From: South Central (Tamazunchale@webtv44.net) Date: Sat, 7 Mar 1998 21:08:57 -0800 Subj: Space1999: Episode by Episode
Last week I was late with my notification of the list (and between you and me, the week before that as well); this week I'm early!
Next week's episode for discussion is "Full Circle" (in my opinion arguably one of the worst episodes of Y1--at least at the end when everyone reappear with their Alphan uniforms on, intact and themselves bathed! Otherwise I thought it was cool--acting wise it was superb!).
Enough of that! Full CIrcle is up for discussion from Monday, March 9 through Sunday, March 15. Of course discussion on any aspect of any episode can take place at any time by anyone. For those of us participating in the Episode by Episode "superthread" next week is when we focus our attention on a little blue planet named Retha (acronym for Earth? Hint hint, wink wink).
From: Petter Ogland (petter.ogland@dnmi44.no) Date: Mon, 9 Mar 1998 10:58:31 +0000 Subj: Re: Space1999: Episode by Episode
The last time FULL CIRCLE was discussed, parallells were drawn to the early sequences "The dawn of man" of Stanly Kubrick's 2001 and to William Golding's novel LORD OF THE FLIES (1953) with it's question about whetner man has evolved conceivably during since the stone age or before or not. In some respects, the episode seems to state, man is as primitive now as he has ever been.
Watching the episode this time I was more focused on the music, as of the recent discussions of the 1976 RCA soundtrack. The main theme for the episode, a "primitive" drum theme, is not included on that album, and I don't know if it in fact is a Barry Gray composition. It has not been mentioned on the list of non-Gray compositions either, however, neither on postings to this list nor on David Acheson's music page, I think.
Nevertheless, the music works well, as I see it anyway, but comparing with the episode MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH, which has a very similar prologue by the way, it does not use very much music in order to give mood.
THE FULL CIRCLE was the only Year One episode to be shot on location, I believe, and I think this works quite well. On the other hand, I believe I understand Gerry Anderson's resentment for shooting on location as it is easy to forget that we are on Retha and not on Earth. Dramatically, however, the more the planet resembles Earth the better it seems to display the story's point about development of man and how it's just the technology and the society that has been developed due to technology that make Helena and John different from wild beasts.
While the parts written for Alan and Sandra do not give excessivly more insight into their characters, it's nice that they are given more space than usual in this episode, I feel. Ziena Merton, in particular perhaps, shows that she is quite a capable actress, although her role is more underwritten than it would deserve.
Petter
From: David Acheson (dkach@hotmail44.com) Date: Tue, 10 Mar 1998 06:25:12 EST Subj: Space1999: The Full Circle
Alphans:
So now we leave the ice world of Ultima Thule for the lush planet of Retha. Unlike Zenno and Piri earlier, we can believe that these two planets may actually be in the same solar system as the existence of one does not affect the storyline of the other.
THE FULL CIRCLE is actually the better of the three stories directed by Bob Kellett. While not one of the best (and it does have big flaws!) it is still an entertaining episode. The script is by the team of Jesse Lasky, Jr. and Pat Silvers thus it is one of the oddities of year one. Now here is a question for those who are into trivia: Is the Jesse Lasky, Jr. who co-wrote this episode the same as or related to a Jesse Lasky who is listed as one of the co-writers of Cecil B. DeMille's THE TEN COMMANDMENTS? I am very curious about this.
As Petter mentioned before, it is the only episode of the first year to use location shooting. I think location shooting is just fine if the situation calls for an Earth-type planet. As long as one is not able to make out an exact type of tree or see an Earth animal cross the screen it is fine by me. I guess Gerry Anderson had to give in to the faster pace of filming the second year as location shooting was used more extensively in that season.
I agree with those critics who laugh at the idea of the mist. It is hard to believe that the Alphan uniform can digress into cave-wear and back again without a scratch. Helena transforms from a beat up old cave woman into Doctor Russell with hair and lipstick intact. But lets face it! This is television, and despite 1999's lack of scientific accuracy throughout its run, any other show would have done it just as ridiculously. The funny thing is I can live with the mist but not with the just-as-silly collision in COLLISION COURSE (which many here like).
This is definitely Helena's episode. Her witch-doctor cavewoman character is a hoot and is one of the few chances the Emmy award winning actress was allowed to play strictly on the most basic level of human emotions. Its not an easy thing to do when no vocabulary is used. I love the growling sounds as she prepares for the kill - poor old Sandra again. Yet, she can be sensitive as she shows when she treats the wounded cave-Koenig.
Like THE LAST SUNSET, this episode relies on the regulars more as there is no guest actors. It is great to see Kano being used more extensively than just sitting at the computer. His best part since GUARDIAN OF PIRI. Alan got to play hero again - what else. And it was nice to have Victor along. One of the finer moments was when Kano, Carter and Bergman were eating by the camp fire as night was setting in. Sandra, unfortunately, was the victim once again. Although she looked pretty good in leopard skins. Some guys on this list would probably want to see Tanya on the planet in her cave-wear. Smile.
I see that some have made some comparisons to the Dawn of Man sequence in Kubrick's 2001 and I can even add the movie QUEST FOR FIRE (which came out after the series). However, I try not to take this episode quite as seriously as the two above-mentioned movies.
And what about those Rethan nights? Was it something like 2 or 4 hours? I can't remember offhand but it was short. Does the planet speed up when night falls and then slows down when the sun rises? What a dumb line to put into the script.
I find it funny that the planet is called Retha. I have an aunt named Retha and always think of her and laugh. At least I don't have a relative named Ultima Thule.
As serious 1999 sci-fi this episode fails but on an entertainment level I quite enjoy it overall.
David Acheson
From: djlerda@juno44.com Date: Tue, 10 Mar 1998 08:59:33 EST Subj: Space1999: The Full Circle - A Lite Review
And what about those Rethan nights? Was it something like 2 or 4 hours? I can't remember offhand but it was short. Does the planet speed up when night falls and then slows down when the sun rises? What a dumb line to put into the script.
I believe that Victor mentions that night on Retha lasts 2 hours. I'm no physicst but I would think a planet would not be able to form if it rotated that quickly.
I find it funny that the planet is called Retha. I have an aunt named Retha and always think of her and laugh.
Is it possible that "Retha" is an anagram for "Earth?"
I liked the dinosaur footprint, Sandra's outfit and screaming (man Ziena's got some lungs!), and Kano. That's about all.
Overall grade: D
David J Lerda, djlerda@juno.com
"Just because we haven't experienced something
doesn't mean it doesn't exist" - John Koenig
From: South Central (Tamazunchale@webtv44.net) Date: Tue, 10 Mar 1998 08:12:43 -0800 Subj: Space1999: Full Circle
Just a couple of points:
Mateo
From: "Willey, Martin J" (martin.willey@eds44.com) Date: Tue, 10 Mar 1998 12:55:10 -0000 Subj: Space1999: The Full Circle
Some trivia from David Acheson's comments about Full Circle...
Now here is a question for those who are into trivia: Is the Jesse Lasky, Jr. who co-wrote this episode the same as or related to a Jesse Lasky who is listed as one of the co-writers of Cecil B. DeMille's THE TEN COMMANDMENTS? I am very curious about this.
Born in 1910, Jesse Lasky Jnr was the son of American pioneer producer Jesse Lasky. He became a screenwriter in Hollywood in the 1930s, writing scripts of the films "Union Pacific" (1939), "Unconquered" (1948), "Samson and Delilah" (1949), "The Ten Commandments" (1956) and "Seven Women From Hell" (1961). In World War 2 he served in the army. In the late 1950s he and his third wife, the actress and writer Pat Silver, moved to London, writing for television and film, including "The Protectors", "Marlowe- Private Eye" (1984) and "Hammer House Of Mystery & Suspense" (1984). A small bearded man, Lasky was an accomplished swordsman, rider, tennis player, and an authority on weaponry and the wild west. His memoirs, "Whatever Happened To Hollywood?", were published in 1973. He died in 1985.
Director Bob Kellett rewrote "Full Circle" extensively.
And what about those Rethan nights? Was it something like 2 or 4 hours? I can't remember offhand but it was short. Does the planet speed up when night falls and then slows down when the sun rises? What a dumb line to put into the script.
The Alphans seem to have landed at higher latitudes during that hemisphere's summer (note the coniferous forest- this isn't equatorial). Due to the planet's axial tilt, the nights get shorter the farther to the poles you go.
Martin.
From: Patricia Embury (Patriemb@sprintmail44.com) Date: Thu, 12 Mar 1998 20:43:43 -0500 Subj: Space1999: Full Circle
This isn't one of my favorite episodes. It starts off well, with the suspense of the missing party, and the activity on the planet. It also sets up some of the baser human emotions we'll see later, i.e., jealousy. The Carter, Sandra and Paul triangle vs the Sandra, Cave Queen and King triangle draws a nice collary to illustrate the "how have we really changed after so much evolution" theme. Then you have the Carter macho vs the Cave man macho/protect the woman at all cost. When the action is focused upon the cavepeople, after Sandra is captured, I have to fast forward it. I don't know if its overkill of the cave action, but it just turned me right off.
Bain and Landau do well, and the supporting cast is strong, but some of the dialogue and scene set ups don't work for me. Victor's line to Koenig in Medical Center "He's got a ray gun" in reference to Carter stands out for its idiocy. Sandra, although the emotional barometer of the series, screams entirely too much. She demonstrates that she is a much stronger person, by hitting the caveman with the commlock, and hitting Koenig with the rock, than the screaming would indicate. I also don't like that she just opens the eagle door without looking/checking her commlock to see who's outside. If it is Carter returning, then she knows he can open the hatch. Also, Carter kept his stungun holstered during the fight. Why didn't he pull it, and stun the caveman. He certainly had some time to draw it before the caveman attacked him with the stick.
I've been thinking of putting up a website entitled "The Nitpicker's guide to Space:1999" I have space on AOL that I've been meaning to play with...hmmm....maybe if it snows this weekend I may have time.
From: "Petter Ogland" (petter.ogland@dnmi44.no) Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 10:39:32 +0000 Subj: Re: Space1999: Full Circle
This isn't one of my favorite episodes. It starts off well, with the suspense of the missing party, and the activity on the planet. It also sets up some of the baser human emotions we'll see later, i.e., jealousy.
Hm, I've thought of it like this before. Perhaps Othello could be used for comparision?
The Carter, Sandra and Paul triangle vs the Sandra, Cave Queen and King triangle draws a nice collary to illustrate the "how have we really changed after so much evolution" theme.
After reading Martin Willey's brilliant production notes to SPACE:1999, I've come under the impression that THE FULL CIRCLE may have been written quite early on in the series, perhaps before the Paul/Sandra relationship was established. According to Martin, director Bob Kellet also made extensive adaptions to the original script, perhaps bringing out the jealousy theme more clearly.
I've not really thought that there was all that much going on between Alan and Sandra, it was Koenig that decided they should fly together, not something they forced themselves to it seems. To me the situations seems more silimilar to the Paul/Alan/Sandra triangle in BLACK SUN.
John's interest in Sandra seems more profound, however. What was he thinking of, anyway, as a caveman when Sandra hit him with the rock? And what happend at the end of Act III when he discovered Sandra unconcious behind a tree?
Then you have the Carter macho vs the Cave man macho/protect the woman at all cost.
He-he. I love it when Pat is in this mood, drawing parallels and investigating psychological aspects of the characters and episodes.
Nick Tate is really out of control in this one, Alan Carter going completely bananas, shooting at everything that moves it almost seems. even Victor start to take notice. I though the "ray-gun" line fitted quite nicely actually. Both using the non-technical term "ray-gun" and stating the obvious, that Alan of course has a ray gun visiting a completly unknown planet which "looks like the jungles of Brazil", just makes Victor more human, I think. A bit absentminded and peculiar perhaps, but very much in character.
Sandra, although the emotional barometer of the series, screams entirely too much. She demonstrates that she is a much stronger person, by hitting the caveman with the commlock, and hitting Koenig with the rock, than the screaming would indicate.
I liked the screaming very much, especially in the sequence where she is running in the woods, followed by a hand-held camera. Here Bob Kellet comes close to paying hommage to the horror film conventions of Hammer Films who also shot at Pinewood and in the Blackwood forrest, I believe. More so, I think this sequence comes close to Tobe Hooper's TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (1974), a distrubingly frightful film, as I remember it, based almost entierly on soundeffects, screaming and hand-held camera.
I also don't like that she just opens the eagle door without looking/checking her commlock to see who's outside. If it is Carter returning, then she knows he can open the hatch. Also, Carter kept his stungun holstered during the fight. Why didn't he pull it, and stun the caveman. He certainly had some time to draw it before the caveman attacked him with the stick.
As most people seem to do in horror movies, they just wander apart and get lost. In the beginning there are at least teams, but when Alan just wanders off without a word to Sandra, perhaps he thinks he is in the Austrailan bush. It is a bit peculiar how everybody acts as if they were on a camping holiday when they all know that there are cavemen living in this area who probably have disposed of the crew from the first landing. Well, well.
Petter
From: relax@videotron44.ca Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 12:20:01 -0500 Subj: Space1999: full circle blooper
Hi All!
After the fight between Carter and the caveman into the ground hole, the caveman used a tree as a ladder to get out. Watch closely the tree, some pieces of the tree are missing, they have been cut with a CHAINSAW !
Andre Beauchamp
From: Patricia Embury (Patriemb@sprintmail44.com) Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 18:05:52 -0500 Subj: Re: Space1999: Full Circle
John's interest in Sandra seems more profound, however. What was he thinking of, anyway, as a caveman when Sandra hit him with the rock? And what happend at the end of Act III when he discovered Sandra unconcious behind a tree?
Yes, the Cave Koenig's interest in Sandra was much more evident than the Alan, Sandra and Paul set up. I noticed in main mission, when Carter leaned next to Sandra and told her they were going for a ride, Paul made a motion with his head, that to me, indicated displeasure. Sandra also looked immediately at Paul, as if to "get permission," like you would if your boyfriend's best friend asked you to a movie, and he couldn't go. It was more subtle, as if to illustrate the refinement brought about by evolution
Then you have the Carter macho vs the Cave man macho/protect the woman at all cost.He-he. I love it when Pat is in this mood, drawing parallels and investigating psychological aspects of the characters and episodes.
Why thanks!
Nick Tate is really out of control in this one, Alan Carter going completely bananas, shooting at everything that moves it almost seems.
Yes, Nick Tate really appeared to be enjoying himself with this episode. I really liked the scene around the campfire, Carter appeared to feel terribly guilty, and action oriented.
I liked the screaming very much, especially in the sequence where she is running in the woods, followed by a hand-held camera. Here Bob Kellet comes close to paying hommage to the horror film conventions of Hammer Films who also shot at Pinewood and in the Blackwood forrest
This did remind me of a horror film. although I never saw The Texas Chain Saw Massacare, I was reminded of some of the films that I've seen on Mystery Science Theatre 3000. I think (although I can't be sure) that the last season used a few of the Hammer films. I wonder what Mike and the bots would have made of this episode! :)
As most people seem to do in horror movies, they just wander apart and get lost.
I think that's one thing I find so silly in horror films, and one reason why that genre, for the most part, turns me off. The gore is the biggest reason ( I've seen enough at work to last a lifetime) but having people do stupid things when they know a killer/monster, etc are on the loose, doesn't allow me to suspend my disbelief enough to enjoy the show. Halloween was probably the last good horror film I saw.
From: jcg@vh44.net Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 18:31:18 -0500 Subj: Space1999: Full Circle
It suddenly struck me as odd that Paul is the one to remotely fly the eagles in...why not an experienced pilot?
Everyone can fly an eagle on that base, and yet Sandra has to be strapped in by Alan...I've always hated that.
Their commlocks are a part of their person, and yet Alan leaves his on the ground when he is in the pitt.
Why doesn't Sandra see the caveman on her commlock, or why doesn't she comment that she is getting no picture?
Anyone else out there screaming at their tv's "Sandra, close the stupid eagle hatch!" when she sees the caveman out there?
Forgive me if someone else already pointed this out, but when the third eagle lands, the far one is a cutout or a shaped piece of wood or something.
Sandra is missing and they don't notice the mess on the floor of the eagle from her struggle with the caveman?
The lengths of the days and nights on this planet make no sense.
I would have liked Sandra to recognize and try talking to some of the other cavepeople.
It was a nice touch that Helena, even as a cave woman, treated someone's injuries...even the person who fought her man.
Her tunic wasn't that bad...if it wasn't for plot, Sandra would never have put that skin on. She certainly wouldn't have removed her perfectly good pants even if she had.
I can just hear Sandra saying: "Since I knew it was the Commander, I hit him square in the head with a large rock only three times."
So many Alphans have dissapeared, and Carter, Bergman and Kano sleep outside while there are three good comfortable safe ships right there?
Sometimes you have to ask yourself "What the hell were they thinking when they made these things? 'RAY GUN??!!!!'"
I've never understood Helena's line just after she came out of the mist to Koenig "We nearly lost you." If they have no memory, the last thing she remembers is walking into the mist with him. What is she referring to?
From: "Ellen C. Lindow" (sfdxb@scfn.thpl.lib44.fl.us) Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 19:51:22 -0500 (EST) Subj: Re: Space1999: Full Circle
This episode most reminds me of classic Trek's "Shore Leave". It's a fun episode that takes place outdoors, makes absolutely no sense, and has a kind of camp appeal to it.
One of my favorite things about the episode is the relaxed atmosphere, the small talk, a bit of flirting between several characters. For the first time you see them acting like they know each other and have become friends. For the most part, that's missing in the first season episodes.
Yes, there are a lot of problems with the episode. It would have been nice to have followed through with the dinosaur footprint. And as a person who has camped on mountaintops and beaches, and even the occaisional gator filled swamp, I can guarantee you I would be locked inside an eagle at night , preferably in orbit, after seeing those footprints. And that pit Alan was in was made with a backhoe. I keep getting visions of grunting, fur-clad cavemen operating heavy machinery
Oddly enough, I really don't have a problem with the ray gun line. It fits in the conversation well. Alan was certainly acting like a comic book character, perhaps Victor was comparing him to Buck Rogers, or Flash Gordon (or even Duck Dodgers).
The set was enough to make the most serious crew giddy. Did you catch that great big tusk in the cave? It would make any self respecting mammoth top heavy.
And Sandra's leopard skin was obviously there for the same reason the girls on Thule were dressed for Miami Beach.
From: judas@netmatters44.co.uk (B J Dowling) Date: Sun, 15 Mar 1998 00:29:52 +0000 Subj: Space1999: Full Circle
Hi y'all,
This episode is, for me, the funniest in the whole season. I doubt that it was intended to be funny, as it asks the question "Just how far have we actually developed from our stone age ancestors?". That is probably due to the relaxed atmosphere Ellen mentioned.
It suddenly struck me as odd that Paul is the one to remotely fly the eagles in...why not an experienced pilot?
Because Carter would pull rank, take over and crash the Eagle?
Finding the body of a Stone Age man in an Eagle is a little different to what one might expect normally. It's a good job the guy wasn't alive when the Eagle was boarded or Alan, Doctor Mathias or some poor purple sleeve would probably have been beaten up (again).
Everyone can fly an eagle on that base, and yet Sandra has to be strapped in by Alan...I've always hated that.
Doesn't work for me either. If everyone can fly an Eagle, they will all know the pre flight routine prior to lift off. Maybe it was part of the thing between Alan and Sandra which never got pursued - strapping her in as a gesture of affection.
The disregard some Alphans have for their commlocks is a bit disturbing. Would you lay your house and car keys down by that vegetable patch you work on in your garden?
Sandra gets some action in this story, but is a bit hard done by in the overall scheme of things. It seems a little out of character for her to behave as she does when the caveman turns up. I didn't expect her to snap out her stun gun and lay the guy spark out from the hip, but the common sense she has shown in previous stories is disregarded here for the "Doctor Who Companion" set of actions.
Victor and Kano fly an Eagle down to Retha. Now adding to the missing recon party of 7, Sandra, Alan, John and Helena. A risky strategy if ever there was one, especially if that dinosaur print belonged to something large, aggressive, carnivorous and hungry.
I can relate a lot to Alan in this story. The more I watch the series, the more I see similarities between me and Alan. If someone had made off with a lass I cared about then I'd be after them and looking for blood.
Sandra can defend herself if pressed - she really gave the caveman Koenig a belting with that rock! Again we see the same style of clothing for the lasses in this episode as the last - skimpy where possible.
The idea of the mist is okay, but it changing the Alphans and their clothing as well doesn't quite work. It would have been interesting to see what the cave Alphans made of their uniforms if they hadn't changed along with their occupants. It may well have jogged their memories. Equally, one of them would no doubt have tried something with the weapons they were carrying. At least the cavepeople weren't like the ones in 1 Million Years BC, with perfect hairstyles and make up to match!
Overall, despite the original intent of the story, the episode is a break from the moral and philosophical issues explored in Death's Other Dominion. There are too many things which don't quite work for it to be a contender for best story of the season, though it's nice to see Sandra get some action and Kano get from behind his desk. The story gets a C- from me.
From: Patricia Embury (Patriemb@sprintmail44.com) Date: Sat, 14 Mar 1998 20:20:17 -0500 Subj: Re: Space1999: Full Circle
It suddenly struck me as odd that Paul is the one to remotely fly the eagles in...why not an experienced pilot?Because Carter would pull rank, take over and crash the Eagle?
No, even he could fly it remote control. I think Paul had his control over the remote.
Doesn't work for me either. If everyone can fly an Eagle, they will all know the pre flight routine prior to lift off. Maybe it was part of the thing between Alan and Sandra which never got pursued - strapping her in as a gesture of affection.
He was being polite, a gentleman. After all, in several places it states that Carter is one, if not the most, well-liked Alphan.
Victor and Kano fly an Eagle down to Retha. Now adding to the missing recon party of 7, Sandra, Alan, John and Helena. A risky strategy if ever there was one, especially if that dinosaur print belonged to something large, aggressive, carnivorous and hungry.
Yep, it's a good thing Jurassic Park didn't come out until the 90's, or heaven knows there would have been a dinosaur to contend with... and I don't mean Barney! :)
From: David Welle Date: [missing information] Subj: [missing information]
Alphans,
This, unfortunately, is an episode I've never liked. Not the first time I saw it, as a child; not the third or fourth time as an adult. With each viewing, instead of finding more meaning in between the problems, I have found even more things I don't like, leaving this episode locked firmly in my bottom five rankings of the entire series.
The episode starts out interestingly enough.
A reconnaisance mission to the planet labeled "Retha" (an anagram of "Earth") has stopped communicating with Alpha. John has Paul remotely return the Eagle to the Moon.
That might not be a bad idea, for the people inside may have been overcome by illness, but on the other hand, Alpha could drag back an empty Eagle, leaving the planetary team high and dry just when they might have needed it. Still, probably a good idea for Alpha to try to see if they can determine anything first, before sending another mission. When it is safely back, they find it empty, except for a dead caveman! A mystery. Did he and his kind have something to do with the Alphans' disappearances?
After the usual "This Episode" sequences, when the action of the episode itself starts again, I like the touch of the drumming sounds overlying the preparatory action on Alpha -- just the right tone.
Nit: why a search radius of 100 miles? How could they expect the first party to get that far away from the initial landing, in what was likely less than a day of exploring -- and even in a moonbuggy? It seems to me a better way of searching would be to *start* a series of short legs crisscrossing a small square (say 10x10 miles), and then maybe extend to neighboring squares -- or to do a spiral search.
John: First, search. Second, photographs.
And third, record any sightings of people...
Er, isn't "third" rather redundant? That is, isn't that what they're
searching for ("first, search").
John puts Victor in command. Good, showing an explicit hand-off.
Alan flirts a bit with Sandra. In fact, there's a little very low key flirting between Alan and Sandra, as well as things Paul says ("love to Sandra"), in several spots of this episode. Alan even buckles in Sandra. Patronizing, chivalrous, or flirtateous? Very, very low key.
This (Sandra's possible relationships) is one aspect, in fact, that for years I really never noticed it or considered whether there was anything more to it. Only a couple other episodes touched on it. Even now, I still scarcely have much of an idea of how Sandra's relationships proceeded, especially since I keep seeing the first season episodes in a few different orders. Maybe I'm being a bit (or more) blind here, but this is *too* subtle for my taste, to the point of failing to be the least bit compelling to me. I don't need to be hit over the head with something to see it, but these are two extremes (too subtle vs. too obvious), and I wouldn't have minded some middle ground. At least that's how I feel.
Anyway, to back up again, the Eagles reach the planet. One touches down, while the other, with Alan and Sandra aboard, heads out on the search mission.
John and Helena take a moonbuggy as far as they can, through a lush forest (one of S19's rare on-location episodes). Then, John adds to a marker device that's been attached to a tree. Very clever. This was probably something the Alphans developed after Breakaway, and I'm sorry that they didn't use this idea in any other episode (or did they?).
They see huge footprints, almost reptilian-looking, like a dinosaur's -- an element that is never touched on the rest of the episode.
Helena thinks they're being watched, and John shoots off his stun gun into a dark spot. Nit: isn't that from the foolish "shoot first and ask questions later" school?
Then they head into a patch of mist, eventually followed by the rest of the landing party, which is on foot. The leader of the rest of the landing party calls Alan just before heading into the mist, and the leader says "we'll try and catch up with the commander before dark. See you tomorrow." Tomorrow? On a planet where people have already disappeared, why would anyone stay out of contact for more than a hour, much less until the next morning? With this and Alan running a search with an over-large radius, I'm seriously questioning Alpha's search and rescue abilities.
Now, everyone's lost contact with everyone else except Alpha with Eagle Two.
Just before Eagle Two is going to settle down next to Eagle One for the night, Sandra exclaims, "Alan! Down there; I saw something moving." Alan casually brushes it off, and as becomes apparent, they don't even bother with a quick search, because we next discover Sandra waking up from a sleep, hours later. Maybe it would have been foolish to initially leave the Eagle in twilight, but the least we could have heard is Alan *saying* something like that, instead of dismissing Sandra's words.
In fact, there were cavemen out there when they first landed.
Then, to continue the foolish methods of searching, Alan disappears on Sandra. He has awakened before Sandra and gone out to search, without even informing her. Again, on a planet where people have been disappearing without a word, this is STUPID. It also gives her an understandable fright. Luckily, she does contact him.
Even worse as far as search methods is that Alan really seems to have strayed rather far from the Eagle. It was *hours* ago that Sandra saw movement, and his searching so far away *now* just does not add up, as far as I'm concerned.
Soon after, he falls into a pit trap, obviously set by the cavemen, and is knocked out. Sandra gets more frightened when she can't even reach him any more. She contacts the base, and finds out Victor and David are coming in yet another Eagle. Then, Alan wakes up, and in another bonehead move, doesn't even try to contact Sandra on his commlock! The thing is right there with him, laying on the ground, and he doesn't even bother taking the minute it would require to remake contact with others Worse, he doesn't even bother to clip on his commlock before trying to clamber out of the pit! He seems to have utterly forgotten to even think about it.
As he struggles to get out, cavemen appear around the rim, and one jumps in to fight with (and eventually knock out) Alan. The caveman would have killed Alan, except the latter's commlock starts beeping, which fascinates the primitives. The one in the pit nudges it, sort of reminding me of the apes in 2001:ASO, though that response would be a fairly universal one, IMO.
When the caveman accidentally activates the commlock, he sees Sandra (and is understandibly fascinated and confused by the image); but Sandra doesn't seem to see a thing, because she keeps talking as if Alan is on the other end. What gives? Most of the time, the caveman is holding it right; it just isn't consistent with other uses of the commlock, and no explanation is attempted.
The cavemen walk off with the commlock, which makes sense; but inexplicably, they leave the length of tree (that the one caveman used to climb out) in the pit, which later allows Alan to escape.
Sandra finds out that the third Eagle with Victor and David on board (David's piloting, BTW) is ten minutes away from her. Suddenly, she relaxes, and opens the door. WHY? Why wouldn't she wait until the other Eagle has actually arrived? Why, when everyone keeps disappearing, and she herself said "wild horses" couldn't drag her from the Eagle? She does it *so* casually, too. At the very least, why doesn't she have a stun gun in hand? There's three mounted right there! No one's acting the least bit sensibly.
Of course, she pays for that: a caveman is standing right outside, and despite her struggles (including taking a good swing at the man with her commlock, though he ducks it), she gets knocked out and carried away.
Earlier, when just two Eagles were on the ground, they looked great. Later, when the third Eagle is about to land next to them, one of the landed Eagles looks all wrong. Most of the far Eagle is hidden behind the body of the other Eagle that's on the ground, but the far Eagle's "head" is oriented, it's body would be angled right through the body of the other Eagle. The angles just don't look right, and the far Eagle (again, only it's pilot section is seen) almost looks as if it might be a cut-out set in the scene, or something. This persists in the other three-Eagle shots. It suggests there were only two "real" or full models of the same size.
Alan, meanwhile, wakes up, gets out of the pit, finds the moonbuggy, then starts returning. Victor and David find the Eagle empty, the latter in very well-spoken bewilderment, "Where's she gone? We were just talking to her ten minutes ago."
Sandra wakes up among all the cave people, finds herself the subject of intense interest and then even some competition among a couple men. A cavewoman makes a fuss, out of jealousy perhaps. The cavepeople have spears, fire, torches, but no speach (they only grunt, with little coherence even then).
Victor, David, and Alan have built a campfire, not unlike the other people in their cave, both undoubtedly for similar reasons. None of these three say a word, which is sort of understandable. OTOH, they should be discussing a better strategy. Problem is, their current strategy is awful, for WHY are they camping outside? They are on an obviously dangerous planet, and have three Eagles for shelter and protection, so why aren't they in them???? I just don't get it. Do they need to cook the food or something? If so, why don't they have cold rations? It makes no sense. And why does Alan throw half his food out, when I would think there would be some importance placed on conservation, even without outright rationing.
Sandra screams as she abruptly realizes that two of the cavepeople are, under all the hair and primitive behavior, Dr. Russell and the Commander. It is a shock to her. It abruptly turns into a very different sort of "cave people" story now.
Sandra can't get through to them. Later in the night, her clothes are ripped by one of the cavemen, forcing her to wear the animal skins. Two of the cavemen start competing for Sandra again (it seems at least four men in this episode are interested in Sandra, some more violently than others). Helena curiously, like the doctor she was, tends to the loser, who was burned in the fire, while the winner goes to take his prize, Sandra. She knocks him senseless and bloody with a rock, and escapes. The other woman, Helena, once jealous over Sandra, is now angry at her in another way -- vengance. There's a nice moment where Helena shows the others the rags that were once Sandra's Alphan clothes, as an indication to the others of who to look for.
Sandra's being chased through the night; but despite being in fear of her life, she eventually stops, curls up by a tree, and weeps. Okay, maybe she's exhausted, but by this time, all her screaming has been increasingly grating on my nerves. I also can't figure out why, if she had to stop out of exhaustion, she wouldn't remain silent.
By now, I've been alternately laughing and cringing at this episode. It is at moments funny in a "campy" way, then just too awful to bear.
In the morning, Victor, Alan, and David arise to the sound of chirping birds and the sight of sunlight filtering through trees (it's a pretty moment, even though I still don't know why they camped out on a dangerous planet). They talk to Paul on Alpha, who is concerned for Sandra. Then the three drive off in the moonbuggy to find the others. Abruptly, in a good scene, Alan shouts to stop (eliciting the wonderful response of "I hate backseat drivers!" from Kano). Carter tells him that he's suspicious of the mist, and they decide to go around it. Eventually, they stumble on the cave, where the residents are beatings sticks to bowls, and where one is bleeding badly and groaning ("he's half dead," Victor says). Victor suddenly starts wondering if the man is John, and starts approaching, while Alan abruptly tries to pull Victor back and shoot him, while Victor does a wonderful job of deflecting Alan's arm, and the shot goes awry.
Alan discovers what's left of Sandra's clothes, and heads into the cave to find her ("By God if they've hurt her!"). Bergman tells Kano his suspicions, but says nothing to Alan who is plunging into the cave, and it looks like he is ending up letting an enraged Alan plunge headlong after cavepeople who could *all* be Alphans. Yes, Sandra has to be found quickly, and the caveman who looked like John who fled out of the cave should be found too, but it seems as if Victor should have shouted *something* to Alan.
Koenig is found on the other side of the mist, restored to Alphan clothing but still injured. Bergman and Kano return him to Alpha.
Good lines by Victor: "No sign of them at all. Just markers, going into the mist." Having found John in a normal state, he understandably starts thinking John was always John, apparently dismissing his thoughts that the injured caveman might have been John. Luckily, Mathias comes in with the autopsy results on the caveman's body they first found on Alpha. The caveman has artificial "caps" on his teeth, and on that confusing find, was scrutinized even further and discovered to be an Alphan! John puts two and two together, realizing the cavepeople are *all* Alphans. Worse yet, "Carter is down there with a ray gun. If anything happens to Sandra...." Victor says. "Ray gun"? Yuck, that phrase was already hoary ten years before Barry Morse used it.
John almost literally leaps out of bed when he realizes the danger Alan could be to Helena, when he was "half dead" back in the cave. His emotion is believable, but even with that and his well-known well, it is just too hard to believe he is so instantly able and strong, when moments before, Mathias (?) was saying he'd need a week of bed rest to recover.
Sandra has been found by the cave people and brought back, while Helena has sort of taken over the cave, in a way, taking the place of her apparent and vanished mate, the primitive John who had been leader of them as well.
In revenge for the loss of their primitive commander, Helena and the rest are setting up Sandra to be executed and/or sacrificed. Alan finds the group, and from a perch up top, waits. I'm not sure why he waits, because he's already got a powerful weapon and a very defensible position. He waits even longer, with Sandra screaming even louder. Why is he waiting? Is the director trying to heighten the tension? If so, it backfires because it just makes no sense. Maybe it's to fill out the minutes. Then he switches his weapon to "kill." I can understand him being angry, but he's got the drop on the cavepeople, and can easily stun them -- so why kill them?
It was, however, kind of fun to watch John watch in and stun Alan!
The cavepeople are herded into the mist. Helena, for a moment says "John," though I don't know whether to believe that or not. It's meant to be a tender moment, but by this time, I doubt so much of the episode...
On the other side of the patch of mist, they all come out as fully restored Alphans. How'd Helena get to the front of the group on the far end of the mist, when she was the last to go into it?
Now restored, Helena rushes to John.
Helena: We nearly lost you. John: Likewise.I don't have a clue what Helena means; the statement makes even less sense a few minutes later, when we find out none of the Alphans remember themselves as cavepeople.
John: .. Because we couldn't communicate, we... misunderstood.Huh? That and the surrounding discussion didn't hang together entirely well.
Sandra: We got frightened, angry, jealous, ... vengeful.That itself is a good summary. The emotions haven't changed in much, and are very recognizable.
Helena: Under the skin, do you think we've
changed all that much in 40,000 years?
Victor: Do you think we ever will?
John: Maybe. Just maybe. I'll let you know
in another 40,000 years.
That's a neat little exchange, which does get one wondering whether we
have. They leave it hanging in the air, that maybe it's a mixture of yes
and no.
Every generation complains that the new generation is worse than the old, and the older people hanker for the "good old days." The good old days weren't so golden, though, and we have to wonder if some things haven't improved after all. Certainly a lot of the living conditions, general health, and to some degree behavior. Civilization has added more layers and depth to human beings. Yet the darker emotions are still there. Most of the time, most people nowadays have more channels to diffuse their aggressions, more ways of reacting than simple and complete destruction, and can -- to some degree almost naturally -- avoid going totally primitive. Parents have to teach their young, every generation, so it becomes almost "natural" to each individual. Let that lesson lapse for one generation, and we could be lost.
Yet sometimes individuals can fail, or situations can strip away the layers and lay bare raw, even murderous emotion. People have also gained longer memory, and more abilities at a cold-blooded form of calculated intent; we have also gained even deadlier weapons. So there is something of a precarious balancing act, a sort of continued peace punctuated by occasional violence of varying magnitudes. Yet for the bad, it's a wonder that with increasingly powerful weapons and plans and such, that the entire world isn't consumed in a non-stop, all-consuming, global blood bath involving every individual on the planet. Had our emotions remained at such a raw, unfiltered, unmanaged, untaught form, where would we be now?
I can't answer the yes/no question in any short form, except to say that it seems a mixture of both. Things change very little in time, which is both fortunate and unfortunate. Responsible parents teach their children responsibility, in the hopes most or all will learn. But irresponsible parents can create children who somehow pull themselves out of the gutter to find something better for themselves, and responsible parents can create irresponsible children who throw themselves headlong into the gutter; they usually don't do well, if they even live long.
It is something of a dynamic balance, some pockets worsening, some getting better, and even flipping between those states. The sheer inertia seems to keep something of a dynamic balance on the overall scale; but who can really see the whole picture? On the small scale, things do get better, and they do get worse, seemingly verifying both viewpoints. There is no simple yes or no, just a need for everlasting vigilance.
"The Full Circle" seems a teasingly appropriate title, although the most literal interpretation is for the Alphans who turned primitive and then became "civilized" again. There *were* strong contrasts between the two, albeit lessened by things such as Alan setting his gun to "kill."
Unfortunately, that itself was one of the last of a string of hard to accept or believe events. The episode does deliver a few, last, thought-provoking lines, but it is built on a non-existent foundation and a very rickety structure of a plot. Plotwise, it seems like it's not so much that the plot is swiss-cheesed with a lot of holes, but that the plot a rickety series of jerryrigged events, namely the frequently nonsensical actions of the search and rescue teams.
Besides that, what about the transformation. Okay, I can momentarily accept that a weird time warp exists in the mist, and that it not only affects bodies, but minds as well. It brought out a primitive ancestory to the surface. Yet there are bothersome elements. First, the clothes change; yet I can suspend my disbelief and argue it was some sort of mental reversion acting on a physical level as well -- that some sort of "memory" of primitiveness was brought out not only in emotion but in body. It was as if an old, rolled-up, long lost blueprint was dug out of their minds and then carried out. Artificial Alphan clothes turned into animal skins; stun guns turned into spears; commlocks and medical kits into simple tools; even one of the medical stretchers into that thing Sandra was tied to for execution. Except the medical team wasn't carrying one. So did the cave people make it in the short time they had been cave people. Furthermore, there's that pit trap. It's deep, dug into a clay that Alan had great trouble even digging a foot hole into. And if each Alphan's clothes turn into animal skins, where'd that extra animal skin for Sandra come from? Finally, why didn't Santos' teeth caps vanish too? Maybe because they're physically located within their bodies. Maybe Victor would have kept his artificial heart if he'd have gone through.
** SUMMARIES **
I had forgotten all about the structure Mateo had suggested at the beginning, probably because it was weeks before I started adding to the discussion.
Oh well, I'll start using it now.
---- David Welle
From: David Welle (dwelle@online.dct44.com) Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 00:10:39 Subj: Re: Space1999: Full Circle
This episode most reminds me of classic Trek's "Shore Leave". It's a fun episode that takes place outdoors, makes absolutely no sense, and has a kind of camp appeal to it.
Ellen,
Sorry to jump in, but your words made me feel a bit guilty for taking "Full Circle" so seriously. Maybe I should have lightened up. I do, after all, like "The Taybor" for the light, humorous tone. But that episode *was* going more for the comic aspects to start with, whereas this one was taking itself seriously, IMO. As I said in my long (as usual) post, I did find parts of it laughably "campy," but at times, I just cringed too.
One of my favorite things about the episode is the relaxed atmosphere, the small talk, a bit of flirting between several characters. For the first time you see them acting like they know each other and have become friends. For the most part, that's missing in the first season episodes.
True, there is a lot more casual friendliness amongst them, and I did like that, even if I still have trouble sorting out just when and who is interested in Sandra.
Is she interested in Alan first, and then become more interested in Paul, or is the other way around? Anyone?
And that pit Alan was in was made with a backhoe. I keep getting visions of grunting, fur-clad cavemen operating heavy machinery
Thanks, now I'm stuck seeing that. :-) Good one, though.
I knew it would have taken a lot of effort to make -- too much for the cavepeople to make in short order, and too far from the mist to be some transformational side effect (which wouldn't make much sense anyway).
Oddly enough, I really don't have a problem with the ray gun line. It fits in the conversation well. Alan was certainly acting like a comic book character, perhaps Victor was comparing him to Buck Rogers, or Flash Gordon (or even Duck Dodgers).
I never thought of that. Actually, I mean the "ray gun" reference *did* remind me of Buck Rogers, but I didn't think of Victor's words as a comparison, just as a long overused term.
You're right, Alan is acting like a comic book character, and maybe that's why I didn't care much for his character in this episode. It's hard to take the question "do you think we've changed all that much in 40,000 years" entirely serious when Alan was set up as an example for the question, but shown in a comic book fashion.
The set was enough to make the most serious crew giddy. Did you catch that great big tusk in the cave? It would make any self respecting mammoth top heavy.
Oh, is that what it was? It was so big I couldn't rightly figure what it was.
And Sandra's leopard skin was obviously there for the same reason the girls on Thule were dressed for Miami Beach.
:-)
At least it made more sense in the context of the cave people of "Full Circle." Heck, the outfits were less revealing here. Go figure. (Er, no pun intended.)
The one reason I said the cave people stuff worked at times is that it wasn't One Million Years B.C., which was obvious camp with perfectly tanned, dressed, and coiffed dwellers (though I can't claim I didn't like watching Raquel Welch in 1MY B.C. :) I am, however, talking about story here, and since I can't remember 1MY having a story, S19 already did better by trying to make some point, which, as poor as I thought this episode was, did at least make an appearance....
Still, I laughed and cringed at too many parts of the caveman scenes. I don't think I've ever seen this "sub-genre" really work well.
Oh well.
From: "Petter Ogland" (petter.ogland@dnmi44.no) Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 11:23:49 +0000 Subj: Re: Space1999: full circle
After the fight between Carter and the caveman into the ground hole, the caveman used a tree as a ladder to get out. Watch closely the tree, some pieces of the tree are missing, they have been cut with a CHAINSAW !
He-he. I liked that observation.
Then Pat commented on something written by me:
Yes, the Cave Koenig's interest in Sandra was much more evident than the Alan, Sandra and Paul set up. I noticed in main mission, when Carter leaned next to Sandra and told her they were going for a ride, Paul made a motion with his head, that to me, indicated displeasure. Sandra also looked immediately at Paul, as if to "get permission," like you would if your boyfriend's best friend asked you to a movie, and he couldn't go. It was more subtle, as if to illustrate the refinement brought about by evolution.
You have an incredible eye for these things, Pat. Episodes that I have not been too fond of, such as THE FULL CIRCLE and THE LAST ENEMY, are now getting increasingly interesting due to quite fascinating subtlties.
... Nick Tate really appeared to be enjoying himself with this episode. I really liked the scene around the campfire, Carter appeared to feel terribly guilty, and action oriented.
When watching the episode last week, I was thinking more along the lines of Ellen about the cartoon-like portrayal of Alan. Her reference to Flash Gordon of the 1930s really hit the point, I feel.
Nevertheless, reading Alan's erratic behaviour as a clue to philosophical aspect of the story, as David Welle seems to do, illustrating how close Alan's behaviour is to the Cave people, makes a lot of sense to me. The guiltiness of Carter also makes good psychological motivation for his "over-the-top" style of acting, and all in all, I think he does quite well.
The scene around the campfire seems to be a pivotal one in order to understand Alan's later actions, and, in fact, makes his performance, as I see it, much closer to earlier outstanding work in episodes like ALPHA CHILD and COLLISION COURSE than the melodramatic wacky style of Buster Crabbe in the 30s.
I agree with Brian, however, that the result is almost comic. When Johnny Byrne have been confronted with the question of humour in SPACE:1999, he has sometimes stated the difference in understanding of the term "humour" as he himself understood it and what Fred Freiberger ment by it. While Freiberger apparently was thinking of "one-liners", Johnny Byrne felt there was some intentional humour in Year One based on characters and situations. For me Nick Tate is the best illustration of that. His vast display of emotions is a fantastic acquisition to the series, I think.
Petter
From: South Central (Tamazunchale@webtv44.net) Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 10:11:12 -0800 Subj: Space1999: Full Circle
I seem to remember from the novelization that the "FOG" was a living entity, amoeba like. Any comments on this? Ideas? I would hate to see the week end with no mention of this.
Mateo
From: Patricia Embury (Patriemb@sprintmail44.com) Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 17:53:32 -0500 Subj: Re: Space1999: Full Circle
I noticed that also. If it was a life form, why weren't there any traces left on the Alphan's uniforms? The novelization glossed over the ending of this episode and ran right into End of Eternity.
From: Paul Dorion (pdorion@mediom44.qc.ca) Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 22:21:40 -0800 Subj: Space1999: The Full Circle
I know I am a bit late, but I wanted to express a few thoughts.
While I agree with a lot that has been said about this episode, I still appreciate the one and only shot-on-location episode of Year One. In my view, this adds credibitily to an episode that sadly misses it on other fronts (scientific credibility being one).
As for some plot holes that have been previously pointed out, here are some thoughts which you will maybe like to consider :
Do I make some sense (a valid question since English is not my primary language) ? ;)
Paul :D (NOT related to Paul Morrow and not necessarily sharing his emotional attachment with poor ol' Sandra, notwithstanding the preceding paragraphs (in case someone wondered ;))
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