S02E01

After a visually spectacular but cerebrally mundane first season, Primeval is back with the team dealing with a family of raptors on the loose in a shopping mall.

Undeniably lightweight fun, this episode makes decent use of the mall's enclosed spatial environment to generate a sense of tension. It's hardly Dawn of the Dead, as any gore is wisely off-screen and conveyed via the power of suggestion (and a few slurping sound effects). The raptors are well realised and the narrative keeps a nice focus and pace, although it does become repetitive.

However, Douglas Henshall appears to have been hit by one of Connor's badly aimed tranquiliser darts and sleepwalks through the entire episode. It's a shame the team isn't spearheaded by a more charismatic persona. In fact, then entire show seems devoid of the emotional content generated by Doctor Who, despite the attempt to give the Cutter-Stephen relationship a bit of edge through the revelation of the latter's affair with Helen Cutter. The team's failure to remember the tranquilised Abby, leaving her at risk of being ravaged by raptors, also seems a poorly conceived and unbelievable plot device.

Fortunately, there are occasional interludes that spark some life into the monster hunting plot. Connor provides some nice comic relief, such as an ill-fated attempt to seek out a Slush Puppie, and the encounter with the bike-loving chavs in the car park works well.

Formulaic and disposable, Primeval is nonetheless slickly made and solid family entertainment. Let's hope the scripts improve for future episodes though.


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