History Recap / BigFinishDoctorWho049Master

* ThatPoorCat: The original ''HumanNature'' novel introduced Wolsey, the Seventh Doctor's pet cat who'd stay part of team TARDIS for years and years. In this episode, John Smith also has a cat. [[spoiler: It's ripped open halfway through the story]].

The final part of the "Villains Trilogy": three standalone episodes that explore how the Doctor are his archenemies are NotSoDifferent in the end. The other two parts are [[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWho047Omega "Omega"]] and [[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWho048Davros "Davros"]]. The series also thematically sequed into "Zagreus", although that episode is not standalone and is part of the Eighth Doctor's StoryArc.

The final part of the "Villains Trilogy": three standalone episodes that explore how the Doctor are his archenemies are NotSoDifferent in the end. The other two parts are [[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWho047Omega "Omega"]] and [[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWho048Davros "Davros"]]. The series also thematically led up to "Zagreus", although that episode is not standalone and is part of the Eighth Doctor's StoryArc.

The final part of the "Villains Trilogy", leading up to "Zagreus". This episode was based on ''[[Recap/DoctorWhoNSS3E8HumanNature Human Nature]]'' (back when it was still only a novel) and ended up inspiring the TV series episode [[Recap/DoctorWhoNSS3E11Utopia "Utopia"]].

The final part of the "Villains Trilogy", leading up to "Zagreus".

* CallBack: The Doctor goes by the name of [[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWhoSpecialsExcelisDecays Vaughan Sutton]]

As the clock ticks and the wine bottles get emptier, the group of friends is surprised by the Doctor, who stumbles into the house weakened and babbling on about "DEATH". The Doctor -- realising that the name "Dr. John Smith" is taken today -- introduces himself as [[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWhoSpecialsExcelisDecays Dr. Vaughn Sutton]]. He tells John stories about another life, about a world outside the mansion and outside Perfugium. John feels an instant connection to a fellow man of science, and the two quietly start a friendship, with John telling the Doctor about Victor's overly scientific mind and Jacqueline's naiveté. Victor insists that every murder, every act of evil, must be provoked or performed by a deranged, sick mind. The evil are either meant to be cured or to be examined for scientific purposes. John would like to discover more options, and wonders what other motivations for evil might exist in the world. Meanwhile, Jacqueline herself acts oddly, even going so far as to slap the young maid, Jade, in the face. And suddenly, without provocation, the cat is murdered as gruesomely as the whores of Perfugium were, and what seems to be a {{poltergeist}} slams a copy of ''DrJekyllAndMrHyde'' into the Doctor's face.

* CallBack: The Doctor goes by the name of [[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWhoSpecialsExcelisDecays Vaughn Sutton]]

* InternalHomage: To "Human Nature" by Paul Cornell (back when it was still just a novel, not yet a TV episode).

The Seventh Doctor surprises a sniper just minutes before an assassination attempt, and -- while waiting for the target's parade to arrive -- offers to tell him a story...

John is horrified to discover that the memory of being the Master is deep inside him, but before he and the Doctor can discuss it further, Jade (the maid) reveals herself to be Death incarnate. She mocks the people gathered there -- Victor for having committed the gruesome murders just to keep the whores away from Jacqueline, Jacqueline for being in love with John but never admitting in because of his status, the Doctor for no longer merrily playing the spoons or mixing his metaphors, and John for being unable to cope with his past life.

* EvilCounterpart: This episode's premise is akin to [[Recap/DoctorWhoNSS3E8HumanNature Human Nature]]/[[Recap/DoctorWhoNSS3E9TheFamilyOfBlood The Family of Blood]] (originally a ''/Literature/DoctorWhoNewAdventures'' novel by Paul Cornell) except it's not the ''Doctor'' as John Smith...

He and the Master are given a choice, since Death has the power to reset time, to erase memories and to create entire new scenarios just to please herself. The Doctor chooses to give the Master another decade of normal life, at the cost of having to commit the murder of an innocent. And that's why he told the story to the sniper -- he plans to take the gun and commit the act himself. But he still can't go through with it, and the sniper gleefully reveals himself to simply be Death, taking great pleasure in watching the Doctor struggle with morality. The Master, of course, tires of his newly granted mundane life, and breaks free of the GroundhogDayLoop he's been placed in by invited Victor and Jacqueline into his home as before... and killing them.

As the clock ticks and the wine bottles get emptier, the group of friends is surprised by the Doctor, who stumbles into the house weakened and babbling on about "DEATH". The Doctor -- realising that the name "Dr. John Smith" is taken today -- introduces himself as [[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWhoSpecialsExcelisDecays Dr. Vaughn Sutton]]. He tells John stories about another life, about a world outside the mansion and outside Perfugium. John feels an instant connection to a fellow man of science, and the two quietly start a friendship, with John telling the Doctor about Victor's overly scientific mind and Jacqueline's naivite. Victor insists that every murder, every act of evil, must be provoked or performed by a deranged, sick mind. The evil are either meant to be cured or to be examined for scientific purposes. John would like to discover more options, and wonders what other motivations for evil might exist in the world. Meanwhile, Jacqueline herself acts oddly, even going so far as to slap the young maid, Jade, in the face. And suddenly, without provocation, the cat is murdered as gruesomely as the whores of Perfugium were, and what seems to be a {{poltergeist}} slams a copy of ''DrJekyllAndMrHyde'' into the Doctor's face.

* EvilCounterpart: This episode's premise is akin to [[Recap/DoctorWhoNSS3E8HumanNature Human Nature]]/[[Recap/DoctorWhoNSS3E9TheFamilyOfBlood The Family of Blood]] (originally a ''Literature/VirginNewAdventures'' novel by Paul Cornell) except it's not the ''Doctor'' as John Smith...

The Doctor, who's perfectly aware of just who John is, can see an obvious clue when it hits him and explains to John just what's going on. Long ago, when two boys on a planet far away were playing by the stream together, one of them was nearly drowned by a bully. The other took up a rock and -- not realising what he was doing -- killed the bully. The two boys quietly burned the corpse, but their lives had changed forever -- one ended up running away and became the Doctor, and the other, wrecked with guilt over having committed that murder, became the Master and turned into one of the most evil killers the universe had ever seen.

The Doctor explains that he manipulated the entire situation, having made a deal with Death -- insofar as such a universal concept can be said to have a consciousness -- in order to grant the Master ten years of normal life. According to the deal, the Doctor would murder the Master at the end of that decade. But the Doctor can't bring himself to do it, and while Victor and his wife face the revelations that were made, the Doctor begins to realise that his mental image of the Master simply never included being loved or having friends... even if the Doctor would give anything to be a friend to the Master again. Victor, meanwhile, goes into a violent rage and murders Jacqueline, which greatly pleases Death. Death also reveals that this is certainly not the first deal she made with the Doctor... the first one was many years ago, on Gallifrey, after the Doctor murdered a young boy and begged Death, in a dream, to make his friend pay for it instead of himself. The Doctor can't believe the memories that are revealed to him, and realises with utter horror that the Master was supposed to be the one going around saving galaxies, and he himself might have ended up destroying entire chunks of the universe as Death's herald.

In a dark old manor home, as a storm rages outside, friends have gathered to celebrate the birthday of [[MrSmith Doctor John Smith]], a disfigured but kind gentleman, who was once found wandering the streets of their home, Perfugium. John [[LaserGuidedAmnesia has no memory of who he was or where he had come from]], and he's been living in Perfugium for ten years, with married couple Victor and Jacqueline as his closest friends. Now, having inherited a manor, a maid and a cat from a kind old patient, John simply wishes to company of friends. And he'd rather forget the curse that's supposedly on the house -- as well as the grisly murders of prostitutes that are going on outside, with Victor, a detective, being in charge of their investigations.

** Or for the Doctor to discover that [[spoiler:''he'' was supposed to be the Master, and the only reason he didn't become the mass-murdering psychopath was because he sold out his best friend]].

In a dark old manor home, as a storm rages outside, friends have gathered to celebrate the birthday of [[MrSmith Doctor John Smith]], a disfigured but kind gentleman, who was found wandering the streets of their planet, Perfugium, [[LaserGuidedAmnesia with no memory of who he was or where he had come from]].

But as the night continues, the occupants begin to notice something a bit...''off'', about the house. And when a [[TheNthDoctor mysterious, short scottish man]] arrives, who Mr Smith vaguely recognises, that's when things start to get ''really'' interesting.

Part of the "Villains Trilogy", leading up to ''Zagreus''.

* [[BreakHisHeartToSaveHim Break Her Heart to Save Her]]: At the very end, Dr. Smith [[spoiler: pretends the Master has taken over early than expected, and verbally tears Jacqueline to peaces to try to get her to leave]].
* CharacterDevelopment: The Seventh Doctor's is darkly lampshaded - he no longer plays the spoons, or mixes his metaphors. He's too busy destroying planets and toppling empires.
* EvilCounterpart: This episode's premise is akin to [[Recap/DoctorWhoNSS3E8HumanNature Human Nature]]/[[Recap/DoctorWhoNSS3E9TheFamilyOfBlood The Family of Blood]] except it's not The ''Doctor'' as John Smith...

-->'''[[spoiler:Jade]]''': Why, me sir? '''I'm [[AC: [[TheGrimReaper Death]]]]'''.

Part of the "Villians Trilogy", leading up to ''Zagreus''.

* OrIsIt: The final revelation about [[spoiler: [[TheGrimReaper Jade's]] role in The Master's formation]] may be completely true, or complete pants. [[spoiler: When TheMaster is "released" and allowed to address Death personally, he finds the idea of being "Death's Champion" utterly laughable, and dismisses her as an irrelevance]].

* TomatoInTheMirror: You know it's coming, but [[spoiler: it can't be easy for a kind hearted Doctor to find out he's ''actually'' a mass-murdering psychopath]].