has used him his 13 regens and it dying before he took over Ainley.

The essential characteristics of him being an evil but short-sighted genius are consistent throughout.

Time Lords can change, yes, but that doesn't automatically mean that the changes are good. I mean, look at the Sixth Doctor in his initial appearances. You could say he has characteristics that are in line with previous incarnations (his intelligence, weirdness, big ego, bad dress sense, etc.), but if you ask most people, they'll probably tell you that whatever similarities Six has with past Doctors, they're drowned out by his very un-Doctor-ish traits (callousness to his companion, tendency towards violence, ego inflated to obnoxious levels, etc.)

For me, the Sims Master is the same way. All of his traditional Master traits are completely overshadowed by his obnoxious faux-Joker shtick.

[Dae tone]

I always liked DiamandaHagan's twattywho review on these episodes.

Chuck's review made me pine for the attitude found in his earlier episodes of VOY; the ones where he was much more likely to plainly call things out in an almost crass manor while moving through the episode. His ending recap was accurate and harsh, which I appreciated and thought was appropriate. There was just so much dumb in these episodes, regarding basic competence, see the entire prime minister voting stuff, party members switching sides and then being gassed and pardox machine which is broken by a few bullets of a regular SMG for a few examples.

As usual though, Chuck expresses a sentiment well and without exaggeration, that I agree with, about Davies use of the show to fulfill what he wanted to see. I like that new SFDebris reviews provide me with a feeling I felt while watching, but more eloquently expressed or more fully materialized.

On a side note, what's with Who and looking at some all powerful thing which changes you? The Timelord right of passage or whatever and the giant fleshcore from Miracle Day

[Deledrius]

On a side note, what's with Who and looking at some all powerful thing which changes you? The Timelord right of passage or whatever and the giant fleshcore from Miracle Day

Good question. I guess they were just fond of the notion of Cosmic Horrors.