The Aztecs

The pacing is solid and I like that Barbara gets her chance to be the focus of a serial, but the plot is steeped in 60s white-saviourism. It's written by someone who I think did want to represent the Aztecs well and had a lot of respect for (or at least interest in) the culture, but it's overshadowed by the message being "these people will always be bloodthirsty savages and you can't change that"

The Aztecs continues the trend of the true historicals in Season 1 being better than the sci-fi stories. The four part length of the story coupled with John Lucarotti's faster-paced script helps this; but also this story introduces a number of elements that Doctor Who would use later on.

The TARDIS crew lands inside an Aztec tomb of Yetaxa - a fictional Aztec high priest-cum-God, with Barbara having studied the Aztecs being particularly interested. She find the secret exit from the tomb having picked up Yetaxa's bracelet and therefore is immediately considered to be a God reincarnate and the others in the TARDIS crew her servants. Ian is sent to the barracks to be a contender to lead the Aztec army (challenging Ixta, the long-time leader); the Doctor to the garden as an elderly man living out his last days while Susan stays with Barbara initially - until she intervenes in a human sacrifice attempting to change history where she loses the trust of Tlotoxl, the High Priest of Sacrifice, who then sees her as a false god. From then the main story is about getting back inside the tomb to the TARDIS while retaining the support they have - in particular from Autloc, the High Priest of Knowledge - to last as long as possible.

This main thing this story adds in is the point that you cannot change known history - as the Doctor tells Barbara: "you cannot change history, not one line!". That is the main point of this story: Barbara who is featured heavily as almost the main character (being a God) attempts to try and change things to ensure that her beloved Aztecs survive only for that to only cause problems for them: Susan is taken to a seminary to learn Aztecs ways and they lose trust of key people in the civilisation. This is something that becomes important throught Doctor Who and I think this is a perfect introduction of the concept simply because it makes sense why Barbara would want to try and change things; but also historically why it cannot happen. Jacqueline Hill does a great job playing Barbara here in, alongside the Keys of Marinus, some of the main stories that features Barbara in a major capacity.

It also features some of the early signs of romance involving the Doctor, who accidentally gets engaged to Cameca, an older Aztec lady. Its clear that the Doctor does have some sort of affection there which adds to this - and really its one of the few examples in the classic series of this sort of theme being explored which makes it remarkable that its in one of the early stories.

The production is very good - considering the overall budget the sets appear as convincing as you'd expect. It also feels like an authentic characterisation of the other cast members - while Tlotoxl is clearly the villain of the piece his reasons for being so make sense - his core beliefs are being challenged by a set of people who are, in fact, being dishonest themselves and as we know Barbara is not in fact a God he has no reason to trust her; and while Aztec beliefs are not ones that we would follow; it would take more than being preached to by a random outside to trust them. Autloc is the voice of reason on that side - but his reward is to simply lose his faith in the core Aztec teachings and leave the city while Tlotoxl retains his power; so there's a strong argument that Barbara's intervention was in fact harmful. While a lot of stories have a clear hero and villain; this feels surprising nuanced for early Doctor Who.

In terms of negatives; this is another story where Susan is sidelined - admittedly Carol-Ann Ford was on holiday for two weeks in the middle of filming which is a factor in this; but she spends her time being treated how to be a good house wife and almost being married off to the Perfect Victim - which considering recent stories adds onto her being misused.

Overall - this is a very good, engaging story that while not perfect is a highlight of early Doctor Who.

The Aztecs: 9.2/10 - I loved the focus on Barbara in this serial. She had some great moments and the “You can’t rewrite history, not one line” scene was brilliant. Ian was also a great character and he was honestly pretty badass. Cameca proposing to the Doctor was hilarious and I loved her dynamic with the Doctor as well. The whole proposal was definitely something I wasn't expecting. Tlotoxl was a very interesting villain as unlike most other DW villains, he didn't get his comeuppance which was unique. I also liked the dynamic between him and Autloc a lot

I think that this is one of my favorite Hartnell stories that I have seen so far. I felt that it did a great job of making the Doctor and companions seem different from each other, as we see Barbara struggle with the proper etiquette for a time traveler, while the Doctor seems to tread in Aztec society with greater ease. I think that this is an excellent showpiece for Barbara, as the story has her in an interesting position where she has a great deal of agency as the supposed incarnation of a goddess. My mother, who is not particularly familiar with this era of Doctor Who, said that she liked Barbara purely based on seeing a few scenes in this serial.
The agency and authority that Barbara displays is an intriguing contrast with the fact that she is an unwitting time traveler at the mercy of a mysterious and sometimes apathetic man known as the Doctor. Perhaps Susan’s plot thread, though not as developed, puts her in the opposite position, as she is used to spending time in societies in which she has more agency, but is expected to acquiesce to marry a man she does not love. Ian’s hand-to-hand combat was also exciting, though I did find it slightly tedious that he was framed for murder again, as Ian was framed for murder in the previous serial.

It is also interesting that this is a story in which our heroes do not get to win the day. This does not happen particularly often in Doctor Who, so it is interesting that we establish our heroes as fallible. I think establishing the fallibility of the heroes, the Doctor especially, is something that the First Doctor Era of the show does especially well. Without this framework, The Aztecs would not work as well as a story.
Overall, I was impressed by this serial, especially considering that I did not find John Lucarotti’s Marco Polo to be nearly as enjoyable. A well-earned 8/10.

A strong and wonderful classic Doctor Who episode. Often cited as a high mark for both the First Doctor TV episodes and pure historicals in general, perhaps even used as a standard of quality for these types of stories going forward.

Sure, it might have the odd dodgy set or performance in the one-take marathon that is the First Doctor's era, and yes, the writing can be a little slow sometimes, but it largely holds up. I think the most effective aspect of this episode and where it gets a certain timeless quality to it (aside from the black and white minimizing the special effects weaknesses) is how respectful it feels towards the Aztecs. We are engaging with the era instead of treating it with stereotypes or dehumanization. Barbara gets to shine here but I really think it is a pretty well-balanced adventure overall. A pretty strong chapter in early Doctor Who.

A well needed Barbara story, i love what they do with the doctor and her relationship, this story also introduces the much needed you cant rewrite history moral and i love that so much and how they introduce it.

❤️89% = Superb! = Essential!

Thworping through time and space, one adventure at a time!

THE ONE WHERE THE DOCTOR GETS ENGAGED!

Writer John Lucarotti showcases a huge understanding of Aztec culture, which is why this story feels grounded and believable while also having memorably funny and exciting parts not previously seen on the show.

This story leans strongly on the idea of non-interference during historical events, a principle that the show itself isn't always very good at following; here, it makes for good tension between the Doctor and Barbara.

The light power play and abuse of power are the driving forces behind the plot, proving that these historicals have the potential to rely on character-driven plots.

I love the ominous cliffhanger ending to Part 1, which they somehow dialled up even further for the Part 2 reprise.

This story effectively splits up the TARDIS team and shows different sides of Aztec culture through each of the characters before bringing everyone together again for the conclusion.

It's brilliant how the Doctor isn't in control of anything during this story and actually manages to make things worse for his friends a lot of the time.

The Aztecs marks one of Jaqueline Hill’s finest performances in the series, and it’s the only story that truly allows her to steal the spotlight for once. These four episodes also form a great arc for Barbara, who stands up to the Doctor and Tlotoxl but also learns to admit her mistakes.

Thanks to Carole Ann Ford's holiday, Susan appears gracefully little, and suddenly everything feels so much more bearable.

It's strange to see a companion perform an action so Doctor-like as Ian vanquishing Ixta with his thumb, but it is one of Ian's finest moments.

The little romantic subplot with the Doctor and Cameca allows William Hartnell to showcase his warmer, lovelier side, even if it feels like the least integral part of the plot.

John Ringham provides another memorable and terrifying villain with his almost comically creepy take on Tlotoxl. He is the type of antagonist that one would gladly despise, and Ringham appears to have an authentic affection for the character. I'm happy Lucarotti seems to like Tlotoxl because he has a very sinister presence from the onset and remains at the forefront until the end. He is neither a slow burn like Tegana in Marco Polo nor non-existent like Yartek in The Keys of Marinus (both 1964).

Ixta proves to be a pretty capable supporting villain, which is more than you can say for most of them on this show.

With the way he speaks, I can't get over the fact that I find Autloc actor Keith Pyott to be drunk all the time.

The backgrounds are obviously fake but somehow manage to convey a sense of space during the scenes set on top of the Aztec temple.

Okay, so the actors pretending to move a fake cave entrance stone slab as if it were very heavy is too unconvincing to come across as realistic, even for my imagination.

This story builds a strong atmosphere and introduces its setting convincingly during its opening minutes, also giving Barbara a chance to step up properly for the first time.

Despite being a bit clumsy, the duel at the end of Part 2 is surprisingly long and tense, as well as exciting.

The pacing is slightly off in Part 3, which struggles a bit to proceed the narrative towards the climax.

The latter half of the serial does take some narrative and logical shortcuts to ramp up the tension and race the story towards a finish.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

The strongest story of Doctor Who's first season is a fantastically atmospheric historical adventure, with strong performances, production values, and themes to carry the story.

Psh. And they say the classic doctors are non-sexual creatures.

This is a Barbara episode, which was just what was needed. She had until now established herself the least, but this gives her the chance to show off her pragmatic cleverness and some of her morals. Which is great stuff.

The other focus is the rewriting of history. Can it be done? And should it be done? It’s kind of difficult to look back on with the modern knowledge, because that doesn’t really allow me to judge this attitude on its own. It also feels slightly contradictory. Didn’t they interfere with the daleks? With Marco? With Marinus? So why now?

Modern knowledge pushes me towards this being a ‘fixed point in time’, but that’s very handwavy. Instead, I think we can look at it as the show discovering what it wants to be. At this point, that’s still a diary through history, instead of true fiction. I know a shift in that perspective is coming, and I wonder how it is handled. Will it suddenly appear or will it transition. Time will tell.

The other elements in this story work well. Ian has shown himself as capable throughout the episode, but might comes before the fall, which is a small, but fun subplot. The doctors romance is mostly comedy, but it gave me a big smile. I also like how the 2 overlap to test the relationship between our cast, which is very strong by now.

I do think the major villain is pretty weak. He basically walks around, plans and hates, which could be good, but gets monotonous. The strongest villains are the ones who have an understandable perspective, but are still a hindrance (like Marco Polo). Still, he works for getting the most out of our cast (except Susan, but that’s fine for an episode).

I wonder if moral clashes are going to come more often in these stories, that would be interesting. For now we have a pretty good tale of a society that just wasn’t ready for change, but also some hope, because there was a first shift within its people. It’s a bit of a pessimistic approach, but it is done well enough that that isn’t a hindrance.

I don't think there's anything I can say about the Aztecs that hasn't been said already. It's a phenomenal story that examines the ramifications of time travel, historical bias, colonization, and morality. All of the regulars get a chance to shine (well, except perhaps Susan. Ah well.) in a variety of ways; leadership, fight scenes, romance, all weaving together into a fantastically paced and plotted story.

My only real criticism is that, as one might expect from a '60s episode about other cultures, it's a bit iffy on the actual depiction of the Aztecs. Not as bad as some might fear; there is nuance present. But oh dear, Tlotoxl...

8.5/10

Once in a while, no matter the era, a story comes along with writing so good that all the tiny flaws fade away, you lose yourself in the world and forget about the silly costumes and overacting as you see magic come to life, and the first example of this happening in the history of Doctor Who is... actually the pilot, that was a cracker, wasn't it? but the second time... honestly Marco Polo is also kinda up there, if I'm honest, but my point is, this is one such story. And it's not as if it is really complex, or really tries to do a lot, or has some great metaphor (at least on the surface), it's just a really really well-written historical episode, and quite frankly, sometimes that is all you need.

Though this, of course, is not to say that it has nothing to say, no, it's an interesting journey into Aztec culture that teaches the watcher and the TARDIS Team that certain events are set in stone and must not be tampered with, an ideological debate (as is the centre of most great Doctor Who stories), between The Doctor, who wishes to help but knows that he can't, and Barbara, who feels she must help, but learn she cannot, executed beautifully because we can see the problem from both perspectives; is it really our right to go into a foreign culture and say what is right and what is wrong in what they do, that sounds like colonizer talk, but on the other hand, can we stand by as innocent people get killed for no reason whatsoever. And most stories leave it at that, two opposing sides, but with fault and logic, but here there's a twist; what if the intended victim wants to die, what if they consider it an honour, should you save someone who does not wish to be saved, well, really that is just brainwashing, and really we should rid them of these rituals, oh you sound like a colonizer again.
And I guess that is the thing with The Aztecs it is such a simple story, yet deceptively complex, if you choose to engage with it, as it shows you a problem with no one-size-fits-all solution, no solve without issue, some small, but most great.
And then it ends with a line that would in time come to define The Doctor "You failed to save a civilization, but at least you helped one man"
10/10

The Aztecs has always been one of my favourite Hartnell stories, and is probably in my all time top ten of the whole series, classic and new (although I tend to be unable to limit myself to 10 and the titles tend to be a little changeable depending on the mood I’m in).  I must have watched it countless times before and it never fails to entertain and amuse me.

What struck me the most though, on this viewing, is how different it is to John Lucarotti’s previous script for the series: Marco Polo. This is everything that Marco Polo wasn’t for me. Superb sets and costumes coupled with an intelligent, tightly plotted script, brilliant performances and the regulars actually doing something rather than being on the sidelines.

Of the regulars, this is Barbara’s story and allows us the pleasure of Jacqueline Hill’s best performance as Barbara – her sparring with Tlotoxl is amazing. William Russell gets to be a proper action man coming up against a man who is basically his Aztec equal, Ixta. William Hartnell’s scenes with Cameca in the garden (and the heartbreaking scenes towards the end when they part) show that the softer side of the First Doctor was evident much earlier than we may sometimes consider. Even Carole Ann Ford’s Susan is less screamy and useless than in surrounding stories and although partly due to her ‘holiday’ episodes, gets some decent, if brief scenes, in the seminary educating children everywhere on what it was like to be a young, single Aztec girl. Her opinions on marriage are fun, if a little more like a emancipated 60s girl’s thoughts than an alien Time Lord’s.

John Ringham, as Tlotoxl, is probably the series best villain up to this point – far more menacing than Tegana and a character who actually succeeds in certain aspects of his dastardly plans. Possible a touch melodramatic at times (particularly in his final scene sacrificing the Perfect Victim after the TARDIS crew have escaped), but huge fun. His scenes of plotting against Barbara, in particular his tricking her into agreeing to have Susan punished, are a joy to watch. He is supported ably by Keith Pyott as Autloc, Ian Cullen as Ixta, Walter Randall as Tonila and Margot Van de Burgh as Cameca, all working together to create a believable Aztec community.

The script allows for these wonderful performances. Is there any scene better than the Doctor getting accidentally engaged to Cameca? It’s hilarious and is coupled with the wonderful scene where the Doctor casually mentions to Ian what has happened with William Russell’s brilliant double take. Episode 3 also has the superb scenes where Barbara saves Ian by threatening Tlotoxl and later where Tlotoxl and Tonila attempt to poison her. There are so many excellent scenes across the four episodes (in fact I cannot think of a duff scene or even line in any episode). The dialogue sparkles and even though it strays towards the ‘Shakespearean’ vibes I didn’t find appealing in The Crusade (or for that matter Marco Polo), it just seems to work in this instance.

In teaching us a little about the Aztec culture, the majority of information is concentrated on the practice of human sacrifice. We are presented with the balance of the priests of sacrifice and knowledge; we are given detailed information about the Perfect Victim and we have the odd nugget of detail dropped into dialogue such as the Aztecs not having invented the wheel. We also have the reason for Barbara’s drive to change the Aztec way of life in her explanation of the arrival of Cortez – although we never actually see this for ourselves.

The costumes and sets look authentic and are in no small part responsible for how wonderful this story is as a whole.

I honestly cannot think of one bad thing to say about this story and look forward to watching it again some time in the far distant future when I’ve finally finished this marathon.