I still hate the fact that Chibnall completely ignored the Master’s series 10 reception arc…

When Chris Chibnall took over Doctor Who, one of the biggest things he inherited was the Master’s character arc, which had (whether you liked or disliked it) had gone through some really interesting changes under Moffat. In particular, Moffat had started exploring the idea that the Master wasn’t just an evil villain— she/he actually had real depth, and there was even this thread of him potentially becoming good or at least questioning their destructive nature. But when Chibnall brought the Master back, he kind of ignored all of that. Instead of building on Moffat’s work, he went back to the same old “evil villain” version of the Master, and honestly, it was a bit of a letdown.

Moffat’s Master wasn’t just a mirror of the Doctor anymore; he was a more tragic, complex figure. In The Doctor Falls (2017), the Master had a moment where it seemed like she was starting to recognize the possibility of change—maybe she wasn’t doomed to be a villain forever. It was one of the more emotionally charged moments in the show, and it added a layer of nuance to the character, and was in turn a real turning point for a show - which for a show that's been going on for 60 years, is very refreshing. So when Chibnall took over, it was kind of surprising that he just pretended that didn’t happen and went back to a simpler, less interesting version of the Master. It felt like he was undoing a lot of what made the character so compelling under Moffat. He literally didn't even mention it lol.

This is more than just a small oversight—it’s a bigger issue with how Chibnall handled continuity in general. Doctor Who has always been a show that builds on its past, with characters and storylines evolving over time. By ignoring the Master’s arc, Chibnall not only missed the chance to add depth to an already complex character but also kind of disrespected the continuity that the show relies on. Kinda like with the Timeless Child he felt like he was treating the show as if nothing important had happened before he arrived, and that was frustrating for fans who’d invested in the long-running arcs that came before - which is even more frustrating when Doctor Who doesn't have that many foundations in the first place.

My friend loves watching Doctor Who but isn't really aware of any of the behind the scenes going ons, so they had no idea that the 13th Doctor era had different showrunners than the 12th Doctor era - so they found it very weird when the Master returned 11 episodes later without any reference to their big redemption arc. I don't know, I understand showrunners want to do their own thing, but I think they should remember that they are still writing the same show that the last showrunner did, you can do new things whilst still respecting the last and making the transition feel seemless. Sometimes I feel like the showrunners see themselves as bigger than the actual show itself, if that makes sense.

So yeah, instead of building on the groundwork Moffat laid, Chibnall essentially hit the reset button, and it made the show feel less cohesive. And the Master was a great example of that: he had already been through this amazing transformation, but Chibnall just went back to square one. Honestly, it felt like a missed opportunity to dive deeper into the character and continue a really interesting thread that had been left hanging. And imo it was kind of disrespectful to Moffat’s work (especially not to even mention it) and the fans who were hoping for more continuity and complexity in the show.

Chibnall didn't even have to make the Master a good guy if he really didn't like that idea - but he should've/could've at least referenced the redemption and shown that inner conflict. For example, as much as i dislike the timeless child stuff, I would never expect RTD or any future showrunner to just completely ignore and retcon it, because it's just disrespectful imo.