Doctor Who season 12 arrived in spectacular fashion with “Spyfall”, when it was revealed that the Master has returned. Played by Sacha Dhawan, the Master at first presented himself as secret Agent O, who had been working for MI6 and was now living peacefully in Australia.
Although the Doctor had been warned by Agent C to “trust no one,” neither he, nor the Doctor knew there was a traitor in their midst. The Master duped the Doctor and her companions, and though there were clues dotted throughout the episode (such as O’s ability to produce a high level force field), not many viewers saw the big reveal coming.
Doctor Who season 12 sees the return of Jodie Whittaker as the Doctor, along with her companions. “Spyfall” guest starred Stephen Fry as Agent C, with Lenny Henry playing the mysterious Daniel Barton. This incarnation of the Master is played by the aforementioned Dhawan, but who exactly is the Master, and where have you seen Sacha Dhawan before?
Sacha Dhawan Plays The Master In Doctor Who Season 12
The Master is a Time Lord, just like the Doctor. They are also bitter enemies; while the Doctor works to protect the universe and those life forms that inhabit it, the Master used to seek only to destroy other worlds and kill everything. The Master has been played by Derek Jacobi, although it is John Simm who is renowned for the role. In latter seasons, the Master became Missy (Michelle Gomez). While Missy was originally just as evil as the Master, she did eventually find redemption, only to be killed outright by Simm’s Master. This also poses the question of how exactly the Master has returned, as well as why he’s now a villain again.
“Spyfall” was only the first episode of Doctor Who season 12, and the first of a two-parter, so there’s still a lot of unanswered questions, especially since the Master only revealed himself towards the end of the episode. However, it seems as though this time the Master has actually inhabited the form of another person; Agent O actually existed and- it is assumed- was a genuine MI6 Agent with all good intentions. Somehow, the Master has shrunk him down, literally. He showed the Doctor a miniature O being kept in a matchbox in his pocket. As for why he is now villainous once again; we don’t have the answer to that… yet.
Other Sacha Dhawan Movie & TV Roles
While Sacha Dhawan will be instantly recognizable to many, others may be wondering where exactly they’ve seen him before. Dhawan is a British actor, with many TV and theater roles to his name, as well as some film appearances. He originated the role of Akthar in Alan Bennett’s The History Boys, which he played both on stage and in the film. From there, he appeared in a number of other plays and TV shows, including playing Jimmy Dillon in Mr. Selfridge on PBS, and Dev in In The Club. Most will know Dhawan for playing Davos in two seasons of the Netflix/Marvel show Iron Fist. As well as his role in Doctor Who, Dhawan can also currently be seen on screen in Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss’ adaptation of Dracula.
Doctor Who isn’t the first time Dhawan has worked within the franchise; in 2013 he starred in An Adventure in Space and Time, a behind scenes drama about the creation of Doctor Who, where he played original director Waris Hussein. Dhawan has also worked with Whittaker before in the 2008 ITV drama, Wired.
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