Doctor Who/Recap/S29/E12 The Sound of Drums: Difference between revisions

{{quote|''"That's him. He's Prime Minister. The Master is Prime Minister of Great Britain... the Master. ... And his ''wife?''"''|'''The Doctor''' starts to realise that he's in for a world of hurt.}}

 

 

It turns out the Master is actually Mr. Saxon, who has been elected prime minister, and first order of business is killing his cabinet. Using his satellite network, he's blocked his own Time Lord energy from alerting the Doctor, globally replacing it with the sound of drums that he's heard ever since he was a child. (This will be very important a few series later.)

 

 

'''The Master''': ... Are you asking me out on a ''date''? }}

 

 

Jack and Martha share a moment when they realize they're both crushing on a Doctor who's [[Oblivious to Love]]. The Doctor also talks about an event that Gallifreyan children go through before they can enter the academy: they have to look into the Untempered Schism, which shows all of time. Apparently this [[Freudian Excuse|sent the Master mad]].

Eventually, the three sneak on board the ''Valiant'', holding TARDIS keys with perception filters. Here, the Master alleges to be encountering first contact with a race of aliens called the Toclafane. The Toclafane assassinate the US President (who, with the help of UNIT, has attempted to take command of this first contact away from the Master), and then at the Master's command, ''literally'' decimate Earth's population. To some pretty catchy pop music.

 

 

== Tropes ==

* [[Big Brother Is Watching]]: Saxon uses all the tools of the modern security state to his advantage.

* [[Big Stupid Doodoo Head]]: The Doctor fuses out a security camera the Master is [[Big Brother Is Watching|using to watch him]].

* [[Board to Death]] / [[You Have Outlived Your Usefulness]]

* [[Call Back]]: Jelly baby? Also, the Master enjoying the ''[[Teletubbies]]'' calls back to a previous Master watching ''[[The Clangers]]''.

** Using a [[Weak-Willed]] subordinate to carry out his plans was a favourite tactic of [[The Seventies]] Master.

* [[Curb Stomp Battle]]: Pretty much the entire episode is the Doctor getting his ass handed to him.

* [[Dead Man Writing]] / [[Video Will]]: The [[Sacrificial Lamb]] journalist killed by the Toclafane.

* [[Eagle Land]]: US President Winters.

* [[Faux Affably Evil]]

* [[For the Evulz]]: The Toclafane view this as an excuse to decimate the Earth. Bonus points for proper use of the word "decimate".

* [[The Fourth Wall Will Not Protect You]]: The Master keeps pulling [[In-Universe]] versions on the Doctor, giving media interviews that make it clear he knows the Doctor is watching.

''(The Doctor, Martha and Jack look shocked. The Doctor looks behind the TV and finds an [[Incredibly Obvious Bomb]])'' }}

* [[Freud Was Right]]: Seriously, attempting to induce screwdriver envy?

* [[Incredibly Obvious Bomb]]: Seriously, the bomb on the back of Martha's TV looks like something [[Looney Tunes|Wile E. Coyote would use to catch the Roadrunner]].

* [[In Love with Your Carnage]]: The Master is very impressed when he realises how the Doctor ended the Time War.

"You must have been like '''God'''." }}

* [[Insult Backfire]]: Check out the picture on that page.

* [[Large Ham]] / [[Chewing the Scenery]]: John Simm makes a determined effort to act everyone else off the screen.

* [[Mind Control]]: The Master is sending a subconscious signal broadcast over a satellite phone network. It doesn't contain complex brainwashing instructions (which would be rejected) but a simple message like "Believe in me" or "Vote for Saxon", enough to swing a crucial majority behind Saxon, and later to [[Resistance Is Futile|cow most forms of resistance]].

* [[Mythology Gag]]: No, the Master is ''not'' the Doctor's brother.

* [[Oblivious to Love]]: Really, Doctor? Really?

'''Jack:''' (To Martha) You too, huh? }}

* [[Oh Crap]]: The Doctor spends most of the episode doing this.

* [[Overly Long Gag]]: The Toclafane kill a journalist who was close to unmasking Saxon's cover. He closes the door on her screams. Several seconds later, he opens it: She is still screaming. He winces and closes the door. After some more time, he opens it again and she is ''[[Crosses the Line Twice|still screaming]]''.

'''Master:''' ''This'' gas. }}

* [[Psychopathic Manchild]]: Not just the Master, but also the Toclafane with their little girl voices and the pleasure they take from slaughtering people in painful ways.

* [[Rewarded as a Traitor Deserves]]: Invoked (though obviously not justified) by the Master before gassing his Cabinet:

* [[Say My Name]]: He likes it when you do.

* [[Scenery Porn]]: Gallifrey is given a big CGI scene.

* [[Sharp-Dressed Man]]: We see a flash of red satin inside the Master's coat.

* [[Significant Anagram]]: Mister Saxon = Master No. Six

* [[Strawman Political]]: Winters.

* [[Sound-Only Death]]: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTK9N6ttlcw Played for laughs].

* [[Soundtrack Dissonance]]: The Master dances to pop music [[While Rome Burns|as the Toclafane descend]] to exterminate 1/10th of the world's population.

* [["Take That!" Kiss]]: The Master blows one of these at the Doctor.

* [[What Do You Mean It's Not Political?]]: People voting for Saxon [[Villain with Good Publicity|simply because he sounds good]], even though he's got no real policy. Also when Martha's father is being dragged off by anti-terrorist police, he starts shouting to the public [[Apathetic Citizens|standing around watching]], "You did this, you all voted for Saxon!"

* [[Wicked Cultured]]: Decimation, as properly defined.

* [[The X of Y]]

* [[You Keep Using That Word]]: Averted, the word "decimate" is indeed intended to mean "reduce by one-tenth."

* [[You Watch Too Much X]]:

'''The Doctor:''' You've been watching too much TV. }}

* [[You're Insane!]]

 

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[[Category:Recap]]

[[Category:Doctor Who]]