Clearly. All kidding aside, the kneeling scene is also a sort of precedent to Missy and Twelve when she asks him for her life in that you have the Master about to die due to fucking with the wrong super powerful people/cosmic being, the Doctor in a position where he can let that happen (or not), and the Master going directly from trying-to-kill-him-but-not-really mode to "please save me", because that's how they roll. (Except when he's Simm!Master, obviously.) (On the Doctor's side, the one time when he doesn't is when he's Five, but Ainsley!Master was particularly revolting in the lead up to this so I can understand why Five just stares, numbed, and doesn't do anything.)