4.21 Primeval

[Clare]

4.21 Primeval - Episode #077
Aware of Spike's double-cross, the gang reunites to take Adam down.

Review (also post a score out of 10) and discuss this episode.

[cyclica]

Great story- adam wants human and demon parts to make his army, so he pits demons against humans to provide the body parts he needs.

The only flaw in the ep for me was the big battle at the end between the demons and soldiers, since I didn't really care about either side, and our heroes never seemed to be in any real danger. But the buffy vs adam fight was great, especially seeing his confusion as bullet-proof buffy kicks his ass.

I give this one a 7.

[partcynic]

4x21 “Primeval”

Episode Rating = 7

The final Initiative episode, “Primeval” is a solid closer that’s far better than many of the arc eps that preceded it. With Adam’s plan entering its key stage and year-long conflicts finally rising to the surface, this episode has a large emotional range to cover, and incorporates well-written action, comedy and drama into its 42 minutes. It’s very rewarding to have multiple things pay off simultaneously, and while it doesn’t make up for some of the slow pacing and patchy plotting that’s struck S4, “Primeval” is a soothing indicator that the writers had finally managed to transform the disparate Initiative material into a cohesive and engaging whole.

What I Liked about “Primeval”:

- Despite not having a huge interest in Adam, I still think he’s a unique villain with intriguing motivations, and he’s gotten steadily more compelling as the season has gone on. As Spike observed in “The Yoko Factor”, he’s very charismatic, and you can understand why demons are rallying around him. It was fascinating to hear the full details of his/Maggie’s plan for the 314 project, and I liked seeing the simple pleasure with which he approached his massacre. And as I mentioned in my last review, I loved that the major threat had nothing to do with a traditional-style apocalypse.

- The opening scenes dealing with the new Scooby estrangement are all powerful. Seeing hungover Giles awkwardly interact with a defensive Willow was saddening considering how well they used to get on, and I found the moment where Buffy looked at a photo of she, Willow and Xander in happier times touching (no matter how obviously manipulative it was). However, the best scene went to Xander and Anya basement chat, which had elements of both comedy (“they won’t even interview you if you’re naked”) and heartfelt emotion (Anya’s reassurances and telling him she loves him – I really enjoy them as a couple now).

- It’s funny to watch Spike realise that he’s messed up his ‘drive the Scoobs apart’ scheme, and having his attempts at fixing it inadvertently tip Buffy off was a smart writing decision. As far as other Spike material goes, he was consistently light and humorous, and I liked moments such as stopping Forrest by driving a lit cigarette into his eye, and his joyful comments about “no-one get[ting] staked through the heart” after saving the gang from a demon.

- The Scooby regroup scenes are well-written and emotionally satisfying. The initial campus chat has the right amount of frostiness, and I liked how Buffy took charge, worked through the tense atmosphere and clearly made her points about Spike. It was great to watch them then deduce exactly what Adam was up to, and reunite to stop the new threat. The later conversation when Willow and Buffy abseiled down the lift shaft was my favourite in the episode – their dialogue was heartfelt and honest; and both characters admitted their flaws while endeavouring to be better in the future. I also loved Xander’s “oh God, we’re all gonna die” line when the girls hugged him, which added enough levity to prevent the moment from being sappy.

- This episode is almost a 50/50 split between character development and action, and the dividing line comes with the second act break (which was good – after having been able to infiltrate the Initiative multiple times without a hiccup, it was nice to see the gang try and break in, only to be met by a group of angry soldiers). The interaction between the Scoobs and commandos was fun (“It’s a magic gourd”), and it was exciting once Adam unleashed the hostiles and commenced the battle royale.

- Given that he’s been the worst character in the season (and until Dawn, the most unlikeable recurring character in the show), it was amazing to see Forrest get blown up, ensuring he’ll never annoy us again.

- Despite being derivative of “The Matrix”, the special effects and action sequences are excellent, and the stunts team deserve props for their work. The battle scenes were also well-filmed, with lots of movement and lots of different things going on. The struggle felt legitimately chaotic and tense, and there was an appropriate ratio of human/demon fatalities.

- The enjoining spell is a clever metaphor as to the gang’s reconciliation, and it was rewarding to have everyone play an important role in Adam’s defeat. The big confrontation between he and uber-Buffy was entertaining, and I liked Buffy’s final quip as she killed him (“You could never hope to understand the source of our power... but yours is right here”).

- The closing montage as the Pentagon men gave their final verdict on the Initiative was powerful, and a strong closer to both the episode and the arc.

What I Disliked about “Primeval”

- Forrest’s dialogue is weak. Cheesy lines like “watch as I kill your girlfriend, Finn. That’s an order” detracted from the gravity of his scenes, and pulled me out of the otherwise-engaging story.

- Why are the paralysis and enjoining spells only popping up now? It’s fine if Giles/Willow didn’t mention them due to feeling that they wouldn’t have the skill to make it work, but this super-powerful, unheard of magic suddenly being brought up and used felt like a contrivance. It also causes problems for later episodes, when you have to wonder why the characters don’t consider doing it again (okay, it had negative side effects, but would they even happen after Buffy dismissed the First Slayer)?

- The bit with Riley hacking out the chip in his chest was really stupid. Ignoring the question of how he was able to do so (the guy doesn’t have the ‘will’ to speak out of turn or stand up, yet can cut into himself with a piece of glass?), you have to wonder how he managed to operate without doing himself any serious damage, and how he seemed able to fight competently afterwards.

- Bits and pieces of the Buffy/Adam showdown are corny. The golden contacts on Buffy’s eyes didn’t work for me, and I also disliked the echoing effect that was put on her voice. I know that the intention was to make her seem ominous and otherworldly, but it didn’t convey that for me.

Do I like this episode more or less than the last time I watched it?

I like it just as much. For an episode penned by David Fury, “Primeval” is very good (his writing usually tends to be serviceable as opposed to exceptional), with a strong denouement to the season arc, high quality-character development and lots of thrilling action. That said, it lacks the power of the three arc closers before it, so I’m happy that we got the bolder, cleverer and better-written “Restless” to truly round off the season. However, that doesn’t mean that “Primeval” is at all bad, and I’m more than happy to award it a seven out of ten.