|
Post by theillusiveman on Aug 12, 2021 10:32:34 GMT
Big Finish have had more than enough opportunities to do something with a First Master, but haven’t really delivered on any of them. There’s the bizarre confusion with the Dreyfus Master and what he was supposed to be. First incarnation or not, he amounted to nothing more than a generic rent-a-Master, despite there being scope for something unique. That has nothing to do with Dreyfus as an individual (except the generic performance perhaps), as everything was planned, written and recorded well before severing any ties. Then there’s the Parker incarnation from Masterful, who does little more than ask some questions and again poses nothing unique, despite scope to do so. Completely disagree with the assessment that Drefyus Master was generic as he was exactly how the first incarnation would have been presented. He is more hands off than his other incarnations getting others to do his dirty work and he isnt over the top campy like his later incarnations which is extremely refreshing as most of the masters are kinda generically camp (Ainley, Macqueen, Roberts, Gomez, Simm, McKee and Sasha for example)
Well lets see How Drefyus Master goes in The 4DA (which was the first to be recorded and created for that story)
|
|
lidar2
Castellan
You know, now that you mention it, I actually do rather like Attack of the Cybermen ...
Likes: 5,811
|
Post by lidar2 on Aug 12, 2021 10:55:57 GMT
I'd still love to know how according to Dorney (and he's no reason to be coy) the BF writers didn't intend for Dreyfus to be the first incarnation, , but the news article AND interview with Dreyfus both mention it, with him being asked how it felt to play the first incarnation of an iconic character? How do wires get crossed THAT much? In the end I'm glad he's out as he was written and played like a rather nonplussed but generic Master, very forgettable. AND David Richardson in the bonus extras on 1stDA vol 1
|
|
lidar2
Castellan
You know, now that you mention it, I actually do rather like Attack of the Cybermen ...
Likes: 5,811
|
Post by lidar2 on Aug 12, 2021 11:03:01 GMT
Big Finish have had more than enough opportunities to do something with a First Master, but haven’t really delivered on any of them. There’s the bizarre confusion with the Dreyfus Master and what he was supposed to be. First incarnation or not, he amounted to nothing more than a generic rent-a-Master, despite there being scope for something unique. That has nothing to do with Dreyfus as an individual (except the generic performance perhaps), as everything was planned, written and recorded well before severing any ties. Then there’s the Parker incarnation from Masterful, who does little more than ask some questions and again poses nothing unique, despite scope to do so. Completely disagree with the assessment that Drefyus Master was generic as he was exactly how the first incarnation would have been presented. He is more hands off than his other incarnations getting others to do his dirty work and he isnt over the top campy like his later incarnations which is extremely refreshing as most of the masters are kinda generically camp (Ainley, Macqueen, Roberts, Gomez, Simm, McKee and Sasha for example)
Well lets see How Drefyus Master goes in The 4DA (which was the first to be recorded and created for that story)
I agree - the way he is presented in The Home Guard is very much someone honing his technique and flexing his muscles, just as you would expect the 1st Master to be.
Having said that, there is nothing in any of his stories to date that explicitly makes him the first Master so BF have left themselves the wiggle room to say Parker is the 1st, A N Other is the 2nd and Dreyfus is the 3rd, etc.
Despite what is now said, I think there was definitely an intention at the time that Dreyfus was numero uno Master. BF have since backpedalled on that (for reasons we don't need to go over again) and they were wise enough to avoid giving any hostages to fortune in the dialogue that made it explicit Dreyfus was the first, so they have been able to get away with the backpedalling.
|
|
|
Post by Ian McArdell on Aug 16, 2021 22:00:05 GMT
I'd say there's oodles of potential there for an early Master, but I wonder if it's enough to carry a whole range. How about a War Master boxset where he encounters and mentors the teenage Master, ensuring he embarks on a sufficiently dark path? I think the ideal route would just be a "Master" range, with unrelated boxsets each focusing on a different incarnation of the Master at different times in their life. EG make Master! The first set, and then do a second with Parker, a third with Beevers, a fourth with Macqueen, a fifth with Beevers again, and so on. This is an excellent idea... if only we ran the asylum eh?
|
|