The sad thing is that the Master is right. They can’t reach out to the Doctor in any other way apart from causing mayhem.
- The Master is genuinely trying to atone: The Doctor suspects a trap
- The Master saves the Doctor: The Doctor can’t trust them and locks them away again
- The Master is trying to help: The Doctor suspects they’re about to double cross them
- The Master breaks down in tears in front of them: Must be an evil scheme
- The Master admits they want to be friends again: A stunned silence from the Doctor and no real exploration of that confession
Like the Master obviously has to make up for centuries, millennia of scheming and double crossing but lord knows they’re right: They cannot communicate with the Doctor any other way because they’ve tried, they really really did and it all went wrong and they lost their friend again and again and it’s not worth the heartbreak and despair anymore.
Better to be best enemies than nothing.
Trust is a double-edged sword and the Doctor and the Master have fought so much they lost the entire weapon
judsonryder