‘Full Circle’ Episodes 1 and 2 Review: Ed Solomon and Steven Soderbergh Build a Maze of Slow-Burning Dread

Proma Khosla
·4 min read

[Editor’s note: This article contains spoilers for “Full Circle” Episodes 1 and 2.]

If you find yourself, during the first two episodes of Max’s “Full Circle,” pointing excitedly at the screen when you see the literal circle for which the show is named, you are not alone.

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Ed Solomon and Steven Soderbergh’s limited series follows the interconnected lives surrounding a kidnapping in New York City, but those threads are still obscured during the first two episodes which premiered Thursday on Max. Here’s what we know: Savitri Mahabir (CCH Pounder) wants revenge for her brother’s death, and that revenge will be exacted by kidnapping and possibly killing the child of a wealthy white family. Doing this will break the cycle (complete the circle) of her family’s luck and free them of unwanted negative energy. All of that is set up in Episode 1, along with a dizzying number of character introductions. It’s a credit to Solomon for not underestimating his audience (the same subscribers who gleefully dive into a new “White Lotus” cast or tree of Targaryens), but also the biggest challenge in digesting the hourlong premiere.

But even with so many players, “Full Circle” thrives on a simple story. Everything revolves around and serves Savitri’s mission, whether it’s Aked (Jharrel Jerome) trying to corale his new recruits for the mission or Sam (Claire Danes) and Derek (Timothy Olyphant) pointedly bemoaning their son’s forgetfulness. Only Zazie Beetz as Mel Harmony feels a shade too removed from the action, her story clearly a puzzle piece planted early to fit the rest later. Otherwise, the Mahabirs and their marks make total sense, and Solomon and Soderbergh expertly build dread throughout Episode 1.

By Episode 2, the lack of detail around Savitri’s vendetta and what exactly led her to Chef Jeff (Dennis Quaid) grows more tedious; with the audience now horrified by Nicky’s (Lucian Zanes) kidnapping and possible murder, it becomes more imperative to explain exactly what he got caught up in while trying to steal phones and hoodies (luckily, no wait is long on “Full Circle,” which will conclude July 29).

Even with a loaded cast, the first two episodes have standout players who happen to be among summer 2023’s hottest TV names: Jerome and Olyphant. The former exudes a fierce desire to prove himself even through his measured cool exterior, while the latter digs deep to portray a desperate father — even when the child in danger is no longer his own. Where Danes’ Sam behaves bizarrely under pressure (“I just want to make sure we’re doing the right thing” — ma’am?), Derek provides a moral compass and closest thing to a cool head (tonally it’s nothing like “Santa Clarita Diet,” but Joel Hammond would be proud).

IndieWire’s Ben Travers noted that “Full Circle” appears more generous in examining its white leads than its Black ones. Early on, they appear to be positioned on opposite sides of a larger conflict that may have nothing to do with race. That’s apparent in the premiere episodes (IndieWire’s review takes all six into account), where Savitri’s team is the one enacting violence and threats for reasons yet unknown. There’s more to the story, but it’s hard not to notice that discrepancy from the start.

Besides sharing sensibility with the creative team’s previous work, “Full Circle” calls to mind other chilling limited series like “The Night Of” or “Mare of Easttown.” When Jared (Ethan Stoddard) arrives home safe and sound, bringing with him the big premiere twist, there’s an instant shift in the show’s entire atmosphere; this is no longer a family feud and neat circle, but a destructive mess threatening to spiral out in every direction.

Episode 1 Grade: B
Episode 2 Grade: B

Connect the Dots:

  • The kidnapping plot seems to be focused not on Derek and Sam, but Jeff. Quaid’s character is hardly the focus of these two episodes, but Aked explicitly names Chef Jeff — he may hold the key to this deep enmity.

  • Also noted in IndieWire’s review is the fact that Harmony functions as a cop even though she isn’t one. This manifests across the board, particularly with Episode 2’s highly-predictable absent partner storyline.

  • What’s the building pictured in the ad from the cold open?

  • Speaking of the cold open: The scene immediately following, in which three individuals collect money after shooting someone (presumably Savitri’s brother because it immediately cuts to the funeral…but is that a mislead?) has yet to be explained or those characters seen again.

  • Is the old man in the park really dead? Is Nicky even dead? We can assume…

  • The fact that Jared is alive (and the circle therefore still broken) won’t stay quiet for long, and Savitri will likely strike again — with even more ferocity.

  • I feel bad for Xavier (Sheyi Cole), Louis (Gerald Jones), and Natalie (Adia), who would so clearly rather not be involved in any of this. Even Aked has realized now that he bit off more than he could chew in serving Auntie M.

“Full Circle” released new episodes Thursdays on Max.

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