1x05 Rage of the Ape-Men

[8.4/10] Another really good, super intense episode. I enjoyed both halves of it. The first part was strong in its almost Edenic setting. After all Spear and Fang have been through, it’s nice to get to see them get a moment of respite. One of the things i like about Genndy Tartakovsky’s output is that so often, he and his team give their characters time to stop and soak in whatever they’re doing and wherever they are. I tadds a tense of tranquility and humanity to these stories, showing how our heroes relax and unwind and even do nothing, something which makes them more relatable despite the abstraction of the setting and premise.

It’s also just beautiful to look at. I think the first half of this one is the most color we’ve seen in Primal Yet from the hunter green of the leaves to azure shimmering water to the flurry of red butterflies giving Fang the business. Seeing a place where Spear and Fang can finally let their guard down for a moment, with abundant food, nice climate, and beautiful scenery is really heartening after so much hardship and loss.

And yet, the whole time I had a pit in my stomach because I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. I’ve watched enough of these sorts of shows to know that Primal wasn’t going to do twenty two minutes of rest and relaxation. Still, the episode sets it up well, letting us see shadows of would-be kidnappers through the water and footprints when Spear goes missing rather than revealing everything right away.

The second half is intense but also harrowing. Again, impromptu, forced gladiator fights are nothing new in Tartakovsky’s oeuvre but that’s partly because he and his team are so good at them. THere’s some nice building here, as we get a hint of the ape-man society, their rituals and customs, before the real maine vent begins. Watching the main gorilla fend off the rest of the clan’s champions before receiving some elixir that turns him into a rage monster gives a shape to the proceedings. The same goes to the crowd and their spiritual leader, blessing and golding court over the proceedings.

It builds up that gorilla before we see him going toe-to-toe with Fang. It shows off his strength and rage-fueled abilities, adding a sense of urgency to when Spear breaks from his restraints and tries to save his endangered friend.

What follows is rousing but also horrifying. When Spear realizes that he needs to match elixirs with the gorilla in order to match his strength, the transformation and acts that Spear commits is gut-wrenching. As always, massive credit is owed to the design and animation team, who not only give Spear a new grotesque design when he downs an entire tray full of the rage liquid, but who also come up with any number of stomach-churning sequences as Spear brutalizes not only his opponent but the entire crowd of Ape-Men.

This is more of a stretch, but I think there’s a sense of Heaven and Hell to this episode. Spear starts out in a blissful place where all his needs are met, and by the end, he’s in a literal pit, facing mortal peril and being turned into a kind of demon. I’m not 100% sure it’s what was intended, but it plays that way.

Likewise, the tragedy and cliffhanger here is that Spear took these steps to save his friend, transforming himself into this bastion of grotesquery because he thought it was what was reunited in order to protect Fang from an assault. Instead, the show suggests that it may have been all for naught. I don’t necessarily believe that, and I think we’ll see Fang awaken due to some last minute eye open in the next episode, but it’s still sad to see Spear nuzzle his friend and mourn the loss after all that was sacrificed to reach that point.

Overall, this is another absolute winner and stunner from Primal and its creative team, and I’m excited to see what they come up with in the back half of the season!