The Tardis lands within an Aztec temple . Barbara finds a bangle and putting on is quickly captured by the Aztecs guarding the temple . Seeing the bracelet they misinterpret her as the reincarnation of the ancient high priest Yetaxa . Finding herself in a powerful position and disgusted by the Aztec tradition of human sacrifice Barbara interferes with a sacrifice about to take place and high priest Tlotoxl recognises Barbara as a false God something he will expose
Keeping to the original format of following a science fiction story with a historical tale you might be struck as to how the over ambition of the sci-fi stories bring them down as dated failed spectacles while the historicals despite the flaws remain well written and acted and this is one of the better historical tales from an era of the show that's unique compared to the show it would become under Troughton and subsequent Doctors
Okay lets get the flaws out of the way . It has a couple of limited sets with very static camera work . If you're expecting DOCTOR WHO with quick editing and a CGI army of Aztec warriors running across South American plains then don't waste your time because we have a handful of very small sets built in front of painted backdrops . Have I mentioned the small sets and the static camera work ? Good because I thought I'd try and say something negative and not sound like one of those NuWho fans who blindly and slavishly vomit praise on everything related to the show
So why is this deserving of praise ? It's simply beautifully written and acted . The dilemma facing the Tardis crew is that while they can travel anywhere in time and space and see great cruelty human beings are no less cruel than the likes of the Daleks and this story reinforces this fact of human development . Perhaps cruelty is too strong a word because amorality and cultural relativism is touched upon and examined in depth not something you'd see in the show nowadays . Interesting too how the Doctor reacts to Barbara's interference and how the intended victim reacts . His death is seen not as an atrocity but as the best thing that can happen to him . One does wonder however that in the 21st Century how this view of religion would portrayed today in the shadow of Jihadism and nightly news of mass murder in Iraq , Syria and Afghanistan carried out by men of God . This is probably the only story in the shows history both classic and Nuwho that addresses religion in depth and will probably remain so within in our lifetime
The cast are somewhat stagy but that was the nature of nearly all television in the 1960s with very rare exceptions like CATHY COME HOME . The regulars are all on top form with the Doctor being more angry than normal especially against Barbara . In the NuWho episode Fathers Day we say the tenth Doctor losing his temper against for saving her father and that's the only time the new show has seen the same type of character interaction as seen here . The story rightly belongs to Jacquline Hill as Barbara as she takes centre stage which is a nice change since she's usually underwritten compared to William Russell's Chesterton who as always gets to portray the physical hero . Of the guest cast John Ringham gets to over act slightly in a Shakespearian manner as high priest Tloxtol but this is more than made up for as Keith Pyott as Autloc the high priest of knowledge who gives the impression that he knows all along that Barbara isn't Yetaxa but his sense of universal human decency doesn't get in the way of religious belief
In short this is early DOCTOR WHO that was made by television professionals who saw the show as just another job . It says a lot about industry professionals back in the day that they didn't care much about how it looked 50 years later and how it would be analysed - they just got their job done and made the best product they could . As it stands this is 1960s television drama that might seem peculiar to an audience nowadays but that's a bit like CASABLANCA being compared to a Michael Bay production and complaining Michael Curtiz should have put more action in his movie
Keeping to the original format of following a science fiction story with a historical tale you might be struck as to how the over ambition of the sci-fi stories bring them down as dated failed spectacles while the historicals despite the flaws remain well written and acted and this is one of the better historical tales from an era of the show that's unique compared to the show it would become under Troughton and subsequent Doctors
Okay lets get the flaws out of the way . It has a couple of limited sets with very static camera work . If you're expecting DOCTOR WHO with quick editing and a CGI army of Aztec warriors running across South American plains then don't waste your time because we have a handful of very small sets built in front of painted backdrops . Have I mentioned the small sets and the static camera work ? Good because I thought I'd try and say something negative and not sound like one of those NuWho fans who blindly and slavishly vomit praise on everything related to the show
So why is this deserving of praise ? It's simply beautifully written and acted . The dilemma facing the Tardis crew is that while they can travel anywhere in time and space and see great cruelty human beings are no less cruel than the likes of the Daleks and this story reinforces this fact of human development . Perhaps cruelty is too strong a word because amorality and cultural relativism is touched upon and examined in depth not something you'd see in the show nowadays . Interesting too how the Doctor reacts to Barbara's interference and how the intended victim reacts . His death is seen not as an atrocity but as the best thing that can happen to him . One does wonder however that in the 21st Century how this view of religion would portrayed today in the shadow of Jihadism and nightly news of mass murder in Iraq , Syria and Afghanistan carried out by men of God . This is probably the only story in the shows history both classic and Nuwho that addresses religion in depth and will probably remain so within in our lifetime
The cast are somewhat stagy but that was the nature of nearly all television in the 1960s with very rare exceptions like CATHY COME HOME . The regulars are all on top form with the Doctor being more angry than normal especially against Barbara . In the NuWho episode Fathers Day we say the tenth Doctor losing his temper against for saving her father and that's the only time the new show has seen the same type of character interaction as seen here . The story rightly belongs to Jacquline Hill as Barbara as she takes centre stage which is a nice change since she's usually underwritten compared to William Russell's Chesterton who as always gets to portray the physical hero . Of the guest cast John Ringham gets to over act slightly in a Shakespearian manner as high priest Tloxtol but this is more than made up for as Keith Pyott as Autloc the high priest of knowledge who gives the impression that he knows all along that Barbara isn't Yetaxa but his sense of universal human decency doesn't get in the way of religious belief
In short this is early DOCTOR WHO that was made by television professionals who saw the show as just another job . It says a lot about industry professionals back in the day that they didn't care much about how it looked 50 years later and how it would be analysed - they just got their job done and made the best product they could . As it stands this is 1960s television drama that might seem peculiar to an audience nowadays but that's a bit like CASABLANCA being compared to a Michael Bay production and complaining Michael Curtiz should have put more action in his movie