In 2001, Andrew Billen compared the contemporary cultural relevance of the series to "The Way We Live Now", as a follow-up to his comparison of the first series with "Vanity Fair": "In previous years we have seen the anguish caused by infidelity, impotence and infertility. This season the characters face the hazards thrown up by miscarriage, alcoholism and a late-flowering career. Sustaining relationships looks as hard as ever. Yet there is nothing each protagonist wants more than old-fashioned domestic bliss." The review resonated with other critics; in "The Scotsman", Linda Watson-Brown wrote an overall positive review of the series in general—dismissing the spate of "anti-"Cold Feet"" reviews—but criticised "the ease with which problems are resolved and morality used to slap the viewer in the face". The final episode set in Australia polarised critics; in a column focusing on "Chewin' the Fat", "Scotsman" critic Aidan Smith accused the big-budget episode "which somehow managed to squeeze the Harbour Bridge into every shot" of being the point the series jumped the shark, and "Times" columnist Caitlin Moran complimented it, but was concerned that the series' original main characters—Adam and Rachel—were being sidelined by everyone including Mike Bullen.