The Doctor, Liv and Helen are separated – but each encounters a different incarnation of the Master.

If Day of the Doctor brought together all the incarnations of the Doctor (including a future one we’d not yet met!) then John Dorney’s ambitious Day of the Master incorporates many of the versions of his oldest and deadliest friend.

Michelle Gomez’s Missy is making Helen’s life something of a misery as they use a book that appears to be both chronicling their travels and foretelling them; Liv believes she’s getting help from the Time Lords, as the Doctor requested, but in fact is being played by Derek Jacobi’s War Master – one of my personal favourite incarnations; while the Doctor himself goes back in Time Lord history, only to find that Eric Roberts’ Master is already there. Geoffrey Beevers’ decaying Time Lord is apparently dead at the hands of the Ravenous – all we need are Alexander Macqueen and James Dreyfus and we’d have the (Big Finish) set! And of course Mark Bonnar’s The Eleven is still masterminding events with the aid of the ever hungry Ravenous.

The Ravenous saga has been different in many ways from its predecessor sets (Dark Eyes and Doom Coalition) with the overarching threat less ever-present – a wise decision by the production team – but make no mistake: we’re clear as to the creatures’ dangerous nature. Anything that can make the Master feel fear, after all, must be a force to be reckoned with.

Verdict: All the pieces are in place for an epic finale. 8/10

Paul Simpson

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