Primeval Series 2 Episode 7

The team find themselves in a dire situation in the last episode of Primeval – they are right in the middle of a bunker full to the brim with pre-historic creatures! Things don’t improve later, as Leek goes increasingly insane and Helen becomes even more nastier!

After Leek lets a ‘giant scorpion’ lose on a beach, he contacts Lester and taunts him, saying that he has more creatures, stationed at more locations and will release them if he doesn’t call off the search for Cutter and his team. Lester immediately brings in the sacked Stephen, who heads down to the beach to deal with it.

Meanwhile Cutter is filled in on the ‘plan’, as Leek tells him he wants to control the world by using the anomalies to change things and use the creatures to kill anyone he dislikes. He shows the professor how he controls the animals – with a computer chip stored in their brain area. Helen, just apparently, wants to continue her research into the anomalies, but does she really?

Things then kick off, as Leek sets a sabre-tooth tiger loose and Cutter destroys Leek’s computer, meaning that Connor’s virus (which he planted in episode 6) had rendered the computer from ever working again. All the cages are opened and things get messy! And as Leek is eaten by the ‘Future Predators’ the team escape or so they think. In desperation, Helen calls Stephen and he comes to the rescue. But as the door to the creatures can only be locked from the inside, it is Stephen who scarifies himself and saves everyone. Cutter is obviously gutted, as Helen makes good her escape.

It’s all very tense and the acting just about keeps it together, Karl Theobald who plays Leek is just superb and really steals the show. It was also sad to see the demise of Stephen, as he was made out to be the ‘bad guy’ of the team, when we knew he wasn’t! And Caroline got her comeuppance when Connor told her where to go! Methinks a Connor-Abby relationship is on the cards!

Plenty of action and as the plot really thickens, there are still questions to be answered. What has really happened to Claudia Brown? What exactly is Helen up to? Judging by the end, which took place at Stephen’s grave, with Helen whispering ‘things can change’, there is indeed plenty more to come. The same can be said for the return of ‘The Cleaner’ and his many ‘clones’, who accompanied Helen to Stephen’s grave!

9/10

Here’s looking forward to the 10-part series 3 in early 2009!

Primeval Series 2 Episode 6

It’s the moment Doctor Who fans were wetting their pants for! Acclaimed Doctor Who writer, Paul Cornell’s episode was aired!

With me being the typically outgoing guy that I am, I have stayed wired to Internet for weeks to read some Doctor Who fans views of Primeval. It isn’t that great. They seem to think it’s a ploy by ITV to steal the BBC’s thunder, which is strange, because I swear that there is almost two months between Primeval ending and Doctor Who starting! The more old school fans seem into it but the rest just label it a ‘pathetic children’s show, with crap special effects.’ Remind me again what Doctor Who was (and still, in many respects, is) like during its original 1963-89 run?

Anyway back to the episode, which I quite liked actually! The plot has started to come into focus, but there are still questions to be answered. It’s like watching an episode of Lost! When a Mammoth run's amok on the motorway, Cutter, Abby and Connor arrive on the scene to help. Meanwhile Stephen isn’t, he’s too busy ‘chatting’ to Helen, who we know is the main conspirator.

Despite wrecking countless cars, Connor manages to lock the beast (that’s the mammoth btw!) in a truck – eh? The team get back to the ARC, where Cutter finds out about Stephen and hits him, after giving him his P45 of course! Cutter and Connor then set up a false alarm on the anomaly detector but someone knows and sends Jenny out to meet the waiting Cutter, Connor and Abby. That someone is Leek, who plays a fine villain, to be fair.

While the remaining team are playing silly beggars in, an obligatory Paul Cornell script location, a church, Leek sets a ‘Future Predator’ on Lester. (who picks up a pre-loaded machine gun from the stocks, again – eh?). With my likeness growing for Lester, it seems he’s going to be a victim of the FP but the mammoth saves him! Hurrah!

The action doesn’t end there, as the team track down Leek, they think they have him but they don’t! Leek then pops up and takes the team prisoner, along with Helen of course and we now know what’s been happening – Leek has been capturing the creatures, which came out of the various anomalies.

Next week, the last episode, is already looking exciting. Will we find out that Helen did change history? Will we find out what happened to Claudia? Will the bloke who plays Stephen, get some acting lessons? And will Abby and Connor finally ‘get it together’ - and buy a lovely coat for Rex? We shall see!

9/10

Next Week: If a TARDIS pops up, I will quite literally, freeze!

Primeval Series 2 Episode 5

What an episode of Primeval! Everything was just right, no OTT childish moments, maybe a little rip off of ‘Tremors’ but everything else was fine!

After a girl chases her dog through a newly-opened anomaly, Oliver Leek infects Connor’s anomaly detector with ‘spyware’, which gives the team false readings while Oliver gets the correct information on when an anomaly opens.

Oliver sends his mercenaries into the anomaly, including the ‘cleaner bloke’. Why, I don’t know, maybe to catch one of the creatures? Once into the anomaly, they ignore the stranded girl and then get gobbled up by some ‘underground pincers’, which we learn later are part of some terrifying giant scorpion-things!

Meanwhile, as Cutter and the team search for the anomaly (Connor had rebooted the detector) they find, wait for it, THE DOG! So as Jenny, complete with a new dress, is left holding the dog, Cutter and Stephen head into the anomaly.

It’s from this point the episode starts to gather pace, the CGI is looking the best it’s done in Primeval and it really adds to the already gathering plot. Cutter and Stephen spot the ‘chav girl’ and just escape from the clutches of the giant scorpion-things. However, as they make their way back to the anomaly it disappears!

Back at the ARC, the rest think Cutter and Stephen are trapped in the past for the foreseeable future, so Connor and Abby are put in charge. Oh dear! Connor has Abby on the mind and with this, he dumps Caroline by text. WHOOPS! The newly-crowned ‘Psycho Bitch of The Week’ then goes round the flat and attacks Rex with a tennis racket. With the little mite’s life hanging in the balance, lets hope he’s okay – he’s by far the best actor in Primeval!

Meanwhile Cutter, Stephen and chav girl meet the ‘cleaner’ who takes water and equipment off them and is all set to murder them on the spot, when the giant scorpion-things come up and kill him. Instead of a mercy killing, Cutter lets the giant scorpion-things kill him but our ‘cleaner’ is keeping his mouth shut about who had employed him.

As they head to a newly-opened anomaly more giant scorpion-things pop up, but our heroes escape – into what looks like a prehistoric forest and a ‘caveman’ isn’t too far away! But of course, they are in the present day and in the theme park from episode 3! Chav girl is returned to her Dad and all looks well, but Helen is lurking and Stephen seems to be her prey!

Can’t wait for next week’s episode, with it being written by acclaimed Doctor Who writer, Paul Cornell, it should be very interesting!

9/10

Next Week: Primeval will finally do an episode that I hate but I will still give it a 7!

Primeval Series 2 Episode 4

After yet another big improvement for Primeval, I’m wondering what state the series will be by the time we reach the end!

Before any of my readers (?) think that, because of my ‘panning’ of Torchwood last week, my reaction was to ‘big up’ Primeval, well you couldn’t be more wrong! Primeval has ticked all the right boxes for me. It does what it ‘says on the tin’ and that is to entertain families on a Saturday night. Throw in a few monsters, anomalies and suspect CGI - you’ve got Primeval! Torchwood (which as a far bigger profile and budget) has been largely inconsistent, story-wise and I don’t think that will ever change.

Back to the episode, where we are dealing with the ‘future evolution of the shark.’ Its big, its scary, its got sharp teeth, hey its Amy Winehouse! So ‘Amy the shark’, apparently ‘snatches’ a lad. No body is found and the team believe him to be dead. Its only when Abby is snatched, that the story starts to get into its stride.

Earlier, Abby and Connor had a few arguments because of the constant hanging around of his ‘girlfriend’ Caroline. In fact she does more ‘hanging around’ than the occupants of Chester Zoo! So when Abby is snatched, presumed dead, he’s obviously upset. Meanwhile Cutter is ‘sacked’ by Lester, earlier Cutter chased and was eventually punched by the mysterious ‘cleaner’ from episode 1, who keeps popping up everywhere. We would learn more about him later.

Cutter enlists the help of Connor as they try to find Abby, thanks to a tip off from Jenny. Low and behold, they find the boy (what a surprise!) but where is Abby? As Connor searches for her, Cutter is attacked by a ‘big sea creature-monster thing’. So Cutter attacks it with a metal pole (?), then Stephen pops up from nowhere to shoot the ‘big sea creature-monster thing’, down!

Meanwhile, Abby is dragged through the anomaly and on the edge of a cliff. Connor does the brave thing and tells her and he loves her, but then his bravery runs out as he tries to help her! Thankfully, Cutter isn’t far away to help, as he and Stephen shoot down more ‘big sea creature-monster things’.

Its better if you watch it, to be honest!

At the end, the creepy Oliver, who we already know is paying Caroline to get near Connor, is on the phone to the mysterious ‘cleaner’ chap. It turns out he’s been watching Cutter. But that’s not the end of the ‘surprises’, as we learn that Helen is the back of Oliver’s car and it seems she’s been dictating orders to Oliver? It also seems that James Lester doesn’t know about Oliver’s double-life, so what is he up to and why?

8/10

Next Week: Connor is involved in a 4-in-a-bed sex scandal, with Abby, Caroline and Rex. Helen does the filming.

NEWS JUST IN: Primeval has been commissioned for a third series, which will go into production next month. Its fantastic news and well done to all. Lets hope ITV produce more Sc-Fi shows instead of the ‘talent’ contest crap, we normally see!