Tonight: The Primeval Series Finale
July 25, 2009 by Cynthia
It was supposed to be only the season finale of Primeval, but now, thanks to the ITV’s decision not to renew**, tonight’s episode will be the last we’ll see of Primeval. Sadly, the production company didn’t know this when they made this one so instead of closure, we get cliffhangers.
When I first heard that there would be no fourth season, I was upset. I love this show – or perhaps I should say, “loved.” While I really enjoyed the first two seasons, this season has left me bored and annoyed. I thought I could get used to the revolving door of lead characters but I never warmed up the latest round of newbies. I miss Cutter. I miss Stephen. Add to that the weekly feeling that we’ve been there and done that and I have to agree with the ITV, it’s time to say goodbye to Primeval.
Please note the episode airs at 8:00 and not 9:00 as usual.
** Edited to show it was ITV, not the BBC that decided to end production. Thanks to the commenters who pointed this out. **
Episode 3.10 Spoilers Under the Cut
Helen Cutter decides the only way to stop the destruction of life on Earth is to stop humans ever evolving. So she goes back in time to the Pliocene period, intent on poisoning the very first humans that evolved in the Rift Valley in Africa. The team is determined to go back to the future and stop her before she can hurt anyone else. Moments before they are about to head through the anomaly, however, their hand-held detectors go off. The team splits—half will battle three vicious Megopterans, which have come through another anomaly, and the rest will head to the future to take on their human nemesis, Helen. One of the team will also come face to face with the earliest humans, Hominids, in an encounter that will change their life forever. The deranged Helen succeeds in killing one Hominid family, but soon receives a very unpleasant surprise.
Photo: Impossible Pictures
Just a small correction and a comment…
It was ITV, not the BBC, that cancelled Primeval. There still is talk of a possible film and/or American spin-off.
My comment is that this season was actually one of the better ones. Cutter and Stephen, for all their strengths, had become flat characters, and rather grim ones at that. One of the implicit ideas of the show is that life evolves and changes. That doesn’t mean always for the better, but I find myself satisfied with the conclusion of the series. If the show is ever taken up again, I hope it will be as strong as it has been through these three series.
Allo,
While I will miss Primeval I wanted to let you know that it was not BBC decision to make but ITV’s. From what I have heard and or read on this subject Primeval was an ITV property that aired on BBC America and ITV decided not to renew the series for budget reasons.
Cheers
Neorandva
Well that certainly sucks …. perhaps if there is enough fan outrage and mobilization we can get another season (or at least a closure movie….like we did with Farscape)
I for one loved the show … or as you Brits say, it was “brilliant”
by the way …. to contact ITV, send emails to: viewerservices@itv.com
*Spoiler Alert*
I admit that I missed a few episodes this season, but I did enjoy those that I saw. Yes, it saddens me that it has ended and that several main characters might be forever stranded in the past. But I recall that Cutter’s portal/anomaly device, which she had accidentally dropped, might yet be found by the stranded crew members. Obviously, the cliffhanger was meant to be resolved in a tidy fashion. I am therefore convinced that our wayward time travelers will ultimately be reunited with family, friends, and cohorts and live to save the world another day. Good Luck guys, we’ll miss you!
The only thing that annoyed me about the season as it unfolded was the fact that the team didn’t seem to have the same firepower this season as they had in the first two. But that, too, made for more interesting story telling in that it wasn’t always easy to get these beasts back through the anomolies as it was made to be in the first two seasons, and I’m sure a fourth season would have been great–even better as we got to know the newer characters better.
At least Warner Brothers is looking into doing a movie on the series, and the creators are still trying to shop around the idea of a new series in the US.
I enjoyed this program immensely and will miss my Friday nite commitment to the program. I typically don’t lock myself down on “tv time” but made this exception. I look forward to seeing something in the future on this in another format.
I’m very sorry to see the series end. It has been very entertaining. Too often the good shows end after only a few seasons. I wish there was a way to continue the series.
Nancy
@king of the Ice Dragons,
This lack of “Bite” in the later part of the series bothered me, too. I really don’t want to see them continue this way. I miss the old team.
It was a real shock to be watching the show with my son, which had become somthing of a ritual, only to find out that it had been pulled!
Very disappointed. I only watched it originally because my name is Stephen Hart and having a sci-fi show where one of the characters has your name was not something I was going to miss – then a) they kill him and b) they cancel the show!
Not right – just not right. Fingers crossed the American’s will think better.
Stephen Hart