Master reveals Auton takeover plan
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Farrel reports to the Master, disguised as Colonel Masters, that the factory staff have been dismissed as ordered, and the Master commands him to maximize production of their new product.
Farrel questions the feasibility of production without workers, prompting the Master to reveal that Nestene Autons will operate the factory and reassure Farrel about his father, claiming he has been persuaded.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Anxious and conflicted, torn between his loyalty to his father and his fear of the Master’s wrath.
Rex Farrel Junior stands in the factory office, visibly anxious as he reports to the Master. He follows orders to dismiss the staff but hesitates, expressing concern about his father’s resistance. The Master’s revelations about the Autons, Philips’ role, and the bomb leave Farrel confused and uneasy, though he ultimately defers to the Master’s authority. His body language—stammering, hesitant—betrays his internal conflict between duty and fear.
- • Follow the Master’s orders to avoid repercussions
- • Protect his family from the Master’s influence (though he fails)
- • The Master’s control is absolute and inescapable
- • His father’s resistance is futile against such power
Coldly triumphant, masking a deep-seated hatred for the Doctor beneath his composed exterior.
The Master, seated at the desk in Farrel’s factory office, exudes calm authority as he orchestrates the final stages of his invasion. He methodically orders the replacement of human workers with Nestene Autons, dismisses Farrel’s concerns about his father with a wave of his hand, and reveals his trap for the Doctor with a smirk. His dialogue is precise, calculated, and laced with dark humor, emphasizing his control over both the invasion and his personal vendetta.
- • Accelerate the Nestene invasion by replacing human workers with Autons
- • Eliminate the Doctor using Philips as bait and a bomb disguised as a greetings card
- • Human resistance is futile against his mind-control and Nestene technology
- • The Doctor’s death will cripple UNIT’s ability to counter the invasion
Unaware of the impending threat (off-screen), but his presence looms as the Master’s primary fixation.
The Doctor is not physically present in this event but is the central target of the Master’s trap. His impending arrival at the circus is framed as the catalyst for the bomb’s detonation, making him the unseen but critical figure in this exchange. The Master’s dialogue reveals his obsession with eliminating the Doctor, positioning him as the linchpin of the Nestene Consciousness’s invasion plan.
- • Unknowingly walking into the Master’s trap at the circus
- • Investigating the Auton threat to protect Earth
- • Trusts his instincts to uncover the Master’s schemes
- • Underestimates the Master’s personal vendetta against him
Emotionally detached (under mind control), but his actions carry the weight of the Master’s deception.
Professor Philips is mentioned indirectly as the unwitting pawn in the Master’s trap. He has been sent to the circus to lure the Doctor into the bomb’s range, his actions entirely dictated by the Master’s hypnotic control. His role is purely functional—bait—but his presence at the circus is critical to the Master’s plan.
- • Unknowingly serve as bait to draw the Doctor to the circus
- • Deliver the bomb disguised as a greetings card
- • His actions are justified by the Master’s hypnotic suggestions
- • He is unaware of the bomb’s true purpose or the danger he poses to the Doctor
Unseen but implied to be subservient (under mind control), with his defiance erased by the Master’s influence.
Farrel Senior is referenced indirectly as a potential obstacle to the Master’s plan. The Master casually reveals that he has already mind-controlled Farrel Senior, ensuring his compliance and eliminating any resistance. Farrel Junior’s anxiety about his father’s defiance is met with the Master’s dismissive assurance, highlighting the fragility of human agency in the face of his control.
- • None (his goals are subsumed by the Master’s control)
- • Unknowingly facilitate the Master’s invasion by complying with his orders
- • His beliefs are irrelevant—he is a puppet under the Master’s influence
- • His loyalty to the family business is overridden by hypnotic suggestion
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
The greetings card bomb in Philips’ car is explicitly tied to the Master’s trap for the Doctor. He describes it as a ‘small little gallantry on the eve of battle,’ revealing his dark humor and the personal nature of his vendetta. The bomb’s dual role—as both a weapon and a symbolic gesture—highlights the Master’s layered deceptions and his confidence in the Doctor’s inevitable arrival at the circus.
The Nestene Autons are the centerpiece of the Master’s invasion strategy, replacing all human workers in the factory. Their introduction marks a decisive shift from covert manipulation to outright conquest, with the Master ordering Farrel to begin maximum output of these plastic replicas. The Autons symbolize the Nestene Consciousness’s dominance, their presence in the factory ensuring the Master’s control over production and, by extension, the invasion’s success.
Professor Philips’ abandoned car is referenced indirectly as the vehicle that will lure the Doctor to the circus. The Master’s plan hinges on the Doctor discovering the car and following Philips’ trail, leading him directly into the bomb’s range. The car serves as a critical link in the chain of deception, connecting the factory to the circus and the Doctor’s inevitable confrontation with the Master’s trap.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
The circus fairgrounds are referenced as the site of the Master’s trap for the Doctor. While not physically present in this scene, the circus looms as the inevitable battleground where the bomb will detonate. The Master’s TARDIS, disguised as a horsebox, hides here, and Philips’ arrival is framed as the first step in luring the Doctor into the ambush. The circus symbolizes the Master’s ability to turn even mundane settings into deadly traps, blending the ordinary with the extraordinary in his quest to eliminate the Doctor.
The factory office serves as the command center for the Master’s invasion, a claustrophobic space where his authority is absolute. The dim lighting and cluttered desk create an atmosphere of bureaucratic menace, reinforcing the Master’s control over Farrel and, by extension, the factory. This location is where the transition from covert manipulation to outright conquest is formalized, with the Master’s orders echoing through the confined walls like a death knell for human resistance.
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
The Nestene Consciousness is the driving force behind the invasion, with the Master serving as its terrestrial representative. This event marks the escalation of their plan from covert manipulation to full-scale conquest, as the Master orders the replacement of human workers with Nestene Autons. The organization’s influence is felt through the Master’s actions, his hypnotic control over key figures like Farrel and Philips, and the deployment of Autons to secure the factory’s production lines.
UNIT is mentioned indirectly as a potential threat to the Master’s plan, though the Master dismisses their involvement with confidence. Their role in this event is reactive—discovering Philips’ car and the Nestene energy unit—but their primary target remains the Doctor. The Master’s focus on eliminating the Doctor underscores his belief that UNIT’s effectiveness hinges on the Time Lord’s leadership, making the Doctor the key to crippling their resistance.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"The Master plans to use Autons at the factory. The Master reveals that sending Philips to the circus was intentional, to lure the Doctor into a trap."
Master reveals circus trap to Farrel"The Master plans to use Autons at the factory. The Master reveals that sending Philips to the circus was intentional, to lure the Doctor into a trap."
Master reveals circus trap to Farrel"The Master reveals that sending Philips to the circus was intentional, to lure the Doctor into a trap. Then the Doctor arrives at the circus to investigate."
Doctor probes circus handler about PhilipsThemes This Exemplifies
Thematic resonance and meaning
Part of Larger Arcs
Key Dialogue
"FARREL: 'I've sent the staff home as you ordered, Colonel.' MASTER: 'Excellent. Begin maximum output of our new product.' FARREL: 'Without workers?' MASTER: 'The Nestene Autons will run the factory.'"
"FARREL: 'I'm still afraid my father will make trouble. He, er, doesn't understand.' MASTER: 'Don't worry about your father. I've persuaded him to change his mind.'"
"FARREL: 'Why did you send Philips to the circus? The UNIT people may find him.' MASTER: 'But I sent him there to be found by UNIT. Or better still, by the Doctor.' FARREL: 'I'm sorry, I don't understand.' MASTER: 'You see, the bomb was by way of being a greetings card, a small little gallantry on the eve of battle. The car will lure the Doctor to the circus, and there, I shall destroy him.'"