Episode CriticsCompiled by Martin Willey
Episode Critics
Probably the best of the lot. It has to be admitted that the second part fails to fulfil this promise, jettisoning all the well built up suspense and resolving instead into a series of extended set pieces
(David Scott, DWB, 1992)
Part One is highly enjoyable nonsense. Feely adroitly juggles the humour and tension, the monsters are a hoot and the Superswift crew are played by some familiar faces... Director Tom Clegg handles both dialogue and action scenes with polished ease. 6/10
(Rob Pritchard, Dreamwatch #27, 1996)
Part two is initially marred by a lot of exposition about what the monsters want, but the episode soon picks itself up and provides plenty of action. The nuclear waste dome set marks a return to the kind of large scale sets featured in the first series and the episode gets a lot of mileage by juxtaposing what the astronauts think they're doing with what they're actually doing. 5/10
(Rob Pritchard, Dreamwatch #27, 1996)
Part 1: A lavish episode with great production values and 1999's best monsters. A nice opportunity to see the families and friends of the regular characters, and the ending is so sudden and unexpected it makes you jump. Very entertaining. A
(Chris Bentley, SFX 20, 1996)
Part 2: Despite some rather obvious plot holes and the unintentionally hilarious Plasma Aliens chase sequence, this is an exciting and satisfactory conclusion to one of Year Two's best stories. A-
(Chris Bentley, SFX 20, 1996)
Frightening and convincing alien costumes, a strong linear plot line, good guest and main cast performances and even, for a change, a compelling philosophical thrust. Despite these strong factors small errors in consistence and detail sabotage what is essentially a rather impressive production. It is an enjoyable adventure if only the viewer does not think about it too much. Even with these flaws, however, The Bringers Of Wonder still works fairly well. For the most part, this is a good script, ably written and directed. There is some great editing in the final moments when the camera changes from Koenig's point of view to Carter's altered view of reality.
(John Kenneth Muir, Exploring Space: 1999, p138-139)
Fans of the series might want to check this out. ** (fair)
(James O'Neill, Sci-Fi On Tape, p60, 1997)
(part 1) This is a well crafted script. It's all a little high on the melodrama scale, but it is played with earnest of the entire cast. 7/10
(part 2) The quality of the show never becomes exceptional in terms of production, script or performance. Everything is good, but The Bringers Of Wonder remains a step below the best the series had already presented, and would deliver again. 7/10
(Bob Wood, The Future Is Fantastic, 2001)