Review: Primal “Scent of Prey”

 

 

Overview:

Fang is near death after his assault from the ape-man champion. Spear is there to help give his dinosaur friend water and cover his wounds. However, there are other things that pose a risk for the downed beast.

Threatened by vultures and hyenas, Spear has no choice but to try to find shelter for his injured friend. Through resourcefulness and resolve, Spear drags the massive beast towards the forest where he can protect Fang in a cave.

Unfortunately, the hyenas prove to be just as relentless as Spear. The pack of wild dogs attack the downed dino while the caveman collects water. Thankfully, Spear arrives back in time with new tricks up his sleeve, and to find that Fang has recovered more than anticipated.

 

Our Take:

I think it is safe to say that Genndy Tartakovsky’s experiment for a cartoon with no dialogue is a success. The first five episodes of Primal have been celebrated by fans and critics alike. The creators even managed to scoop up three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation. And before the first season could even conclude, Primal has already been renewed for a second 10-episode season.

Not bad considering Tartakovsky wasn’t sure if his rule-breaking series would get off the ground.

The second part of season one kicks off with the same inspired animation and unique storytelling that caught our attention, to begin with. No surprises there, as this season was completed as one ongoing tale.  

A keyword that popped up during this episode is resourcefulness. We have seen in previous episodes how Spear and Fang can utilize their environment to overcome. They have pitted enemy versus enemy and continue to find ways to survive.

In this episode alone, Spear saves his friends life by taking advantage of the few things that he had around him. Later, after finding shelter, the pair are attacked by spiked bugs. As we should learn to expect from this series, Spear eventually uses the same bugs as weapons. Wearing a pair of critters as an aggressive version of brass knuckles, Spear puts away with a good share of wild dogs.

Just as the characters are resourceful, so are the creators behind this masterpiece. The writing manages to make the environment a character of its own. Wherever these characters end up, it becomes a significant part of their survival. If they end up in the wrong spot, the environment can be a threat of its own.

Equally as resourceful is the artwork of Primal. Particularly, the use of colours. Where Samurai Jack popped with the use of contrast and minimal tones, Primal can be much greyer and more blended. When contrast or bright colours are used, they become that much more apparent impactful.

The release of the backend of season one of Primal is easily one of the most anticipated arrivals for the Fall season. This show is making waves and doing things that you cannot find anywhere else on television. Investing in an animated show without dialogue about an unlikely partnership of a caveman and a t-rex must have been scary for all involved. Thankfully, what fans have received is a new way to enjoy storytelling and an artistic achievement.

Fang and Spear have been bonding through these first six episodes. As tight as ever and back on their feet, now all they have left to do is survive.