The Aztecs was... menacing. That's the best way to describe it. It was a fairly powerful story, dealing with matters of rewriting history(the first Doctor Who story to talk about that).
William Hartnell is his usual great self, but there were two scenes in particular that I can safely say are "First Doctor classics". Firstly, the one where he tells Barbara that "history can't be rewritten. Not one line!" And the second where he figures out that he proposed to Cameca. As for the character himself, he has some major development here. His concern about Chesterton is quite notable, considering the coldness that was between the characters earlier. He also apologises after snapping at Barbara for trying to change the fate of the Aztecs(remember how Ninth reacted after Rose tried to just save his dad?). That's a big change from the git he was at the beginning. Even though his performance is frequently vague and unpredictable(it's obvious he himself doesn't understand the person he's playing), Hartnell makes it all work by just being alien and at the same time, someone the viewers can root for and believe in.
Ian... I'm not sure what to say about him. He was Ian. With a Vulcan nerve pinch.
Barbara was the best I've seen of her. Finally breaking through the shell of blandness, she delivers a character that I think should be featured far more in sci-fi... a historian with a choice to change history. She becomes a bit delusional at points, but ultimately makes the right choice. Fantastic.
Susan surprised me, because she was acting like a real person. Someone who has her own life and is willing to stand for it. Sure, there were a few "grandfather!" moments here and there, but mostly she was a whole new person. And I was so used to the cute frightened girl performance I don't even know if I can handle it.
Tlotoxl was a friggin' awesome bad guy! He was like Gollum and Saruman put into a blender. Golluman, if you will. He wasn't as subtle or nearly as enjoyable as Tegana perhaps, but his exquisite motivations put him far apart from his predecessor in Marco Polo.
I noticed that the Aztecs was directed by John Lucarotti, the same guy who I think directed Marco Polo. I like him, he takes his job seriously. Terry Nation's not bad, but his episodes can get a little tedious.
All in all, it was a pretty good serial and hopefully a model for future historicals. Short, effective, well-written and with some really nice acting.
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