At the moment this show is being broadcast by satellite channel Watch in the UK on Tuesday at 9pm GMT
S1 Ep1: The New World
Not a bad opening episode to the new show. The format feels familiar to its British predecessor, but with slighty more gore.
The body count soars throughout the episode, with two cyclists, a homeless guy, and Predator Control Officer getting ripped to shreds and eaten. And the show’s not afraid to try to gross out its viewers, with grisly descriptions and gory images of the human leftovers that the dinosaurs didn’t find tasty enough to eat. With all the body bags and yellow tape it does verge on feeling like you’re watching a crime drama, lacking the humour and loveable characters that were found early on in the British series.
There was a familiar face: Connor Temple (Andrew Lee Potts) makes a welcome comedic appearance. Connor’s guest appearance may have just been a christening for the show, but it also helped to form a lot of questions for team leader Evan Cross, and give the show a bit of direction. Until Evan and Dylan and the other New World characters start really working together as a team to send the creatures to through to their own timeline, it’s still nice to get a little help from an original Primeval cast member.
Apparently Andrew Lee Potts will be appearing in this series again. It has something to do with the reveal at the end of the episode. Evan Cross has a member of the ARC team in his freezer! Wonder who it is?
11 years ago
Wed Jan 16 2013, 10:13pm
S1 Ep2: Sisiutl
A good first episode to the series. There is a bit more humour in this one after the more serious pilot, and the team has started to form, with the addition of Dylan, who ditches her animal control job and joins Evan's crew. Looks like there might be some chemistry there as well, though Evan still has to get over the death of his wife first.
Now that the cop (who's name i forget) has seen the snake, maybe he will be joining the team too?
The news series, apart from being darker in tone, seems to ape its predecessor, and could turn into a really good show if its own. I know its early days yet, but I have a good feeling about this series.
S1 Ep3: Fear of Flying
Not a great episode from a character development point of view, apart from the introduction of Samantha, who could prove to be a valuable new team member.
The flirting between Evan and Dylan felt a bit our of place, though it could've been used to relieve the tension.
However, the episode did make up for it in its ability to make your skin crawl. First with the flesh eating beatles, and then the constant tapping of their feet on the outside of the fuselage.
Just when we thought that everything they'd done was going to get the plane flying again, and that they'd all survive, (especially after Evans talk with Pavalli) the cockpit glass breaks and the beetles pour onto Pavalli eating her alive! Nasty!
Bugs were never a fan favourite in the UK show, so lets hope this spin off doesn't overuse them. Its still early days yet, and its parent show didn't really find its feet until later in the first season.
S1 Ep4: Angry Birds
It seems the show is starting to find its feet. The team finally felt like a team in this episode; the writing and acting was a lot better, with the interaction between the characters being more lighthearted (there are loads of great one-liners) making the team easier to relate to, and a lot more fun to watch.
What an interesting beginning to the episode, seeing through the eyes of the creature. We’re shown the dino-bird’s point-of-view, first living in its natural habitat millions of years ago, and then its confusion as it ventures through the anomaly and finds itself in the train yard. This is different from anything we’ve seen so far in the series and this unique perspective not only creates more action and movement, but helps us to empathise with the creature’s experience.
Finally, we get a closer look at character Ken Leeds, learning he’s not all that he seems to be. His awkwardness is endearing and he’s doing everything possible to please the team… which of course makes him too good to be true. Evan’s hesitation in trusting Leeds wasn’t wrong. Is he the big bad for the series? Leeds has tricked the team into thinking he released the baby terror bird back through the anomaly. What’s his end game? It’s always more interesting when the creatures aren’t the most dangerous threat to the team.
Looks like we could have more than one interesting plot arc this season.
s1 Ep5: Undone
This episode was a lot better, and felt a bit like the old Primeval series. In fact the Lycaenops is a much smaller descendant of the Gorgonopsid, a creature that appeared in episode 1.1 in the original Primeval series.
The hunt for the first Lycaenops in the library, and previously when it was chasing the student were good, and we get more creature POV camera shots.
After the opening credits roll we now come to a steamy shower scene between Mac and Sam. And this won’t be the last shower scene with Mac this episode, which isn’t a bad thing. It’s obvious the romance is blooming between the two, but the pair still won’t declare their love for one-another.
the university where the team tranquilises the creature. They then call Sam for help to transport the Lycaenops to headquarters until they can get it back through the anomaly. This is Sam’s chance to get on the team. Although Mac is hesitant to put his girlfriend in harm’s way, she’s really eager to impress boss Evan and takes the creature back to the Cross Photonics’ loading bay as asked. This is where the episode takes a better, albeit depressing, turn. Because although the first 30 minutes was mostly by-the-numbers stuff, the final few minutes of the episode are what make it worth watching.
When the tranq fails to keep the Lycaenops asleep because of its super high metabolism, good guy Bill Pearson gets eaten. Whoops. And then in a huge shocker Sam gets killed by the creature when she fails to tase it. Didn't see that one coming! I thought she'd be a new permanent member of the team. With Sam’s death we see a sudden and understandable shift in Mac’s feelings towards the creatures, now seeking vengeance rather than wanting to help the poor wayward Lycaenops. He shoots both creatures without hesitation and exits a broken-hearted man. Will he remain on the SPG team?
The end of the episode is incredibly emotional, and we get a really good story arc. Sam’s death ups the angst in our two leading men, and we also wonder if any of the leading characters are safe from being killed of the show. The original show found innovative ways to kill off some of the main cast (and bring them back again). The final moments of the episode is beautifully shot and acted, with music to set the depressing mood and the believable tears from Evan as he goes to his close friend and CFO Ange for comfort. Ange has obviously been there for emotional support before when Evan’s wife, Brooke, was killed six years ago.
Lets hope the rest of the series lives up to this episode.
S1 Ep7: Babes in the Wood
A good character driven episode!
The dinosaurs (the pack of Ornithalestes are fast – but not faster than a speeding car – big, and can rip a photographer to shreds) are cool but what really sets this episode going is the character development.
Seeing Angelika's first time in the field is good, along with her delivering a high kick to the side of the Onithalestes head. It also seems that their relationship has developed between this episode and the last, although nothing has been formally mentioned.
Finding out more about Toby's past was fun, and it was done in way that didn't make it sleazy. Not sure if we'll see more of her ex, or if she was just introduced for this episode to get the story going.
The one thing missing was Lt Leeds: (although we did see him at the end). Evan clearly still has his reservations about him – and for good reason – when he hesitates to allow Ange to call Leeds for a lock-down of the anomaly site. Toby might have had been hiding secrets from her team, but Lt Leeds seems to be hiding dark secrets and intentions that may be to harm the SPG team and the creatures coming through the anomalies.
We're now half-way through the series, and it seems to be getting better, episode by episode!
S1 Ep8: Truth
Finally we get some answers!
It’s Mac’s body in the freezer! Well, a parallel Mac, who travelled timey-wimey through an anomaly and saved Evan from also being chomped by the Albertosaurus, but was fatally wounded himself and died in Evan’s arms. Now that’s a twist! No one could have seen that one coming… No wonder Evan hasn’t told anyone about the body in the freezer – it would be a hard one to explain. But now that Mac knows the secret Evan has been keeping from him, can their fractured friendship be repaired now that it’s at a breaking point?
Another relationship to suffer was Angelika and Evan, when Evan, clearly hallucinating, mistakes Angelika for Brooke and expresses that he’s still in love with her. Ouch. Poor Ange. That’s enough for her to hear and she immediately says goodbye to Evan and Cross Photonics. This really doesn’t seem like too much of a loss however, because their romance did feel a bit forced and fake. But if this is her farewell to the series we’ll miss some pretty awesome martial arts skills.
For all the answers we do get, we still don’t know exactly what Lt Leeds is up to, although he is still the go-to-guy for the creature/anomaly clean-up. And now that a crowd of civilians has seen the Pachycephalorsaurus in the streets, does that mean the secret about the anomalies and the creatures is out? How will they cover that one up?
“Truth†is a satisfying episode because we finally get some answers, and maybe a few more questions develop too about the parallel timeline with Mac and his involvement with the ARC. But the secrets that Evan has been keeping really aren’t going to help the camaraderie in the team, and perhaps he finally got what he deserved for keeping all of this a secret?
If parallel Mac is from the original British ARC team and didn’t return home, does that mean we’ll get another visit from Connor Temple? Can't wait to see what happens!
First of all, Canadian Broadcaster Space has cancelled this series! WTF? Seriously, just as it was getting good!
There maybe some reprieve though, as the the producers are trying to find another broadcaster (local or international) to pickup the show.
*Keeps fingers crossed*
S1 Ep9: Breakthrough
The triceratops was well realised and used in this episode.
Before the team heads out to bag it however, back at HQ Evan is showing signs of apathy (he sulks) now that Ange is no longer working for him. She wasn’t in this episode at all, not even a flashback or a photo, which could mean that she likely will not return. Although Evan seems a little lost no one else is really missing Angelika, are they? Another thread picked up from last week’s episode was Toby frustration that the anomaly computer is still down because of the bullet to the server inflicted by Evan during his hallucinogenic phase. It’s good to see that events in one episode aren’t conveniently forgotten in the next.
Eureka's Colin Ferguson played Howard Kanan (a nod to Howard Hughes I suspect). He seemed to be a good foil for Evans character. With the recent shocking news of Primeval: New World’s cancellation, let’s hope this isn’t the last we’ll see of Colin in the series – there’s at least four episodes left, so there’s still hope he’ll show up again. But the question we are left with is whether or not Colin’s character, Howard, was introduced this week as a new villain and threat to Evan and the SPG team.
The good news is that Mac has returned pretty quickly to Cross Photonics to help Toby cover up the viral video of the Triceratops. He even seemed to be having fun. His character is always more loveable when he’s lighthearted, and less full of woe. Toby was even able to educate Mac on some timey-wimey physics. Yeah, we don’t really get how parallel timelines work either, but at least Mac seems to be coping with his parallel self’s death. So… that’s a plus. Mac also prompted Toby to investigate the ARC patch on his other body, but as fans of the original Primeval series know, it is a nod to the Anomaly Research Centre and the British team. But with the cancellation news, will we see this story arc pay out to its full potential?
At the end of the episode, Dylan’s haunting story is juxtaposed with Lt Ken Leeds receiving orders from his boss, orders that clearly do not have the safety and best interest of the creatures in mind. There were lots of breakthroughs this episode – Mac returning to the team; Evan facing his business and intellectual rival and the “backstabbing†that Howard thought occurred; Dylan reminding Evan what the purpose of the SPG team should be – but what exactly Lt Ken Leeds is ordered to be doing with the creatures (we know he’s not returning them all through the anomaly) is still unknown.
The series is now nearing an end, sadly, and with only four more episodes to go it’s getting harder and harder to think about having to say goodbye to this team. What I hope for now until the end is its continued action, emotion, cool creatures, and some kind of resolution to all of the unanswered questions we all still have.
S1 Ep10: The Great Escape
A good episode, but notable for its lack of certain team members.
It’s sad to think there are only three more episodes left in the series, but at least Primeval: New World is tying up some loose threads from previous episodes. What happened to that adorable baby terror bird, Leggy, after Lieutenant Leeds tricked the SPG team into thinking the bird was returned home? Oh, Leggy was just being tortured inside a secret government lab, that’s all.
Toby and Mac were missed, but there was hinting of possibly a new SPG member when Dylan suggests Detective Harlow as a potential candidate for the team when he calls them to the suspected creature attack in the parking garage. Evan clearly has his reservations about Harlow and about anyone else joining the team, and with the series nearing an end we may never see the Detective as an official part of the SPG.
The episode is really about the characters: Leggy, and Lt Leeds, and things do not end well for either character. Leggy is fatally wounded by a gun shot from the soldier, and Dylan must put the bird out of its misery by first tranquilizing her, then shooting her in the head. There was no hesitation from Dylan to shoot the bird once she gets the chance, showing that it was a mercy killing and that’s what Dylan knows is right to do. The death of Leggy is meant to tug on the heartstrings, and it succeeds.
The one good thing to come out of Leggy’s death is that the team – and Ken Leeds himself – finally realise that he’s been working against Evan and the SPG team. Filled with the need to redeem himself, he surrenders to the Project Magnet soldiers at the end of the episode.
Then there’s Lisa Merryweather, Lt Leeds’ assistant who is obviously up to no good, snooping around in the file room. She might know her Star Trek references and can impress Leeds, but she can’t be trusted and is probably working against Leeds as a spy for the boss in charge. It’s more character development, but the question of whether she’s actually working against Leeds is still unknown.
It’s a cliffhanger ending with the agenda of Project Magnet still a mystery but with Ken Leeds being arrested and leaving a note for Evan and Dylan labeled “Welcome To Project Magnet.†At least Ken Leeds has redeemed himself to Evan and Dylan, proving he is in fact on Evan’s side, wanting to protect the creatures and protect humanity.
What exactly is Project Magnet, and what do they want with the creatures? Will the SPG team be able to stop future creature cruelty? Will Ken Leeds be welcomed back by Evan and the team, or has he lost their trust? There are only three episodes until we find out.
S1 Ep11: The Inquisition
Although we didn't get any anomalies this week, we did get some great acting from the main characters, and this episode delivered a lot of answers: we discover what Project Magnet is really up to, who Leeds has been taking orders from, and what has been happening to the creatures in the secret lab.
The highlight of the episode was Leeds being interrogated by big bad boss, Colonel Henderson Hall, who we find out, has seriously messed-up good intentions. Although Henderson’s aims seem good – wanting to save the future of the human race from dwindling Earth resources – we can’t forget or forgive the mistreatment of the creatures to secure knowledge and research. Always be suspicious of a man with a moustache. Is he a time traveller from the future? Just how far will Project Magnet go in its research of the Anomalies and creatures?
Angelika returned this week to try and convince Evan that Project Magnet isn’t the bad guy but Evan couldn’t be swayed by what she had to say. There was a totally different dynamic between these two characters, with neither of them wanting to kiss and make up.
With Colonel Henderson becoming frustrated with lack of progress in changing Evan’s mind about willingly working for Project Magnet, he threatens to lock Mac and Dylan away in military prison forever just like Leeds. Evan is forced to comply with Henderson’s demands to hand over all knowledge and technology of the Anomalies.
The final scene of Leeds being escorted to his cell in handcuffs and orange jumpsuit was a little heart-breaking, especially because it was shot in slow motion. It just made the pain last even longer to see that awesome character suffer such an unfair fate. It’s the perfect ending to the episode, and with only the two-part series finale left there’s worry that he will remain in prison forever.
Will someone rescue Leeds? Is the future of the human race doomed now that Project Magnet has Evan handing them the key to the Anomalies? Just two more episodes left to get a satisfying conclusion.
S1 Ep12: The Sound of Thunder - Part 1
This is the first part of the two-part series finale and although it wasn’t the most exciting episode of the 13-part series, it does leave you on the edge of your seat for next week’s conclusion.
The special effects for the Anomaly junction were beautiful, and for those who are familiar with the original Primeval series this is the same “Spaghetti Junction†that Helen Cutter used as a “hub†on her travels through the Anomalies. A cool concept in the original series so it’s no surprise that the team in Primeval: New World would find the junction and use it as their highway to different points in time. Will they also travel to the future like Helen Cutter? What will happen when Colonel Henderson Hall discovers the junction? There’s only one episode to get some answers.
Lots of close calls for the team members: Toby is slowly dying from the Brontoscorpio venom and eventually goes into cardiac arrest by the end of the episode; Dylan falls into the scorpion trap and is almost a happy meal; the cave collapses on Dylan and Evan, trapping Evan with the Brontoscorpio… suspense isn’t lacking in this episode.
And that’s where we’re left, with Toby dying on the table and Mac watching in horror as the Doctor gives her chest compressions. All characters are fair game to die at this point in the series, but hopefully Toby survives to see the final episode – besides Lt Leed’s she’s one of the best-developed and likeable characters in the series. It’s going to be sad to see Primeval: New World reach its conclusion especially now that’s it’s gotten so good, and let’s hope it doesn’t end on a major cliff-hanger.
Note on the episode title: The name of the episode is borrowed from Ray Bradbury’s celebrated short story of (nearly) the same name (it starts with “A†not “Theâ€) which involves time travel, dinosaur hunting and accidentally changing the timeline to create different futures.
S1 Ep13: The Sound of Thunder - Part 2
A superb finale to a series that has been cancelled far too early!
The acting is as good as ever and the slow motion shooting style from director Martin Wood escalated the intensity and emotion of the scenes, and really helped to keep you engaged in what was happening to the characters. You were also really able to get a good look at the amazing special effects of the Albertosaurus and the shimmery anomalies, as well as all the special effects in the action sequences with the explosions. But the slow-mo didn’t slow things down at all; the episode for the most part was fast-paced and never boring.
Fans of the original Primeval were treated with the return of Connor Temple, who we now see leading his very own ARC team across the pond, chasing creatures and protecting humanity. It was a cool twist to find out that it was his team that chased the Albertosaurus from that timeline through into the anomaly junction and into Connor’s timeline which caused the death of Brooke. However, while the original series ARC team really focused on protecting the creature of the week, New World was about character drama. This episode Evan finally gets some closure and kills the dinosaur that killed his wife.
It was a disappointing ending, only because the show has been cancelled and the episode ends on a cliff-hanger with the anomalies disappearing because of something in the past being altered. Could it be that the Albertosaurus didn’t kill Brooke? (see note below) Did Mac not die while trying to save Evan from the dino? He was also wearing a different uniform jumping through the anomaly this time to save Evan, than what “other Mac†was wearing (the ARC jacket). We might never know what caused the anomalies to disappear and what will be different, so now we can only hope that Primeval: New World doesn’t go completely extinct and is picked up in the near future by another network.
Note: In Evan’s flashbacks of the Albertosaurus, it had blood on its mouth after killing Brooke, but when the Albertosaurus came back through the anomaly from Evan’s past into the anomaly junction it did not have blood on its mouth.
One small Nit-pick is that when Connor's team were chasing the Albertosaurus, London looked more like Vancouver than London. A black cab, Union Flagged Double Decker Bus and British number plates may have helped set the scene, but are no good against buildings that don't look right. Still they did their best though.
Here's hoping for another provider to pickup this series
