Primeval returns for a third series!
Synopsis
The episode starts with a new member of the military (Captain Becker) being added to the ARC team. His job, keep them from getting killed like poor ol’ Steven.
Meanwhile, at the British Museum, an anomaly appears and a prehistoric crocodilian (Pristichampsus) kills one of the employees. Cutter’s team arrives and meets the new woman on the team, Dr. Sarah Page, who works at the museum. The croc escapes to the Thames with Cutter and Abby in hot pursuit.
Lester has got his hands full, too. He’s got a new… boss… or liason… or something at the Home Office, named Christine Johnson. He doesn’t like her and there’s even a hint it might once have been romantic. She’s got some secret military stuff going on with fighting the future bat creatures, and a mysterious artifact that they failed to retrieve.
Conner and Dr. Page investigate the anomaly, which is sealed inside a magnetite Egyptian statue. Not only do they discover that magnetite can somehow trap an anomaly (and move it) but that electricity can somehow “lock” the anomaly down for a period of time.
After some heroics, the croc returns to the anomaly to go home. For a few moments, it looks like there’s going to be bloodshed, but then Page suggests that they all bow, like the Egyptians would have, and the creature leaves peaceably.
Cutter realizes that some mythology may have been influenced by anomalies and so Page joins the team to research past anomalies.
As the episode ends, we learn that Helen Cutter is still out to cause problems, and that she and her crew of clone soldiers retrieved the mysterious artifact and now posses it… even though she doesn’t know what it is. It’s further revealed that the British soldiers that had been trying to retrieve the artifact were operating through an anomaly, somewhere in the future.
Analysis
It’s good to have Primeval back on the air. This is a show that a both absolutely love the premise and detest some of the gross gaps in logic in the screenplay. The second series was an absolute train-wreck of illogical plot lines.
In this, the first episode of series three, there wasn’t much plot, really, and so there wasn’t much to pick on. I’m not sure if I’m pleased or disappointed.
I do have a few observations: Even if she’s still Jennifer Lewis, it’s good to see the character now back to looking, dressing and acting like the first series’ Claudia Brown. It seems like they might even being trying to bring back Cutter’s romance with her, but of course, work got in the way in this episode. It seems that now she knows about Claudia Brown, whereas in series two, even though Cutter tried telling people, they kept acting like he’d never told them.
Cutter seriously needs a haircut this year. Perhaps he can lend some to Abby who needs to grow some back.
It’s good to see that Helen Cutter finally changed her clothes. That half-torn, bust-augmenting jungle gear just didn’t make sense when she’d be back in our time driving cars and such.
I suppose when they started searching the British Museum at night there was a good reason that Job One wasn’t to turn on the lights? Can’t think of one, though. Most people search for things better in bright light rather than flashlights.
I’m a little disappointed that, knowing the anomalies are magnetic, they hadn’t tested their responses to simple magnets.
Conner’s plan to “block off” the anomaly using all those boxes or artifacts at the British Museum was a little cavalier with things which we no doubt fragile and potentially priceless. I can’t see the military tossing them around and stacking them up as the did.
The dumbest idea may actually have the most interesting concept. Page demonstrates that the Egyptians thought the crocs coming from the anomaly were the god Ammut. The dumb part is that she convinces everyone to bow to the croc because they are no doubt used to being worshipped by the Egyptians. It works, and it leaves them alone. Dumb, dumb, dumb.
What’s interesting about that idea is the notion that time does not run parallel on either side of the anomaly. It’s been over 3,000 years since the Egyptians were worshipping Ammut, so if time ran parallel 3,000 years would also have elapsed in the Paleocene, too. If that were the case, the crocs wouldn’t be conditioned to people bowing. Of course, that’s no real surprise. We already knew that the “back ends” of the anomalies weren’t fixed, since revealed in Cutter’s first series, non-linear excursions into the Permian era demonstrated.
Still… it’s good that it back on the air. It’s something to do for the next few weeks.
It seems Dr Page is joining the team too? What did you think of her?
I agree about Cutter’s cut. I was appalled. How much time is supposed to have passed for him to become so floppy mopped?
As a stern critic of series 2, I did welcome the lack of plot though. I think it shows a mature understanding on the part of the series makers of their strengths and weaknesses.
And bring back the real Claudia Brown!
It seems Dr Page is joining the team too? What did you think of her?
I agree about Cutter’s cut. I was appalled. How much time is supposed to have passed for him to become so floppy mopped?
As a stern critic of series 2, I did welcome the lack of plot though. I think it shows a mature understanding on the part of the series makers of their strengths and weaknesses.
And bring back the real Claudia Brown!
You’re right about the hair!
It’s daft as every, but I definitely prefer it when they don’t try to do the plot. I’m finding it strange that Jenny Lewis is morphing back into Claudia Brown. There’s something creepy about this. I want Claudia Brown back (the real one). Might be interesting to have Jenny meet her, though.
I think Dr Page and the myths will add a (much needed) new interest to the show. I’ll keep watching, for now.
You’re right about the hair!
It’s daft as every, but I definitely prefer it when they don’t try to do the plot. I’m finding it strange that Jenny Lewis is morphing back into Claudia Brown. There’s something creepy about this. I want Claudia Brown back (the real one). Might be interesting to have Jenny meet her, though.
I think Dr Page and the myths will add a (much needed) new interest to the show. I’ll keep watching, for now.
I think there must be a floppy haired style sweeping the UK. I couldn’t help noticing that Sir Guy on Robin Hood is sporting a shaggy doo on his head this year, also. Although, In his case, I wonder if they’re going for the Professor Snape look.
I like the mythology angle that Dr. Page is bringing along, but, I don’t think it can further “the plot” for long… perhaps that’s why they’re using plot sparingly. As for Page herself… hard to say. I’ve got nothing against her, but like the plot, she’s not been used enough to decide yet.
Bring back Claudia Brown! (Perhaps Helen can clone her?)
I wonder if, perhaps, they’re going for the concept of time as a river. You can throw a rock in the stream, or even dam it up, but eventually, it finds its way back to the original course. Perhaps Jenny must slowly become Claudia?
I think there must be a floppy haired style sweeping the UK. I couldn’t help noticing that Sir Guy on Robin Hood is sporting a shaggy doo on his head this year, also. Although, In his case, I wonder if they’re going for the Professor Snape look.
I like the mythology angle that Dr. Page is bringing along, but, I don’t think it can further “the plot” for long… perhaps that’s why they’re using plot sparingly. As for Page herself… hard to say. I’ve got nothing against her, but like the plot, she’s not been used enough to decide yet.
Bring back Claudia Brown! (Perhaps Helen can clone her?)
I wonder if, perhaps, they’re going for the concept of time as a river. You can throw a rock in the stream, or even dam it up, but eventually, it finds its way back to the original course. Perhaps Jenny must slowly become Claudia?
Oops. Forgot I commented on this already… And with a different handle, too; I guess that doesn’t help persuade Akismet I’m not spam.
I think Sir Guy just hasn’t washed his mop (which was always a bit shaggier) out of distress at having accidentally-on-purpose killed off the female lead.
I’m still a bit confused about Jenny. It was a source of infinite frustration during the second series that Cutter didn’t grill her about her parents; early childhood; etc. to find out where her life diverged from ClaudiaBrown’s. Or perhaps she’s time’s compensation; the forces of time require someone who looks the same, even if their personalities are different (bilge!) It’s less frustrating now since I’ve just given up trying to make any sense of it.
So I’m only mildly curious about Helen’s apparent DNA collecting, since I thought she “cloned” her men by manipulating the time stream. That was, I thought, how she implied she would bring Steven back. It was also how I assumed she had removed ClaudiaBrown (whether Jenny Lewis was intentional or not). Maybe I got the wrong end of the stick.
Oops. Forgot I commented on this already… And with a different handle, too; I guess that doesn’t help persuade Akismet I’m not spam.
I think Sir Guy just hasn’t washed his mop (which was always a bit shaggier) out of distress at having accidentally-on-purpose killed off the female lead.
I’m still a bit confused about Jenny. It was a source of infinite frustration during the second series that Cutter didn’t grill her about her parents; early childhood; etc. to find out where her life diverged from ClaudiaBrown’s. Or perhaps she’s time’s compensation; the forces of time require someone who looks the same, even if their personalities are different (bilge!) It’s less frustrating now since I’ve just given up trying to make any sense of it.
So I’m only mildly curious about Helen’s apparent DNA collecting, since I thought she “cloned” her men by manipulating the time stream. That was, I thought, how she implied she would bring Steven back. It was also how I assumed she had removed ClaudiaBrown (whether Jenny Lewis was intentional or not). Maybe I got the wrong end of the stick.
OMG I want Cutter back in the show coz he has just died im soooo upset now
but im soooooooo ova the moon b coz stephen cums bac in primeval yay!!!!!!!!!!!!
but it wont b the same wiv out cutter tho will it????
OMG I want Cutter back in the show coz he has just died im soooo upset now
but im soooooooo ova the moon b coz stephen cums bac in primeval yay!!!!!!!!!!!!
but it wont b the same wiv out cutter tho will it????
Probably not what you had in mind when you said he needed a cut?
Probably not what you had in mind when you said he needed a cut?