A question inspired by the end of time

[senko]

So here's something I've started wondering after watching the end of time. Take the timelords out of the equation and have the master win how long do you think it'd be before one of the 6 billion other masters around the world betrayed the original instead of taking orders from him?

[Catsmate]

Nov 25, 2019 3:43:36 GMT senko said:

So here's something I've started wondering after watching the end of time. Take the timelords out of the equation and have the master win how long do you think it'd be before one of the 6 billion other masters around the world betrayed the original instead of taking orders from him?

I assume the plotting had already started and the inter-Master civil war would start as soon as a few had suitable plans in place.

[Stormcrow]

I dunno. The last thing I'd do before duplicating myself for my evil plan is realize that I am going to become one of the minions of myself. I would decide whether I could resign myself to that. If I couldn't, then I wouldn't go through with it, because I would inevitably betray myself.

That said, I don't think the copies of the Master had completely free will, given that they didn't seem to go anywhere or do anything when they weren't needed. For instance, the Obama-master just stands at his podium during the entire business and is still there when it's undone. I also got the impression that there was a mental link thingie going on.

[senko]

Hmmm perhaps it would avoid the whole sudden, inevitable betrayal issue of his personality and fit with the more campy style of master he was portraying. Duplicate the body but one mind controlling all the duplicates then play act your in charge of an army.

[Stormcrow]

It didn't look like a simple matter of control. Each individual was clearly a separate being — they didn't automatically all know what all the others knew. They had to communicate with each other by speaking. It may just have been due to poor scripting, but it always felt to me like all those copies were only really able or willing to do their bit parts. You see a Chinese army of Masters stand to attention, for instance, and no one gets out of line, literally.

I remember when I first saw that episode I was certain that the copies would start to try to assert dominance, and when that didn't happen I was surprised. I honestly think it was just overlooked in the script, but my best justification is what I said above about realizing that if you're going to duplicate yourself, you have to be in the right frame of mind for being both the original and the duplicate, because you will be both.

I also suspect that if the Master's plan had succeeded as he original envisioned, once he had won there would be no reason for the copies not to start asserting themselves. The Master wanted the plan to succeed above all else, therefore so did they.

[senko]

I can see that.