Full Circle Review (Episodes 1-2): HBO Max’s latest thriller mystery has been written by Ed Solomon and directed by Steven Soderbergh (Mosaic). The cast includes Zazie Beetz, Claire Danes, Timothy Olyphant, Jim Gaffigan and CCH Pounder. Here, we bring you the review for the first two episodes that premiered on July 13, 2023. The series will have six episodes in total.
Full Circle has more to it than meets the eye. While we might feel that we know what’s going on, we realize that the events in the past that have resulted in those in the present have more to them. What adds to the tension is the inclusion of the supernatural, whose role and effects we are yet to find out. The first two episodes pick up the pace quickly and there are multiple angles. So at first, it is tough to keep up but then things slowly get clear. However, they are far from over.
Full Circle Review (Episodes 1-2) Contains Spoilers
Full Circle Plot
Mrs Savitri Mahabir hacks a plot to kidnap the kid of Samantha and Derek Browne to break the curse that has been tormenting her family for many years, including the recent death of her brother-in-law. Unfortunately, the kidnapping gets botched midway when the kidnappers kill the wrong kid while Savitri thinks that since the deed is done, the curse has been broken. The failed kidnapping brings to light secrets buried deep in the past that connect numerous characters in ways unexpected.
Full Circle Episode 1 Review
The death of gangster Savitri Mahabir’s brother-in-law brings her to an occultist who tells her that her misfortune is the result of a curse that an anonymous man brought upon her family. He did it due to the pain that was inflicted on him by Savitri’s husband Ranwell who is now dead. To bring an end to the curse, she has to inflict a similar pain that the man underwent on his behalf.
Two guys are brought over from Guyana, Xavier and Louis, who along with Savitri’s nephew Aked will kidnap Jared Browne. Jared is the grandson of Jeff Browne, a celebrity chef, and son of Jeff’s daughter Samantha and son-in-law Derek.
The plan is to kidnap the kid, take the ransom and kill the kid inside a white circle at Washington Square Park. While this is the pain plot, two subplots are working as well. A panicked Xavier has informed Postal Inspector Mel who is already after Mahabir. Meanwhile, Jared meets a teenager named Nicky who has been stealing his stuff for months.
How these 3 plots come together and bring about confusion is pretty interesting to watch. What happens is Nicky is kidnapped instead of Jared who returns home safe and informs them about Nicky’s kidnapping. But now Derek has to pay the ransom for a kid that isn’t his.
Full Circle Episode 1 keeps the outcome for the penultimate moment. Moreover, it also gives us a reference to the past that we can think about, waiting for the upcoming episodes. We get the confusion but it’s the expectation of what happens next that the episode manages to maintain.
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Full Circle Episode 2 Review
Nothing much happens in Full Circle Episode 2 other than Derek racing against time to reach the spot at Washington Square Park with the ransom while Inspector Nicky is trying to follow the clues that Xavier gave give including Washington Square Park. Unfortunately, Derek fails and Nicky is killed but the latter was the main plan, the former was probably just a bonus.
With the death of the kid, Mahabir has lifted the curse or so she thinks. What she doesn’t know is that the wrong kid has been killed. So her circle is incomplete. Meanwhile, Derek returns home and regrets not being able to save the kid. But that’s not the point. The point is what we see at the end of the episode.
We delve into one of Derek’s memories wherein we see a guy spying on him from a distance before leaving. We do not know why he was thinking about that guy in the middle of all the chaos that had occurred. Episode 2 picks up the pace and provides us with multiple questions to ask ourselves as we wait for the next episodes to arrive.
Full Circle Review (Episodes 1-2): Final Thoughts
Is the person from Derek’s memory connected to what’s happened? Who is that guy? And what happens when Mahabir finds out that she has gotten the wrong kid killed? Why did Nicky steal Jared’s belongings? I have no idea what’s going to happen in Episode 3 but there shall be revelations of some kind. But most importantly, what I want to know about is the man who is responsible for the curse on Mahabir’s family.
Full Circle has got me hooked. While I didn’t find much interest in the first half of Episode 1, things really turned around pretty quickly. Now, I want to know more about Mahabir and even her psychic guru who told her to do what she did, as well as Derek’s past. There’s always something in the past. Always.
Full Circle is streaming on HBO Max. If you are in India, you can watch it on Jio Cinema.
Are you liking the show? Do let us know in the comments below.
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