The Master feigns his death to get away, to enact the cunning plan he has to play, Eye of Harmony revealed, almighty power it can wield, just the Doctor to prevent, the end of days.
5 Reviews
Rassilon's Relics...
Xstal3 July 2022
Great end to a great story.
poolandrews15 March 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Doctor Who: The Deadly Assassin: Part Four starts as the Doctor (Tom Baker) manages to defeat Chancellor Goth (Bernard Horsfall) inside the virtual reality of the Matrix, back on Gallifrey the Master (Peter Pratt) realises that he has to change his plans. The Doctor regains consciousness & sets about stopping the Master from destroying Gallifrey...
Episode 12 from season 14 this Doctor Who adventure originally aired here in the UK during November 1976, directed by David Maloney The Deadly Assassin is regard in most Doctor Who fan circles as an undisputed classic & while there are a few elements that I don't like about it I do think it's a great four part story. The script by Robert Holmes is excellent, it has zipped along at a great pace, the character's have been good, the dialogue has been great & it has never felt padded. There are quite a few layers to the story, the assassination of the president, the cover up, the rushed trial & the battle of minds in the Matrix during Part Three. There has been some good twists & turns as well although the presence of the Master is maybe revealed a little bit too early. Here in Part Four it is mentioned for the first time in the classic series that a Timelord only has twelve regenerations before they die, I'm not really sure why the production team would want to limit themselves to such a specific number & if you count the new series David Tennant is the tenth regeneration... I didn't like how the Timelords were portrayed at times but since the story is so strong overall I'll let it go. A must for any fan of the series.
For the transitional effect used to signify going in & out of the Matrix is actually the slit-scan tunnel used in the opening titles. The production values have been high, the sets, the Timelord costumes & effects have all been of a very high standard. The acting has been good too, Tom Baker is just great as usual although Peter Pratt does his best in a very stiff mask but has to almost totally rely on his voice for any sort of emotion. The skull like mask is maybe seen slightly too much here & on a few occasions from a poor camera angle which lessens the effect.
The Deadly Assassin: Part Four is a great end to a great story considered by many as a classic & one of the finest stories of the entire classic series. While I can name many more stories I would rather watch I do think it is an excellent story in it's own right. Overall I will give The Deadly Assassin an impressive seven & a half stars out of ten, a must for the fans & sci-fi lovers.
Episode 12 from season 14 this Doctor Who adventure originally aired here in the UK during November 1976, directed by David Maloney The Deadly Assassin is regard in most Doctor Who fan circles as an undisputed classic & while there are a few elements that I don't like about it I do think it's a great four part story. The script by Robert Holmes is excellent, it has zipped along at a great pace, the character's have been good, the dialogue has been great & it has never felt padded. There are quite a few layers to the story, the assassination of the president, the cover up, the rushed trial & the battle of minds in the Matrix during Part Three. There has been some good twists & turns as well although the presence of the Master is maybe revealed a little bit too early. Here in Part Four it is mentioned for the first time in the classic series that a Timelord only has twelve regenerations before they die, I'm not really sure why the production team would want to limit themselves to such a specific number & if you count the new series David Tennant is the tenth regeneration... I didn't like how the Timelords were portrayed at times but since the story is so strong overall I'll let it go. A must for any fan of the series.
For the transitional effect used to signify going in & out of the Matrix is actually the slit-scan tunnel used in the opening titles. The production values have been high, the sets, the Timelord costumes & effects have all been of a very high standard. The acting has been good too, Tom Baker is just great as usual although Peter Pratt does his best in a very stiff mask but has to almost totally rely on his voice for any sort of emotion. The skull like mask is maybe seen slightly too much here & on a few occasions from a poor camera angle which lessens the effect.
The Deadly Assassin: Part Four is a great end to a great story considered by many as a classic & one of the finest stories of the entire classic series. While I can name many more stories I would rather watch I do think it is an excellent story in it's own right. Overall I will give The Deadly Assassin an impressive seven & a half stars out of ten, a must for the fans & sci-fi lovers.
A huge episode.
Sleepin_Dragon27 January 2019
When you watch this, you will be struck by just how important it was, for legacy and content, so many episodes that followed would relate to this, The invasion of Time, The Five Doctors, Arc of infinity etc, it is also here that we learn a Time Lord can regenerate a maximum of twelve times.
It is such a fitting end to what's been a truly incredible story, it really is huge, the final conflict between The Doctor and The Master is brilliant, so dramatic. It's political drama at its very best, a pity that we didn't get more Galifrey based stories, sadly The Invasion of Time wasn't quite up to the mark.
The level of detail is remarkable, The Clock, we glimpse it in the first episode, it's hardly noticeable, but it's there. I love touches like that.
It has been a joy to watch. 10/10
It is such a fitting end to what's been a truly incredible story, it really is huge, the final conflict between The Doctor and The Master is brilliant, so dramatic. It's political drama at its very best, a pity that we didn't get more Galifrey based stories, sadly The Invasion of Time wasn't quite up to the mark.
The level of detail is remarkable, The Clock, we glimpse it in the first episode, it's hardly noticeable, but it's there. I love touches like that.
It has been a joy to watch. 10/10
Master-ful and Magnificent!
A_Kind_Of_CineMagic6 December 2014
Review of all 4 episodes:
Many fans rate this as one of the best and they are correct to recognise the huge quality of this story as well as its importance in building (and changing) the folklore of the Time Lords and The Doctor. It has everything, Tom Baker on top form, a classic villain, sparkling dialogue, humour, action, material which is important in the history of the series as well as some fresh and unnerving ideas. All this is done with brilliance in direction, acting and writing.
The Doctor has been called back home to Gallifrey. On his way there he has a pre-cognitive dream in which he appears to assassinate the Time Lord President. When he arrives he has to go on the run as he is presumed to be a criminal. He then tries to prevent the President's assassination but instead is made to look like the assassin himself. Behind all this, it turns out, is his old arch- enemy The Master. Now at an end to his cycle of regenerations (we are told Time Lords have a maximum of 12) his body is extremely emaciated but his evil and cunning are as strong as ever.
The Master, played now by Peter Pratt, looks and sounds great and his dialogue and Pratt's acting are excellent. There is also a host of superb and perfectly acted guest characters. The wonderful Borusa, Spandrell, Goth, Runcible and Engin are all fabulous. This adventure is also somewhat unique in that there is no companion for The Doctor.
The section of the story where The Doctor enters 'the matrix', a technically created world which seems real and has real dangers (sound like a forerunner of the film The Matrix to anyone?) is surreal and extremely innovative and clever in its different and interesting creativity.
A real all time classic story. 10/10
Many fans rate this as one of the best and they are correct to recognise the huge quality of this story as well as its importance in building (and changing) the folklore of the Time Lords and The Doctor. It has everything, Tom Baker on top form, a classic villain, sparkling dialogue, humour, action, material which is important in the history of the series as well as some fresh and unnerving ideas. All this is done with brilliance in direction, acting and writing.
The Doctor has been called back home to Gallifrey. On his way there he has a pre-cognitive dream in which he appears to assassinate the Time Lord President. When he arrives he has to go on the run as he is presumed to be a criminal. He then tries to prevent the President's assassination but instead is made to look like the assassin himself. Behind all this, it turns out, is his old arch- enemy The Master. Now at an end to his cycle of regenerations (we are told Time Lords have a maximum of 12) his body is extremely emaciated but his evil and cunning are as strong as ever.
The Master, played now by Peter Pratt, looks and sounds great and his dialogue and Pratt's acting are excellent. There is also a host of superb and perfectly acted guest characters. The wonderful Borusa, Spandrell, Goth, Runcible and Engin are all fabulous. This adventure is also somewhat unique in that there is no companion for The Doctor.
The section of the story where The Doctor enters 'the matrix', a technically created world which seems real and has real dangers (sound like a forerunner of the film The Matrix to anyone?) is surreal and extremely innovative and clever in its different and interesting creativity.
A real all time classic story. 10/10
S14: The Deadly Assassin: Engaging narrative and detail, even if a little out of the ordinary approach for the series (SPOILERS)
bob the moo6 March 2016
Warning: Spoilers
The Doctor has a vision of the assassination of the President of the Time Lords, and returns to Gallifrey to find himself a wanted criminal. While events unfold suggesting the assassination is imminent, the Doctor tries to evade capture, only in the end to realize he is being framed for the assassination – but by whom?
There are quite a few reference points in this serial, but Star Trek was probably the one that jumped out the most for me. Setting 'stasers' to stun caught my ear a few times, but then having a whole episode where the Doctor runs around a quarry in a battle with a foe did rather put me in mind of Kirk – albeit this quarry is much greener than the Californian equivalent. Being set among the Doctor's own people makes this an unusual episode – more than just the absence of a companion (an absence, it must be said, I didn't find caused any actual problems). The story plays out differently from the usual monster/horror narratives, but is rather a political thriller with a passing nod to the Manchurian Candidate. As such it works well, setting up intrigue as well as of course having the bonus of reintroducing The Master.
I was not sure how I felt about the change in actor for The Master (Roger Delgado having died in a car accident), but actually the gory skeletal appearance is much more menacing rather the rather plyboy- ish villain he previously was. The ending to this interaction is not wholly convincing (shrugging off the potential that The Master may have survived) but mostly he is a well-used character. Baker is good with his humor and action, and he does convince about the stakes at times when it matters – making some of the violence of the serial more engaging and tense when it needs to be. The lack of a companion is no great gap, and the supporting cast are mostly good even if a bit too puffed out and theatrical (but they are Time Lords I guess).
As well as having an engaging plot, the serial also benefits from filling in a lot of detail about the Doctor's home world. I'm no great Whovian but even to me this was quite interesting – particularly to see them as a political class, with a corruptible (or at least cynical) edge to their approach. This combination of plot and backstory add together to make an engaging serial, even if it is a little outside the norm for the series.
There are quite a few reference points in this serial, but Star Trek was probably the one that jumped out the most for me. Setting 'stasers' to stun caught my ear a few times, but then having a whole episode where the Doctor runs around a quarry in a battle with a foe did rather put me in mind of Kirk – albeit this quarry is much greener than the Californian equivalent. Being set among the Doctor's own people makes this an unusual episode – more than just the absence of a companion (an absence, it must be said, I didn't find caused any actual problems). The story plays out differently from the usual monster/horror narratives, but is rather a political thriller with a passing nod to the Manchurian Candidate. As such it works well, setting up intrigue as well as of course having the bonus of reintroducing The Master.
I was not sure how I felt about the change in actor for The Master (Roger Delgado having died in a car accident), but actually the gory skeletal appearance is much more menacing rather the rather plyboy- ish villain he previously was. The ending to this interaction is not wholly convincing (shrugging off the potential that The Master may have survived) but mostly he is a well-used character. Baker is good with his humor and action, and he does convince about the stakes at times when it matters – making some of the violence of the serial more engaging and tense when it needs to be. The lack of a companion is no great gap, and the supporting cast are mostly good even if a bit too puffed out and theatrical (but they are Time Lords I guess).
As well as having an engaging plot, the serial also benefits from filling in a lot of detail about the Doctor's home world. I'm no great Whovian but even to me this was quite interesting – particularly to see them as a political class, with a corruptible (or at least cynical) edge to their approach. This combination of plot and backstory add together to make an engaging serial, even if it is a little outside the norm for the series.
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