Episode Critics
Compiled by Martin Willey

15. The Full Circle

If ever there was a case of a real stinker of a story being inserted into the middle of a series to make the rest of the episodes look good by comparison then The Full Circle is it... when Sandra is captured by Fred and Barney's buddies it is Nick Tate as Alan Carter that shines through. It turns out that Sandra and Alan are romantically involved, not that there is any evidence of this in any of the other episodes of the series. Thus Alan turns into Rambo five and a half and is allowed to out macho Koenig for a few brief moments. Rating 5/10 (Anthony McKay, DWB, 1992)

Fifty minutes of dry ice, bearskins and nonsense. Don't rush to watch it... (Richard Houldsworth, TV Zone, 1992)

A ridiculous idea that would not have been out of place in Year Two, but sticks out like a sore thumb here. C (Chris Bentley, SFX 20, 1996)

An entertaining, straightforward adventure which offers stunning location work, dramatic night shooting and an opportunity for the cast to have fun playing 'primitive'. (John Kenneth Muir, Exploring Space: 1999, p62)

Total absurdity as a time warp sends the Alphans back to the Cro Magnon era. An easy to ridicule mess. *- (poor) (James O'Neill, Sci-Fi On Tape, p271, 1997)

A very strong grip on the series, the characters and a great style and vision are demonstrated by Kellett. There are many genuinely appealing character interactions and warm moments in this episode. We see smiles, laughter, jokes, flirtations, fears and hugs. It's a delight for fans of this great team of characters. The Full Circle features a nice theme that differences must be overcome and that understanding and communication are necessary to overcome difficulties. Mankind is closer to our ancient ancestors than most of us would like to believe. It isn't among the best episodes of the series, but it is absolutely unique and fun to watch. 8/10 (Bob Wood, The Future Is Fantastic, 2001)

A dull and overblown episode; not even the location shooting can save it. 2/5 (Alasdair Stuart, SciFiNow #10, 2007)