Anomaly Research Centre
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Anomaly Research Centre


Episode 3.2 is the second episode of the third series of Primeval. It was broadcast as Haunted House in North America, as Spurlos Verschwunden (Disappeared) in Germany and as Prédiction (Prediction)[1] in France.

Full synopsis[]

Three teenage boys break into an abandoned house for a dare, then decide to investigate the seemingly empty building. Two of the boys head upstairs to explore while the third helps himself to drinks from the kitchen: unbeknownst to them, something is prowling in the background, watching them. Suddenly, the third boy hears screaming from his friends upstairs, along with an animalistic snarling. He goes to investigate but as he tries to climb the stairs, an unseen entity pushes him back down. As the boy retreats into the house's living room, he hears snarling and snuffling noises around him when, to his horror, he sees a strange creature appear on the sofa in front of him. The creature snarls menacingly at him...

Fourteen years later, at the Anomaly Research Centre, Sarah, Connor and Cutter are discussing their various research projects: Sarah, trying to determine the origins of a Chinese mythological beast called the Qilin, has come up with data to put into Cutter's 'Matrix'. The 'Matrix' is an intricate graph device created by Cutter, designed to be a 3-D representation of all anomalies throughout history, combined with Sarah's research that mythical beasts are simply animals from anomalies. Cutter explains to Jenny the matrix's ultimate aim is to try and predict where and when the next anomaly will appear.

Using the information, Cutter predicts that the next anomaly will appear in a local area, specifically the Abandoned House, but he is uncertain of the time it will open, thus Jenny, Abby and Connor are dispatched to investigate. The trio investigate inside the house: the house has a strong stench of animals about it, and there are occasional strange noises, but there are no immediate signs of an anomaly or creature, so they leave. As the group leave, they are confronted by Danny Quinn, a Detective Constable who demands to know why they were in the house. Jenny spins a lie that they were property developers: however, Quinn isn't buying any of it, and they are let off with a warning- he also expresses disgust at the fact he believes they are 'murder tourists'. Once out of Quinn's sight, Jenny tells Abby to keep watch on the house while she and Connor go to investigate its history. Unknown to them, a little girl is watching them and the house from nearby, as is the creature...

In London, Sarah, who has been doing more research in a library, is on her way back to the ARC when she inadvertently collides with a woman in the street. The woman (who, unknown to Sarah, is Helen Cutter) helps Sarah pick up her documents, stealing her access card to the ARC in the process. Helen and her associate, the Cleaner, proceed to the ARC, where she gives him Sarah's access card and briefs him regarding what he is to do inside, advising him not to attract attention and stay clear of Cutter. The Cleaner proceeds to the team's locker room and breaks into Cutter's locker. However, Sarah returns to the ARC and though she doesn't have her access card, Captain Becker learns from security the card was used less than 15 minutes before. The ARC is locked down and Becker confronts the Cleaner in the locker room: both pull guns and after a tense standoff, Becker shoots the Cleaner. Cutter identifies the body, but remarks to Becker his presence is impossible, since Cutter witnessed him die in the Silurian. In the aftermath, Becker, Cutter and Sarah discuss what the Cleaner's presence means. While Sarah and Becker discuss several illogical possibilities, Cutter claims there is only one logical explanation for the intrusion: Helen's back (as Cutter puts it "Something inexplicable happens, it's a good bet Helen's usually behind it!")

Quinn, meanwhile, does some investigating of his own and discovers the team's car was government licensed. He inquires with his sergeant whether the case around the house is being re-opened. His sergeant refuses to investigate further and advises Quinn to let his bad history with the house go. Jenny and Connor speak to the estate agent who owns the house, who tells them its history. Fourteen years before, three boys broke into the house: two were never seen again and the third was left traumatised and assumed to be responsible for the murder of the others, and the house has developed a reputation as haunted. Jenny and Connor track down the sole survivor, Ryan Mason, who explains what he saw in the house, including describing the creature and seeing a strange light in the house (which Jenny and Connor realise could only have come from an anomaly), and how he managed to escape. Ryan also says he has never had the courage to go back, but that he will...

Meanwhile, Abby goes back into the house to investigate movement she saw in the window. She is exploring the upper floors when she hears strange noises and tries to leave (unknown to Abby, the creature is right behind, stalking her). As she reaches the staircase, the creature attacks: caught by surprise, Abby falls downs the stairs and is left unconscious. Fortunately, she is saved from further attack when Jenny and Connor return to the house. Jenny takes Abby to hospital while Connor waits to watch the house. He sees the small girl who was watching them earlier: she warns him not to go back in. However, Connor re-enters the house to get his phone. Once inside however, he is jumped and arrested by Quinn. The next morning however, Jenny pulls strings at the Home Office, not only getting Connor released, but making the house and its contents government business and banning Quinn's presence: however he warns that this won't stop him.

Abby, while watching the house, sees the young girl, with the creature following her. She follows, only to come upon an unusual scene: the girl sitting in a tree, throwing food to the creature below. It runs off at the sight of Abby, and the girl explains she only feeds the creature to keep it from attacking the people and animals living nearby: she also warns Abby not to go back in the house. However, the next day, Abby sees Ryan Mason, who has come back to confront his past, enter the house: they soon come under attack from the creature. Connor and Jenny arrive shortly after and find the scared estate agent in the bath, who had gone to the house to do some investigating of his own. They try to get him to safety, but in his terror, he runs out, straight into the creature's path, who abruptly kills him and then flees. As the group try to leave, Quinn bursts in; he holds a gun to Ryan's head, accusing him of the murder of his younger brother, one of the two boys who died 14 years before. Suddenly the creature reappears and attacks, mauls Quinn with its claws and runs off into the house. The group give chase, only to find the creature alone in a room, standing mesmerised before an anomaly that has just opened: Abby realises after being trapped for so long in the house, all the creature wants to do is go home. On seeing them, the creature runs through the anomaly: however, this was just a bluff, and the creature leaps back through for one last attack. However, Quinn (who survived the creature's attack due to a stab-proof vest) shoots at the creature, driving it back through the anomaly.

In the aftermath, Becker and his soldiers barricade up the house, to prevent any more creatures coming through the anomaly. Quinn apologises to Ryan for his accusation, and confides in Jenny his belief his younger brother didn't die, but went through the anomaly and is alive and well somewhere: Jenny consoles him, but advises him to let it go. Quinn then retires from the police force, telling his sergeant he'll find something to do with himself. Meanwhile, Cutter returns to his home, unaware that Helen is inside, collecting DNA samples. She escapes before Cutter finds her, but he seems wary, as though he knows someone has been there...

Cast and crew[]

Appearance[]

Characters[]

Creatures[]

Animals[]

  • Dog (latest appearance)

Locations[]

Objects and technology[]

Organisations[]

Trivia[]

  • Due to cast members like, Douglas Henshall (Nick Cutter) and Lucy Brown (Jenny Lewis) deciding to leave this series, this episode had to go through several rewrites. Episode 3.3 was originally the second episode and 3.2 was the third. As such, James Moran had to draft four versions of Episode 3.2 before it was finally revised by Adrian Hodges.[2]
  • This is the only episode where Nick Cutter (during his tenure of Episode 1.1 - 3.3), was not the main character, instead taking a supporting role. This was because Danny Quinn, the next team leader was being introduced.
  • On Cutter's Matrix, one of the notes on the Matrix references the Future Bird from Shadow of the Jaguar. This is the first time the TV series has referenced the Primeval Novels, confirming that they are in the canon of Primeval.
  • Ben Miller was credited in the opening titles however his character Lester did not appear.
  • Coincidentally, there are two characters called Matt and Emily in this episode. Starting Series 4, two new main characters appeared called Matt and Emily who eventually become a couple.
  • This is the first episode in which a child is killed.

Filming Locations[]

The Brooks House was filmed at Eyot House on D'Oyly Island, Walton on Thames. The street where Connor and Jenny meet the estate agent Jimmy Keel was filmed on St Nicholas Drive, Shepperton. The inside of the ARC was filmed at Longcross Studios. The location of the carousel scene is unknown, but the scene was filmed with equipment from the carnival rental company Traditional Rides.

Errors[]

  • Ryan Mason sees the Anomaly upstairs, but as the Anomaly finally appears, it is downstairs.
  • When Connor is arrested, Jenny retrieves him in the middle of the night, suggested by the dim lights and the mood of the Home Secretary on the phone after he has been awoken in "the early hours of the morning", but when Jenny and Connor exit the police station it is daytime.
  • In the scene following Jenny leaving to have Connor released from prison, there is a shot inside the doorway of the house where an unknown person can briefly be seen on the far left of the screen. This is presumably a member of the filming crew, not meant to be seen in the episode.

Story connections[]

Gallery[]

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References[]

www.itv.com Primeval Episode Guides (Episode 3.2)

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