Day 439: The Deadly Assassin Part 4

The villain of The Deadly Assassin is The Master, making his return after last being seen in Frontier In Space. He's changed since trying to pit Draconians and Humans against each other, however, both physically and mentally. Physically, he has changed from the suave looks of Roger Delgado (who sadly passed away after an unfortunate car accident in Turkey) to a sack of rotting vegetables with eyes, hiding away in the shadows. It reflects the mental change as well, as he has become a more desperate  creature, desperate to stay alive and regain his former form. This can be seen, for instance, in the climax of the story where the Doctor and the Master fight each other as Gallifrey collapses around them. The fight is more visceral than we are used to, with them punching and wrestling each other to stay alive, indeed in what is believed to be te last time that we see the Master, we see only his hands as he desperately tries to hold onto an edge and prevent his fall. It serves as a representation of his own journey as well, as he desperately clings onto life even after using up all of his regenerative powers, just so that he can survive. It's interesting to see this change in demeanour take place, and one that shows that the series is not afraid of taking old ideas and repurposing them for a new use, whether it be the Master or indeed the Time Lords themselves, showing that this series can still be interesting 438 episodes into its run.