Top Ten Reasons John Simm is the Best Master
I recently saw an opinion post by Screen Rant explaining that Michelle Gomez's Mistress was the best version of the Master. While I believe Gomez's Mistress was amazing, I couldn't help, but shake my head in disgust. In the post they actively discredited John Simm's Master. In this list I will be explaining why John Simm's Master is the best Master from Doctor Who.
The Master is meant to be a foil to The Doctor. He's the complete opposite. While The Doctor saves, The Master destroys. The Doctor is merciful, The Master wants revenge. The Doctor is calm, cool, and collected, while The Master is absolutely insane. John Simm embodies all of this. The Master should always be this way.
The Master's backstory is most explored under John Simm. They explain his fall into insanity in depth, particularly through the process of him looking into the Time Vortex at a young age, which drove him mad. A drumbeat was inserted in his head that drove him to madness. John Simm portrays that insanity at an incredible level. He's not just insane for no reason.
When you look at the things John Simm's Master did, it's a lot. He takes out a tenth of the world's population using the Toclafane and possibly even more. He becomes Prime Minister using the Archangel Network and nearly kills The Doctor multiple times. In The End of Time, he becomes the human race, brings back the Time Lords, and eventually sends them all back to Gallifrey's original position.
His laugh is perhaps the most iconic I've ever heard. It is planted in my brain, the most recognizable thing ever. John Simm's laugh is the best - an example of pure evil.
The Master literally kills another version of himself. You may ask, how is that good? Well, I'll tell you how: it shows how self-absorbed his Master is.
This is something that Sacha Dhawan's Master is about to surpass him in, but for now, John Simm's Master has the most iconic moments. Here are some examples: you have his regeneration, the scene where he gasses out his cabinet, and the scene where he's reincarnated. I could go on. Simply iconic.
In The End of Time, The Master saves The Doctor from Rassilon. He may hate The Doctor, but The Master is more focused on revenge and stops Rassilon. It's not a change of heart. It's just revenge, which is what The Master wants.
John Simm is a fabulous actor. There's a debate as to whether or not he is as good as the other Masters, but there's no denying his talent. He has good mannerisms, only equaled by Sacha Dhawan. His way of speaking is intense and sarcastic. He also has a lot of memorable moments.
The Master's reveal is very important, and every Master has a great reveal. His may not be the best - that crown goes to Derek Jacobi or Sacha Dhawan - but it is very, very good. I especially like his reveal in The End of Time. If the BBC hadn't spoiled it, World Enough and Time would have been even better.
At the end of The End of Time, we definitely end up feeling sorry for him. He has a bad disease, and the Time Lords play him as a fool. Poor guy.
Hands down the best Master. Missy was boring! John Simm's Master was truly entertaining. Isn't that the point? I loved him, hated him, and loved to hate him all at the same time. Thanks to Russell T. Davies' writing, this Master had so much depth to his character, which John Simm acted upon brilliantly. I wish he could come back too (with David Tennant's 14th Doctor).
True, with John Simm's Master, we get to see his full story - from beginning to end. They invested a lot in his character.