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Episode 3.3

Revision as of 01:06, 10 October 2016 by The ARC Minister (Message Wall | contribs) (Added video/s)
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Episode 3.3 is the third episode of the third series of Primeval. It was broadcast as Medical Mayhem in North America, Im Namen der Zukunft (On Behalf of the Future) in Germany and Au revoir Nick (Goodbye Nick) in France.

Full synopsis

Helen Cutter is training her Cleaner Clones for an unknown operation. Impressed with their efficiency, she orders one to jump from a high roof-top as a demonstration of her power. The clone initially shows reluctance, but Helen calmly orders him to and the clone obeys without a second thought, plummeting to his death. Helen turns away, after musing on the fact the clones do not fear death.

At the ARC, Cutter is still working on his 'Matrix', explaining its function to an unimpressed Lester. Lester also orders Captain Becker to increase the ARC's security in the wake of Helen's attempted infiltration. Meanwhile, at the headquarters of the Evening News, journalist Mick Harper, (still pursuing his quest to uncover the ARC's secrets after the incident with the mammoth on the M25), is trying to convince his editor, Katherine Kavanagh, of the reality of prehistoric creatures roaming freely. His editor, however, is unimpressed, and gives Harper one final chance to obtain proof, otherwise, he's out of a job. After unsuccessfully trying to get the truth out of Jenny Lewis, Harper decides to wait by the ARC for any activity.

Back at the ARC, the Anomaly Detection Device dectects an anomaly opening in the middle of a crowded hospital: Abby, Cutter, Connor and Becker proceed to investigate. Unknown to them, they're being followed by Harper: Helen also learns of the anomaly, but instead, she gathers her forces and heads for the ARC. After some investigation, the team discover that a group of Diictodon have emerged from the anomaly, chewing through electrical wires and playing havoc with the hospital's electrical systems. Connor and Becker proceed to evacuate the hospital: unfortunately, Abby and Cutter fall afoul of Harper, who locks them in an operating theatre with the anomaly and a young woman going into labour. Harper manages to obtain a photograph of one of the Diictodon roaming wild, which he presents to his editor as proof of his theory: however, she remains sceptical. Trapped inside, Abby is forced to employ her knowledge of zoology to help the pregnant woman give birth, whilst evading a rampant pack of Diictodon who are returning through the anomaly. The birth goes off without a hitch, and the Diictodon are returned safely through the anomaly, except for two which are left in the care of Abby and Connor.

Meanwhile outside the ARC, Helen is waiting for an oppurtunity to strike at the ARC. One of the Cleaners mentions they will never get in with the increased security: however, Helen reveals her secret weapon- a clone of Cutter himself. The clone enters the ARC undetected, despite arousing the suspicions of Lester, Jenny and Sarah Page. Once inside, the Cutter clone deactivates the ARC's security, whereupon Helen and her army of Cleaner clones launch a surprise attack on the facility. The ARC's staff are overpowered and Lester, Jenny and Sarah are captured and locked in a storage room by Helen. Upon their return to the ARC, Cutter, Connor and Abby are ambushed by the Cleaners: Abby and Connor are put with the other captives, while Helen leaves Cutter free for interrogation. However, the group are freed from captivity by Becker and using sound footage from a past interrogation of Helen, create a sound clip of Helen's voice ordering the clones to stand down. Meanwhile, Helen and the Cutter clone interrogate Nick: Helen explains that the ARC's work will ultimately result in the creation of the Future Predators and the eventual destruction of the earth unless she stops it, despite Nick's warnings her interference with evolution will never yield the result she desires. Helen also produces the artefact she acquired from Christine Johnson's soldiers, claiming that Nick knows its purpose. Unaware of what it does, but unwilling to let Helen know, Nick pretends to know its purpose, but refuses to tell Helen. Unwilling to be thwarted, Helen orders the Cutter clone to shoot Nick unless he reveals the artefact's purpose. Nick tries to appeal to the clone, telling it it has free will and the right to make its own decisions, not blindly following Helen's will: despite some initial misgivings, the clone remains focused on its task- Helen comments that the clones have little intelligence and are subserviant to her will (prompting Nick to ask whether she subjected Stephen to the same fate). With a second to spare, Nick gives in to Helen's demands.

However, Becker and Connor have broken into the ARC's security system and, despite some initial resistance from the Cleaner clones, manage to broadcast the sound clip of Helen's voice throughout the ARC, triggering an immediate reaction in the Cleaners, who stand down, despite the real Helen screaming at them to obey her. However, Helen still has control over one: the Cutter clone. She orders it to complete its mission, then flees into the ARC. The Cutter clone takes a bomb out of a case and prepares to detonate it, when Nick pleads with it, urging it to make its own decisions, rather than obey Helen. He urges it to want to live, but the clone, having no fear of death, is unmoved, though it tells Nick to save himself before it detonates the bomb. Once he is safe, the Cutter clone detonates the bomb, killing itself and the Cleaner clones, along with causing massive damage to the ARC.

The ARC is evacuated, but in the aftermath, Cutter realises Helen is not present. Despite the pleading of the team not to go back for her (as Jenny puts it "She wouldn't lift a finger to save you!"), Cutter runs back into the ARC, finding a semi-concious Helen and the artifact. He takes it from her, but Helen regains her senses and demands again to know what the artifact does. Cutter angrily yells that he doesn't know and storms out, but Helen is not done: she gets to her feet and pulls a gun on Cutter, telling him "The future is more important that either of us!". Helen apologises for what she is about to do as she takes aim at Cutter, but claims it is the only way to save the future. Cutter coldly taunts her, sneering "You know what, Helen? You're not as smart as I thought you were!". Furious, Helen shoots him in the chest, then makes her escape. Connor goes back into the ARC looking for Cutter, only to find him dying on the floor. Cutter hands Connor the artifact, and tells him to unravel its secrets, (along with attempting a final message to Claudia Brown) before he finally dies. Connor carries Cutter's body out of the ARC, and the team mourn his death as one.

Cast and crew

This episode's cast and crew:
Primeval was created by Tim Haines and Adrian Hodges

Cast

Stunts

  • TBA

Camera and Lighting department

  • TBA

Costume and makeup departments

  • TBA

Transport

  • TBA

Post-production

  • TBA

Other crew

  • TBA

Head production staff

General production staff

  • TBA

Script

  • TBA

Art department

  • TBA

Special & visual effects

  • TBA

Sound

  • TBA

Impossible Pictures for ITV/ProSieben
Not every person was credited for the final product of this episode. The information recorded above is primarily taken from the start and end credits as broadcasted. The Anomaly Research Centre apologises for anyone who is not credited here.


Appearance

Characters

Creatures

Locations

Objects and technology

Organisations

Trivia

  • This is the only episode in which a main character was killed by something other than a creature.
  • This episode had lower viewing ratings than the others because the 2009 Easter special of Doctor Who was on at the same time on BBC One.
  • The fact that an anomaly leading to the Permian appears may not be a coincidence, as a Permian anomaly was the first anomaly Nick encountered in Episode 1.1. Making his first and last anomalies both Permian.
  • Various clones were considered by the production team, including a clone of Connor. This idea was rejected.
  • The scene of Nick Cutter fleeing the explosion at the ARC, was very similar to the scene in Episode 1.5 with Helen fleeing on at the golf course's stately home.
  • Footage from Episode 3.8 is used for the Future Predator "flashback".

Errors

  • Just before the Nick Cutter Clone sets off the bomb, all of the Cleaner clones disappear.

Story connections

  • In reference to Episode 1.4, Lester gets Sarah to use the recording of Helen Cutter's interrogation to recreate her voice to stop the Cleaner clones. However Claudia would not have been at the meeting, with Leek replacing her in the new timeline. (Episode 3.3 audio commentary)
  • In reference to Episode 1.6, Claudia Brown's last words to Cutter were "Don't go. Stay. I think this is a mistake. I've got a really bad feeling about this", he answers "Its going to be fine". In this episode, Jenny's last words to Cutter were "Don't go. This is a mistake", he answers "I'll be fine". 
  • The Matrix:
    • On it a note is seen with the words "Smilodon, Pleistocene". This note probably stands for an Anomaly from Episode 2.3.
    • Another note says "Columbian Mammoth". This note probably stands for the M25 Anomaly seen in Episode 2.6.
    • A holographic timeline similar to the Matrix appears in Episode 3.6 and 3.10.
  • In reference to Episode 2.6, Mick Harper returns, he had vowed that he would find out the truth about creatures, after the M25 Mammoth incident. In this episode, we see him upholding his word.
  • In reference to Episode 2.7:
    • The Nick Cutter Clone was wearing the jacket that the real Nick Cutter had left in the Creature Prison.
    •  Helen and Nick talk about Stephen Hart, they blame each other for his death.
  • In reference to Episode 3.2:
    • Cutter is still working on the Matrix.
    • The reason for Helen taking her husbands DNA was revealed to be so she could create a clone of him.
  • InEpisode 3.4:
    • Connor remembers Nick Cutter telling him to find out what the Artifact is.
    • Cutter is mentioned numerous times.
    • The ARC and Anomaly Detector are being rebuilt after to bomb had damaged them.
    • Connor is still working on the Anomaly Locking Mechanism.
    • The Evening News' Mick Harper and Katherine Kavanagh return to find proof of the Anomalies.
  • In Episode 3.5:
    • Someone intrudes the ARC, Jenny and Becker initially believe it is Helen Cutter.
    • Lester and Christine talk about replacing Cutter's position as team leader. Lester eventually replaces him with Danny Quinn.
    • When Jenny is nearly frozen to death, Connor states "Not again" referencing Cutter's death.
  • InEpisode 3.9, Helen invades the ARC again.
  • In Webisode 1, Nick Cutter's death contributes to the temporary closure of the ARC.
  • In Webisode 4, the loss of Nick Cutter is mentioned.

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User Reviews

See the user reviews page.

Episode 3.1 • Episode 3.2 • Episode 3.3 • Episode 3.4 • Episode 3.5
Episode 3.6 • Episode 3.7 • Episode 3.8 • Episode 3.9 • Episode 3.10

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