The first episode of the series not to feature Spear or Fang, it received critical acclaim, and was followed by "Vidarr", returning to the duo's storyline, releasing to home media on April 25, 2023.[5] In September 2022, Tartakovsky revealed that Primal would become an anthology series from its third season onward, inspired by "The Primal Theory".[6]
Plot
In 1890London, England, Charles Darwin (Jacob Dudman) unsuccessfully tries to defend his theory on evolution to his fellow scientists C. D. Darlington (Jeremy Crutchley), Blakely (Giles Matthey), Bertie (Crutchley), and Giroud (Fred Tatasciore). Charles surmises that, in the right situation, any person would regress back to their primitive roots in order to survive, which Darlington dismisses as lunacy. The evening is cut short when an escaped inmate (Tatasciore) from a nearby asylum — who heavily resembles Spear in silhouette — breaks into the house, kills the butler Stevens (Dudman), and proceeds to prey on every person inside; including Giroud and Bertie. As the night progresses, the three survivors take on weapons in Darlington's collection; such as guns, swords, and arrows. In the ensuing fight, Blakely is eventually knocked out by the inmate before Charles and Darlington gain the upper hand. They pursue the inmate to the greenhouse, but he overpowers them and attempts to cannibalize Charles. In a fit of primal rage, Darlington attacks and kills the inmate with a massive bone and a spear; seemingly mimicking Spear with his own actions. Coming back to his senses, he looks at an injured and winded Charles, who is pleased with being vindicated on his "primal theory".[4]
After the Primalsecond-season finale "Echoes of Eternity" aired on September 16, 2022, Genndy Tartakovsky confirmed that while Spear and Fang's story was officially concluded, he was formulating a third season for the series with a focus on new characters, intending for Primal to become an anthology series, inspired by "The Primal Theory".[6][15]
^ abcFranich, Darren (September 17, 2022). "Primal creator talks shocking finale and how season 3 could transform the show". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 17, 2022. Darren Franiche: There was an episode this season, "The Primal Theory," which introduced an entirely new time and setting. I'm curious: As viewers, should we interpret that 1890s England adventure as a complete breakaway, or is it meant to connect to the Spear-Fang story? Genndy Tartakovsky: It's for sure connected. They're discussing the savagery inside of yourself, and we just came off the most savage episode that we've ever done, with the brutality and how far [Spear and Fang] were pushed to kill all these innocent people. It was a little bit of a reset. I loved the feeling of giving the show a little verbal context, slightly, in this horrific episode.