Oh my god, how Derek Jacobi goes from lovable grandfather to unbelievably sinister just with his face is a masterpiece in acting. This is another of my favourite episodes. Absolute classic.
Jacobi was perfect casting as the Master. His performance reminds me a lot of Roger Delgado's, which is my favourite. I just wish we could have had some more of him on-screen.
@@Mohammedamine9.I know, that's why I said on-screen. Big Finish is cool, but I've never been able to get into audio dramas much, so I'm a little sad he didn't get more in the main series.
[NODS] I remember hearing Delgado's "but you *will* give your power to *me* !", which settled the question of "but *which* Time Lord is he...?" that had been growing in my head from the moment the watch appeared... resulting in a huge grin and probably some frustrated fidgetting (because leaping up and shouting "*YESSSS*!!!!" would have been a bit distracting for the other folks I was watching with. =;o} )
@@julesreacts If you're ever interested, the RUclips channel DiamandaHagan has a multo-video guide for getting into Classic Who. Though fair warning, she really doesn't like Modern Who (for reasons I don't understand), so you will hear some bashing of a show you like.
@@therealpbristow You know, I think I got the best deal by knowing who the Master was but not being familiar enough to recognise the voices. The moment he said his name right at the end just hit like a truck.
I feel bad for Professor Yana, in a similar way I felt bad for John Smith. They were both people that were separate from their respective Timelord counterpart. So in both cases it's like they died when both the Master and the Doctor took over once again. They both seemed like really good people too, which is strange considering how evil the timelord version of the master is. But perhaps he made himself 'good' on purpose.
@gaz0428 I was in tears with that whole story. Anything to do with loss of memory is particularly hard for me to stomach because it scares me so much. Between that and The Sublime Porte from the same boxset (being the final performance by Murray Melvin, an actor I thought the world of), that was an emotional release for me.
I didn’t view them as separate. They were characters made from elements of their time lords. Fictional characters but with elements of the originals, or at least of the incarnation at the time of the fobwatching. Like an actor plying a part brings a bit of himself to the role.
@@CrankyGrandma I agree to a degree. But the Master does have a habit of being a better person in general when they don't remember who they are. Yana is technically the Master. But he has more compassion because they are not weighed down by there past. We see the same thing when the Beevers Master lost his memory in the audio Master and the Lumiat.
@CrankyGrandma I don't know; it seems to me The Doctor's return in "The Family Of Blood" is very much framed as the death of John Smith, implying that he was a separate person.
As you might have guessed, the Master is from the classic show. Just as the Daleks are the most iconic collective foe, the Master is the most iconic individual foe.
Yes, the ideal viewing order is to watch "Torchwood" S1 either between Series 2 and Series 3 of "Doctor Who" (the way the two shows first aired), or in parallel with S3, watching the "Torchwood" ep before the corresponding DW ep (so that you go straight from "Torchwood" s01e13 into DW s03e13). Ah well, too late now. =:o}
@@therealpbristow I don't think you lose anything by watching this first, once you get to the end of Series 4 you absolutely should have watched the first two series of Torchwood before that because big spoilers
That "old man" is Derek Jacobi - a very brilliant and distinguished Shakespearean actor - who had done just about everything in his time. I first remember him as the stammering Emperor Claudius, in the tv series "I, Claudius" and later as the brilliant "Cadfael" the medieval monk detective by Peter Ellis. A national treasure in every sense of the word.
@@julesreacts Thankfully we can hear more of him; Big Finish productions, who do a lot of Who audio dramas, have put out a whole range showing what The Master was up to during the Time War, with Jacobi reprising his role. The Master is the sort of character who would think "All of creation is burning and reality itself is fraying; how can this benefit me?".
Let's not forget that this Thespian Treasure was knighted! Jules, you should consider watching Sir Jacobi in his Cadfael role. Not that many episodes (Brit TV) but it is just excellent!
I definitely loved the British comedy series with Jacoby and Ian McKellen playing an old married gay couple. You have to be into British humor to be able to really get it though.
@@alexsimpkin5620 That isn't true. Richard E Grant played the Doctor in the Animated Scream of the Shalka, specifically the "9th Doctor" but that was retconned in 2005. Plus, the Peter Cushin films are not canon. And the Curse of Fatal Death certainly isn't canon.
@@TheZebbga Without getting into potential spoilers in the book the Gallifrey Chronicles states that there are three Ninth Doctors that exist independently in the Prime Universe. The three Ninth Doctors fit the descriptions of Rowan Atkinson, Richard E Grant, and Christopher Eccleston. So Scream of the Shalka and Curse of Fatal Death are indeed canonical. Also this book was published during RTD tenure as showrunner.
@@alexsimpkin5620 And how do you know that book is canon? Nothing in the show confirms it. Just because it was written by RTD, doesn't mean it is canon. You convinently didn't mention the Chushin films.
@@julesreacts To be fair, he *was* a genuinely nice guy. An artificially-created genuinely nice guy who was made solely as a disguise for one of the most dangerous people the universe has ever known, but still.
Captain Jack between his last appearance and this was leading the spin off series Torchwood. The word Torchwood had often been used on on scripts to avoid leaks. Torchwood being an anagram of Doctor Who
The twist in this episode is possibly one of the most genius Russell ever came up with - assuming it was his original idea, of course lol. For Classic Who fans, they’ll twig what’s going on pretty quickly and realise who Yana actually is, you don’t even need the background Master audio to help them along with reaching that conclusion, so that’s exciting and thrilling in its own right. But for New Who fans watching for the first time, as I was, this show has still laid all the groundwork for you to be enthralled in your own way. The Family story did all the work establishing what this watch is, you don’t need the exposition, you already understand the implications of what’s going on because you watched it happen to the Doctor. You know that Yana, unbeknownst to even him, is a Time Lord. You also know that’s impossible, the Doctor is the last survivor of the Time War, it’s been one of his defining character traits since Rose. So everything is set up for you to experience a happy and joyous reunion between these two lost children of Galifrey… but you’re not happy. You can’t quite explain why but the way Derek Jacobi is acting, the way the shots are filmed and the way the music keeps building this ominous feeling, you know something bad is coming. The whole episode builds to the moment the watch is opened, culminating with the launch of the rocket and its triumphant but you’re afraid at the same time. You know by now that whatever he is, this isn’t good news. It does so much to build the reveal for newcomers that when we finally get to “I… Am… The Master,” you feel you know exactly who he is and what he’s about all without having to give one expository line of dialogue. It’s all accomplished through the masterful - pun intended - directing, music and acting. The brilliance of this twist and how much they accomplish without saying anything directly cannot be understated, one of my all time favourite Who moments for sure.
@@frankwales Same here! I was watching with friends who don't like getting spoliered, so I kept having to bite my tongue as the pieces fell into place. Part of the delight was realising that not only was Sir Derek Jacobi in Doctor Who (which had been publicised in advance)...but he was playing the frickin' *Master*! I was dismayed when he almost immediately regenerated into some pretty-boy prancing loon! (Little did I know what a brilliant Master John Simm was about to give us!) But of course, since then Sir Derek has given us his consummate interpretation of the Master many times in audio,. via Big Finish.
@@frankwales Even after he pulled out the fob watch I didn't see it coming. My brain defaulted to "same watch, has a female companion, calls himself 'The Professor' - he must be a future regeneration of The Doctor."
Tbf - my parents told me the master was one of the main villains in classic - so I was waiting for him to return. We thought he’d return earlier - then when we realised the running reference in season 3 referenced one specific person - and they’d already brought back the daleks and cybermen - the master was next. I had a teacher who knew the inside scoop and they never told us but we guessed it xD. But how they worked it into the whole season is just absolutely wonderful. And its not even the best revelation in the season ;).
Interesting Fact Of The Day: Both "Doctor" and "Master", as well as being the names of the two rival Time Lords, are types of graduate degree (Master's Degree and a Doctorate Degree).
Kudos to Big Finish Productions for bringing Jacobi back to the world of Doctor Who with the War Master line and allowing him to really expand on this version of the character. He was fantastic in just in five minutes here and as someone who's listened to his entire audio series, he's even better as the Master in BF.
There are some good Masters out there, but Jacobi is, well, incredible isn't a strong enough word. His Master is more evil and sociopathic than Darth Vader, Lexx Luthor, and Sauron combined. And he does it with such style and subtlety.
I thought it worked perfectly fine, but would have been much better if the character had been around for at least another season so their dynamic could develop beyond that.
@julesreacts The Torchwood spin-off show also introduced this concept, so most fans weren't surprised when Jack didn't die. This was the moment when we finally got an explanation for it though.
The little boy (Creet??) was cast after a competition through the children's BBC TV magazine show 'Blue Peter' (the same show that had a competition to design a monster that featured in 'Love and Monsters' in series 2). They visited the set to see him in his role. The little boy was played by John Bell, who is now an adult actor with a leading role on 'Outlander'.
It wasn't from Blue Peter this time. It was a dedicated kids Doctor who show called Totally Doctor Who. There were weekly challenges for the group of kids who wanted to get cast. The second and third place kids are in the episode too as passing extras
John Barrowman and David Tennant (who are also Scottish) both got the giggles during that scene due to the kid's accent. They couldn't help but mimic him.
9:41 I always found that moment really moving too. The piece of music is called 'This is Gallifrey'. It's definitely one of Murray Gold's most beautiful compositions for the show and I love the way they use it when the two timelords are working together. Nice bit of musical worldbuilding even though the audience doesn't know who Yana is yet. What a fabulous episode this is! Pretty much flawless.
John Simm was best known at the time for his role as Detective Chief Inspector Sam Tyler the protagonist of the police procedural/supernatural show/period drama Life on Mars, Sam is from the year 2006 and works for the Greater Manchester Police. After a traffic collision (car accident) he wakes up to find himself in the year 1973 working for the Manchester and Salford Police as a Detective Inspector, and must now figure out what’s going on.
The return of Captain Jack and The Master; like I said, the second half of series 3 is one of my all-time favorites. So glad you're enjoying it as well. Take care.
Such an amazing moment for us old-school fans to see the Master again - and so interesting to see your reaction when you had no idea who he was. Loved your genuine annoyance in that scene.
I cannot tell you how huge it was to see the Master make a return like this. One of the Doctor's most dangerous foes from the classic show, someone he used to be best friends with when they were children... now back, back from the DEAD even, freshly regenerated, and in control of the TARDIS. To put it simply, this is just about as bad as things could POSSIBLY be, and we've only just started. For a little spoiler-free background, the Master was a foe primarily of the 3rd and 5th Doctors, making alliances with Daleks, Cybermen, Autons, Axons and various other alien races in his quest for power, domination, or sometimes just destruction. When we first met him he was on his final regeneration, only to make a return shortly after with a whole new body. The Master is so devious and powerful, death itself cannot hold him permanently, he can always find a way back.
@@TheLukecottle I'm referring to spoilers for the modern show. Everything I said refers to previous classic-era episodes, since I doubt Jules is going to go back and watch every single one from the start up to 'Survival'.
@twofacetoo75 who's to say she won't though? Many reaction channel do eventually go back after catching up to modern who. She clearly loves the show. I just know I would be respectful enough not to put any spoilers at all like she has asked.
I love how it shows that the evil in The Master is learned not born with it. When he didn't have those memories he was at heart a good person, only when his memories come back that he becomes evil again.... love it
II was watching this with my daughter who was about 6 at the time. As soon as I saw the watch and recognised the masters voice from the old series and figured it out, I leaped up in the air and yelled "It's the Master" and scared her to death. She still reminds me now.
Derek Jacobi is such a brilliant actor. The way he switches from sweet old man to the absolute evil glinting in his eyes as he becomes The Master again, is just so well played.
The Master is one of the most iconic villains from Classic Who. And Derek Jacobi’s transformation from the lovable Prof Yana to the Master is absolutely amazing - all expressed through his eyes. Sir Derek is one of the world’s greatest actors, and when he whispers “I - am - the Master”, it sends shivers down my spine. And you can see from the Doctor’s reaction as soon as Martha tells him about the watch that if there is one other Time Lord who survived the Time War, then it can only be one person - his mortal enemy the Master. There’s palpable fear in the Doctor’s reaction that speaks volumes of what this means. Jules, my dear, you are in for a wild ride ahead!
I wish RTD had kept Jacobi as the Master. Nothing against Simm, but Jacobi would have been brilliant given some full episodes as the Master. I know he went on under Big Finish, but that's Big Finish, not WHO...
@@The-Cosmic-Hobo Agreed! Would have loved more time with him as the Master. I also recall an interview with him where he said he was so excited to play the Master that he could barely contain himself from shouting it out loud. His work on Big Finish is, as one would expect, outstanding.
Jack is Back and so is the Master. When Professor Yana examines his fob watch, voices of The Master actors Roger Delgado and Anthony Ainley, taken from footage of the original Doctor Who (1963) are heard.
The second half of this episode when everything just goes off the rails finally reveals what the Face of Boe's secret meant is insanely good, and Murray Gold's music just elevates it to another level. Some of my all-time favourite Who.
Oohhhh Juliette LOL prepare yourself. The Master is like no other, this is just scratching the surface. He's legitimately one of the most interesting Doctor Who characters to date with a rich, complex, wild, and actually really terrifying history.
Fun fact: In the 1970s, Derek Jacobi played Hamlet alongside Lalla Ward as Ophelia. Lalla played the Doctor's companion Romana and was married to Tom Baker, the iconic 4th Doctor. It's a small Whoniverse!
Normally when there's a multi episode storyline I wait until they're all released before I watch your reactions, but this one I just couldn't help but click as soon as I saw it. Even knowing how things go I still agree with your assessment of Professor Yana being such a sweet man, Derek Jacobi did a truly tremendous job with this role and the flip between the two personalities. That "I am the Master" line always gets me. To put this in perspective, the Master was right up there with the Daleks and the Cybermen with regards to iconic classic era Who villains and he was originally created to "be a Moriarty to the Doctor's Sherlock Holmes". Incidentally (don't worry, not a spoiler) you wondered about anagrams, there were instances during classic who when the Master would be using a fake name to enact his misdeeds and if his identity hadn't been revealed by the end of an episode in a multi-part story they would list the actor's name as an anagram in the end credits so people wouldn't spot Anthony Ainley in the credits and immediately know the Master was involved.
The voice clips as Yana starts to remember are famous from the Classic Series. Classic fans, like myself, were punching the air as soon as we heard them - we knew The Master was back,...
The last episode of the first season of Torchwood runs right into this one. Jack gets an alert at the Torchwood hub and leaves, then we see him here what's supposed to be a few minutes later.
21:10 Other way around, really. The Doctor is not like your typical Time Lord in that he is a very nice guy, very much the exception in Galifreyan society, kind of why he left in the first place. 😂
The one time I wanted to backhand Martha. Jack and the Doctor are happy their friend is NOT DEAD, and she just rolls her eyes and goes, "Good ol' Rose." Ugh. I was *so* done with her jealousy towards someone she never met over a guy who told her NO already by this point.
There were three 'big foes' in Classic Who. The Daleks were re-introduced in Series 1. In Series 2 it was the turn of the Cybermen. Classic fans were therefore probably able to guess about The Master's return.
It also made it very obvious who the big bad was going to be in season 4. Following that trend, there was only 1 villain who could possibly match the previous 3....
The Master also stands out against the others, both of the big 3 and most of the other icnoic villains from who, because most of them are species, the Doctor has a history with them as a race, but most commonly he doesn't have direct history with the individual members of the species (not the least because the often struggle to make it out of the episode alive). The Master on the other hand is a specific recurring villain, a direct rivalry which weaves a narrative all it's own
It also, funnily enough, corresponds in order to each of the early Doctors' iconic enemies. Series one had the Daleks, who were introduced with the First Doctor. Series two had the Cybermen, which were prominent with the Second Doctor (introduced with the First, but it was Hartnell's regeneration story so he never got much time with them; Troughton is remembered for them more), and series three had the Master who was the iconic foe of the Third Doctor. Oh, and then series four brought back Davros, who was introduced to the Fourth Doctor. It goes on.
Hell yeah here we are, this reveal was so mind blowing the first time I saw it and it's always a highlight to see new fans react to this reveal I love your optimistic hope that the Master was going be a good Timelord and they were gonna have a wholesome reunion
If you want to know more about Jack and the hand, that's covered in Torchwood. Timeline wise, this episode is where season 1 of Torchwood ends, since it ends w/ Jack leaving to find The Doctor. If you really listen to the 4 beat drum beat, it's the same rhythm as two hearts, the heart beat of a Time Lord. do-do-do-do, do-do-do-do. It took me, admittedly more watches than necessarily to realize that 'You Are Not Alone' also spells out YANA, despite the episode literally spelling it out for me haha. The Master is, one of the most iconic Doctor Who villains from the Classic series, alongside the Daleks and the Cybermen. Those three are like, THE Doctor Who villains, the ones everyone knows. In the Classic series I'm pretty sure The Master has a TARDIS of his own. I'm not sure what happened to it though or where it is now though.
"In the Classic series I'm pretty sure The Master has a TARDIS of his own." - He goes through at least a couple. He probably doesn't get quite so attached to them as the Doctor is to his... =:o}
Jules falls in love with Derek Jacobi as Professor Yana and wants him to have a nice reunion with the Doctor! OOOPS! :) Derek Jacobi and John Simm are just the latest actors to portray Classic Who villain The Master, who unexpectedly returned in New Who! And yes, I was gobsmacked, too! :)
@@julesreactsit's even more amazing no one assumed the professor was a time Lord right away because he was wearing essentially the first doctors clothes
I’m not going to lie, I’ve been looking forward to seeing your reaction to this particular episode for MONTHS! The Master is a character from the classic era series back in the 70’s and 80’s (some of the lines coming from the watch right before Yana opened it were taken from those episodes in fact) so I think a lot of fans minds went in a very particular direction the moment Yana pulled out that watch- I was only a kid when this came out and even I knew enough about the show that I guessed what was coming. So I was greatly looking forward to seeing your reaction to that moment as someone going in completely blind. It very much did not disappoint. Can’t wait to see what you think of the next episode!
Also, I’d like to apologise to my parents, who did not pay nearly enough attention to this show to know why the fob watch was significant and were therefore very surprised and confused when I flung myself out of my chair in shock and spent the rest of the episode clinging to the back of the sofa and screaming, like a slightly feral monkey, for the rest of this episode.
I won't say too much about the Master other then that, yeah, Who fans know him...and so will you!!😉 The reveal was so great. I can remember thinking...wait, certainly Sir Derek Jacobi is not going to be a Who regular??? That was easily solved with a regeneration, but it was so nice to see such an accomplished actor appear and it goes to show you how Doctor Who is such an institution in the UK, that there is no snootiness to appear on the show even for such acclaimed actors
HIGHLY recommend I, Claudius with Derek Jacobi in the eponymous role. Also has William Hurt (who plays a version of The Doctor at one point) as Caligula, Siân Phillips as Livia, and Patrick Stewart as Sejanus as well as MANY other amazing actors. A largely forgotten series but I still love it.
Loved your reaction to Jack showing up, been waiting a long time to see that look on your face. Also that indomitable line comes from the 4th doctors episode Ark in Space when he was praising humans for surviving. Nice call back. Once again Jules calls it on Yana right before they reveal the fob watch.
Another fun really famous villain, distinguished because, like the Doctor, the Master regenerates and so has been done various ways by different actors over the years. The Master, I think, is possibly the most compelling villain of Russell Davies' Doctor Who Seasons 1-4. Look forward to seeing your reaction to him.
OMG, such an exciting episode! I don't know what's most horrifying: the pointy-toothed people, the revelation of Professor Yana's malevolence, or being stuck at the end of the universe with no TARDIS! So glad you enjoyed it too 😊❤.
I am glad you picked up on the music because that is my favourite track from Doctor Who. It is called "This is Gallifrey" and is usually played in scenes of the Doctor reminising about Gallifrey or with scenes of him and the Master. I won't say too much because I don't want to spoil anything, but listen out for it in the next episode.
Spot the famous person. This week the award goes to Sir Derek Jacobi who plays Professor Yana, known for Gosford Park, The Crown, Gladiator, The King’s Speech and Nanny McPhee to name but a few
Ooooooh, here we go. The Master is in the house. 😈 Expect chaos. PS: Well, the hand landed over London. Jack probably has a machine that goes 'DING!' when there's stuff. 😉
Or if he doesn't, then Torchwood London would almost certainly have one. So... Jack probably just happened to be over from Cardiff on a cross-site training day, and as everyone was heading out to lunch the machine went "DING!" and... well, he drove fastest and got to the hand first. And then mysteriously failed to attend that afternoon's session... because he was heading back to Cardiff with it ASAP! Finders keepers, after all. =;o}
The Master; one of the most iconic recurring villains of the show - on the same level as the Daleks and the Cybermen! Sir Derek was the sixth actor to play the Master (in canon televised material), and it's a real shame he only got a few minutes of screen time. The Big Finish audio plays have fixed that, though; they've got a whole series of Sir Derek as the Master getting up to all manner of villainy during the Time War.
Fun fact, the Master was the last Villain of Classic Who, both the last story of the classic series, ironically titled "Survival" and the 1996 TV Movie featured the Master as the main antagonist.
Love the Doctor’s scene with Jack at the radiation chamber. Derek Jacobi really is a tremendous actor, the way he changes from the loveable professor to the formidable Time Lord villain is amazing to watch here, even just with that look when he turns around, incredible. Murray Gold’s music is a huge part of what makes the show so epic in these moments🔥
Rose infused Jack with some of the TARDIS' time energy to bring him back to life. So while he can be killed, he always comes back like a time loop. The reason the TARDIS tries to shake him off is time loops are bad for a time machine, as demonstrated by it going off course to the very end of time.
Ooh, now I recognize the Torchwood Motif(?) while Martha's examining Jack at 3:10. This has to be the best NuWho final-story in terms of twists, one for the classic Whovians and one for the newbies, too. Kind of wish the drums would've been in the classic era though, nice contribution from RTD.
My apologies if this has already been covered by someone else....Jack's ability to resurrect himself goes back to when Rose brought him back to life in The Parting of Ways. She had no control over he forces she was using, and made Jack effectively immortal. This is all covered in Torchwood, which I remember you saying you've not the time to review. Jack running up to the TARDIS when it was in Cardiff ties directly into the last scenes of series one of Torchwood. Also it has been presumed that it was Torchwood London that found the Doctor's hand after it was cut off, and Jack took it with him when he took charge of the base in Cardiff.
This was definitely my favourite episode as a kid, only topped by a series 9 episode when it eventually came along. They did a great job of introducing the master even if you didn’t know they go back way before you even saw the doctor for the first time in 63
That reveal though! That last half of the episode had me on the edge of my seat! I gotta say, I really love your reactions, I just finished watching all the rest of your Dr Who videos yesterday. I'm going in almost as blind as you are, it's really nice to feel like I'm watching with someone.
Arguably the best episode of Doctor Who. period. And Derek Jacobi’s performance as both Yana and the Master is perhaps the best performance ever on the show!
Torchwood season 1 runs between season 2 doctor who finale and now. Torchwood is VERY different but there are some episodes that are just amazing and it is AMAZING when it ties into doctor who.
I love the Chapter placements on this video, exactly what I wanted to happen happened, it goes from "The Professor" to "The Master" perfectly with the episode ❤
Hey, new to your channel, but wanted to say great reaction :) I remember when this episode first aired. For classic who fans, it was heavily hinted the Master was coming back, so to see his triumphant return here was awesome!! One of the best Who cliffhangers they’ve done.
The opening where Jack is running to the Tardis would’ve have made more sense to you if you watch Torchwood because that basically continues after the Torchwood last episode cliffhanger and the master is The Master is The Doctor old enemy from the classic series. Believe me the next two episodes are gonna be really dark because he is so insane.
Everytime I rewatch this episode it feels like a punch straight to the heart when Jack says "I thought I did. I don't know. But this lot... you see them out here surviving... and that's fantastic!"
So exciting, so many pivotal episodes you're getting in this season, and such a treat to relive them through your fresh eyes 😊 And Derek Jacobi, arguably the _biggest_ cast name in any Doctor Who, an instant "Quality Assured" stamp right there if there ever was one!! 🤩🤩🤩 P.S. The off-kilter "You've had some work done!" quip was inserted as an inside jab at John Barrowman, who genuinely had "had some work done" just prior to filming this episode (under his eyes). Just thought you might enjoy that obscure bit of pointless tidbit 😉
My biggest criticism of this one is that Derek Jacobi's Master got taken out so quickly. It would have been great to see him going into the second part of this story. He's on screen as the master for two minutes and he's absolutely brilliant. I love his nod to Hannibal Lector with "Ihhh.. AHHHM.... THUH MASTAHHHH!" Such a psychotic performance. There are so many little things in this that add layers. The Doctor's rage and manic panic bursting forward when he realizes just how badly things could be going wrong, and the rush of emotions of finally not being alone anymore. In the old show there are dozens of Timelord characters. His little idle chatter as he's flipping dials "Yeah, brilliant, depends on which one..." Also that little piece of music you liked is titled "This is Gallifrey" and if you go back and listen to other times in previous episodes where the Doctor makes allusions to his people, you can hear that theme/motif being built up for this storyline. It's honestly one of Murray Gold's best pieces of music in the entire run... In particular you can hear a bit of it near the end of the episode where Martha and The Doctor visit New New York and she refuses to go anywhere until he explains himself. One of the biggest questions left unanswered by this story is when the Doctor says "Master... I'm sorry." I've always wondered what he was apologizing for. Even having seen the old show, and I don't think its a spoiler that they obviously know each other, there's nothing specific that the doctor could/should be apologizing for. If The Doctor is Sherlock Holmes, The Master is basically his Moriarty.
I've always had 3 guesses as to what he may be apologizing for: 1. Destroying Gallifrey and effectively making himself and the master the last of their kind. It's been showed that the Doctor has a huge guilt over destroying his planet and that the fact that he believed he was the last made him miserable. He may be extrapolating his feelings here on the Master thinking that the Master in now thanks to him homeless and subjected to loneliness just like he. 2. The fact that he didn't do anything to stop the Master from becoming the Master when they were children. The Doctor just met this excellent, brilliant and kind man - professor Yana, who literally wanted to sacrifice his own life for the sake of others. It can be also seen that the Doctor really enjoyed talking to and interacting with Yana... only for him to turn into the Master... At the end of Family of Blood when Doctor talks with Joanne he tells her that while he and John Smith are separate beings, everything that john smith was the Doctor can be too. They have the same capability of behaving in a certain way and there is a part of the Doctor that IS John Smith (the one that created him). The same goes for Yana and the Master, there is some part of the Master that is Yana. So the Doctor here firstly learned that his he is not alone because his childhood friend also survived and then saw by himself who the Master had the potential to become. He got his good childhood friend back for a split second and was able to talk with him. Perhaps being confronted with Yana made him wonder what had happened to the Master to made him the Master, and perhaps he blames himself for not being close enough with his friend back there. 3. He was sorry that him not realizing who Yana was killed both Chantho and Yana. Again in the Family of Blood we learn that when Time Lord regains his memories his biology is rewritten and that for his human counterpart means death. The Doctor knew how hard it was for John Smith to die and that Yana had no idea that him opening the watch would result in his death, he did it only out of curiosity. By not realizing who Yana was he also endangered Martha, Jack and all the people in the rocket so he may be sorry about that too. That being said, I don't think it is point 3. The Doctor does care for individuals and human lives, but he also... cares for people who are important to him and his race more. When a lot of innocent dies he is sad but can deal with it, when one person he truly cares about dies or is in danger he tries to do everything to prevent this. Here he doesn't react to Chantho death at all, so I believe the possible reunion with the Master was just more important to him because somehow he still cares about him.
YANA! Those creatures with the sharp teeth remind me a bit of the episodes "The Impossible Planet" and "The Pit" with the markings on the face! Also, it is interesting to me that Yana was willing to help those humans/refugees, but the Master was quick to destroy and kill! Recall that in 'Human Nature' and "Family of Blood," when the Doctor was human, he was all about war and wasn't truly willing to be brave enough to do the right thing of his own accord. (He finally did do the right thing, but after how long and what circumstances...?) That was how the Doctor saw humans, while the Master sees them a little differently! Each comparing humans to themselves to produce what they believed was human! As for Jack, he is a big flirt, regardless of species! And, by the way, great memory! Recalling Latimer's name... For the record, I think I also thought it was Latimer, lost in time! As for other anagrams or things of that nature... They did the same thing with Bad Wolf, if you recall. And poor Martha for living in the shadow of Rose Tyler! Martha does notice the difference of how she is treated, and how they (Doctor and Jack) both speak of Rose. It is heartbreaking at times. Your reactions and comments are wonderful! I am looking forward to the next episode!
Yay! Utopia is my favorite episode of all doctor who. Not sure why but I feel like the Master reveal is just perfect. And I love the Master as a vilain especially played by John Simm!!! I can’t wait to watch your reaction to the next two episode. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do
Seeing Jack back is amazing he was great in this episode. Also you meet The Master who is basically The Doctor's longstanding rival/enemy. Even so The Doctor is so desperate to find a Timelord he yells out for him to stop.
Both the Doctor and the Master have been considered renegades and outlaws from Time Lord society for most of their lives (the Doctor _was_ elected Lord President at one point, but, then, I think, so was the Master). There is an absolutely fantastic Big Finish audio series called The War Master starring Derek Jacobi depicting some of his missions during the Time War ending with his decision to desert to the end of the Universe and become Yana. Wait on it until you've gotten a few more seasons of the show under your belt.
The Master is one of the Doctor's oldest enemies like the Daleks and the Cybermen and was a villain in Classic Who the voices you hear in Yana's head were the original actors Roger Delgado who played The original Master back in 1971 and the laugh aound was Anthony Ainley from an unknown episode using sound archive from previous episodes. It's ashame that actor Derek Jacobi only got to play the Master for 30 seconds I would had liked to have seen more as he is a great actor but unfortunately we been robbed of it and they wanted someone younger to match with David Tennant's Doctor so they went with John Simm. Derek Jacobi has however returned as The Master in recent years in one of the big finish audio dramas and has also voiced The Master before the shows revival which is uncanon to the TV show called "Scream of the Shalka" which is an unofficial Dr. Who animated episode that was made for the 40th anniversary of the show 2 years before the official revival Doctor Who series returned in 2005. I love Martha but the constant jealousy of Rose did start to get alittle annoying and although he's not my favourite character it was nice to see Captain Jack return once again.
RTD really has the knack for weaving a story and bringing everything together into an amazing tour de force. This is my favourite episode for the season, but only works when you've watched basically all of the previous seasons. The return of the Master... the Moriarty to the Doctor's Holmes... Responsible for incalculable deaths in the classic era... Yep - great episode!
Love this era of Who so much!! Watching your Dr. Who reactions realy is a highlight of my RUclips viewing! I think the first reactions I watched on your channel was Firefly. Really am such a fan. Cheers Jules!
Oh my god, how Derek Jacobi goes from lovable grandfather to unbelievably sinister just with his face is a masterpiece in acting.
This is another of my favourite episodes. Absolute classic.
Jacobi was perfect casting as the Master. His performance reminds me a lot of Roger Delgado's, which is my favourite. I just wish we could have had some more of him on-screen.
@@murdomaclachlanhe has his own audio drama series by big finish as the war master
@@Mohammedamine9.I know, that's why I said on-screen. Big Finish is cool, but I've never been able to get into audio dramas much, so I'm a little sad he didn't get more in the main series.
@@murdomaclachlan - I suspect that was more due to the budget than anything - a top league actor like Jacobi wouldn’t come cheap.
I was kinda annoyed they got rid of him so quickly. He did "menacing" so well, which is what the Master is meant to be
If you listen, when the professor is tempted to open the watch, you hear voices. Those voices are of the master from older seasons.
Oh wow.... 🤯
[NODS] I remember hearing Delgado's "but you *will* give your power to *me* !", which settled the question of "but *which* Time Lord is he...?" that had been growing in my head from the moment the watch appeared... resulting in a huge grin and probably some frustrated fidgetting (because leaping up and shouting "*YESSSS*!!!!" would have been a bit distracting for the other folks I was watching with. =;o} )
@@julesreacts If you're ever interested, the RUclips channel DiamandaHagan has a multo-video guide for getting into Classic Who. Though fair warning, she really doesn't like Modern Who (for reasons I don't understand), so you will hear some bashing of a show you like.
@@therealpbristow You know, I think I got the best deal by knowing who the Master was but not being familiar enough to recognise the voices. The moment he said his name right at the end just hit like a truck.
And it was fantastic!
I feel bad for Professor Yana, in a similar way I felt bad for John Smith. They were both people that were separate from their respective Timelord counterpart. So in both cases it's like they died when both the Master and the Doctor took over once again. They both seemed like really good people too, which is strange considering how evil the timelord version of the master is. But perhaps he made himself 'good' on purpose.
The last war master box set that was brought out by big finish was about Yana and it was heartbreaking. 💔💔
@gaz0428 I was in tears with that whole story. Anything to do with loss of memory is particularly hard for me to stomach because it scares me so much. Between that and The Sublime Porte from the same boxset (being the final performance by Murray Melvin, an actor I thought the world of), that was an emotional release for me.
I didn’t view them as separate. They were characters made from elements of their time lords. Fictional characters but with elements of the originals, or at least of the incarnation at the time of the fobwatching. Like an actor plying a part brings a bit of himself to the role.
@@CrankyGrandma I agree to a degree. But the Master does have a habit of being a better person in general when they don't remember who they are. Yana is technically the Master. But he has more compassion because they are not weighed down by there past.
We see the same thing when the Beevers Master lost his memory in the audio Master and the Lumiat.
@CrankyGrandma I don't know; it seems to me The Doctor's return in "The Family Of Blood" is very much framed as the death of John Smith, implying that he was a separate person.
As you might have guessed, the Master is from the classic show. Just as the Daleks are the most iconic collective foe, the Master is the most iconic individual foe.
"I like this old man, please don't let him die" 0.0
Well, he did in a way :(
😭😭😭
“Well, that’s just gone terribly.” 😂😂😂
Understatement of the year
Jacks appearance in this intersects with the finale of Torchwood season 1
Yes, the ideal viewing order is to watch "Torchwood" S1 either between Series 2 and Series 3 of "Doctor Who" (the way the two shows first aired), or in parallel with S3, watching the "Torchwood" ep before the corresponding DW ep (so that you go straight from "Torchwood" s01e13 into DW s03e13).
Ah well, too late now. =:o}
@@therealpbristow I don't think you lose anything by watching this first, once you get to the end of Series 4 you absolutely should have watched the first two series of Torchwood before that because big spoilers
Hehe
"Hopefully he's not some kind of evil time lord" ..
👀👀
The Master is absolutely amazing as a villain; John Simm totally nailed the role
It's my first time seeing him, but my goodness, it was so well done!!
Don't forget Derek Jacobi in his two performances and how seemless it changes
So did that guy. And so did every single actor who has ever played them.
That "old man" is Derek Jacobi - a very brilliant and distinguished Shakespearean actor - who had done just about everything in his time. I first remember him as the stammering Emperor Claudius, in the tv series "I, Claudius" and later as the brilliant "Cadfael" the medieval monk detective by Peter Ellis. A national treasure in every sense of the word.
I've never seen him before, but he's wonderful! I wish we could have seen more of him.
@@julesreacts Thankfully we can hear more of him; Big Finish productions, who do a lot of Who audio dramas, have put out a whole range showing what The Master was up to during the Time War, with Jacobi reprising his role. The Master is the sort of character who would think "All of creation is burning and reality itself is fraying; how can this benefit me?".
I think the first time I took note of Jacobi was from The Secret Garden; I was 10.
Let's not forget that this Thespian Treasure was knighted!
Jules, you should consider watching Sir Jacobi in his Cadfael role. Not that many episodes (Brit TV) but it is just excellent!
I definitely loved the British comedy series with Jacoby and Ian McKellen playing an old married gay couple. You have to be into British humor to be able to really get it though.
Fun fact: This is Derek Jacobi's second time playing the Master, as he was the Master during the 40th Anniversary Special, Scream of the Shalka.
Yes, although that special is no longer considered canonical.
@@Rocket1377 It's Doctor Who, everything is canonical.
@@alexsimpkin5620 That isn't true. Richard E Grant played the Doctor in the Animated Scream of the Shalka, specifically the "9th Doctor" but that was retconned in 2005. Plus, the Peter Cushin films are not canon. And the Curse of Fatal Death certainly isn't canon.
@@TheZebbga Without getting into potential spoilers in the book the Gallifrey Chronicles states that there are three Ninth Doctors that exist independently in the Prime Universe. The three Ninth Doctors fit the descriptions of Rowan Atkinson, Richard E Grant, and Christopher Eccleston. So Scream of the Shalka and Curse of Fatal Death are indeed canonical. Also this book was published during RTD tenure as showrunner.
@@alexsimpkin5620 And how do you know that book is canon? Nothing in the show confirms it. Just because it was written by RTD, doesn't mean it is canon.
You convinently didn't mention the Chushin films.
"I like this old man"
Me: 👀 lol
😭😭😭 I sometimes have the WORST judge of character haha
@@julesreacts To be fair, he *was* a genuinely nice guy. An artificially-created genuinely nice guy who was made solely as a disguise for one of the most dangerous people the universe has ever known, but still.
Captain Jack between his last appearance and this was leading the spin off series Torchwood. The word Torchwood had often been used on on scripts to avoid leaks. Torchwood being an anagram of Doctor Who
The twist in this episode is possibly one of the most genius Russell ever came up with - assuming it was his original idea, of course lol.
For Classic Who fans, they’ll twig what’s going on pretty quickly and realise who Yana actually is, you don’t even need the background Master audio to help them along with reaching that conclusion, so that’s exciting and thrilling in its own right.
But for New Who fans watching for the first time, as I was, this show has still laid all the groundwork for you to be enthralled in your own way. The Family story did all the work establishing what this watch is, you don’t need the exposition, you already understand the implications of what’s going on because you watched it happen to the Doctor. You know that Yana, unbeknownst to even him, is a Time Lord. You also know that’s impossible, the Doctor is the last survivor of the Time War, it’s been one of his defining character traits since Rose. So everything is set up for you to experience a happy and joyous reunion between these two lost children of Galifrey… but you’re not happy. You can’t quite explain why but the way Derek Jacobi is acting, the way the shots are filmed and the way the music keeps building this ominous feeling, you know something bad is coming. The whole episode builds to the moment the watch is opened, culminating with the launch of the rocket and its triumphant but you’re afraid at the same time. You know by now that whatever he is, this isn’t good news.
It does so much to build the reveal for newcomers that when we finally get to “I… Am… The Master,” you feel you know exactly who he is and what he’s about all without having to give one expository line of dialogue. It’s all accomplished through the masterful - pun intended - directing, music and acting. The brilliance of this twist and how much they accomplish without saying anything directly cannot be understated, one of my all time favourite Who moments for sure.
I've been watching since Roger Delgado was The Master, and I didn't see it coming on first airing until he pulled out the fob watch.
@@frankwales Same here! I was watching with friends who don't like getting spoliered, so I kept having to bite my tongue as the pieces fell into place. Part of the delight was realising that not only was Sir Derek Jacobi in Doctor Who (which had been publicised in advance)...but he was playing the frickin' *Master*!
I was dismayed when he almost immediately regenerated into some pretty-boy prancing loon! (Little did I know what a brilliant Master John Simm was about to give us!) But of course, since then Sir Derek has given us his consummate interpretation of the Master many times in audio,. via Big Finish.
@@frankwales Even after he pulled out the fob watch I didn't see it coming. My brain defaulted to "same watch, has a female companion, calls himself 'The Professor' - he must be a future regeneration of The Doctor."
Best thing modern who did in my opinion, 14 minutes of brilliance
Tbf - my parents told me the master was one of the main villains in classic - so I was waiting for him to return. We thought he’d return earlier - then when we realised the running reference in season 3 referenced one specific person - and they’d already brought back the daleks and cybermen - the master was next. I had a teacher who knew the inside scoop and they never told us but we guessed it xD.
But how they worked it into the whole season is just absolutely wonderful.
And its not even the best revelation in the season ;).
That turn from Yana to the master is phenomenal. Great reaction Jules.
Interesting Fact Of The Day: Both "Doctor" and "Master", as well as being the names of the two rival Time Lords, are types of graduate degree (Master's Degree and a Doctorate Degree).
Kudos to Big Finish Productions for bringing Jacobi back to the world of Doctor Who with the War Master line and allowing him to really expand on this version of the character. He was fantastic in just in five minutes here and as someone who's listened to his entire audio series, he's even better as the Master in BF.
There are some good Masters out there, but Jacobi is, well, incredible isn't a strong enough word. His Master is more evil and sociopathic than Darth Vader, Lexx Luthor, and Sauron combined. And he does it with such style and subtlety.
I adore Derek Jacobi's War Master, he's second only to Roger Delgado's original in my opinion.
Russel T. did Martha so dirty by making an ex-companion her "rival" to be jealous of.
I thought it worked perfectly fine, but would have been much better if the character had been around for at least another season so their dynamic could develop beyond that.
Love how you didnt even question Jack not being able to die 😂
I assumed something happened way back in The Parting of the Ways! Glad we got it explained, though!
@julesreacts The Torchwood spin-off show also introduced this concept, so most fans weren't surprised when Jack didn't die. This was the moment when we finally got an explanation for it though.
The little boy (Creet??) was cast after a competition through the children's BBC TV magazine show 'Blue Peter' (the same show that had a competition to design a monster that featured in 'Love and Monsters' in series 2). They visited the set to see him in his role. The little boy was played by John Bell, who is now an adult actor with a leading role on 'Outlander'.
It wasn't from Blue Peter this time. It was a dedicated kids Doctor who show called Totally Doctor Who. There were weekly challenges for the group of kids who wanted to get cast. The second and third place kids are in the episode too as passing extras
John Barrowman and David Tennant (who are also Scottish) both got the giggles during that scene due to the kid's accent. They couldn't help but mimic him.
I remember the lad in Tracy Baker returns
9:41 I always found that moment really moving too. The piece of music is called 'This is Gallifrey'. It's definitely one of Murray Gold's most beautiful compositions for the show and I love the way they use it when the two timelords are working together. Nice bit of musical worldbuilding even though the audience doesn't know who Yana is yet. What a fabulous episode this is! Pretty much flawless.
"You Are Not Alone" the Face of Bo said. So, we now know what he meant, but how did he know?
Because he was there, too.
@@richardvinsen2385 😉 😂
probably because he's standing behind the doctor when their talking about this
John Simm was best known at the time for his role as Detective Chief Inspector Sam Tyler the protagonist of the police procedural/supernatural show/period drama Life on Mars, Sam is from the year 2006 and works for the Greater Manchester Police. After a traffic collision (car accident) he wakes up to find himself in the year 1973 working for the Manchester and Salford Police as a Detective Inspector, and must now figure out what’s going on.
One of the most original dramas of the last century
Fire up the quattro
Life on Mars (British version) Best TV show ever!!!
@@lisagermany Fantastic series.
I wish I was in your shoes watching for the first time but it’s still as exiting. Can’t wait for the next reaction!
"The drums, the drums, the neverending drums- open this watch you old fool! Open it and *receive my majesty*!" - that was a scary line in 2007
The return of Captain Jack and The Master; like I said, the second half of series 3 is one of my all-time favorites. So glad you're enjoying it as well. Take care.
The song that starts playing around 9:27 is called "This Is Gallifrey" or "This Is Gallifrey: Our Childhood. Our Home" by Murray Gold.
Such an amazing moment for us old-school fans to see the Master again - and so interesting to see your reaction when you had no idea who he was. Loved your genuine annoyance in that scene.
It's been incredible to learn about him!
I cannot tell you how huge it was to see the Master make a return like this. One of the Doctor's most dangerous foes from the classic show, someone he used to be best friends with when they were children... now back, back from the DEAD even, freshly regenerated, and in control of the TARDIS.
To put it simply, this is just about as bad as things could POSSIBLY be, and we've only just started.
For a little spoiler-free background, the Master was a foe primarily of the 3rd and 5th Doctors, making alliances with Daleks, Cybermen, Autons, Axons and various other alien races in his quest for power, domination, or sometimes just destruction. When we first met him he was on his final regeneration, only to make a return shortly after with a whole new body. The Master is so devious and powerful, death itself cannot hold him permanently, he can always find a way back.
@@Bodankimaybe delete this comment because she might decide to watch classic who and you don’t wanna ruin it for her :)
Also your spoiler free background is actually pretty full with spoilers. I would delete that and just say “he’s from classic who”
@@TheLukecottle I'm referring to spoilers for the modern show. Everything I said refers to previous classic-era episodes, since I doubt Jules is going to go back and watch every single one from the start up to 'Survival'.
@twofacetoo75 who's to say she won't though? Many reaction channel do eventually go back after catching up to modern who. She clearly loves the show. I just know I would be respectful enough not to put any spoilers at all like she has asked.
I love how it shows that the evil in The Master is learned not born with it. When he didn't have those memories he was at heart a good person, only when his memories come back that he becomes evil again.... love it
II was watching this with my daughter who was about 6 at the time. As soon as I saw the watch and recognised the masters voice from the old series and figured it out, I leaped up in the air and yelled "It's the Master" and scared her to death. She still reminds me now.
Derek Jacobi is such a brilliant actor. The way he switches from sweet old man to the absolute evil glinting in his eyes as he becomes The Master again, is just so well played.
The Master is one of the most iconic villains from Classic Who. And Derek Jacobi’s transformation from the lovable Prof Yana to the Master is absolutely amazing - all expressed through his eyes. Sir Derek is one of the world’s greatest actors, and when he whispers “I - am - the Master”, it sends shivers down my spine.
And you can see from the Doctor’s reaction as soon as Martha tells him about the watch that if there is one other Time Lord who survived the Time War, then it can only be one person - his mortal enemy the Master. There’s palpable fear in the Doctor’s reaction that speaks volumes of what this means.
Jules, my dear, you are in for a wild ride ahead!
Hang on a minute, the Master is his mortal enemy now? I'll scratch his eyes out! (Apologies to Michelle Gomez)
I wish RTD had kept Jacobi as the Master. Nothing against Simm, but Jacobi would have been brilliant given some full episodes as the Master. I know he went on under Big Finish, but that's Big Finish, not WHO...
@@The-Cosmic-Hobo Agreed! Would have loved more time with him as the Master. I also recall an interview with him where he said he was so excited to play the Master that he could barely contain himself from shouting it out loud. His work on Big Finish is, as one would expect, outstanding.
@@lbd-po7cl I wish I could "get into" Big Finish... I have always struggled with audio-only.
@@robertmartin9029 You can have lots of mortal enemies, but only one *greatest* enemy. =:o}
Jack is Back and so is the Master.
When Professor Yana examines his fob watch, voices of The Master actors Roger Delgado and Anthony Ainley, taken from footage of the original Doctor Who (1963) are heard.
My explanation for Jack getting the hand is that it probably landed in his Christmas morning porridge
Best explanation. And he happened to recognize it. "Wait a minute...I know that manly hand."
I like to think he was in the middle of hitting on someone and even then the Doctors hand just landed on between them as if to say "stop!"
oooo i've been looking forward to this one! signed up to patreon just to see it as soon as possible! 💜💜
Ahhh thank you so much 💜 What a surprising episode... I'd never have guessed the outcome 😱 I'm actually editing the next one right now hehe
Really wish we could have seen more of Derek Jacobis Master as right from the second you first get him hes terrifying
Yeah, I would have liked that too!
The second half of this episode when everything just goes off the rails finally reveals what the Face of Boe's secret meant is insanely good, and Murray Gold's music just elevates it to another level. Some of my all-time favourite Who.
Oohhhh Juliette LOL prepare yourself. The Master is like no other, this is just scratching the surface. He's legitimately one of the most interesting Doctor Who characters to date with a rich, complex, wild, and actually really terrifying history.
Enter ... and exit... Sir Derek Jacobi, one of David Tennant's acting inspirations.
So brilliant when he becomes the master!
Fun fact: In the 1970s, Derek Jacobi played Hamlet alongside Lalla Ward as Ophelia. Lalla played the Doctor's companion Romana and was married to Tom Baker, the iconic 4th Doctor. It's a small Whoniverse!
Normally when there's a multi episode storyline I wait until they're all released before I watch your reactions, but this one I just couldn't help but click as soon as I saw it.
Even knowing how things go I still agree with your assessment of Professor Yana being such a sweet man, Derek Jacobi did a truly tremendous job with this role and the flip between the two personalities. That "I am the Master" line always gets me. To put this in perspective, the Master was right up there with the Daleks and the Cybermen with regards to iconic classic era Who villains and he was originally created to "be a Moriarty to the Doctor's Sherlock Holmes".
Incidentally (don't worry, not a spoiler) you wondered about anagrams, there were instances during classic who when the Master would be using a fake name to enact his misdeeds and if his identity hadn't been revealed by the end of an episode in a multi-part story they would list the actor's name as an anagram in the end credits so people wouldn't spot Anthony Ainley in the credits and immediately know the Master was involved.
The master probably inadvertently chose yana as a name himself lol
The voice clips as Yana starts to remember are famous from the Classic Series. Classic fans, like myself, were punching the air as soon as we heard them - we knew The Master was back,...
The last episode of the first season of Torchwood runs right into this one. Jack gets an alert at the Torchwood hub and leaves, then we see him here what's supposed to be a few minutes later.
21:10
Other way around, really.
The Doctor is not like your typical Time Lord in that he is a very nice guy, very much the exception in Galifreyan society, kind of why he left in the first place. 😂
Yeah, unfortunately, the timelords kind of suck. The doctor is just awesome and romanticises their memory after the time war...
And they get even crazier near the end
True, though the Master is no more an example of your standard Time Lord
@@medafan53 yes, good point.
The one time I wanted to backhand Martha. Jack and the Doctor are happy their friend is NOT DEAD, and she just rolls her eyes and goes, "Good ol' Rose." Ugh. I was *so* done with her jealousy towards someone she never met over a guy who told her NO already by this point.
Yeah, I am a bit over the jealousy to be honest!
I agree. Some of the episodes with Martha are my favorite, but I do get tired of the jealousy.
There were three 'big foes' in Classic Who.
The Daleks were re-introduced in Series 1.
In Series 2 it was the turn of the Cybermen.
Classic fans were therefore probably able to guess about The Master's return.
It also made it very obvious who the big bad was going to be in season 4. Following that trend, there was only 1 villain who could possibly match the previous 3....
The Master also stands out against the others, both of the big 3 and most of the other icnoic villains from who, because most of them are species, the Doctor has a history with them as a race, but most commonly he doesn't have direct history with the individual members of the species (not the least because the often struggle to make it out of the episode alive). The Master on the other hand is a specific recurring villain, a direct rivalry which weaves a narrative all it's own
It also, funnily enough, corresponds in order to each of the early Doctors' iconic enemies. Series one had the Daleks, who were introduced with the First Doctor. Series two had the Cybermen, which were prominent with the Second Doctor (introduced with the First, but it was Hartnell's regeneration story so he never got much time with them; Troughton is remembered for them more), and series three had the Master who was the iconic foe of the Third Doctor.
Oh, and then series four brought back Davros, who was introduced to the Fourth Doctor. It goes on.
Hell yeah here we are, this reveal was so mind blowing the first time I saw it and it's always a highlight to see new fans react to this reveal
I love your optimistic hope that the Master was going be a good Timelord and they were gonna have a wholesome reunion
Oh, it's a wholesome reunion alright (for the fans!)... =:o]
If you want to know more about Jack and the hand, that's covered in Torchwood. Timeline wise, this episode is where season 1 of Torchwood ends, since it ends w/ Jack leaving to find The Doctor.
If you really listen to the 4 beat drum beat, it's the same rhythm as two hearts, the heart beat of a Time Lord. do-do-do-do, do-do-do-do.
It took me, admittedly more watches than necessarily to realize that 'You Are Not Alone' also spells out YANA, despite the episode literally spelling it out for me haha. The Master is, one of the most iconic Doctor Who villains from the Classic series, alongside the Daleks and the Cybermen. Those three are like, THE Doctor Who villains, the ones everyone knows.
In the Classic series I'm pretty sure The Master has a TARDIS of his own. I'm not sure what happened to it though or where it is now though.
"In the Classic series I'm pretty sure The Master has a TARDIS of his own." - He goes through at least a couple. He probably doesn't get quite so attached to them as the Doctor is to his... =:o}
The Master was running away from the Time War. He was first introduced in the 1970s, the idea was a Sherlock Holmes / Moriarty type relationship
The entire moment between Jack and the Doctor talking about his condition is one of my all time favorite DW moments of all time.
The doctor is prejudiced 😂
@@fayesouthall6604 "I never thought of it like that!" - Yes, that's the problem with most prejudices we hold. =:o}
Jules falls in love with Derek Jacobi as Professor Yana and wants him to have a nice reunion with the Doctor!
OOOPS! :)
Derek Jacobi and John Simm are just the latest actors to portray Classic Who villain The Master, who unexpectedly returned in New Who!
And yes, I was gobsmacked, too! :)
Yeah oops.
I sure got fooled 😭😭
@@julesreactsit's even more amazing no one assumed the professor was a time Lord right away because he was wearing essentially the first doctors clothes
Imagine how we vintage-Who veterans felt when we first realized the Master had come back! The use of Easter eggs through the season was brilliant.
I’m not going to lie, I’ve been looking forward to seeing your reaction to this particular episode for MONTHS! The Master is a character from the classic era series back in the 70’s and 80’s (some of the lines coming from the watch right before Yana opened it were taken from those episodes in fact) so I think a lot of fans minds went in a very particular direction the moment Yana pulled out that watch- I was only a kid when this came out and even I knew enough about the show that I guessed what was coming. So I was greatly looking forward to seeing your reaction to that moment as someone going in completely blind. It very much did not disappoint. Can’t wait to see what you think of the next episode!
Also, I’d like to apologise to my parents, who did not pay nearly enough attention to this show to know why the fob watch was significant and were therefore very surprised and confused when I flung myself out of my chair in shock and spent the rest of the episode clinging to the back of the sofa and screaming, like a slightly feral monkey, for the rest of this episode.
It was so jarring to see the Doctor terrified - “Martha, what did he say?!!!”
Nothing so worrying as a scared Doctor 😭
I won't say too much about the Master other then that, yeah, Who fans know him...and so will you!!😉
The reveal was so great. I can remember thinking...wait, certainly Sir Derek Jacobi is not going to be a Who regular??? That was easily solved with a regeneration, but it was so nice to see such an accomplished actor appear and it goes to show you how Doctor Who is such an institution in the UK, that there is no snootiness to appear on the show even for such acclaimed actors
HIGHLY recommend I, Claudius with Derek Jacobi in the eponymous role. Also has William Hurt (who plays a version of The Doctor at one point) as Caligula, Siân Phillips as Livia, and Patrick Stewart as Sejanus as well as MANY other amazing actors. A largely forgotten series but I still love it.
Loved your reaction to Jack showing up, been waiting a long time to see that look on your face.
Also that indomitable line comes from the 4th doctors episode Ark in Space when he was praising humans for surviving. Nice call back.
Once again Jules calls it on Yana right before they reveal the fob watch.
Thank you!! I'm so glad you enjoyed 😸
The drums, can’t do anything in fours without hearing them. It’s such a beautiful sound.
What an episode! We get Jack back, we get the Master back, and we lose the Tardis XD
And they did such a good job with the music at the end!
Another fun really famous villain, distinguished because, like the Doctor, the Master regenerates and so has been done various ways by different actors over the years. The Master, I think, is possibly the most compelling villain of Russell Davies' Doctor Who Seasons 1-4. Look forward to seeing your reaction to him.
OMG, such an exciting episode! I don't know what's most horrifying: the pointy-toothed people, the revelation of Professor Yana's malevolence, or being stuck at the end of the universe with no TARDIS! So glad you enjoyed it too 😊❤.
I am glad you picked up on the music because that is my favourite track from Doctor Who. It is called "This is Gallifrey" and is usually played in scenes of the Doctor reminising about Gallifrey or with scenes of him and the Master. I won't say too much because I don't want to spoil anything, but listen out for it in the next episode.
The music is always INCREDIBLE!
@@julesreacts It is! Murray Gold is fantastic.
Spot the famous person.
This week the award goes to Sir Derek Jacobi who plays Professor Yana, known for Gosford Park, The Crown, Gladiator, The King’s Speech and Nanny McPhee to name but a few
I always get chills at the gong strike in the soundtrack when Martha turns over the fob watch.
Yay, I was so excited for you to see this episode. 🖤🖤
Ooooooh, here we go.
The Master is in the house. 😈
Expect chaos.
PS: Well, the hand landed over London.
Jack probably has a machine that goes 'DING!' when there's stuff. 😉
Or if he doesn't, then Torchwood London would almost certainly have one. So... Jack probably just happened to be over from Cardiff on a cross-site training day, and as everyone was heading out to lunch the machine went "DING!" and... well, he drove fastest and got to the hand first. And then mysteriously failed to attend that afternoon's session... because he was heading back to Cardiff with it ASAP! Finders keepers, after all. =;o}
The Master; one of the most iconic recurring villains of the show - on the same level as the Daleks and the Cybermen! Sir Derek was the sixth actor to play the Master (in canon televised material), and it's a real shame he only got a few minutes of screen time. The Big Finish audio plays have fixed that, though; they've got a whole series of Sir Derek as the Master getting up to all manner of villainy during the Time War.
Fun fact, the Master was the last Villain of Classic Who, both the last story of the classic series, ironically titled "Survival" and the 1996 TV Movie featured the Master as the main antagonist.
This was the first time, ever, i met the Master. Don't remember 'them' from any previous season. Although i never watched the original series. ✌️😺🌻
Love the Doctor’s scene with Jack at the radiation chamber. Derek Jacobi really is a tremendous actor, the way he changes from the loveable professor to the formidable Time Lord villain is amazing to watch here, even just with that look when he turns around, incredible. Murray Gold’s music is a huge part of what makes the show so epic in these moments🔥
Rose infused Jack with some of the TARDIS' time energy to bring him back to life. So while he can be killed, he always comes back like a time loop. The reason the TARDIS tries to shake him off is time loops are bad for a time machine, as demonstrated by it going off course to the very end of time.
Ooh, now I recognize the Torchwood Motif(?) while Martha's examining Jack at 3:10.
This has to be the best NuWho final-story in terms of twists, one for the classic Whovians and one for the newbies, too. Kind of wish the drums would've been in the classic era though, nice contribution from RTD.
They do love to play with anagrams. Torchwood is an anagram for Doctor Who. :)
How I have binge watched your videos to get to this point, I knew you would absolutely love these!
Yay! Thank you, Dale!
Human Nature/Family of Blood, Blink and Utopia, four ten out of 10 episodes back to back.
Hard agree
My apologies if this has already been covered by someone else....Jack's ability to resurrect himself goes back to when Rose brought him back to life in The Parting of Ways. She had no control over he forces she was using, and made Jack effectively immortal. This is all covered in Torchwood, which I remember you saying you've not the time to review. Jack running up to the TARDIS when it was in Cardiff ties directly into the last scenes of series one of Torchwood. Also it has been presumed that it was Torchwood London that found the Doctor's hand after it was cut off, and Jack took it with him when he took charge of the base in Cardiff.
This was definitely my favourite episode as a kid, only topped by a series 9 episode when it eventually came along. They did a great job of introducing the master even if you didn’t know they go back way before you even saw the doctor for the first time in 63
That reveal though! That last half of the episode had me on the edge of my seat! I gotta say, I really love your reactions, I just finished watching all the rest of your Dr Who videos yesterday. I'm going in almost as blind as you are, it's really nice to feel like I'm watching with someone.
Arguably the best episode of Doctor Who. period. And Derek Jacobi’s performance as both Yana and the Master is perhaps the best performance ever on the show!
Interesting how The Doctor immediately knows who it is, with dread on his face.
Torchwood season 1 runs between season 2 doctor who finale and now. Torchwood is VERY different but there are some episodes that are just amazing and it is AMAZING when it ties into doctor who.
I love the Chapter placements on this video, exactly what I wanted to happen happened, it goes from "The Professor" to "The Master" perfectly with the episode ❤
Wait... that's so cool! I didn't do that! I have automatic chapters selected, so youtube must have done it 😅
@@julesreacts oh wow, well I'll still give you the credit, you deserve it more than RUclips 🤣
HAHA thank you!!
4:38 Burn!🤣😂Thanks so much Juliette🥰Hope you, Maggie and Pie are doing well😉
Hey, new to your channel, but wanted to say great reaction :)
I remember when this episode first aired. For classic who fans, it was heavily hinted the Master was coming back, so to see his triumphant return here was awesome!!
One of the best Who cliffhangers they’ve done.
Thank you so much and welcome in 😊😊
The opening where Jack is running to the Tardis would’ve have made more sense to you if you watch Torchwood because that basically continues after the Torchwood last episode cliffhanger and the master is The Master is The Doctor old enemy from the classic series. Believe me the next two episodes are gonna be really dark because he is so insane.
Sorry I made a mistake there the master is the doctor old enemy I meant to say.
HERE WE GO!!!!!! Now we get the return of a classic villain. So great that you got it right before the reveal
Everytime I rewatch this episode it feels like a punch straight to the heart when Jack says "I thought I did. I don't know. But this lot... you see them out here surviving... and that's fantastic!"
So exciting, so many pivotal episodes you're getting in this season, and such a treat to relive them through your fresh eyes 😊
And Derek Jacobi, arguably the _biggest_ cast name in any Doctor Who, an instant "Quality Assured" stamp right there if there ever was one!! 🤩🤩🤩
P.S. The off-kilter "You've had some work done!" quip was inserted as an inside jab at John Barrowman, who genuinely had "had some work done" just prior to filming this episode (under his eyes). Just thought you might enjoy that obscure bit of pointless tidbit 😉
My biggest criticism of this one is that Derek Jacobi's Master got taken out so quickly. It would have been great to see him going into the second part of this story. He's on screen as the master for two minutes and he's absolutely brilliant. I love his nod to Hannibal Lector with "Ihhh.. AHHHM.... THUH MASTAHHHH!" Such a psychotic performance.
There are so many little things in this that add layers. The Doctor's rage and manic panic bursting forward when he realizes just how badly things could be going wrong, and the rush of emotions of finally not being alone anymore. In the old show there are dozens of Timelord characters. His little idle chatter as he's flipping dials "Yeah, brilliant, depends on which one..."
Also that little piece of music you liked is titled "This is Gallifrey" and if you go back and listen to other times in previous episodes where the Doctor makes allusions to his people, you can hear that theme/motif being built up for this storyline. It's honestly one of Murray Gold's best pieces of music in the entire run... In particular you can hear a bit of it near the end of the episode where Martha and The Doctor visit New New York and she refuses to go anywhere until he explains himself.
One of the biggest questions left unanswered by this story is when the Doctor says "Master... I'm sorry." I've always wondered what he was apologizing for. Even having seen the old show, and I don't think its a spoiler that they obviously know each other, there's nothing specific that the doctor could/should be apologizing for.
If The Doctor is Sherlock Holmes, The Master is basically his Moriarty.
Yeah, that's my only complaint with this story. They killed off Jacobi's Master too quickly.
I've always had 3 guesses as to what he may be apologizing for:
1. Destroying Gallifrey and effectively making himself and the master the last of their kind. It's been showed that the Doctor has a huge guilt over destroying his planet and that the fact that he believed he was the last made him miserable. He may be extrapolating his feelings here on the Master thinking that the Master in now thanks to him homeless and subjected to loneliness just like he.
2. The fact that he didn't do anything to stop the Master from becoming the Master when they were children. The Doctor just met this excellent, brilliant and kind man - professor Yana, who literally wanted to sacrifice his own life for the sake of others. It can be also seen that the Doctor really enjoyed talking to and interacting with Yana... only for him to turn into the Master... At the end of Family of Blood when Doctor talks with Joanne he tells her that while he and John Smith are separate beings, everything that john smith was the Doctor can be too. They have the same capability of behaving in a certain way and there is a part of the Doctor that IS John Smith (the one that created him). The same goes for Yana and the Master, there is some part of the Master that is Yana. So the Doctor here firstly learned that his he is not alone because his childhood friend also survived and then saw by himself who the Master had the potential to become. He got his good childhood friend back for a split second and was able to talk with him. Perhaps being confronted with Yana made him wonder what had happened to the Master to made him the Master, and perhaps he blames himself for not being close enough with his friend back there.
3. He was sorry that him not realizing who Yana was killed both Chantho and Yana. Again in the Family of Blood we learn that when Time Lord regains his memories his biology is rewritten and that for his human counterpart means death. The Doctor knew how hard it was for John Smith to die and that Yana had no idea that him opening the watch would result in his death, he did it only out of curiosity. By not realizing who Yana was he also endangered Martha, Jack and all the people in the rocket so he may be sorry about that too. That being said, I don't think it is point 3. The Doctor does care for individuals and human lives, but he also... cares for people who are important to him and his race more. When a lot of innocent dies he is sad but can deal with it, when one person he truly cares about dies or is in danger he tries to do everything to prevent this. Here he doesn't react to Chantho death at all, so I believe the possible reunion with the Master was just more important to him because somehow he still cares about him.
YANA! Those creatures with the sharp teeth remind me a bit of the episodes "The Impossible Planet" and "The Pit" with the markings on the face! Also, it is interesting to me that Yana was willing to help those humans/refugees, but the Master was quick to destroy and kill! Recall that in 'Human Nature' and "Family of Blood," when the Doctor was human, he was all about war and wasn't truly willing to be brave enough to do the right thing of his own accord. (He finally did do the right thing, but after how long and what circumstances...?) That was how the Doctor saw humans, while the Master sees them a little differently! Each comparing humans to themselves to produce what they believed was human! As for Jack, he is a big flirt, regardless of species! And, by the way, great memory! Recalling Latimer's name... For the record, I think I also thought it was Latimer, lost in time! As for other anagrams or things of that nature... They did the same thing with Bad Wolf, if you recall. And poor Martha for living in the shadow of Rose Tyler! Martha does notice the difference of how she is treated, and how they (Doctor and Jack) both speak of Rose. It is heartbreaking at times. Your reactions and comments are wonderful! I am looking forward to the next episode!
"I like this old man, please don't let him die"
I have been looking forward to your reaction to this one for a few weeks, Jules.
Yay! Utopia is my favorite episode of all doctor who. Not sure why but I feel like the Master reveal is just perfect. And I love the Master as a vilain especially played by John Simm!!! I can’t wait to watch your reaction to the next two episode. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do
"Well that's just gone terribly. I liked that guy"
OMG I laughed so hard
I liked the old man! TYPICAL 🤣
Seeing Jack back is amazing he was great in this episode.
Also you meet The Master who is basically The Doctor's longstanding rival/enemy.
Even so The Doctor is so desperate to find a Timelord he yells out for him to stop.
Both the Doctor and the Master have been considered renegades and outlaws from Time Lord society for most of their lives (the Doctor _was_ elected Lord President at one point, but, then, I think, so was the Master). There is an absolutely fantastic Big Finish audio series called The War Master starring Derek Jacobi depicting some of his missions during the Time War ending with his decision to desert to the end of the Universe and become Yana. Wait on it until you've gotten a few more seasons of the show under your belt.
The Master is one of the Doctor's oldest enemies like the Daleks and the Cybermen and was a villain in Classic Who the voices you hear in Yana's head were the original actors Roger Delgado who played The original Master back in 1971 and the laugh aound was Anthony Ainley from an unknown episode using sound archive from previous episodes.
It's ashame that actor Derek Jacobi only got to play the Master for 30 seconds I would had liked to have seen more as he is a great actor but unfortunately we been robbed of it and they wanted someone younger to match with David Tennant's Doctor so they went with John Simm.
Derek Jacobi has however returned as The Master in recent years in one of the big finish audio dramas and has also voiced The Master before the shows revival which is uncanon to the TV show called "Scream of the Shalka" which is an unofficial Dr. Who animated episode that was made for the 40th anniversary of the show 2 years before the official revival Doctor Who series returned in 2005.
I love Martha but the constant jealousy of Rose did start to get alittle annoying and although he's not my favourite character it was nice to see Captain Jack return once again.
RTD really has the knack for weaving a story and bringing everything together into an amazing tour de force. This is my favourite episode for the season, but only works when you've watched basically all of the previous seasons. The return of the Master... the Moriarty to the Doctor's Holmes... Responsible for incalculable deaths in the classic era... Yep - great episode!
THAT is how you reintroduce a character. The Master, the forever foe of the Doctor, came back with a vengeance. Quite literally...
Love this era of Who so much!!
Watching your Dr. Who reactions realy is a highlight of my RUclips viewing!
I think the first reactions I watched on your channel was Firefly.
Really am such a fan.
Cheers Jules!