Primeval – Episode 3 – Review

The plot thickens as Cutter finally meets up with his long-lost wife.


Synopsis

A cretaceous mosasaur shows up in a public pool and eats a swimmer. Later, it disgorges the undigestible remains in a nearby lake. This new anomaly apparently moves from one location to another.

Cutter, Stephen and the SAS search the lake. Meanwhile, Abby and Conner are attacked by the mosasaur, but Conner manages to fend it off.

One of the SAS men disappears into the anomaly and it closes behind him, apparently trapping him forever on the other side.

Stephen begins remembering what happened to him when he was attacked by the giant centipede and remembers that Helen was there. He discussed it with Cutter, who admits he knows Helen is alive but hasn’t told the other team members yet.

Increasingly, Cutter is at odds with the home office and that is made worse when the anomaly reopens in a basement, flooding it. The plumber who is called in is killed and the missing SAS man’s body turns up with one of Helen Cutter’s handkerchiefs on it. Cutter is forced to admit he’s been holding out about Helen.

Lester forces Cutter into crossing the anomaly to find and return Helen. Cutter agrees, but refuses to take military escort and will ask her to return, not force her.

In the Cretaceous, Cutter finds Helen and she explains that she knows how to find the anomalies and she’s not willing to reveal her private world to the rest of humanity. She wants Cutter to join her because she’s lonely. He refuses because the anomalies are killing people and he must try to solve the problem. He urges her to return but she refuses.

Cutter returns alone and is almost killed by the mosasuar on his way back.

While he is recovering, Lester sends his men into the anomaly and they bring Helen out at gunpoint.

Analysis
The episode starts by explaining that the previous anomaly has not yet gone away and shows no signs of weakening, and, combined with the behavior of the anomaly in this episode demonstrates that not only is the time period that the anomaly connects to different, but also the very nature of the anomalies can be different.

No a whole lot happens in the episode and it feels like it is mostly a “setup” episode for future developments. We learn nothing from Cutter’s trip into the past, except confirmation that his wife is alive and somehow involved.

It’s been several months since I watched through all of Walking with Dinosaurs, but I think they may actually have made new models for this episode, which is something I’ve been hoping for.

Some of the special effects didn’t work right in this episode, particularly when the mosasaur is circling around Abby and Conner is deep water, but they are standing in less than waist-deep water.

Another logical problem in the episode is the search for the anomaly. They apparently hunt for it for some while until the finally notice the steaming water. What’s wrong with using a compass or some sort of device for measuring magnetic fields? So far, all the anomalies have generated massive magnetic fields, strong enough to suck large objects right in. (OK, so the magnetism doesn’t actually make much sense either, since it seems to come and go and is very selective about the objects it attracts.)

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6 thoughts on “Primeval – Episode 3 – Review”

  1. “Some of the special effects didn’t work right in this episode, particularly when the mosasaur is circling around Abby and Conner is deep water, but they are standing in less than waist-deep water”

    I got the impression that they saw the mosasaur coming and it circled around a bit in deep water (presumably making its mind up) before returning to attack them. The bit where the 2 of them are looking around whilst in waist deep water is easily explained by the logical panic of looking for signs of a predator that they can’t see in the murky water.

    I had misgivings about this show at episode 1, but it is improving with each one. I particularly like the new darker direction it has taken this week. IMO not as good as Torchwood but getting there.

  2. “Some of the special effects didn’t work right in this episode, particularly when the mosasaur is circling around Abby and Conner is deep water, but they are standing in less than waist-deep water”

    I got the impression that they saw the mosasaur coming and it circled around a bit in deep water (presumably making its mind up) before returning to attack them. The bit where the 2 of them are looking around whilst in waist deep water is easily explained by the logical panic of looking for signs of a predator that they can’t see in the murky water.

    I had misgivings about this show at episode 1, but it is improving with each one. I particularly like the new darker direction it has taken this week. IMO not as good as Torchwood but getting there.

  3. Well, I concede that’s possible, but, if so, the editing was at fault then.

    The mosasaur approaches quite close to Abby and is clearly visible on the top, it circles around her in an anti-clockwise direction until is is slightly to her right front, then they immediately cut to the mosasaur in the same relative position, but now diving under deeper water and completing the circle. Basically, it would have to be right in front of her as it passes the camera.

    Later Abby runs across the very spot that the mosasaur must have passed to circle her, but she never gets much more than waist deep.

    I’m rather liking it better than Torchwood, but this has dinosaurs, that makes me happy. 🙂

  4. Well, I concede that’s possible, but, if so, the editing was at fault then.

    The mosasaur approaches quite close to Abby and is clearly visible on the top, it circles around her in an anti-clockwise direction until is is slightly to her right front, then they immediately cut to the mosasaur in the same relative position, but now diving under deeper water and completing the circle. Basically, it would have to be right in front of her as it passes the camera.

    Later Abby runs across the very spot that the mosasaur must have passed to circle her, but she never gets much more than waist deep.

    I’m rather liking it better than Torchwood, but this has dinosaurs, that makes me happy. 🙂

  5. I have to admit that dinosaurs make me happy as well. However, my only complaint about Primeval is that I dislike nearly all the characters and seriously loathe that stuffed shirt Lester (Steve and Connor are the only tolerable ones). I liked all the Torchwood characters (in Owen’s case I liked to hate him but felt sorry for him).

    I would think you’re right that the editing could be at fault as I perceived the mosasaur circling around them, near the surface as you say which it would be in shallow water, but got the impression that it backed off into deep water, circled around again and then went for them. This is just my opinion but this explanation worked for me

  6. I have to admit that dinosaurs make me happy as well. However, my only complaint about Primeval is that I dislike nearly all the characters and seriously loathe that stuffed shirt Lester (Steve and Connor are the only tolerable ones). I liked all the Torchwood characters (in Owen’s case I liked to hate him but felt sorry for him).

    I would think you’re right that the editing could be at fault as I perceived the mosasaur circling around them, near the surface as you say which it would be in shallow water, but got the impression that it backed off into deep water, circled around again and then went for them. This is just my opinion but this explanation worked for me

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