PNW: The Great Escape

[purplecat]

Another excellent episode.

I think the episode benefitted from pulling away from the ensemble for a week and focussing instead on just Evan, Dylan and Leeds. Leeds, in particular, did very well even though I suspect Evan and Dylan got more actual screen time. I love the way the character shifts between bumbling and determined, and the way he obviously has a strong moral sense, albeit one that recognises certain expediencies and is prepared to own the consequences of his actions. It makes him a much more nuanced military figure, and semi-antagonist, than you often see.

I was also impressed by the way that even though Evan and Dylan's behaviour is both dangerous and foolish we actually believe, given the characters they have been given, that this is what they would do. I'm really much more impressed by the character work on this iteration of Primeval (and on the greater attention that is, once more, being paid to the way tranquilisers work). B. was impressed by the realisation of a terror bird walking on ice. We are, in general, impressed.

Obviously, just to be clear we weren't impressed by everything, Major Douglas and his military team were about as useless as a chocolate fireguard. Dylan took stupid risks, again, even after the terror bird had killed a human. Her characterisation, early on in the show, as a predator control expert was very good, but she's been gradually slipping towards Primeval's tendency to over-sentimentalise the creatures. However her decision to euthanize the bird at the end was well played and very credible.

But all in all I really liked this episode. I'm impressed by the arc-plotting work they've done leading from Angry Birds onwards, with Undone, Truth and The Great Escape as particular high points.


I have to say that Primeval: New World has turned out to be a much better show than I had expected. So, of course, it entirely figures that its cancellation was announced the other day. It's not a Firefly level tragedy, but given I thought Primeval's "cancellation" after series three was more or less a case of putting it out of its misery, and its second cancellation after series five was understandable, if a bit of shame, I'm really rather upset about this one.

Comments

[celeste9]

It really does suck that it got cancelled! It exceeded my expectations as well, so I'm sad we won't get more of it. I haven't seen the last two eps yet but I heard it ends on a cliffhanger, of course.

I particularly enjoyed Leeds in this one too, I think he's my favorite. It's funny, because I remember people complaining about the characters in New World, but I always thought, as you mentioned, that the characterization is better than in the original. I think the original show sacrificed a lot to plot and we get better characterization in fanfic than the show actually gave us.

[deinonychus-1.livejournal.com]

I'm also extremely disappointed that it's been cancelled, as it's mostly been getting better with every episode since about ep 4 or 5.

I really started to warm to Leeds in this ep, I love the way they've characterised him, and it's impossible to pin down the character as to exactly whose 'side' he's on. I don't think I wanted to like Leeds at the start of the series, so the fact that they've made me like him (and worry about what's going to happen to him now) in the second half of the series is a testament to good character development, and good acting from the bloke who plays him.