The Aztecs (Doctor Who)
"The Aztecs" is a Doctor Who serial that was originally broadcast from May 23 to June 13, 1964. It was written by John Lucarotti, directed by John Crockett, and produced by Verity Lambert.
It starred the First Doctor, Barbara, Ian and Susan, and was set in precolonial Aztec society.
It is notable for being the story in which Barbara is mistaken for a God, when the Tardis materialises in the tomb of a dead priest and she wanders out of the tomb wearing one of the priest's bracelets.
Her companions, including the Doctor, are thought to be her servants.
In an attempt to protect Aztec culture from future colonial destruction, Barbara (...a White Englishwoman and history teacher) tries to stop the practice of human sacrifice. She uses her accidental status as the reincarnation of Yetaxa as the basis for her influence, and her quick thinking, historical knowledge and sang-froid to maintain her divine status. She must deal with two priests, Autloc and Tlotoxl. Autloc is amenable to Barbara's suggestions to cast off superstition, but Tlotoxl, suspicious of her, wants to debunk her divinity and attempts to poison her, so that he may continue to perform human sacrifices.
Meanwhile, Susan is mostly offstage, learning the duties of young women in Aztec society, until the Perfect Victim (of the upcoming human sacrifice) decides that he wants her to be his bride, which she refuses. Her disobedience makes her a candidate for punishment, and one more problem for Barbara to deal with.
The Doctor and Ian are both trying to find a way back into the tomb, where the Tardis is. Ian ends up sleeping with Ixta, the local warrior hero (....seriously slashy situation), after besting him in combat, and the Doctor seduces Cameca, the widow of the tomb's architect, to learn of its secret entrance.
Ultimately, Barbara cannot change history, so the human sacrifices continue, and the four time-travellers barely manage to leave with their own lives.
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