Doctor Who review: I Am The Master – Anger Management focuses on the original Master
By James Aggas
The Master is forced to use his skills of manipulation and cunning in the opening story of Doctor Who anthology I Am The Master. But to what end?
Anger Management kicks off I Am The Master, the new Doctor Who anthology from BBC Books. Naturally, the first story features the first Master – or at least, the first that we ever saw on-screen, as originally portrayed by Roger Delgado.
For many, Roger Delgado still remains as the definitive Master, even to this day. This distinctive incarnation was both charming and terrifying in equal measure, giving us a great mix for a truly iconic villain.
And yet – surprisingly – this particular incarnation has hardly featured in expanded media at all, at least in recent years. A few short stories, comics and novels (Harvest of Time is definitely recommended), but relatively speaking, not a great deal. Last month’s Master Thief by Sophie Iles was a fantastic short story and a great reminder of how fantastic Delgado’s Master was. So it’s nice to get more of him in this tale.
Like last month’s short story Master Thief, Anger Management provides a welcome glimpse of Roger Delgado’s Master.
Image Courtesy Big Finish Productions
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Manipulation and cunning
The Master always works well in two scenarios: when he’s manipulating everyone around him, or when he’s put into a desperate situation and has to find a way to escape. And in Peter Anghelides’s story, we get to have both of those.
When he finds himself captured, the Master is given a choice: suffer an eternity of imprisonment, or help track down three very unusual people on Earth. Naturally, he agrees to the latter, and we see the Master use many familiar techniques to achieve his goals, using various disguises and manipulating whole crowds to become angry mobs.
Overall, it’s a rather fun little read. It doesn’t add a great deal to the Master’s character, but we do get to see him at his manipulative best. On top of that, we also get to see him at his most cunning too, especially towards the end. While we often see him fail against the Doctor, when up against almost anyone else, the Master is sure to succeed…
Next. The War Master: Hearts of Darkness is a fun and epic box set. dark
Are you a fan of Roger Delgado’s Master? Do you think we should get more stories featuring his iconic incarnation, especially next year? Let us know in the comments below.