DVD Corner

Primal Season 3 Blu-ray Review

Season 3 isn’t on par with the first two. 

For those that haven’t watched season two, spoiler warning ahead. After the death of Spear in the season two finale, everyone was left wondering where the show would go next. Would creator Genndy Tartakovsky do a time jump and follow Mira and her child along with Fang and her two kids? Would Spear come back somehow? It turns out the show goes the zombie route for better or worse as a Shaman resurrects Spear. 

So what happens in the 10 episode third season of the Adult Swim animated series? Spear begins to have visions of Fang and his former life while slowly coming back to humanity. He wanders the wild and dangerous lands encountering dinos, creatures, animals, molemen, and a helpful cricket. Eventually, he reunites with the pregnant Mira and Fang and her two children, but Spear’s zombified state turns off Fang and scares Mira’s people. As the season progresses, there are key storylines involving a rescue mission to save Mira’s people kidnapped by Andrewsarchus, Spear becoming a fighting champion for a volcanic tribe, a black liquid in the volcano’s lava which bestows powers, and Spear returning to his human form. 

For those who have embarked on Genndy Tartakovsky’s ever violent but rewarding adult animated series “Primal,” you’ve seen something truly special in this story about a dinosaur and a caveman that evolved into so much more over the first two seasons. With season 3, Tartakovsky opts to go a different route with often frustrating results. Not only is the character reunion drawn out for half the season, but it takes far too long for Fang and Spear to get along and for Spear to return to his human form. It would have been one thing if it was a mere arc from this season, but with these storylines taking up the entire season, it feels like too much time was wasted. There’s also the notion that maybe Spear should have stayed dead as the zombie plotline feels like a bit of a cheat. If there is a fourth season, hopefully it’s a return to form.

On the plus side, the animation work by Cartoon Network Studios is once again first rate. The level of detail mixed with the show’s ability to convey such emotion without dialogue never ceases to wow me. Character wise, Fang’s two children steal the show and it was refreshing to see Mira take center stage at times.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 2.39:1 1080p. How does it look? This is the best the show has looked. The animation looks crisp and colorful in hi-def.

Audio Track: 5.1 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? Pitch perfect.

The two extras include “Genndy Storyboard Walkthrough” (which shows Genndy talking over the beginning of season 3’s first episode storyboards side by side with the final episode scenes) and “Spear And The Cricket Explained” (Genndy talks about the third episode and the dynamic between Spear and the cricket)

June 28, 2026 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Adult Swim, Dinosaurs, Genndy Tartakovsky, Primal Season 3 Blu-ray Review, Primal TV Show