Adult Swim has confirmed that Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal will return for a third season! Although a release date has not been announced, fans of the 2D-animated series will be thrilled for more action-packed adventures to devour like a pack of hungry tyrannosaurs. For those unfamiliar with Primal, here are some reasons you should start watching the Emmy-winning show right now!
Primal is a story about friendship and survival.
Transporting viewers to a fantastical prehistoric era, Primal tells the story of a caveman named Spear (Aaron LaPlante) who forms an unlikely bond with a T-Rex called Fang. While they are brought together through trauma, the two bond over their many struggles, victories, losses, and triumphs as they fight for survival in a violent world.
In proper Tartakovsky fashion, Spear and Fang spend most of their time in total silence as they traverse the jungle hunting, fighting, looking for places to sleep, and playing jokes on each other. The jungle’s flora and fauna are so inventive, colorful, and scaled to such enormous proportions that it feels like a natural ecosystem. It’s a gorgeous place for the rare moments of serenity that Spear and Fang get to enjoy.
Spear and Fang team up to take on massive monsters.
Of course, the odd couple never gets to rest for long. Inevitably, a den of giant snakes, a cackle of hyenas, or some other hungry predator interferes. The foes Spear and Fang face are either ridiculously sized in number or gigantic in size and brute strength. Because the series is mainly episodic until the second season, each new episode provides opportunities for the Big Bads to get even bigger and badder.
In other words, these are monsters taller than trees, taller than mountains in some cases, that Spear and Fang must defeat with just, well, their spear and their fangs. The show is full of insane, bloody battles against humongous spiders, wooly mammoths, red bats, and armored beetles. At one point, a megalodon shows up!
The show goes to some dark places.
There are more mystical and unknown elements that threaten our heroes: Witches and cult-like ape-men expose Spear and Fang to black magic and ritual sacrifice. Gorillas transform themselves into kaiju-like behemoths in a coliseum. A mysterious dinosaur known as The Night Feeder moves invisibly about the jungle. The devil itself makes an appearance.
In the second season, the pair’s interactions with humans present ethical questions about friendship, family, loyalty, and love. Displaying this kind of complexity through 2D animated characters is a testament to Tartakovsky’s narrative and visual genius.
Fans of Samurai Jack and Dexter’s Laboratory will love Primal.
Primal’s creator, Genndy Tartakovsky, is a titan of animation. Known for developing Samurai Jack, Star Wars: Clone Wars, and Dexter’s Laboratory, Tartakovsky applies his signature visual style to Primal’s characters, bringing them to life and endearing them to adoring audiences. By effortlessly combining lighthearted humor and joy with heavier themes of grief and rage, Tartakovsky continues to push the boundaries of what animation can be and what it can make us feel. It’s no surprise that the show won two Emmy awards, including Best Animated Program.
With the third season currently in development, you’ll have plenty of time to catch up on the first two seasons! Watch Primal on Max today, and check out the trailer below!
