Anomaly Research Centre
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Anomaly Research Centre


Episode 3.8 is the eighth episode of the third series of Primeval. It was broadcast as Oh, Brother in North America, D'ie Welt von Morgen (The World of Tomorrow) in Germany and Esprit de famille (Family Spirit) in France.

Full synopsis[]

The team are investigating another Anomaly at a racing track. As they investigate, Danny enters an empty trailer. As he looks around, he hears an insectile chittering. He turns round, to see a large insect-like creature advancing on him. As he runs from it, the creature chases him onto a race track, where it is abruptly hit and killed by one of the cars. The team remove the body for autopsy back to the ARC and seal the anomaly with the Anomaly Locking Mechanism before leaving: unknown to them, another of the creatures is prowling around the garage. Two of Becker's soldiers fall foul of it later in the evening. Meanwhile, Jack, determined to discover what his sister does for a living, steals her portable anomaly detector and heads off to the race track to investigate.

Back at the ARC, an autopsy concludes that the insect is evolved from the Hymenoptera genus of insects, but Connor cannot find any trace of such a creature in the fossil record. Abby remarks the creature's blood was high in levels of the chemical, selenium and when Sarah remarks the artefact is covered in a high count of selenium particles, Danny deduces the insect and the artifact are from the same period of time: the future. The team decide to investigate the anomaly and call the two soldiers stationed at the anomaly to let them know they're on the way. However, Connor and Abby are surprised when Jack answers the phone. Initially jealous that his sister apparently works in motor racing and defensive over the fact he had to steal the detector, amazement turns to terror as he discovers the corpses of the two soldiers: unknown to him, the Megopteran is nearby and watching him. Sensing fresh prey, the creature emerges and attacks: as Jack tries to evade it in one of the cars in the garage, he inadvertently hits the Anomaly Locking Mechanism and as a result, drives straight through the anomaly. He finds himself lost in a ruined cityscape, but as he explores his surroundings, he falls into a deep pit and is left unconscious.

The team arrive at the race track and can find no trace of Jack. On finding the smashed locking mechanism and the anomaly open, they guess Jack has gone through. A distraught Abby demands they have to find him: while Becker insists they wait for backup to help, Abby goes through the anomaly, followed reluctantly by Becker, Danny and Connor, while Sarah remains behind to try and repair the Anomaly Locking Mechanism. The four find themselves in the ruins of what is presumably London sometime in the future: abandoned, damaged buildings and rusted, broken cars surround them and the streets are overgrown with vegetation. As they start their search, the team have a close call with one of the future's occupants: a Future Predator crawls down from a building and tries to attack Abby and Connor. Becker kills it with a shotgun, saving the pair but alerting many more predators in the surrounding area to their presence. The team lock themselves into an abandoned building where they consider their options: Abby wants to look immediately for Jack, but the other three want to go back and get soldiers to aid them. Abby angrily turns on them, particularly Connor, who she accuses of hating Jack and wanting him dead. She runs off, only to come face to face with another future predator; however, Connor lures it away for Becker to dispatch, while Danny and Abby look for Jack.

After a short search, they find him in the basement of a ruined building (which appear like the ruins of the ARC), with a trapped leg and a broken arm, surrounded by carnivorous larvae after him. Danny enters the building to rescue him, and using a rope pulled by the others, begins to pull Jack to the surface. Unfortunately, two major problems arise: a Megopteran, disturbed by all the noise, advances on Danny and Jack in the building, while on the surface, a large pack of future predators surround the others and prepare to attack. Becker, in an effort to buy more time, uses himself as bait to distract the predators, running into the ruins to lure them away, seemingly at the cost of his own life. Once Jack is out of the building, Danny, noticing the building is full of petrol, throws dynamite inside to set it off, killing the larvae and the Megopteran. As the predators return from hunting Becker, the group take refuge in an aged bus. Inside, the team angrily remonstrate with Jack for getting himself in danger and his unappreciation of Becker's sacrifice. Unfortunately, the future predators surround the bus and start to break in. For the team, all hope seems lost.

Suddenly, there is a loud screeching from outside. Danny, looking through a window, sees the reason: the building he just blew up appears to have been home to a hive of Megopterans, and the fire is smoking them out. Angered by the intrusion, the future predators attack the emerging insects: seeing their opportunity, the group jump out of the bus and make a run for the anomaly while the future predators and Megopterans fight it out. Abby, Connor and Jack run straight for the anomaly, but Danny stops, having seen something unusual: Captain Wilder, dragging a mysterious young woman through the ruins. Unfortunately, with the battle between the future predators and Megopterans becoming more vicious, he decides to escape, rather than intervene. Unfortunately, the anomaly is locked (Sarah having locked it accidentally, while fighting off an infant Megopteran that has come through) and a future predator is advancing on them fast. Just before it attacks, a gunshot from within a wrecked car cuts it down. To the team's amazement, Becker is still alive: reunited, the team race through the now-unlocked anomaly (Sarah having managed to take care of the insect and re-open it) and lock it again just before a swarm of Megopterans fly through.

In the aftermath of the incident, Jack asks for an explanation for everything he saw, but Abby refuses, saying "If I told you that, Becker would have to kill you...and he's already looking for an excuse!". Jack decides to move out of her flat, commenting that his sister's work is too dangerous to be around. He also confesses to gambling Rex in a poker game, and Connor's involvement in keeping it quiet. Touched by Connor's kindness in not getting her brother into trouble, along with not reacting to the cruel things she said to him in the future, Abby apologises to Connor, and the pair share an intimate kiss.

Back at the ARC, Danny reports to Lester everything that happened in the future, including the sighting of Wilder and the woman. The pair agree that Christine Johnson is more than likely involved: Lester also remarks on the anomaly they recorded in Johnson's base previously and that Johnson likely has access to an anomaly and a way to shield it from the ARC. Danny wants to infiltrate Johnson's base, but Lester refuses, saying they will investigate through the proper channels. At her private research base, Johnson is discussing with Wilder the woman he brought back from the future: she is unconscious in an observation room. Johnson rifles through the woman's possessions, finding only a strange device made of metal and glass, and an indecipherable journal. Johnson keeps the device but decides to return the journal to the woman to keep her calm and willing to co-operate. Johnson leaves after ordering Wilder to inform her the moment the woman wakes up: unknown to her, the woman is wide awake... and appears to have heard everything Johnson said.

Cast[]

This episode's cast and crew:


Appearance[]

Characters[]

Creatures[]

Locations[]

Objects and technology[]

Organisations[]

Triva[]

  • The Megopteran was designed by Carim Nahaboo in the Create Your Own Creature Competition for Series 3. According to co-creator Adrian Hodges the episode had a clear storyline written before the Megopteran was chosen from the competition but they left enough elbow room to adapt the storyline to fit the creatures characteristics. [1]
  • Juliet Aubrey is still credited in the opening titles despite not playing Helen Cutter.
  • Abby wears her Belstaff leather jacket from Series 2 that she left behind in the Creature Prison in Episode 2.7. The logo is noticably worn since she last wore it.

Errors[]

  • The prosthetic pieces of Megopteran from the car crash does not matchup with the CGI model.
  • When Abby is autopsying the Megopteran, comparing it to a cross section and determines its from the order Hymenoptera (Ants, Wasps and Bees); she is actually holding a cross section of the genus Stenoplematus (a type of cricket).
  • When Becker, Danny, Connor and Abby first go through the Anomaly, they arrive lined up in that order (left to right) but as Danny nearly trips backwards and the camera shot changes to behind them, they are suddenly in reverse order.
  • When a car window gets smashed as the team are trying to return to the Anomaly, if played slowly, it can be seen that a crew member is just smashing it with a hammer.

Story connections[]

Gallery[]

Template:Gallery


References[]

External link[]

  • Series 3 competition [1]
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