Monday 20 December 2010

028 The Aztecs Part 2: The Warriors of Death

EPISODE: The Aztecs Part 2: The Warriors of Death
OVERALL EPISODE NUMBER: 028
STORY NUMBER: 006
TRANSMITTED: 30 May 1964
WRITER: John Lucarotti
DIRECTOR: John Crockett
SCRIPT EDITOR: David Whitaker
PRODUCER: Verity Lambert
FORMAT: DVD: Doctor Who - The Aztecs

The Doctor tells Barbara off for interfering in the sacrifice. Susan has been locked up in a seminary for her part in the sacrifice debacle. Tlotoxl tests Barbara while Ian argues with Ixta. Ian uses martial arts to immobilised Ixta with a touch to the neck - IT'S A VULCAN NERVE PINCH ;-)

I'm finding the scenes of the Aztecs talking amongst themselves difficult to follow....

Ixta, Tlotoxl & Autloc disagree over who should command the Aztecs forces. Tlotoxl speaks with Barbara and seeks to trap her. It emerges that Ixta is the son of the architect of the tomb. He plots against the travellers. Susan is being educated in the Aztecs ways, but objects when it appears she will be married off. Ixta meets the Doctor and offers to bring him drawings of the temple in exchange for knowledge on how to beat his opponent, not disclosing to The Doctor that he is fighting Ian, whom he challenges. Barbara speaks with Autloc and discusses halting the sacrifices. The Doctor gives Ixta a plant that will sap Ian's strength is scratched with it. The Doctor then finds out from Barbara that Ixta is fighting Ian, but is arrested by the guards. Ian & Ixta fight, the Doctor enters and tries to warn Ian but Ian is scratched by the plant allowing Ixta to overcome him. Barbara arrives stopping the fight but Tlotoxl challenges her to save Ian.

Well better than the first episode, didn't drag so much, but still..... not a favourite.

The publication of the book of the Aztecs, by it's TV series author
John Lucarotti as Target book number 88, marks a turning point for the Doctor Who range. Up until this point forays into the eras of previous Doctors had been rare. A few when the series started, another few in the late 70s but very little from outside of the last 3 years or so before publication. The Aztecs started a concerted assault on the earlier un-novelised stories and lead to a general upswing in the quality of the books. We love Terrance Dicks, author of many Doctor Who novels, but during the period he was turning out a novel a month some of the novelisations, especially those in Tom Baker's 3rd - 6th years are a little lacking.

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