Doctor Who saw the return of one of its greatest villains with a sinister new facade, as The Master returned to the show in a heart-stopping twist.
And as the show continued its 12th series on Sunday, it seems that the character is back with a vengeance, as he chases The Doctor through time after joining forces with a light-like alien race.
The episode also sets up one of the key plots that will run across the series, as it’s revealed that both The Doctor and The Master have been lied to throughout history in what has been dubbed The Lie Of The Timeless Child.
Thrilling: Doctor Who saw the return of one of its greatest villains with a sinister new facade, as The Master returned to the show in a heart-stopping twist
Picking up mere seconds after last week’s show left off, the Doctor has been trapped in a bizarre other world by The Master, while the TARDIS trio are still hurtling towards the ground in a crashing plane.
In a cute nod to the now-iconic episode Blink, the Doctor sends a recorded message to the plane with instructions for Ryan on how to land the plane – using an app! (of course)
Elsewhere the Doctor has met a bonnet-clad woman from times past, who describes one of the light creatures as ‘her guardian’ and after offering her hand, the Time Lady is transported to… a 19th Century technology exhibition.
Fury: As the show continued its 12th series on Sunday, it seems that the character is back with a vengeance, as he chases The Doctor through time after joining forces with light-like aliens
Meanwhile it seems The Master has been travelling in a TARDIS permanently stuck in the shape of a house that could have been plucked from The Wizard Of Oz, and is working with Barton on their sinister plot.
Ryan, Yaz and Graham manage to escape the landed plane and go on the run, while back in 1834 – three years before Queen Victoria came to the throne – The Master comes face-to-face with The Doctor.
But it seems he’s not in control of the light creatures (called the Kasalvian) as he has no idea how she escaped the other realm, and before he has a chance to reveal ‘news from home,’ the Lady In The Bonnet stops him with a grenade (even in Victorian times!)
Problematic: Picking up mere seconds after last week’s show left off, the TARDIS trio are still hurtling towards the ground in a crashing plane
Trapped? The Doctor has been trapped in a bizarre other world by The Master
High-tech: In a cute nod to the now-iconic episode Blink, the Doctor sends a recorded message to the plane with instructions for Ryan on how to land the plane – using an app
It’s then revealed that the Lady is Ada Lovelace (then Gordon) one of the creators of the analytical engine, one of history’s first ever computers, and she is working with Charles Babbage on their great invention.
Elsewhere Ryan, Yaz and Graham have gone off the grid after Barton revealed he was tracking their phones, and end up in an abandoned building site before being pursued by an army of the Kasalvian.
Luckily Graham admits that he pinched some of the spy technology, and proceeds to shoot away the aliens with his laser shoes.
Old pal: Elsewhere the Doctor has met a bonnet-clad woman from times past, who describes one of the light creatures as ‘her guardian’
Back in the 19th Century, the Doctor realises that the creatures are studying moments in different time periods, and uses one of Babbage’s bizarre acquisitions called The Silver Lady to transport herself back to the modern day, with Ada at her side.
But it only takes them halfway, and they end up in Paris in 1943, with The Master clearly following the pair as a menacing Nazi – and after running into an undercover British spy under the codename Madeline – and they team up to try and stop The Master.
It may be a decade since they were last heard in a scene that devastated fans, but The Master is still tied to the dreaded four knocks, as The Doctor uses Madeline’s wireless machine to contact him and lure him to a meeting at the top of the Eiffel Tower.
Teleportation: After offering her hand, the Time Lady is transported to… a 19th Century technology exhibition
The gripping meeting between the pair reveals The Master has cut a deal with the Kasalvian to destroy the human race, while he keeps his hands clean, and all to gain the Doctor’s attention.
This version of the iconic villain seems more terrifying that have come before, and Sacha Dhawan has already made an impact in the iconic role.
Back in 2020, Barton reveals that his seven per cent of non-human DNA comes from his decision to be tested for a worldwide experiment, and Lenny Henry proves he can nail a menacing villain who isn’t afraid to kill his own mum.
Confusion: It seems The Master is not in control of the light creatures (called the Kasalvian) as he has no idea how she escaped the other realm
Tracking down The Master’s TARDIS (still a house so difficult to miss) the Kasalvian are revealed to be tracking people down throughout history who are pivotal in the creation of computers.
An eery scene follows as Barton begins a speech about the introduction/intrusion of cyber security, and he sends a message to every single device on the planet saying: ‘Humanity is over… you have 3 minutes to prepare.’
Barton says he’s going to ‘reformat’ the planet by ripping every element of data and DNA from their bodies and channelling it through The Silver Lady, while The Master arrives back in the 21st Century to see the end of his plan… which comes to an unfortunate anticlimax.
Revelations: It’s then revealed that the Lady is Ada Lovelace (then Gordon) one of the creators of the analytical engine, one of history’s first ever computers
Having returned to the modern day, The Doctor explains she built a failsafe into Barton’s machine to shut down if a mass of Kasalvian was detected, before replaying a recording of The Master promising to wipe out the race once his plan was complete, which as you’d expect leaves the aliens infuriated.
It seems that the villain gets his comeuppance (for now – it is only episode two and Barton wasn’t caught either) as he’s transported to the Other Realm, while The Doctor sets about putting in place instructions for Ryan to land the plane. With a laminator. She loves a laminator.
Tense: They end up in Paris in 1943, with The Master clearly following the pair as a menacing Nazi
Bow tie gone, The Doctor reflects on The Master’s request that she go home and ‘take a look,’ and when she does, she is stunned to see the damage done to her home planet.
Back in The TARDIS, she finds a message from The Master, who confesses he caused the damage to their home, and hints that their entire existence was based on ‘The Lie Of The Timeless Child,’ and she needs to find out what it is.
Safe from danger, Yaz, Ryan and Graham ask to finally know more about The Doctor, and she finally comes clean about her history, which is so ingrained in Who history it’s not worth repeating.
The episode ends on a haunting note, strongly hinting that this Timeless child could be a plot point to run throughout the series.
Doctor Who continues on Sunday at 7pm on BBC One.
Loves a laminator: The Doctor sets about putting in place instructions for Ryan to land the plane. With a laminator. She loves a laminator
