Doctor Who Rewind - The Aztecs

Finally Barbara and Ian make it back in earth. Ok, it's 15th century Mexico and human sacrifices are plentiful, but you can't have everything can you?

Having landed inside inside an Aztec tomb, Barbara emerges from the TARDIS and mistakenly thinks she's in some kind of High street Jewellery boutique, trying on all manner of sparkly wears that have been placed with the remains of the high priest Yetaxa.

When the one way tomb door is found and Barbara emerges from it to find herself in the middle of a thriving Aztec civilisation she is immediately mistaken for the reincarnation of Yetaxa and idolised as a god.

Any self respecting person would take full advantage of this situation by exploiting it to the max, by getting the old Aztecians to bestow gallons of wine, food and riches upon them. But not Barbara. She sets herself a mission. To rid this sick civilisation of sacrifice. To raise it out of its bloody darkness and into the light of a new dawn.

Not much then. But the Doctor is strictly against it. He's been around some and knows that meddling with history can get you into all kinds of trouble. Er, but isn't that what he does every week? Seems like its ok when he gets to kidnap innocent members if the public and whisk them off through time and space, or nearly murder cave men, but when anyone else has an idea of doing something half decent he stamps all over it. And for good reason to.

The implications of changing the course of Aztec history would be catastrophic. I mean, we wouldn't have been treated to Mel Ginsons cinematic masterpiece, Apocalypso. Mmmmm. I think Barbara was right.

Apart from changing the course of history, there are more pressing matters at hand. The TARDIS is trapped in the tomb and the crew have to find a way to get that door open. It's decided that the best way forward is to split up and work on a solution.

Ian, being the action man that he is, goes off and joins the Aztec military, having to prove himself first by fighting with the strongest warrior, Ixta. Ian appears to have had some prior training in some kind of ancient martial art, focusing on the thumb as its weapon of choice. With his victim in front of him Ian literally gives him the thumbs up. We don't know what kind of foul move Ian pulls here, as it is out of shot, put the result is impressive. Ixta is rendered helplessly paralysed. Ian it seems, is full of surprises.

Barbara's Aztec Ali, and someone whom she see's as representing the hope of a future sacrifice-less society, is the high priest of knowledge, Autloc. He is a wise open minded soul who is willing to entertain the possibility that driving a steak into a persons chest and extracting their heart is, on the whole, not really pertinent to a wholey healthy and loving relationship to his fellow man, or woman.

But, as is always the case, nothing is ever easy. There is an anti-Autloc type character in the shape of the high priest of sacrifice himself, Tlotoxl. Someone whom you might go to if you fancied, say, a dozen minced heart and brain sausages. He's a grubby little fellow who is a cross between the hunch back of Notre Dame and Dave from The League of Gentleman. Tlotoxl creeps about the place plotting and scheming with all the gusto of a pantomime villain. In fact several times while he was on screen I had to resist the temptation to boo and hiss at him. The dastardly devil.

If all this isn't enough, Susan and The Doctor have their own sub plots to deal with. Susan is studying the Aztec religion very well when suddenly she finds herself promised to the next man facing sacrifice, when the moon eclipses. She refuses the offer of becoming a wife and widow in the same day.

Meanwhile, the Doctor is trying to find out exactly how the Tomb door is opened when he accidentally becomes engaged to an Aztec lady called Cameca. This is after they share a cup of hot chocolate. Something to do with an old Aztec custom. It's all played out with great sensitivity by William Hartnell. And we begin to see a warm side to the Doctors nature. Not to mention a vulnerable one. What's hinted here is that the Doctor isn't impervious to the odd romantic approach. He's not so cold as we thought him, and this is enforced in the final scene when we see him, first of all, leave a gift that Cameca has given to him behind, before entering the TARDIS. But he decides otherwise and picks up the gift and pockets it. A momento of a love which never had the chance to flower.


Don't think i'll be taking a break from DW while away in Russia over the next few weeks. I've packed the next three stories. Thats commitment for you. So,next time on Dr Who Rewind we pay a troubled visit to the Sense-sphere.