s01 e06 The Aztecs

In which Barbara is mistaken for an Aztec goddess, Ian defeats some mighty warrior with a lot of consonants in his name, and the Doctor accidentally gets engaged.

Review:
Did I mention that the Doctor's accidental engagement is the result of cocoa beans?

Important Firsts:

• First (failed) attempt to change history and discussion thereof
• First romantic subplot involving the Doctor

Musings:

• It turns out that Barbara specializes in Aztec civilizations.  In practice this means we have to listen to her talk for a miserably long time about history, which is never fun.
• Pretty good costumes.  Pretty dumpy sets.
• "But the Aztecs are Mexicans!  We must be on earth!"
• Following that gem, Susan looks at some cave paintings and declares: "Hey look: cartoons!" Great.  A Time Lord kindergartner.
• Actually, it's worth noting that not all Galifreyans are Time Lords.  As I understand it, Time Lords are a subset of Galifreyan who have stared into the Time Vortex and had their biology rewritten (mmmm, triple helix DNA!).  Susan may be simply Galifreyen.  In fact, it's pretty easy to imagine her failing whatever entrance exam the Time Lords use. 
• Barbara gets mistaken for a goddess when she waltzes out of the holy temple having donned a bunch of sacred jewelry....
• ...And gets separated from the group at 2:43.  This may be a new record.
• The high priest of sacrifice is not a nice man
• He is also a little bit lecherous
• The Doctor finds a lady friend, and they are absolutely adorable together.
• In fact, this is the only romance involving the Doctor that I have ever fully approved of. If ANY human is going to be the Doctor's equal, it's going to be a sweet, baddass, and extremely wise old woman, not some trashy 19-year-old.
• Also, I still can't get over this.
• Barbara insists on trying to use her status as goddess to eliminate the Aztec tradition of human sacrifice. When the Doctor finds out, he exclaims "You can't rewrite history, not one line!"
• He goes on to say "What you are trying to do is impossible. I know. Believe me, I know!" and you can really see the sadness in his eyes.  This theme would be repeated many times throughout the years, including in recent episodes such as "The Fires of Pompei"
• Granted, now that the Time Lords have all kicked the bucket, time is apparently more mutable, for good and for bad.
• Ian performs the vulcan nerve pinch on the Aztec's most powerful warrior, and as result is crowned general of the Aztec army.
• "They call me The Doctor. I'm a scientist, an engineering, a builder of things!"
• Susan gets locked up in a seminary for the middle two segments because Carol Ann Ford went on vacation.
• Susan TWEAKS OUT when she find out about the concept of arranged marriage.
• Of course that reaction is nothing compared to when she finds out that she is forcibly betrothed to next week's human sacrifice.
• Upon being introduced to the idea of cocoa beans as currency, the Doctor exclaims: "What an excellent idea! A currency you can drink!"
• Apparently consuming a cup of cocoa together constitutes a marriage proposal in Aztec-land. Blissfully unaware of this custom, the Doctor makes a cup for the sweet old lady.
• Later, when Ian asks the Doctor what he did that afternoon, the Doctor replies, bewildered: "I made some cocoa and got engaged"
• The evil high priest of sacrifice wears an increadibly stupid headress that looks like rabbit ears. In fact, all the hats in this scene are abominations.
• Also worth noting is Susan's fiancee: the naked dude on the rock.
• The Doctor constructs a baddass pulley system to open a temple door.  Pretty sweet.
• In the end, no one gets married, and the TARDIS crew barely escapes with their lives.  All's well that ends well?
• The Doctor is sad as he enters the TARDIS.  He slips a little trinket gift from the sweet old lady into his coat pocket and pats it, smiling sadly. :'(