'The Aztecs' and 'The Keys of Marinus' often vie for the title of 'Favorite Season One Story,' as they're both brilliant, but in quite different ways. Here we're treated to yet another impressive opening episode, with Hartnell still apparently riding that post-vacation energy boost. The way he delivers that iconic speech sends shivers. The Doctor and Barbara play off each other perfectly throughout this story; Susan bounces between playful, horrified, and outraged; and Ian is often forced to stand by and watch others wield the agency he so often does. The supporting cast is wonderful, too, imbuing their characters with just the right amount of pathos to help convey the sense of darkness and inevitability that pervades this story. And make no mistake - the story is quite dark. Our heroes seemingly cannot catch a break as they, and the Aztecs they've met, maneuver for position about the board (Tlotoxl is delightfully slimy and off-putting), with the resolutions of their various gambits yet to come. Indeed, our main characters back themselves into corners by being too clever by half (including a lovely subplot involving The Doctor's engagement). But how can they do otherwise than hold to their various convictions? The character development really shines through in this story, and there is just so much to love here - this TARDIS team has really come together, resulting in another easy 10/10 from me.

The Keys of Marinus is my first 10/10 story of Classic Who. As with the other stories thus far, we're treated to another very strong first episode - this is the way to begin a story! Mysterious, imaginative, quirky - it does an excellent job of setting the tone, and I particularly loved the proto-Wilhelm scream and the plethora of revolving panels littering the outer wall of the building.

Barbara is my favorite character in season one, and episodes two and three are prime examples why. Here we have traps and puzzles galore! It's all very Temple of Doom, with Barbara coming in strong again and again. Susan even helped rescue everyone! One thing I appreciate in episodes two through four is the focus on the other characters while The Doctor is away. In episode two, we were treated to Barbara and Ian working on their own, and in episode three, it's those two with actual help from Susan, which may be the first time since she navigated the petrified jungle to fetch the medicine in The Daleks. I also appreciate the swift location-hopping in this story and the sense of actual menace from anything and everything around them - acid oceans, sentient vegetation, roving wolves, bitter cold, booby traps.

Hartnell returns from vacation completely energized here, and his performance is excellent. Episode five may showcase some of the first glimmerings of The Doctor as someone who is steps ahead of everyone else. Susan was feisty rather than whiny; Barbara was calm and steady; and Ian was stoic, trusting The Doctor to defend and rescue him from a tight spot. I've awarded individual episodes five stars before this; however, not all five-star episodes are created equal, and this one was truly outstanding. This is quite possibly the best story of Season One. It's at least the most consistent, with none of the episodes appreciably dropping in quality, plus the ending was at once touching and sagacious. All the characters had a chance to shine, and the seeds of what is to come have clearly been sown. And so, we venture into The Temple of (Elemental) Evil...

This story, more than any other, I would love to see returned to the BBC. In the past, I've watched the Loose Cannon reconstruction and the 30-minute edited version, but this time I decided to listen to the audio version with linking narration since I purchased the five-volume 'The Lost TV Episodes' CDs a couple of years ago. This story is narrated by William Russell, and it's brilliant. Listening to the audio with my eyes closed and no distractions really enhanced the experience this time - the sound effects used for the sandstorm were particularly chilling. Ping-Cho is an excellent supporting character, and I found myself captivated listening to her storytelling. Once again, closing my eyes during the audio really improves the experience, as William Russell describing Barbara's exploration of the cave was akin to a good Dungeon Master setting the scene. We even get a proper skirmish in this one! Also, one aspect of this story that strikes me this time around is just how long the road trip really is. After spending a few days in 100,000 BCE, perhaps a week on Skaro, and maybe a day or so stuck in the TARDIS, they've been traveling across Asia for several weeks, possibly even a couple of months, before ever reaching Kublai Khan. For some reason, though, I feel there's less filler, or at least what's there isn't quite as noticeable as in The Daleks. Perhaps it's the travelogue-style journey, but here it feels more organic. So overall, I quite enjoyed this story, and would place it ahead of An Unearthly Child, on par with The Daleks, and slightly behind The Edge of Destruction. Into the Sea of Death we go...

Throughout the first two stories, the goal of making it back to the safety of the TARDIS was paramount, or nearly so. Now the show asks the question, "What if this place isn't safe, either?" The first episode does so much to establish a creeping feeling of unease, and although it's just a teensy bit down from the opening episode, I still really like the second part, especially the ending. On to the roof of the world...

Actively working against his Companions, including his own granddaughter, is one of the things I love about The Doctor in these early episodes, as it certainly gives the character, and the show, somewhere to go. The tension built across the first two episodes is masterful, with actual stakes and menacing suspense served well by being in black and white. We haven't reached the slower part of the story yet, nor have I seen The Daleks in Colour, but the first two parts of this are fantastic. Some of the elements in the third episode were iffy, but it remains markedly better than the final three episodes of the previous story. By the fourth episode, you start to feel the stretching to make this story seven parts, though I did like the discussion with Ian's semantics. Episodes five and six I feel are the weakest of the story, or at least the most padded. The burbling noise Elyon makes at the end of one episode as he's sucked into the whirlpool is a nice touch, and the fact that we're treated to it a second time at the beginning of the next is just fantastic. Well, that's the end of the Daleks. They'll never show up again, right? While a little padded, this was still a very enjoyable story - 4.5 stars.

Just starting a rewatch, and although I have seen all of the episodes before, I've never read the books/comics or listened to the audios. It's amazing how well the first episode holds up after more than 60 years! There's a lot to like in the second episode, but it's definitely a step down from the first. I feel the third episode is the weakest of the four. Although there is some nice character stuff happening, there just isn't as much as in the previous episode. The final episode gives us a fairly strong ending to a good (not great) first story. I thought the actor playing Za gave a decent performance with what he was given. I'm giving this story four stars (mainly due to the outstanding first episode), but really it's more like 3.75.