Historical Events 2
Historical events 2 contains one more story where the Doctor appears in historical settings. The show at this time is to be an educational program so this is very good. With Doctor who being a kid’s show that is what one expects. The writers are trying to teach the viewers, who are children about different parts of history. In this post I will write about one more historical event which the Doctor just pops up. Historical events 2 is really ironic, but I will say this is how this show works though.
The Romans
The Doctor in this serial lands on earth during the reign of Nero. Now as the viewer and knowing how things work with the Doctor we know that is not where he intended to materialize. Even though he lands in Italy in the 1st century, I am sure the Doctor’s thoughts are why am I here.
They TARDIS crew find an empty villa where they relax for a little while, and because they are in Italy the Doctor and Vicki make a trip to Rome. I mean if this where I am I am going to Rome to check it out. They leave Barbara and Ian who are later surprised by slave traders and taken prisoner. The slave traders will sell them as slaves.
Murder is in the plot and Doctor finds a man whose name is Maximus Pettulian dead. He is lyre player who is to play for Nero in Rome. Pettulian apparently has been murdered and here is where the murder mystery begins. As a result the Doctor must play detective and work out who killed Pettulian. There is of course some complications because people think the Doctor is Pettulian.
Well, the Doctor seems to always attract trouble and the man who actually kills Pettulian begins to stalk the Doctor. The man who wants Pettulian dead has the assassin try and kill the Doctor. Of course the Doctor is able to escape and centurion flees the scene. The events cause the Doctor to realize that the assassin and the centurion are working together.
The Doctor and Vicki arrive at Nero’s court and encounter Tavius who tries to fool the Doctor. Without Tavius knowing who the Doctor is he probably believes the Doctor is that gullible. Tavius does not fool the Doctor in any way shape or form.
Now, Ian Barbara are having their own adventure without the Doctor, and can’t imagine what they are thinking now that they are slaves. But Ian is on a ship which gets destroyed by raging seas and ends up a nearby shore and finds another member of the galley Delos. They make the decision to travel to Rome to find Barbara. Of course this is not without problems. These men are caught by soldiers and taken to train to be Gladiators.
The Doctor figure out that Tavius is the one to have the centurion killed. Then we see Nero come into play. He arranges a banquet in honor of the man the Doctor is impersonating. Now I don’t thin the Doctor can play the lyre so Nero gets angry and orders that Pettulian be fed to the lions. Then while this is going on someone is trying to poison Nero. Of course this does not happen because of the action of Vickie.
In all of this the Doctor finds Nero’s plans for a new Rome. Here where the Doctor becomes involved in the burning of Rome. Because the Doctor burns Nero’s plans, the writer basically show Nero getting the idea of burning Rome. as with all heros the Doctor and his crew escape the The Great Fire of Rome.(1)
To be honest I write this from reading a synopsis of the story and I have yet to watch this story. But I do plan on sometime in the future buying and taking the time to watch it.
