Primeval – Series 2, Episode 1

BBC

(Series 2, Episode 1 (or in American: Season 1, Episode 7) – Season Premiere … Sorta)

Welcome to Primeval 2.0. After the events of last week’s season finale, Cutter has returned to find that Claudia Brown, for whom he’s grown quite fond, has ceased to exist and he’s the only one who remembers her and the way the world was. Just imagine the possibilities if you could harness this ability and control it. Release a few future bat-children into the past and BAM!, no more ex-wife. You could make a fortune!

It also looks like Team Anomaly has gotten a much bigger budget in reality 2.0, complete with swanky new facilities and arsenal. It all just looks much slicker and more official-like now. All just in time to face one of the nastiest things the Dinosaur Age ever created: raptors! The problem I had was that with this being basically a “monster of the week” formula, it was driving forward by the character relationships and subplots. And then after upending all of that in the finale, it was essentially ignored throughout the first part of the episode to deal with our raptor friend.

At the same time, I really got to the point where I appreciated the storytelling decisions here. You have to consider than in Britain this episode marked the return of the series after a ten month break between seasons. As such, they really needed to make it exciting and dynamic to entice viewers to come back and hopefully lure more back in. What better than the coolest of the dino baddies, save the enormous ones.

Nibbles

• Raptors are cute when you put a sheet on them and tuck them in. I bet they just need some love and attention. Underneath all the claws and teeth, they’re just big old teddy bears.
• There’s not much difference between a shopping mall infested with raptors and a shopping mall a week before Christmas filled with psychotic moms and dads looking for the latest video game system.
• Hannah Spearritt, as Abby, didn’t come even close to running around in her underwear and the episode suffered tremendously for it. What’s the point of a hot chick on the cast if she’s not going to run around half-naked?
• I totally saw big raptor eating little raptor coming. Reptiles aren’t known for their nurturing tendencies. I guess Abby being out of it meant none of the remaining team knew this?
• I want a radio-controlled Creteaceous Era raptor!
• 87.6 FM Anomaly Radio! It was nice to see some progress in the overall battle to stay on top of this problem and possibly control or eliminate the situation.
• Now we know what happens when an anomaly closes with someone or something in the middle of it. The new guillotine!
• I’m not sure how plausible someone who isn’t Claudia Brown but looks exactly like her joining the team is, but it keeps Lucy Brown on the show, which should make for some fun inappropriate moments between the new Jenny Lewis and Cutter.

Clacked by Jason Hughes
on Sep 21, 2008 @ 22:07 EST5EDT