Full Circle

Full Circle is notable for being not only the start of the E-Space trilogy but also the first appearance of Matthew Waterhouse as the Alzarian, Adric, who joins the TARDIS crew.

The story is set on the planet Alzarius, and the location footage definitely helps immerse you in the story.

The story was written by Andrew Smith, who, at the time, was the youngest writer to contribute to the series. While some aspects of the serial can come off a little silly, like the scenes with the Doctor and the Marshmen running around the Starliner, the concept of a whole species having been lied to and stunting their ability to leave the planet is very well executed.

From the outset, I thought this would be quite a boring story. How wrong I was!

While the story has its faults (I thought the Marshmen weren’t the best monsters), it has great moments, such as the emotional death of Adric’s brother, or the horrifying Mistfall scenes.

Overall, the pacing, writing and acting led to an enjoyable story with a great atmosphere.

7/10

This serial is a thrilling story, with a great twist concerning the Mashmen being the ancestors of the crashed ship's occupants. Romana doesn't get much to do, and it is a shame that in his debut story Adric spends a short amount of time with the Doctor, but Andrew Smith does a brilliant job at evoking an unnerving vibe with Alzarius. The image of the Marshmen stepping out of the Mistfall fog, in particular, really stands out.

This is part of a series of reviews of Doctor Who in chronological timeline order.

Previous Story: Meglos

The first part of this story feels like nothing else in Classic Doctor Who, I can't exactly explain why, it just feels distinctly unique. We're introduced to Adric who as of right now I have no opinions on. It's a decent introduction for him but doesn't really explore much about him.

The story itself is quite fun, there's some really fun concepts but unfortunately I don't think they quite do it justice. It all feels a bit muddled and as if it doesn't really know what story it wants to tell. Still the reveal that they've gone "full circle" is a genius bit of sci-fi. The soundtrack remains phenomenal and I love the recurring motifs, especially K9's.

It feels like someone at Doctor Who really hates K9 because he's been destroyed in some way basically every story, it's funny, but rather annoying since I quite like K9. Nothing that would change my rating of this story in particular however.

Next Story: State of Decay

The first part of Full Circle does a marvelous job of introducing Adric. Based on what I’ve seen from him so far he seems like a well rounded and entertaining character (not quite understanding any negativity towards him yet). It’s a nice surprise to see them build up this character without The Doctor and Romana in focus, allowing you to get to know him properly. The death of his brother is a memorable and surprisingly emotional moment for a show that often avoids delving into emotions too deeply.

The plot moves along at a good pace and I was invested in the various factions we found on this new planet and the mystery surrounding why the TARDIS thinks they are on Gallifrey (it will be interesting to see where this E-Space thread takes us next). I like that Adric is trying to help Romana but because of the people around him he continually is put in situations which put her at peril. The lack of cosy relationship between The Doctor and anyone within the society he is surrounded by also creates a continually, interesting conflict. The TARDIS team is split up for most of this adventure and it serves the story well.

Space spiders hatching from watermelons must be one of the most delightful visuals the show has ever delivered up - it feels very inventive, very Doctor Who. I genuinely jumped in my seat when one hatched into Romana’s face - an affecting and jolting cliffhanger - one of the best we’ve ever had. It is satisfying when The Doctor uncovers the decider’s grand conspiracy. Efforts to fix the spaceship will go on indefinitely, not because the ship is not good to fly, but because no-one actually knows how to fly it. They do not want the public to be disheartened by this information. With a little nudge from The Doctor they eventually make the right decision.

With a little added humour and some of the formal tones taken from the show, I think this is another which would be considered a classic. As it is, it's the best season 18 has had to offer so far. The biggest surprise that it packed in the end is that The Doctor and Romana do not leave in the TARDIS with Adric - I didn’t expect that for a second!