Genndy Tartakovsky has made a name for himself as possibly one of the most unique and talented animators of the modern era, and his series Primal is a great example of his talent. Following the journey of a caveman, Spear, and his dinosaur companion Fang, Primal's first season delivered intense action, spectacular animation, and beautifully minimalist storytelling.
Now, with the imminent return of the series to Adult Swim, Primal's second season has received a short teaser trailer, offering a brief glimpse of what is to come for Spear and Fang. From the looks of it, they will be dealing with a giant shark, emerging civilizations, and possibly even the devil himself.
From the very brief shots shown in the trailer, it appears that Spear and Fang will be going on an aquatic journey, encountering a massive turtle and setting sail on a primitive raft. Along with those scenes are Spear fighting back against enemies both animal and human, promising even more development of the world in which the show is set. The fantasy setting combines humans and dinosaurs, first and foremost, but it seems like the second season will be adding in what appears to be both early European and possibly Mesoamerican-inspired groups of people. Whether they will be willing to help Spear and Fang or get in their way remains to be seen.
One thing is for certain from this new trailer: this season is likely to continue the show's more brutal nature, never holding back from showing the hardships its heroes must go through just to survive. Spear takes multiple arrows to the back, gets locked in a cage, and fights multiple soldiers all at once. Meanwhile, Fang narrowly avoids being eaten by a Megalodon and fights for food with another carnivorous dino. It's also likely that this season will continue the show's use of non-verbal storytelling, something that made many of the tales it presented much more compelling, allowing the focus to be solely on the animated action.
Primal's first season was a critical hit, garnering five Primetime Emmy awards including Outstanding Animated Program in 2021. Across 10 episodes, Spear and Fang encountered a number of formidable foes, including a pack of mammoths, a zombified brontosaurus (in what may have been the show's most terrifying episode) and the dreaded ape-men. It won't be easy to top some of the intense moments in that premiere season, but Tartakovsky and company likely have some fun, brutal, and exciting adventures ahead.
Primal season 2 premieres on Adult Swim on July 21, with episodes hitting HBO Max the next day.