Primal is an animated series created by the Russian-American animator, Genndy Tartakovsky. Genndy's work includes Dexter's Laboratory, Star Wars: Clone Wars, and Samurai Jack among many other titles. Season 1 released on October 8, 2019, and was well received with an audience rating of 8.7/10. Cartoon Network has already given the green light for season 2 expected to release sometime in 2021. Fans of animation should watch this unique series.
What makes Primal so unique is its lack of dialogue, meaning anything the story needs to convey is done purely through imagery and sound design. Primal tells the story of a caveman named Spear and a tyrannosaurus named Fang who bond over some unfortunate events. When Spear's family is devoured by a pack of dinosaurs, he becomes suicidal. Spear has trouble getting out of his depression, but he learns to lean on an unlikely friend. Fang, the t-rex, and Spear form an unbreakable bond of friendship where they will do anything to keep the other safe in a dangerous and scary world. The same dinosaurs who killed Spear's family have also caused the female tyrannosaurus to lose her hatchlings, and so begins their journey of survival together.
The genre of Primal can be described as a combination of the action, adventure, and horror genres but it also has elements of fantasy. The setting combines different prehistoric eras where dinosaurs rule the world, some with a pack mentality. This is definitely a "buddy love" show, as described by the show creator, and will feature some emotional story beats mixed in with all the gore and violence. There are even some thematic living dead scenes as well as some added magical elements.
The story exists in a world where language is not developed yet. Instead, Primal relies on an artistic narrative shown through the animation. It is never difficult to tell what the characters are thinking, because their faces are so full of expression. The art is very stylized and has a dramatic color palette. The contrast of heavy black in some scenes is very striking. It is a very visually pleasing series to look at. Genndy wanted to showcase his stylistic art over dialogue. The show is not completely silent, though, as the characters will grunt or scream against a gritty and emotional soundtrack created by Tyler Bates, who has created soundtracks for over 40 shows and movies including the John Wick series.
Primal is a very violent and graphic series. There is a lot of blood, death, and gore, but because of the style of animation and the color palettes, it is very hard to look away. The way the characters are drawn is very interesting, and fans of Genndy's previous work will get their fix with this action-packed series focused on the animation. Never before has an audience felt so compelled to feel empathy for a usually vicious dinosaur like a tyrannosaurus rex. The name tyrannosaurus literally means "tyrant lizard" in Greek while rex means "king" in Latin. So to get an audience to feel compassion for 'The King of Tyrant Lizards' all without any dialogue is an amazing feat. The show does an excellent job of showcasing its themes of grief and sorrow and how they can be overcome through companionship.
There are a lot of comedic moments in Primal because even if Spear spoke some type of language, Fang cannot speak. And Fang is, after all, an animal. Primal shows that although two individuals may be completely different, they can bond through their circumstances. At first, Fang doesn't understand that Spear needs to eat too, and she can be quite selfish. This gives the audience some funny moments that will remind dog owners of what it's like to try to eat a meal with a begging dog constantly waiting for their chance to snatch away the food. But it's not long before Fang and Spear begin to understand one another.
Even though Fang and Spear first stuck together through a mutual desire to stay alive, they overcome their differences and are able to work together to survive and form an emotional connection. Because they are forced to rely on each other for survival, their bond becomes unbreakable. If one of the characters is in trouble, the other will do everything they can to keep them safe, even if it means putting themself in danger. Sacrificing one's own self for another is a purely selfless act of love. The show begins to transcend its title into something much more than a primal act of survival.
Primal deals with overcoming the primal urge to kill in order to survive and instead transcending basic instinct. This show is violent and gruesome but undeniably beautiful. Fans of prehistoric beings, animation, and character development through the "show don't tell" narrative will love this show. This story has a little bit of something for everyone told in a unique way.