[Alexus]

The timeline for the Master's time on Earth is very sketchy and somewhat confusing. We know for a fact that at the end of Utopia, the Master left the year 100 trillion and went back to Earth in the present day. But we also know that two major time-consuming processes had to take place just after that -- the establishment of the Harold Saxon entity in the public consciousness on Earth, and the enlistment of the support of the future humans from Utopia. We also know that on at least one trip to Utopia, the Master took Lucy with him. I've been trying to piece it together and no matter which way you look at it, it doesn't fit together nicely.

1. Master goes back to mid 2006, meets Lucy, marries her, establishes his identity, becomes a person of some importance (with his normal hypnosis, maybe?) helps with Archangel, is elected first in by-elections and becomes Minister of Defence.

2. Master travels 100 trillion years into the future to Utopia, persuades the brutalised Humans who destroyed what they were to survive the end of the universe to travel back with him and... destroy what they are to survive the end of the universe. Travels back to 21st century Earth 1 minute after he left.

3. Master becomes PM, takes over world.

4. Master takes Lucy to Utopia, shattering her mind. This explains the character change between TSOD and LOTTL.

Here is perhaps one of the biggest plot flaws in the entire episode: how the hell did the Master meet up with the future humans from Utopia? Did he snap his fingers and say "you know, let me check up on those humans that went to Utopia, maybe they evolved into some kind of savage murderous race that I can enlist to help conquer and wipe out Earth in the present day!" It just seems way too convenient and I don't see how he would have just met up with the future humans by pure chance, and there was no reason for him to be looking for them in the first place.

Professor Yana knew that Utopia was a load of bollocks. The Master therefore knew it was bollocks. He needed allies to kill Earth, he knew the humans would do anything to survive, he put two and two together and got 1337. After all, he's much more intelligent than you. Or me. Or anyone, in fact. He's a genius. Also insane. He's got a mind like an Escher painting.

And another Utopia-related biggie: how did the Master get from the Futurekind world where the human colony was set up to Utopia? He couldn't have used the TARDIS, because it was locked between only two locations: the Futurekind world in 100 trillion, and Earth in the present. So that leaves some kind of local space travel, but there was no rocket left on the world, and it was so difficult for Professor Yana to create his rocket in the first place that it's not at all feasible that the Master would be able to set up something similar on his own, especially lacking any kind of motivation (see above -- why go to Utopia?). Also, there was likely almost no technology left behind on that world from which to construct such a rocket. Additionally, there would have been no way for the Master to meet up with the future humans from Utopia except by going to Utopia, because the humans had absolutely no reason or motivation to return to the Futurekind world.

The Doctor says the TARDIS can only travel between "The year 100 trillion and the last place the TARDIS landed, which is right here, right now." He specifies time for the first, but time AND space for the second. Since he only had a few seconds, allowing the Master only one escape planet but allowing him free reign in 100 trillion makes sense - after all, what is there in the end of the universe? It's a dump. That line I think is open enough for interpretation.

Perhaps the worst-written and worst-executed part of the entire episode was the Doctor's return from being hyper-aged by the Master. First off, the entire concept is based on Martha Jones being able to get practically the entire human race on the entire planet Earth to think the word "Doctor" at exactly the right moment. Even before we get into the technical details, I already have a major problem believing that something like this could happen. This also brings up the detail of the countdown -- how would the entire human race somehow know exactly when the Master initiated his countdown (or Martha or even the Doctor, for that matter)?

I'd assume that the guy with the booming voice who kept telling people to 'rejoice' and addressed the people of the Earth was like, addressing the people of the Earth. The countdown was probably announced by him, and the date of War was probably announced earlier. The Master does love a good gloat, after all. Also, Martha could have guessed as to when the fleet was ready by observing all those shipyards, unless she was just doing it to help compile "Jane's All the World Death Rockets."

Now, to get into the reasoning behind such an action. Supposedly, the force of five billion people all thinking the word "Doctor" at the same time, was somehow going to psychically do something to the Master's Archangel network, and then the Doctor was supposed to somehow be in tune with the Archangel network, from which he was able to restore himself to his previous un-aged form (including all of his clothes, by the way). The idea that a large group of people thinking a word, even at the exact same point in time (which, if you'll notice, didn't even happen -- everyone said "Doctor" across nearly a 30-second span, which is still pretty good considering they should have had no idea when to say or think anything) could influence a network of satellites that were designed to subtly influence voting UK citizens to like and trust Harold Saxon to then transmit some kind of psychic energy to the Doctor which is powerful enough not only to restore him to his previous form but also to give him a few minutes worth of Superman-like powers is extremely preposterous. There is no sense anywhere in this, and I'm amazed Russell T Davies actually managed to create a script from these ideas that was apparently "good enough" for the production team to put out.

When first watching the episode, I thought "WTF", and after 30 seconds realised what a great plan it was. I thought it made perfect sense - after all, the Master has made a psychic field that binds the whole human race together broadcasting a signal that keeps people scared (as Doherty explains earlier). The series has already discussed the power of words in The Shakespeare Code, and this was a wonderful way to bring that back. Also, the whole idea of faith in the Doctor rejeuvenating him is so optimistic and hopeful, I can't help but be uplifted by it. This is the sort of message kids should be getting in television (adults, too, TBH) The Doctor uses his enemy's weapon against him in a way the Master hadn't even thought of.

Oh, and it was probably less than 5 billion, since Martha couldn't have told the whole world and the Master also probably killed more than 1.7 billion people in his tenure as Lord of the Earth.

Also, how believable is it that people would even listen to Martha's story of the Doctor, let alone follow her instructions? I don't know about you, but if some psycho chick came into my house ranting about "saying 'Doctor' at the end of a countdown" I'd show her the door and get her the hell out of my house and away from my children. Stupid psycho woman. Yeah, right... I'm totally gonna tell all my friends to say Doctor at the end of the countdown! Psycho.

It's the end of the world, you live 100 to a house, and you're unable to escape. This hot chick waltzes past the Toclafane and the security patrols, she's got to have some kind of power. Also, don't forget she's a member of the alluded-to Resistance, meaning people would give her words some weight anyway. I'd also be willing to bet that after a year of genocide that outstrips the Holocaust hundreds of times over, you'd be willing to try anything for just that tiny iota of hope.

A minor niggle, perhaps, but I would like to point out that weapons of any kind are not supposed to work inside the TARDIS, including Jack's assault rifle, which he used to destroy the paradox machine. I know this has never been rigidly stuck to in the old series, and one could explain it by referencing the state the TARDIS was in at the time, but it's still a flaw, however minor, and it wasn't explained.

The State of Grace was mentioned what, two times in the Classic Series? Tha Classic Series which then ignored it, for example Earthshock when Cyber guns work fine in the TARDIS. It's not a flaw, because the State of Grace no longer exists. See: Earthshock, Invasion of Time (I think) and Parting of the Ways.

In addition to the concept of the paradox machine seeming quite unnecessary

Except it is. Even if the Toclafane went back to somewhere else, they'd still be rewriting the history of the universe and thus, however subtly, altering the fundamental fact of their existence. Just because you don't understand something doesn't mean it's a fault with the writing!