Review: Primeval Series 4 Ep 4

An anomaly in a school leads to tragedy…

In some ways the bravest episode of Primeval to date, this tense segment doesn’t flinch from the realities of dealing with the creatures coming through the anomalies. We’ve seen people killed before, but they’ve usually been the equivalent of Star Trek’s redshirts – extras whose prime purpose is there to die/be eaten. This time though, it’s someone who the audience has spent some time with – and it’ll be interesting to see the feedback that the episode gets as a result.

Original director Cilla Ware returns for the second time this season, and her experience working on the show in earlier series, when the creatures weren’t as technically brilliant as they are now, really helps in cost-saving. You think you see a lot more than you really do, and there are a couple of uses of point-of-view shots from the monster’s perspective that really help sell the situation.

Counterpointed with that are Abby’s attempts to save the creatures already in the ARC from being destroyed, and Jess’s realisation that no matter how cute Rex might be, the creatures that come through are not necessarily benign. Some good moments between Lester and Philip also contribute to another strong episode.  8/10

Paul Simpson

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