September 28: Full Circle Parts Three & Four

Adric and the Doctor check on Romana in her room. (Full
Circle Part Three) ©BBC

Full Circle continues to impress in its last two parts, as we learn more about Mistfall and the Alzarians.  There's also some drama with Romana being infected and somehow linked telepathically with the Marshmen.  Well, the Marshchild, at least.  It's genuinely distressing, seeing Dexeter beginning his scientific operation on the unanesthetized Marshchild over the Doctor's protests ("That's not scientific understanding, it's cold-blooded murder!"), and while it's a bit difficult to feel bad for Dexeter when the Marshchild breaks free and kills him, it's much more affecting when the Marshchild sees the image of the Doctor, the only person who showed it any kindness, and electrocutes itself breaking the screen in an effort to get to him.  This would be something of a feat even if it were a person, but the fact that it's someone who looks like a monster makes it even more impressive.

But then Full Circle is full of moments like this, deaths that seem to mean more than just cannon fodder for the Marshmen.  Varsh's death is obviously a crucial moment for Adric, as Varsh is the only family he has, but even a death like Tylos's, where he's killed while saving one of the technicians, is treated as something meaningful.  Compare this with Lexa's death in Meglos and the difference is clear.  All the characters in Full Circle matter.

All this and a good plot too.  The stuff about Romana being taken over is primarily just to provide a reason for the Marshmen to successfully enter the Starliner, but the stuff with the Deciders and with the Doctor, as the Doctor works out that the Starliner has been ready to leave for centuries, and that the people inside the Starliner are in fact descended from the Marshmen (and look like the Terradons because they adapted to live in the Starliner) is both entertaining and interesting, and even the E-Space set-up for the next couple stories leaves the viewer curious.  It's a very well-written story, and at no point do you feel less than satisfied with its development.

Up to this point, season 18 has had a distinctive new style, but it hasn't quite had stories to match.  Full Circle feels like the first time that the new style comes through in the storyline as well as the visuals.  Add in the fact that Andrew Smith was seventeen when he wrote this, and Full Circle becomes even more impressive.  This is a story by someone who understands the show and who's in sync with the more serious direction that Nathan-Turner and Bidmead are looking for, and it's directed by another newcomer (well, as far as the Doctor Who directing chair goes) in the form of Peter Grimwade, who's able to make this all dynamic and smooth.  The end result is an excellent story that finds the new production team beginning to hit their stride.