Primeval - Episode 9

This episode starts out in a paintball field at an amusement part; something is prowling the undergrowth. The hidden animal makes low growls and finally charges its prey.

Connor and Cutter have finally developed an anomaly detector using the principals they learned from the radio signals. Lester and Leek are not impressed, because the detector appears to be a failure. A report comes in about a supposed creature attack, but the detector shows no sign of an anomaly. Connor has faith in his detector, so he tries to find other reasons for the alarm failing to go off.

Along the perimeter of the amusement part, the woods have been cordoned off by police investigating the paintballer attack. Valerie, the deputy manager of the resort, paces nervously. Jenny coaches her in what to tell the media, and Valerie is keen to evacuate the guests - but her management bosses will not let her. Cutter comes to the conclusion that the creature is some kind of large cat.

This is the first episode that did not have a current anomoly. Without giving away too many spoilers, the creature in this episode did indeed come from an anomoly, but it happened years before these attacks.

In other storylines, Connor's new "girlfriend" appears to be in league with Leek. I can't figure out what she is up to. Stephen has been receiving text messages from Helen - what the hell is that all about? Does Helen keep popping into the current world to borrow a cell phone? And we learn that Abby can drive a mean backhoe and handle a tranquilzer gun in an emergency. With only 4 more episodes left of this season, I hope some of the storylines are wrapped up, because I don't know how long it will be before we can start watching Season 3.

Primeval Series Premiere

With the deterioration of American television into the drivel that is reality TV hell, the BBC is giving the world of the televeision drama a run for it's money. Following the succes of Robin Hood, MI5, Hex, Doctor Who and Top Gear, our friends from across the pond are now giving us Primeval. This series first aired in England in February 2007, but had its American debut tonight on BBC America.

A rip in the time-space continuum allows prehistoric creatures from the past to enter the 21st century. Professor Nick Cutter (Douglas Henshall) and his team are investigating the sighting of what seems to be an extinct dinosaur. They travel to the Forest of Dean, where it was seen, to explain how it appeared and discover an even stranger phenomenon, while the escaped creature is on a killing spree.

While Cutter and his team struggle to keep the looming disaster under wraps, Cutter also has to deal the fact that his wife, Helen (Juliet Aubrey), a fellow scientist who disappeared eight years ago, is not dead as he believed. In fact, she's been traveling through time. However, now she's back, and she holds the key to the riddle of the anomalies. But is it something she's willing to share? If not, what does she really want? Why did she come back?

Cutter, his research assistant Stephen Hart (James Murray), , zoologist Abby Maitland (Hannah Spearritt), and student paleontologist Connor Temple (Andrew-Lee Potts) race to understand what's happening, while government bureaucrats James Lester and Claudia Brown (Lucy Brown) insist they have to keep the danger secret from the public. As the past threatens to invade the present and destroy the future, Cutter's crew faces a life-and-death race against time.

But the first question which needs answering is where on earth are these creatures coming from? Are they an evolutionary throwback? Or an experimental hybrid perhaps? The truth is even more incredible than they first theorized. As they follow a creature through the forest, the creature inadvertently leads the team to the answer. A shimmering in the air, a distortion in the light, and, suddenly, the creture disappears before them.

They have found the truth, but how can it be possible? Can they really be looking at a rip in time - an anomaly, which leads back to prehistoric times? Can creatures come through from their own era into ours, and if so, can humans go the other way? There's only one way to find out and Cutter is determined to make the trip, convinced that the answer to his wife's disappearance could lie on the other side...

After the first episode, I'm hooked! I can't wait for next week's installment. Primeval looks to have a long life on our side of the pond.