Overview:
Still raw from their recent altercation, Spear and Fang take some time to lick their wounds and reflect upon what’s really important. The team makes major headway in their mission to reunite with Mira, but they’ll first need to conquer some powerful warriors of both man and beast before salvation is possible.
Our Take:
Primal may be a series that’s bereft of dialogue, but there’s never a moment where the feelings of its protagonists are not completely clear. Primal’s second season has started in morose territory for both Spear and Fang. This sadness is palpable throughout “Dawn of Man” and the first-half of the episode is even drenched in heavy rainfall as a metonymic representation of the characters’ pain. What’s so effective about “Dawn of Man,” which is a considerably more muted episode of Primal, is that it feels like Fang and Spear are going through the seven stages of grief. Their sadness morphs into anger and “Dawn of Man” becomes an episode about no longer feeling sorry for yourself and finding the strength to fight back.
There’s a quiet elegance to every single episode of Primal, but “Dawn of Man” is a different style of episode that speaks towards man’s natural curiosity. It’s easily the most reflective installment of the series as Spear confronts the collective past of man, all of which is prompted by a stunning cave painting that Spear stumbles upon. “Dawn of Man” is completely comfortable lingering on methodical shots of these dimly illuminated cave paintings that turn Spear into the perfect audience surrogate. It’s an aesthetically gorgeous lesson in history.
Additionally, there are so many scenes that involve Spear taking in his surroundings rather than lashing out in violence. It’s an episode about beauty and understanding as opposed to destruction, which continues to build upon the themes established in the season’s first two entries. One of the most beautiful moments in “Dawn of Man” that quietly gets lost in the shuffle involves Spear’s prayers to the moon. It’s simultaneously touching and heartbreaking to see this character open himself up to new ideas and leave the experience empty.
“Dawn of Man” is not completely devoid of action and violence, but it’s easily the calmest and most contemplative entry of the series. With all of these new changes and losses around Spear and Fang, it’s only appropriate for Primal to look back to man’s origins to provide a universal lesson that transcends Spear. Similarly, this is not an episode that’s heavy in Fang. Spear’s dinosaur companion isn’t completely absent, but she plays a backseat role while she mourns Red. The lack of action in “Dawn of Man” pushes the score to do even more heavy lifting than normal and there’s such elegant accompaniment to Spear’s makeshift history lesson in the cave. It’s a particularly gentle score that’s evocative of discovery and akin to what one might hear during a planetary exhibit.
The second-half of “Dawn of Man” spills its share of blood and returns to the more action-heavy timbre that’s Primal’s norm. Gladiators and wild beasts encroach on Fang and Spear, but this is still an episode that’s full of restraint, right down to when Spear finally catches his target. There’s just enough action here to leave audiences hungry for more and “Dawn of Man” has a lot of fun cutting short a thrilling sword fight through Fang’s perfect comic timing (which is increasingly becoming the show’s secret weapon). Nevertheless, Spear is able to upgrade his arsenal and, if anything, the character might want to consider a name change now that he’s acquired a substantially sturdier weapon. “Dawn of Man” doesn’t give Spear much of an opportunity to go nuts with his hefty sword, but it teases some very exciting battles to come. If everything goes according to plan then Spear might be double-wielding a sword and an axe by the end of the next episode.
The other major surprise in “Dawn of Man” is Mira’s return, which continues to indicate that Primal plays by its own rules. The character’s absence definitely lasted longer than what was expected and even though Spear’s reunited with her it appears to be a bittersweet homecoming. Spear and Fang’s mission has just become considerably more complicated and there’s a greater potential for mass casualties than ever before. The return of Mira as Primal heads into its fourth episode feels like the start of a bold new arc for this season. Mira’s presence is an asset, but it’s also going to come along with new stresses that will drive forward the next batch of episodes. It already seems rather clear that Spear is far from happy even though he’s gotten exactly what he wants.
“Dawn of Man” is an effective episode of Primal that both catches its breath as well as bravely soldiers forward. It feels like the necessary calm before the bloody storm that’s almost certainly on its way.