The Day of Darkness

When the Doctor and his companions inadvertently interfere with Aztec culture, Barbara is mistaken for a goddess and must grapple with the moral implications of challenging a society on the brink of self-destruction.

The TARDIS crew finds themselves in 15th century Mexico, where Barbara is mistaken for the goddess Yetaxa. She attempts to use her newfound influence to end the practice of human sacrifice, inadvertently sparking a power struggle between the High Priest Tlotoxl, who seeks to maintain the old ways, and the more moderate Autloc, the High Priest of Knowledge. Ian, meanwhile, becomes embroiled in the conflict when he explores a hidden tomb, attracting the suspicion of Ixta, Tlotoxl's loyal warrior.

Barbara's actions create ripples throughout the Aztec society. She tries to convince Autloc that she is not Yetaxa, but her efforts are complicated by Tlotoxl's manipulations. He plots to discredit Barbara and eliminate Autloc, whom he sees as a threat to the traditional order. Ian and Susan work together to help the Doctor and Barbara, but they are soon captured after Ixtla sets a trap.

The Doctor becomes entangled with a local woman named Cameca. Cameca ends up helping Susan escape from the Warriors Hall, aiding their cause. Meanwhile, the upcoming solar eclipse becomes a pivotal moment, with Tlotoxl planning to use the event to solidify his power. As the day of darkness approaches, Tlotoxl frames Ian for an attack on Autloc, poisoning the high priest's faith in Barbara. Cameca, loyal to Autloc, helps orchestrates Susan's escape by bribing a guard with an ornament. Autloc goes off to seek enlightenment in the wilderness.

The TARDIS team unites in the temple. They attempt to escape through a hidden door in Yetaxa's tomb. Their escape attempt is thwarted when the rope used to maneuver the door snaps. Ian and Ixta engage in a deadly fight on the temple platform. As the eclipse reaches its peak, Tlotoxl prepares to sacrifice the Perfect Victim, but the Doctor and his companions manage to escape back to the TARDIS, leaving the Aztec civilization to its fate. Barbara reflects on her failure to change history and the Doctor assures her that though she failed to save a civilization, she did help one man find a better faith. As they depart, the Doctor notes that the Tardis has stopped but the instruments say that they are still moving.

Events in This Episode

The narrative beats that drive the story

Act 1

The act opens with Ian discovering a hidden tunnel, a potential escape route, leading from the Garden of Peace into Yetaxa's tomb. The Doctor, trapped in the garden, faces taunts from Ixta, who mistakenly believes Ian is dead. Ian, having navigated the tunnel, emerges into the temple and reunites with Barbara and the Doctor. Their momentary relief quickly dissipates as Barbara reveals Susan's capture and impending punishment for refusing to marry the Perfect Victim. Ian, determined, immediately sets off to rescue Susan from the heavily guarded Warriors Hall. There, Tlotoxl and Ixta gloat over Ian's supposed demise and Susan's imprisonment. Ian, however, ambushes Ixta, incapacitates him, frees Susan, and they make their way back to the temple. The TARDIS crew is briefly reunited, but their initial attempt to use the newly discovered tunnel for escape fails dramatically when the old cord they rely on to open the heavy tomb door snaps, leaving them trapped and vulnerable within the temple as the solar eclipse approaches.

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Act 2

Following the failed escape, Tlotoxl intensifies his machinations, tasking Ixta with framing Ian for an attack on Autloc, using Ian's club to poison Autloc's faith in Barbara. Ian and Susan, attempting to free the tomb's entrance stone from the garden side, discover a wounded Autloc and are immediately implicated by Ixta, leading to their recapture. Tlotoxl, emboldened by these developments, reveals his sinister plan to Tonila: utilize the upcoming "day of darkness" to sacrifice the Perfect Victim and then dispose of Barbara, the "false Yetaxa," by entombing her. Meanwhile, the Doctor diligently carves a pulley, observed by Cameca, who expresses profound concern for Ian's fate. Barbara confronts Autloc, vehemently asserting Ian's innocence and exposing Tlotoxl's treacherous plotting. Autloc, though still questioning Barbara's divinity, believes her about Tlotoxl's malice and, disillusioned with the traditional ways, makes a pivotal decision: he entrusts Cameca with a valuable ornament to bribe a guard and secure Susan's freedom before he departs into the wilderness to seek a new, personal truth.

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Act 3

With Susan freed and Ian now disguised in a Captain's helmet, the TARDIS crew prepares for their final, desperate escape attempt. Tlotoxl, unaware of Susan's successful rescue, proceeds with his elaborate plan, outlining to Tonila the precise sequence of events: dispose of Ian and Susan, perform the Perfect Sacrifice during the eclipse, and then bind Barbara. As the sacrificial procession begins, Tlotoxl confronts Barbara in the temple, attempting to stab her, but the disguised Ian intervenes, thwarting the assassination. A fierce club fight erupts on the temple platform between Ian and Ixta, culminating in Ian defeating Ixta by throwing him over the side. Simultaneously, the Doctor, Barbara, and Susan work the pulley, finally opening the tomb door. The crew escapes into the tomb just as guards rush in, and the door slams shut behind them. On the platform, as the eclipse reaches totality, Tlotoxl performs the human sacrifice. Inside the TARDIS, Barbara reflects on her failure to alter history, but the Doctor reassures her that she succeeded in helping Autloc find a "better faith." The episode concludes with a new mystery: the TARDIS instruments indicate it has stopped, yet others show it is still moving, hinting at their next adventure.

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