Doctor Who 1.06 The Aztecs

Jan 06, 2012 19:17

The First Doctor with Susan, Ian and Barbara
Follows on from An Unearthly Child, The Daleks, The Edge of Destruction and Marco Polo and The Keys of Marinus

DOCTOR: "They call me the Doctor. I am a scientist, an engineer. I'm a builder of things."



Overview

One of my favourite First Doctor serials, The Aztecs takes its place among the numerous pure historicals that are woven through the early seasons of the show – pure historicals being classed as stories taking place in a historical setting and containing no science fiction elements whatsoever other than the presence of the time travellers.

As a genre, the pure historical fell into disuse early in the Second Doctor's era, as the show's identity began to revolve around more overt science fiction elements such as futuristic locations and/or alien encounters, but I've always found that a real shame and would love to see the rebooted show attempt a pure historical. It's unlikely this will ever happen, of course, but seriously: this is a show with a time travel machine at its heart, yet it hardly ever explores the nature of time travel in its purest sense. Why should every trip to the past also involve aliens of some kind – and, more to the point, why would there be aliens in the past every time the Doctor lands there? They certainly aren't always needed to generate conflict and drama since the past is, in many ways, just as alien to modern sensibilities as anything extra-terrestrial could be – as The Aztecs proves. If all the dramatic possibilities inherent in taking modern characters to a historical location are properly explored, there is no need to also introduce alien invaders to generate a plot. In this four-part story there are no monsters or aliens to contend with, merely an ancient and blood-thirsty culture that is utterly alien to our protagonists, through which they must attempt to navigate in order to find their way back to the TARDIS, from which they have been separated. Along the way they also wrestle with the thorny issue of whether or not they could or should change the course of history. The result is a very classy, well written and beautifully made story – well, costume drama is what the BBC does best, after all! The slower pace of Classic Who really suits stories like this, allowing a detailed exploration of the central themes, with the plot driven by the characters rather than the characters being led by the plot.

The Aztecs has one other claim to fame in that it is the first story to ever feature the Doctor in a romantic relationship!

Writer - John Lucarotti
Director - John Crockett
Script editor - David Whitaker
Producer - Verity Lambert / Mervyn Pinfield

Observations

Random thoughts while watching:

The Aztecs opens on the model shot of the TARDIS dematerialising that we saw at the end of The Keys of Marinus. By the time it sets down in 15th century Mexico, as episode one 'The Temple of Evil' opens, the travellers have had time to change out of the clothes they were wearing throughout their last adventure, indicating that they have been in transit for a while. It's probably a good thing the Doctor keeps such a well-stocked wardrobe: Ian and Barbara never seem to have any trouble finding suitable clothes that fit in there!

Barbara and Susan were evidently a lot quicker than the Doctor and Ian about freshening up, since they are out of the TARDIS like a shot, ready and eager to explore, while the men linger inside to allow Ian to change out of his 13th century Chinese outfit back into a smart shirt and slacks. I love that between them Barbara and Susan are able to identify both the time and the place they have landed (Aztec tomb, Mexico, mid-15th century), without having to refer to the Doctor. Barbara's expertise as a history teacher really comes into its own here, and it is clear that she has made a special study of the Aztecs, which she draws on heavily in this story and is probably at least part of the reason she gets so very emotionally involved.



The Doctor grumbles profusely about Barbara wandering off by herself. He might as well get used to it now. His companions from here on out will always, always wander off!

The basic plot of the story is very simple. Thanks to the marvel of Aztec engineering, the tomb within which the TARDIS has materialised can be exited but not re-entered – this is the plot device used to separate the travellers from the TARDIS for the duration of the story. Upon being discovered inside the sacred temple of Yetaxa, the team are saved from being executed on the spot by the fact that Barbara has absent-mindedly donned an elaborate bracelet she found in the tomb. The superstitious locals instantly jump to the conclusion that she must be the reincarnation of the high priest Yetaxa and hail her as a goddess, but this case of mistaken identity soon causes as many problems as it solves. The story revolves around the experiences of the travellers as they live among the Aztecs and attempt not to make too many enemies while endeavouring to find a way back inside that very well-sealed tomb. It takes them a full four episodes to achieve this, and the reactions of our protagonists to the primitive Aztec culture – and it to them – are what keep the story flowing throughout those four episodes, as complications and misunderstandings constantly threaten their safety, as well as throwing up obstacles to their eventual escape.

Heee! When one of the Aztec guards bows before leaving the room, the Doctor has to jump back out of the way as the feathers worn in the man's helmet almost smack him in the face!

Autloc, the High Priest of Knowledge, is the principle ally of the TARDIS team during their stay with the Aztecs – a forward-thinking man already uncomfortable with the blood-thirsty traditions of his people even before Barbara and Susan start sowing seeds of dissent. Barbara in particular strikes up a strong rapport with him. For my part, I am highly amused by the little interplay among the TARDIS team as Ian mispronounces his name and the other three all correct him in unison. It is usually the Doctor who gets names wrong!

The main antagonist of the story is Tlotoxl, the High Priest of Sacrifice, whose name is a real challenge to pronounce! John Ringham approaches the part as, basically, Richard III, and gives a marvellously spirited performance – he is brilliant, throughout.



With Barbara ensconced as the goddess Yetaxa, her three 'servants' are all also given roles to play. Barbara is quick to insist that Susan stay with her, as her handmaiden, while the Doctor, being elderly, is taken to a retirement garden to hang out with the other old fogeys. He takes this about as well as one might expect, although he brightens up upon being introduced to Cameca, a wise woman of the Aztecs, with whom he proceeds to flirt shamelessly. This is not the kind of behaviour we might expect from the Doctor, especially when more accustomed to the more asexual later incarnations of the character, but this was only the sixth ever serial of the show, and its characters and mythology were still being built as it went along, so that it was free to characterise the mysterious Doctor anyhow it chose. This flirting is all in the interests of information-gathering, of course…but he does seem to genuinely like her, as well. That in itself is a sign of how much the Doctor has changed over the past five adventures – spending quality time with humans as he has done since meeting Ian and Barbara really has taught him to look beyond their relative primitiveness to recognise the finer qualities of the individual.

The outfit Barbara is given to wear, in her guise as the goddess Yetaxa, is absolutely stunning. The painted backdrops might be a bit obvious, but for a 1960s sound stage the sets are amazing, while the period costumes always look fabulous. I love the little scenes of Barbara and Susan just hanging out, playing at dress up and admiring their clothes – while also discussing the contradictory nature of Aztec society, in which beauty and horror seem to walk hand-in-hand.



Ian looks pretty grim upon being told that he must train to be a commander of the Aztec army, although he doesn't complain because the safety of the group relies on them each cooperating with the roles the Aztecs expect of them. But then he finds out he is expected to lead the next human sacrifice to his doom and the grim gives way to horror!

Oh, but Ian in full Aztec armour is a sight to behold!



Upon hearing that he is expected to participate in a human sacrifice, Ian goes straight to the Doctor for help – I really like that as it shows how the relationship between the two has grown since their acrimonious first meeting. I also really enjoy the interplay between the two, as Ian is absolutely frantic at the thought of being made to assist in a human sacrifice, but instead of sympathising the Doctor very sternly orders him to play along and not interfere, for all their sakes. It's a strong little character moment. We need to see how upset Ian is about this before the later scene in which he reluctantly plays the role required of him, while the hard-line the Doctor takes provides a sharp and shocking contrast to such human sensibilities, yet is perfectly in keeping with his greater experience of the complexities of time travel. It is also very much in keeping with the Doctor's more hands-off approach at this stage of his life, prioritising the safety of his group ahead of any possibility of intervention. The First Doctor has a very 'Us against The Universe' mentality. When we first met him, 'Us' was very rigidly defined as himself and Susan. That definition has now expanded to include Ian and Barbara, which is allowing us to get to know his softer side behind the prickly exterior, but he is still some way off arriving at the 'Good versus Evil' interventionist approach to his travels that he will later be famous for. And he will pretty much always be very clear on the occasions when it is or isn't okay to intervene, fixed points in time and all that.

The Doctor's brief conversation with Ian about the forthcoming human sacrifice is followed up by a much longer and more in-depth debate with Barbara on the same subject, in which he tries to warn her that changing either the nature of Aztec religion or the eventual fate of their civilisation is impossible. He also lies to her face when he claims that Ian agrees with him, which is a gross misrepresentation of the conversation they just had! Barbara will not be swayed, however, allowing her lofty position as an Aztec goddess and her well-meaning desire to save lives to cloud her judgement. This is a really good story for Barbara, showing us clearly that the compassion and determination that are such strengths in her character can also be weaknesses – at one and the same time, even. Because she is not wrong to want to save lives, but on the other hand there is no way that any attempt to impose 20th century values on 15th century Aztecs can end well.



There is quite a powerful sequence in which Barbara bravely speaks up to prevent the murder of the human sacrifice – only for the man to be furious with her for denying him honour and then throw himself off the top of the tower anyway, choosing 'honourable' suicide over 'dishonourable' salvation. It is a bleak moment, absolutely in keeping with the beliefs and mores of the time, which throws the contrast between modern and Aztec sensibilities into sharp relief – and also severely compromises the already vulnerable position of the TARDIS team in this society, as 'handmaiden' Susan is separated from Barbara as punishment and Tlotoxl proclaims Barbara a false god as the cliffhanger ending of episode one.

Episode two, 'The Warriors of Death' opens with a really powerful scene between the Doctor and Barbara in which they have an absolutely blazing row about Barbara's interference with the human sacrifice – both actors put in a great performance. The Doctor is furious that Barbara has endangered all of their lives by failing to respect the culture and religion of the Aztecs, while Barbara is torn between attempting to defend herself and being utterly dismayed by the outcome of her action. The argument ends when Barbara is reduced to tears, whereupon the Doctor is instantly contrite. After several adventures together they are now comfortable enough with one another that they are able to put their differences behind them at once and begin to regroup and plan their next move – there is such a strong friendship developing between the two and it shines through in this scene, despite the furious argument.

One of the fun things about exploring Classic Who is drawing parallels between the old and the new. The blazing row here between the First Doctor and Barbara finds an easy parallel in the blazing row between the Ninth Doctor and Rose in Father's Day, when Rose has deliberately changed the course of her own personal history, causing all hell to break loose. The stakes are very different, but the Doctor's fury with Rose there echoes his fury with Barbara here – and on both occasions, his affection for the offender sees him quickly back down in favour of dealing with the situation as it is, rather than continue to bear a grudge about how it should have been.

I love the way Barbara teases the Doctor when he mentions his blossoming friendship with 'an Aztec lady' as a potential source of information about the sealed tomb the TARDIS is stuck in. They have developed such a cute friendship!



There is a character in this story known only as The Perfect Victim. He isn't given any other name. He has been earmarked for the human sacrifice due to take place at the end of episode four and is defined solely by that forthcoming role. He is even listed in the credits as The Perfect Victim.

Actress Carole Ann Ford took a two week holiday during the making of this story, which means that Susan goes missing for the bulk of the two middle episodes, appearing only in pre-filmed inserts which see Susan studying Aztec culture at a seminary.

I rather enjoy the imperious pose Barbara employs to play Yetaxa – she puts on a marvellous act. I especially appreciate that it is clear throughout that maintaining that role places a heavy strain on her, as she struggles to find the right balance; it is such a fine line for her to have to tread. The safety of the entire group rests heavily on her continuing to convince the Aztecs that she is their goddess, and she has already alienated Tlotoxl, who is a very dangerous enemy to have made.


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At the centre of episode two is an escalating rivalry between Ian, who is just trying to keep his head above the murky waters of this Aztec society he's been plunged into, and Ixta, an Aztec warrior whose claim to leadership is threatened by Ian's status as the warrior of Yetaxa – this rivalry much stirred up by Tlotoxl, who seeks to use it to his own advantage. I am very amused by the scene in which Ian manages to get the better of Ixta with a bit of guile, knowledge of pressure points, and his thumb. One might not expect a science teacher to stand much of a chance against a fully trained Aztec warrior, but Ian is of the generation that would have done national service, so I can buy that he'd be able to hold his own, using what he knows of modern fighting techniques to take his opponent by surprise.



I really love the way Ixta mispronounces Ian's name, every time.

Ian has the best poker face ever. And he needs it, to bluff his way through this story in the role of warrior!

Mortified by his defeat, Ixta proves himself to be as ruthlessly cunning as Tlotoxl when he tricks the Doctor into giving him an unfair advantage over Ian in their second round contest. The Doctor is completely focused on learning as much as he can about the construction of the temple, in order to find another way back into that tomb, and so doesn't think to ask the name of Ixta's intended opponent when he hands over the means to drug him in exchange for the promise of information. And then, when he realises his mistake, he compounds the error because his attempt to warn Ian in fact provides Ixta with just the distraction he needs to perform the deed!

Ian does impressively well in his fight against Ixta, even after being drugged. He apparently knows enough solid wrestling technique to more than hold his own against an opponent whose chief skills lie in armed rather than unarmed combat. But once the drug has kicked in properly, the fight becomes horribly one-sided. Then just when all hope seems lost, Barbara pops up to intervene quite brilliantly. Ordering Ian's life to be spared doesn't work, though. "If you are Yetaxa, save him," Tlotoxl sneers as the cliffhanger episodes ending, but she can't exactly call down a thunderbolt from heaven – so she holds a knife to the High Priest's throat instead, as the opening gambit of episode three, 'The Bride of Sacrifice'! Well, it works. Now that's what I call divine intervention!



When we first met Barbara, as a sedate schoolteacher living a blameless life in London 1963, who could ever have imagined her successfully pulling off a claim to be a goddess, still less holding a knife to a man's throat in anger? She has come a long, long way, her experiences with the Doctor teaching her what she is capable of, when pushed.

Watch William Russell acting and reacting in the background of scenes he doesn't have any lines in, especially in the aftermath of Ian's drugging – great stuff.

Susan, meanwhile, is still kicking back at the seminary, being taught how to be a good little Aztec girl. She seems to be coping pretty well with the lessons when it's just about memorising texts; Susan does love learning about other cultures, after all. What she isn't coping with quite so well is the enforced separation from the rest of the group – she does suffer so from separation anxiety at the best of times. She doesn't know what the others are doing, whether or not they are any closer to finding a way back to the TARDIS, if they are safe…it's understandable that she'd be stressed. But instead of falling apart and having hysterics, as has been known to happen in the past, her stress manifests as an expression of will and independence. If they want her to learn how a good little Aztec girl should behave, fine, but the moment they start talking about arranged marriages, everything within her rebels – she is horrified at the thought of being trapped in such a situation and passionately argues her right to self-determination. Part of me is applauding her all the way – it's good to see her standing up for herself and upholding feminist principles and her right to self-determination, instead of clinging to someone else and letting them fight her battles for her. But on the other hand, she knows that her stay with the Aztecs is only temporary, she knows that the safety of the entire group rests on not alienating their hosts and she is meant to be an experienced traveller in time and space. Would it kill her to play along for a little while, as the others are doing, especially when the concept of arranged marriage is only being floated as a theoretical example? She has already seen how badly it went down when Barbara spoke up against human sacrifice. Does she really think the notion of female emancipation is going to be any better received? The only reason a forced marriage to The Perfect Victim later becomes a genuine issue is because she makes such a fuss about the principle of arranged marriage when it is first mentioned in passing, thus giving Tlotoxl the idea of using it against her in yet another attempt to undermine Barbara.



Then again, I suspect that one reason Susan reacts so badly to the idea is because she is desperately worried that their sojourn among the Aztecs may turn out to be more permanent than they want it to be – if they can't find a way back to the TARDIS, if anything happens to the others (which is a distinct possibility throughout, since this is a brutal society and their position within it is precarious), then she could well find herself trapped here for life. And she isn't being permitted any contact with the others to give her any hope.

There is a really, really strong little scene between Barbara and Autloc where Barbara uses her knowledge of the future to prophesy the destruction of the Aztec people, as part of her ongoing campaign to persuade them to give up the tradition of human sacrifice. Autloc is taking her very seriously…but he is the only one, and a single like-minded ally is not enough to change an entire culture. When Barbara asks him outright for his support against Tlotoxl to prevent the next sacrifice, his dilemma is palpable – he trusts and believes in her, but she is asking him to make a stand against the traditions his entire civilisation is built on. He outright begs her to prove worthy of the trust she is asking for and to not deceive him, and it is a very poignant moment because, when all is said and done, Barbara is not Yetaxa and however good her intentions she is not going to be here long enough to see through the cultural revolution she desires, even if she did have the power to back it up.



I love Barbara. She is clever and brave and fabulous and resourceful. But this story is a steep learning curve for her.

If this story were being made today, Barbara would turn out to be right when she declares Tlotoxl an evil man who is forcing everyone else to perpetrate horrors they would not otherwise commit. In fact, he would probably turn out to be an alien of some kind, because that would be so much neater and easier to resolve than allowing human nature to be at fault. But there is something far more honest and sophisticated about admitting that Aztec culture isn't blood-thirsty because of any malevolent external influence being brought to bear, but because that is simply how it has developed – Tlotoxl is merely a product of that culture – and there is no easy fix for that, the civilisation must simply run its course.

I am highly amused by Ixta's concept of friendship, which he cheerfully extends to Ian in pretty much the same breath as a promise to kill him next time they fight, and absolutely does not see the contradiction there. This is how Aztec warriors think. And that is the whole point of this story. It isn't about good versus evil or right against wrong: it is about the clash of two diametrically opposed mindsets with no frame of reference to one another.



I really like that when Ixta tells Ian it was the Doctor who gave him the drug he used, Ian immediately knows that the Doctor was tricked into acting against him – it bears emphasising: their relationship has come such a long way since the acrimony of their early adventures together. Where once Ian might have legitimately feared the Doctor's intentions toward him, they are now firm allies and friends, bound by mutual respect and trust, and Ian doesn't doubt the old man's innocence in this matter even for a second.

The Doctor's ongoing flirtation with Cameca is both charming and hilarious and Hartnell gets to show off his comedy chops in the scene where the Doctor realises that he has accidentally proposed marriage – and been accepted! On the one hand, he really does seem to genuinely like Cameca, who is wise and intelligent and, like Autloc, represents all that is good about Aztec society. But on the other hand, there can be absolutely no doubt that he uses her affection for him and leads her on quite shamefully, without any intention whatsoever of following through. It is a sharp reminder of what a ruthlessly manipulative character the First Doctor can be.



As much as he hated being made to participate in a human sacrifice ceremony, Ian seems to understand why they shouldn't interfere in this culture. He has a really good, strong scene with Barbara, discussing the thorny issue – it is rare for these two to really argue, but when they do it is always powerful. I love that they have such a strong relationship, strong enough that they can remain close while holding such very different viewpoints, strong enough that they can have powerful, passionate arguments about those differing viewpoints without that relationship being damaged, because they always find their way back to middle ground and learn from each other, respect one another's opinions even when they don't agree. Barbara keeps wavering back and forth – she can see why interfering is pointless, especially since they are leaving as soon as humanly possible anyway, but she wants so much to prevent further loss of life and to preserve all the good things about Aztec culture by ridding it of the bad. Ian's passionate words help her to see that she can't succeed…but she can't stop herself hoping and trying anyway.



Got to admit, I laugh out loud at the scene where Ian hops up and down behind Tlotoxl's back, frantically waving his arms to warn Barbara not to drink the poisoned drink the High Priest has just given her to prove her divinity – or lack thereof.

I laugh out loud again when the Doctor oh-so nonchalantly tells Ian about his accidental engagement and Ian executes a classic double take and then giggles like a schoolboy and teases him about it, much to the Doctor's chagrin!



Through his connection to Cameca and conversations with Ixta, the Doctor deduces that there must be a tunnel leading from the retirement garden up to the tomb, so he and Ian make plans to investigate overnight. The problem with this plan is that Ian is sharing a bedroll with Ixta in the warrior's hut, which makes it difficult to sneak out without being seen

Again we are reminded of the frailty of the Doctor's elderly first body, as he is completely unable to move the elaborately carved lump of polystyrene stone concealing the entrance to the tunnel – but Ian is able to shift it, no trouble. I enjoy their little back-and-forth over who should be the one to venture inside, which Ian wins hands down, insisting that it is far too dangerous for the Doctor – there haven't been many companions over the years who could have got away with a line like that! So the Doctor stands guard while Ian explores the tunnel…but the trouble with this division of labour is that the Doctor turns out to be an absolutely lousy guard – Ixta is able to sneak right up on him without him noticing a thing. And Ixta, as we have already seen, is a very cunning sort of fellow. The Doctor is completely unable to prevent him from replacing the stone at the entrance to the tunnel, thus sealing Ian in – and is horrified to hear that the tunnel inside fills with water periodically. So, the episode three cliffhanger sees Ian trapped inside the tunnel in rising water.

It is just as well Ian is a level-headed and resourceful sort of a chap who very quickly finds another way out, as episode four 'The Day of Darkness' opens – up and into the central tomb, which they have been trying to get back into all along.

Funny how the tunnel was as dry as a bone when the Doctor and Ian first opened it, but then starts to rapidly fill with water as soon as Ixta seals it up again – timing is everything!

The Doctor becomes absolutely frantic when he believes that Ian is drowning inside the flooded secret tunnel, and I really enjoy watching that reaction: a sign of how very attached he has become to his human companions. I also really like that he goes straight to Barbara to tell her the bad news – only to find Ian safely there, having exited the tomb into the main temple again. The Doctor is so happy to see him, it's really cute! Again we are reminded of how very far he has come over the last six serials, from despising Ian and Barbara as ignorant primitives to caring for them deeply as friends and allies. They have been together for 30 episodes now, long enough to form a powerful bond.



Getting back into the tomb to make their getaway in the TARDIS seems like such a simple goal – but even after Ian has found the tunnel into the tomb, obstacle after obstacle is thrown in the way! Ian has tied a rope to the other side of the pivoting wall, but it still proves impossible to re-open without a pulley, which the Doctor sets out to make since the Aztecs don't have the wheel. They can't leave without Susan, who is being closely guarded ready to be publicly punished for refusing her arranged marriage to The Perfect Victim (she should have just said yes, since he is going to be dead within a matter of hours anyway). And then Tlotoxl frames Ian for an assault on Autloc, just to add further complication.

This is two stories in a row that Ian has been falsely accused – he had to stand trial for murder in The Keys of Marinus, and now faces execution for Ixta's assault on Autloc.

I do enjoy how pro-active Susan is, having been reunited with her friends – eager to do her bit to aid their escape from this place.

Cameca is lovely. Over the course of the fourth episode she comes to realise that the Doctor isn't going to marry her after all, that he intends to leave and not take her with him. But she does everything she possibly can to help him anyway, even putting herself in danger to get Susan away from her guards, just because she believes it is the right thing to do. After the way he's been leading her on, the Doctor really does not deserve her devotion! It is clear, though, that he is genuinely fond of her and genuinely regrets having to let her down.



It's all a little confusing toward the end, because Autloc reckoned he could help save Susan but not Ian because he would be too heavily guarded, except that it turns out they are sharing the same guard anyway, so that neither one is more heavily guarded than the other. And then Cameca, with Autloc's help, sneaks Susan away from the guard but leaves Ian behind, for no apparent reason, other than that Ian is a resourceful chap able to make shift for himself – having knocked out the guard, he helps himself to the man's uniform and goes undercover for the grand finale of the story.

Poor Autloc ends up deciding to abandon his people for a life of contemplation in the wilderness – he has clearly realised that Barbara is not going to come through for him, but has taken enough of her words on board to be unable to live like this any longer.

Ian and Ixta have one last fight, horribly choreographed, and this time it really is to the death, as Ian manages to pitch the warrior off the top of the tower in self defence. I like that Ian is visibly shaken by this, although he has to shake it off quickly and keep moving as the team are mid-escape at the time – taking another man's life, even in self-defence, is not something he takes lightly, and nor should it be.

Barbara is very despondent about her time with the Aztecs, seeing only her failure to change and thus save their civilisation, rather than what a miracle it is that she and her friends survived to tell the tale. The Doctor is very sweet as he comforts her.



Right at the end, the Doctor goes to leave behind the gem that Cameca gave him – but at the last second, he snatches it up again and takes it with him, a memento of his short-lived engagement. Aww. He really did like Cameca. But not enough to want to take her with him, even though he totally could have, if he'd wanted to.

Back aboard the TARDIS, time passes – the Doctor potters around at the console while the other three change back into normal clothes, anxious to put their time among the Aztecs behind them. Then, for the first time since Marco Polo, the story ends by setting up the premise for the next adventure, as the Doctor puzzles over his instruments, some of which tell him they have landed while others claim to be in motion still. Ian and Barbara theorise that they may have landed on top of something – or inside something. Only the next adventure will tell!

>Quotable Quotes

SUSAN: "There must be some way of opening it."
DOCTOR: "Yes, you push from the other side. These tombs were designed to prevent grave robbers, not to aid and abet them."

SUSAN: "Well, they've treated us all right so far."
DOCTOR: "The Aztecs always showed the utmost courtesy towards their intended victims."

IAN: "Yes, that High Priest, what was his name?"
DOCTOR: "Autloc."
IAN: "That's right, Orkloc."
ALL: "Autloc!"

DOCTOR: "Reincarnations can come out, but human beings can't go in."

IAN: "I don't think we should take our eyes off those two for a second."
DOCTOR: "Oh, I shouldn't mind them. They're far too busy timing their miracle."

AUTLOC: "It is our law that all who attain their fifty second year shall pleasurably pass the remainder of their lives free from responsibility and care."
DOCTOR: "Poor old souls, they must be bored to tears doing nothing."

SUSAN: "It's incredible, isn't it? Beauty and horror developing hand in hand."

BARBARA: "Don't you see? If I could start the destruction of everything that's evil here, then everything that is good would survive when Cortes lands…"
DOCTOR: "But you can't rewrite history! Not one line!"

DOCTOR: "Barbara, one last appeal. What you are trying to do is utterly impossible. I know, believe me, I know."

DOCTOR: "I've met somebody who knows how the temple was built. An Aztec lady."
BARBARA: "You're an old rogue."

IXTA: "Thus shall my enemies fall."
IAN: "Real enemies can hit back."
IXTA: "I have no fear of death."
IAN: "Perhaps not. The dead never win."
AUTLOC: "How would you attack?"
IAN: "I should use more cunning. Surprise my enemy."

IAN: "To know your enemy's weakness isn't magic, its common sense."

AUTLOC: "Yetaxa's servant won the victory with his thumb."
TLOTOXL: "You saw the blow?"
AUTLOC: "There was no blow. He fought with his thumb!"

CAMECA: "You are a healer?"
DOCTOR: "No, no. They call me the Doctor. I am a scientist, an engineer. I'm a builder of things."

CAMECA: "An interested mind brooks no delay."
DOCTOR: "Yes, and I'm sure that's true of you, too."
CAMECA: "It was true. Now I am content to spend the time here like the others."
DOCTOR: "Oh, but their minds are old, Cameca, and that's something I'm sure yours will never be."
CAMECA: "Your heart is young too, Doctor."

SUSAN: "I'm not going to be told who to marry."
AUTLOC: "What say have you in the matter?"
SUSAN: "It's my life, I'll spend it with whom I choose, not someone picked out for me."

AUTLOC: "Tlotoxl was humiliated. He will not forget, nor will he forgive."
BARBARA: "I did as he commanded."
AUTLOC: "But not as he expected."
BARBARA: "What did he want? A miracle?"
AUTLOC: "We all awaited it."
BARBARA: "Why should I use divine powers when human ability will suffice?"

BARBARA: "Am I not a god? Support me. Tlotoxl won't dare defy us both."
AUTLOC: "If I take that course, there is no way back for me. In all humility, I beg you, do not deceive me or prove false to me."

DOCTOR: "I am faithful to my friends."

IXTA: "Now that I have proved that I can be the victor, we two can be friends for the little while that you have left to live."
IAN: "Oh, I'm going to die, am I?"
IXTA: "Oh yes, Ian. Next time I shall not fail to kill you."

IAN: "You can't fight a whole way of life, Barbara."
BARBARA: "I suppose not. I've just been fooling myself."

IAN: "Where did you get hold of this?"
DOCTOR: "My fiancée."
IAN: "I see…your what?"
DOCTOR: "Yes, I made some cocoa and got engaged. Don't giggle, my boy, it's neither here nor there."

AUTLOC: "Is it still your intention to intervene at the human sacrifice?"
BARBARA: "Yes."
AUTLOC: "I shall match your courage, Yetaxa."

IXTA: "Do you ask yourself where Ian is? I can tell you. He is dead."
SUSAN: "I don't believe you."
IXTA: "The old man saw him die. He knows it to be true. Now seven warriors have challenged my right to command and only I survive."
IAN: "Good commanders don't jump to conclusions, Ixta."

BARBARA: "Oh, I just want to get out of here as quickly as possible."
DOCTOR: "Hmm, and the history?"
BARBARA: "Remains unchanged."

BARBARA: "Oh, we're like drowning people, Doctor."
DOCTOR: "Oh, now, now, now, don't worry, don't worry, don't worry. Don't give up hope."
BARBARA: "Maybe it's this place. I just feel sometimes as if all the people who've died here are watching, waiting for me to die, too."

CAMECA: "We are a doomed people, my dear. There's no turning back for us."
DOCTOR: "You're a very fine woman, Cameca, and you'll always be very, very dear to me."

IAN: "Well somebody had to make up his mind for him."

BARBARA: "We failed."
DOCTOR: "Yes, we did. We had to."
BARBARA:" What's the point of travelling through time and space if we can't change anything? Nothing. Tlotoxl had to win."
DOCTOR: "Yes."
BARBARA: "And the one man I had respect for, I deceived. Poor Autloc. I gave him false hope and in the end he lost his faith."
DOCTOR: "He found another faith, a better one, and that's the good you've done. You failed to save a civilisation, but at least you helped one man."The Verdict

The Aztecs is a lovely story. It originally aired in May 1964, so it suffers from all the drawbacks associated with Doctor Who in that era: very obvious painted backdrops, theatrical production values and so on. Yet somehow none of that matters because the story is so good, using a very simple plot to explore the central characters through their reactions to a very primitive culture. Fantastic.

6/1/2012; re-written February 2013

1st doctor, susan foreman, ian chesterton, series 1, barbara wright

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