Primeval Season 4: Discussion thread.

[Perpetual Man]

New series of the science fiction drama. After a year in the Cretaceous period, Abby and Connor find a lost anomaly device in a raptor's bower and finally escape back to their own time - only to be followed through by a giant spinosaurus. They soon meet up with a brand new ARC team, but being away for so long has left them out of the loop and they find their jobs in jeopardy.With Ciaran McMenamin, Hannah Spearritt, Andrew Lee-Potts, Ben Mansfield, and Ruth Kearney.

Escaping cancellation by the skin of it's teeth the Science Fiction drama returned, thanks to a unusual agreement between TV stations securing not just one but two seasons of the show. It has always been claimed that ratings were not the reason for cancellation rather the cost of producing such an effects heavy show.

Primeval always came across as chewing gum drama, good for a little while then throw it away and forget; the last series ending with the only two regulars who have been with the show since the past, Abby and Connor trapped in the distant past along with team mate Danny Quinn, although they were separated, all three apparently trapped.

I'm not sure what has happened, whether it was the confidence in being considered good enough to be rescued (show wise - not character) or just the surety of two UK size seasons to work with, or even the production being moved to Ireland, or maybe just a show growing into itself but it was a lot more than had gone before.

Better characterisation, more competent storytelling and solid new sets just seemed to come together and make Primeval gel. Time has moved on Connor and Abby have been lost for a year, The ARC base has been rebuilt and become and improved military organisation, ironically one now co-funded by the private sector. They still move in on the anomalies, deal with the time travelling threats that come through, but most of the long term team are damaged by the loss of the core of the original team.

There's good humour, some great set pieces and the Spinosaurus looks incredible.

Whether or not the show can maintain the quality set by the opening episode remains to be seen, but it looks like it might have deserved to have been rescued after all, a flavour worth trying again.

 

[Talysia]

I saw this last night and quite enjoyed it. I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but I was pleasantly surprised. Looking forward to seeing how the rest of the series shapes up.

 

[J Riff]

Dinosaurs and time travel? Better have a looksee.

 

[Perpetual Man]

Re: Primeval Season 4 Episode 2

Obviously Primeval does not have the same fan base as other shows watched by us on the Chrons, but it still can be a lot of fun.

Unfortunately episode 2 seems to a bit of a return to the monster of the week of previous seasons. That being said, the character interaction is solid and an improvement on previous years, and as the episode is pretty much the conclusion of establishing the new set up it might be given the benefit of the doubt.

Once again the prehistoric monster is done very well, and there are some good dramatic and off camera gruesome moments. The humour continues and mostly works well. There are a few hints (and more than hints) or personal agendas, so seeds are being planted.

The episode wraps up with Abby and Connor back in the fold and the set up re-established meaning that we can hopefully the show can grow.

Next weeks looks like it might be a step in the right direction - lizard men???

 

[PTeppic]

Re: Primeval Season 4 Episode 2

Unfortunately episode 2 seems to a bit of a return to the monster of the week of previous seasons.

Whilst very much a general "monster of the week" the links in to previous series and the reintegration of Abby/Connor definitely worked for me. Unlike some of the creature effects. Whilst most of the close-up stuff was great, some of the jumping around material was definitely ropey round the edges, perhaps rushed out or created to a budget. If they're still using the original effects-house, I'd guess their models were never originally intended to be jumping like that!

 

[Perpetual Man]

Re: Primeval Season 4 Episode 3

So, if the first two episodes were re-establishing the status quo, this third episode was the chance that the show was given to give us something new, take things in a new direction.

Too my surprise it actually seemed to be trying to do something different, there were familiar tropes used, but an awful lot going on, asking questions, presenting new ideas (for Primeval) and opening a couple of new plot threads that might take it through to the end of the current run.

Unlike some other shows this episode presented us with a series of new questions but answered them at least slightly:

When an anomaly opens in an old theatre we are treated to a surprise when a group of humans walk through rather than the monster of the week - that follows, but it is a type of reptile that I've never seen before, some form of dinosaur monkey - whether fictional or not is for someone else to say.

Soon we have the standard run of the mill monster chase, with the running new thread of Matt and his mysterious benefactor being deepened; the mystery of the woman who came through the anomaly who is she and what does she and the others represent; meanwhile Connor working on the ARC's upgraded security system accidently triggers a lock down, which leads to a mad rush to try and release everyone - and the hint that there is something else going on Project New Dawn.

So overall a lot more than I was expecting, I enjoyed the episode a lot more than I thought I would perhaps showing there could be a future for it. On the other hand the effects/cgi was ropey in places.

 

[anthorn]

Its still the same thread bare show as ever.

Lets see there was the Security system that can only disarmed only by that guy who is so obviously the bad guy. What is he worried by, Dino hackers? C'mon. They need writers, that can think a story through so that it makes sense.

 

[Perpetual Man]

Hmmm, just because someone has a different agenda doesn't necessarily make him the bad guy (Okay I'm probably going to have trouble justifying that to myself, but Doctor Bashir just can't be a bad guy)

I'm agree with what you say Anthorn to a degree, Primeval is never (unless something miraculous happens) going to be the best show on a Saturday night, but it is what it is, jelly bean entertainment. All that I say is in context to that, and I do think it is better than it has been.

(Still, if Doctor Who was on the other side, or even Merlin, I know which one I would have watched.)

 

[anthorn]

Agreed. Primeval is one of those shows where you need to NOT think when watching it.
If you think while watching it you end up realising how bad the writing is and how nothing makes sense it's just there cause it looks cool.

Do you remember series 3 with Helen when they introduced a plot in episode one, and then forgot about it for a few episodes. When it came back it wasn't the same plot as before and made no sense (the whole kill the first humans)

 

[Perpetual Man]

Do you remember series 3 with Helen when they introduced a plot in episode one, and then forgot about it for a few episodes. When it came back it wasn't the same plot as before and made no sense (the whole kill the first humans)

Oh definitely, and I'm sure there are other little things too. At the same time it is just rife with possibilities and it's so frustrating that they never take them, when it started it was meant to be a show centred around Nick Cutter and it has deviated so far from that....

 

[anthorn]

Yeah totally. One thing I didn't like was the way they've developed Conner. He had his friends in series one then they were never mentioned again. Until series 4 when you learn that Conner is a pretty bad friend.

The one thing i liked about series 3 was the whole Loch ness Monster might be real because of anomalies thing. Which again was forgotten.

The whole Alt reality thing was brushed under the carpet. The only thing changed was that they had a new base and that woman had a new name and hair colour.

 

[Perpetual Man]

Re: Primeval Season 4 Episode 4

Things seemed back to the same old rut in this latest episode, monster springs up, team goes in to investigate and close the rift, hunt monster down, possible complications, conclusion.

This does not a bad episode make, but certainly not a good one, straight line average across the board.

But there were some good points, seeing the annoying girl actually get taken by the dino-mammals was a brave choice so often in this type of thing we get a last minute rescue where kids/teenagers are concerned. The fact that there were so many of the creatures made up for some of the standard situations. It almost made the end exciting!

Ongoing season - arcs were slim, but were developed slightly.

But in the end Ben Miller saved the show from being anything less than average, He appears so rarely each episode, but there is something about him/his character that just works for me elevating any scene he is in.

"That mammoth once saved my life, it only seemed right that I somehow returned the favour!"

 

[anthorn]

So the guy played by the guy from Deep space Nine turned out to be the bad guy, well done Primeval you did something no one exp...............I'm sorry I am a terrible liar. It was so obvious he would be the baddy from episode one.

And what was with the vanishing extras in the last two episodes? They were at the wedding in one scene then vanished for no reason and left their vans.

Becker trapped with that bomb. Nope they wern't there either.

Intruder alert someone is in the arc.

Lets just send one guy after him, it's not like we're that good at keeping secrets anyway. Plus its our lunch break.

 

[PTeppic]

Intruder alert someone is in the arc.

And, no offence to hostage, shoot them both. It's a stun gun. It stuns. Apologise afterwards to the woman. How hard was that - you stopped the terrorist.

 

[Pyan]

I've changed the thread title slightly to make it more relevant to the series, not just the first episode of the new season.

 

[Perpetual Man]

Thanks Pyan.

Well I enjoyed it in a light hearted way, it seemed to be a very strange episode, reintroducing character, dropping storylines, 'big' reveals, but all actually resetting the show to virtually how it was at the start of the season - unless there is more to come when it returns (On the Watch channel I think)

Very much bubblegum television, but a nice flavour!

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

I've tried, oh how I've tried to get into this. On the face of it the potential is unlimited. However it seems to suffer from the same old same old. Much like Dr Who at one stage where every episode started with UNIT and some old duffer with a handle bar mustache or a white quarry or usually both.

Just a little bit of imagination could provide riveting plot/story lines. How come we never/rarely see ancient people or future alien invaders. It seemed they spent all the budget on the walking with dinosaurs special effect and are stuck with it.

As for the acting team.

Certainly in the early episodes it was so boy scoutish and wooden it drove you mad. Then there's the desperate scraping the barrel plots of everything being so secret you would be shot if you revealed what was going on but hey, I've got a an idea. Why don't I take this flying dyno and keep it in my flat so it can escape.

The new season started a little better but by the third or fourth episode it was back to square one with hum drum repeats of previous stories. The only change being the walking with dinosaurs people had released a new kind of monster.

"Jurassic Park meets On the Buses" springs to mind. Don't know why.

 

[anthorn]

I agree. Mostly. I think Primeval had potential but is let down by writers who can not really write good tv. They tend to write things that sound cool rather than make sense.
Helen Cutter suddenly changing her plan for episode six after vanishing for a few episodes.

The whole clone army cliffhanger "Dont worry Steven I will bring you back to life" from series two. Never mentioned again.

The whole attempt to make people think Ethan was the big bad when it was painfully obvious from episode one of series 4 who the bad guy was.

 

[PTeppic]

It seemed they spent all the budget on the walking with dinosaurs special effect and are stuck with it.

TBH I suspect it's the opposite: since the WWD team already had all the models for their original work handy, sticking to plots which used those specific creatures kept the budget down and provided maximum effect per buck. When they opt for stories with different creatures, IMO the quality drops off as they have to start from scratch.

 

[Pyan]

It's very noticeable how infrequently anyone actually gets attacked on-screen - the creatures do an awful lot of bounding about and snapping their jaws/beaks etc, but never actually seem to bite anyone in vision.

IMO the quality drops off as they have to start from scratch.

Yes - I watched 4:6, (the wedding one) last night, and there was a shot of a hyaenadon coming round a corner that looked as if the CGI team had just given up on the perspective, and said to themselves "Oh well, it's very fast, no-one will notice..."