Anomaly Research Centre
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Anomaly Research Centre

 Episode 5.3 is the third episode of the fifth series of Primeval. It was broadcast as In der guten alten Zeit (In the Good Old Days) in Germany.

Summary[]

Following a displaced raptor through an anomaly, Matt ends up in Victorian London. Realizing its to blame for several gruesome murders in the area, he tracks it down only to find Emily attempting to do exactly the same thing. Despite attempts from an angry mob and her own husband, Emily and Matt are forced through the anomaly with an angry raptor, where Emily is forced to make a tough decision about her future. Meanwhile, back at the ARC, Abby knows she has to try and reconnect with Connor; they've been spending too much time apart. But a nasty encounter with April on the way to his lab makes her wonder if Matt is right - Connor is up to something in his lab that she isn't meant to know about. Before she was completely against it, but now she's even more convinced than ever that she needs to know the truth. She hatches a plan to infiltrate Connor's lab...

Full synopsis[]

In the year 1868, night falls across London. A local street vendor with a bundle of fish walks across the dark streets and into a warehouse. As he begins to take inventory on his supplies he thinks he hears something behind him. As he turns around he sees nothing. Assuming it's just a trick, he gets back to work. Suddenly- the man's screams can be heard- and a dark cloaked hooded figure can be seen running away from the scene- Spring-Heeled Jack, terror of London, as the Wanted Poster states, has struck again!

The next day, Emily Merchant and her husband, Henry, are walking across the streets. Emily has reunited with her old life. As she observes a puppet-master tell a group of kids the story of the notorious killer, Spring-Heeled Jack, her husband finds it amusing how one man can cause such panic. Emily however, having seen the bodies, knows better then to assume it's a man. She tries to persuade Henry that a man cannot be capable of such brutal killings; however, Henry disapproves of such talk and feels that Emily has lost all sense of her place in society.

Back in the 21st century, at the ARC, Matt is trying to convince Abby that it is very important that she learn what Connor is working on for Philip. According to Abby, Connor has become obsessed with work and never takes a break. A rift is slowly growing between the two. Matt feels that Abby must be the one to break into Connor's lab as Philip would be likely to dismiss it as her "just being the jealous girlfriend". Abby feels that if she gets caught it would permanently sever her and Connor's already fragile relationship. But Matt reminds her that the future of everybody on the planet is at stake. An anomaly is detected and the team goes to deal with it.

Matt, Abby and Becker arrive at an Art Gallery where they encounter a motion sensitive security device- and also learn of Becker's knowledge of fine art. They arrive at the anomaly and assume nothing has come through. However, when the alarm goes off again they realize that something has come through. The team head to the other side of the gallery where they discover a Dromeosaur has come through. Before it can attack, Matt suggests that as the raptor doesn't seem to like Becker, the raptor can chase Becker back to the anomaly. Becker goes through with it and the plan works. Becker ducks and the raptor leaps right through the anomaly. Everything seems to be going according to plan with the raptor back through the anomaly and the anomaly locked... until Abby discovers that the anomaly doesn't lead to the raptor's time. A Victorian era newspaper reveals they sent the raptor to the year 1868! Matt and Becker decide to break the rule of no one going through an anomaly as they deem that any deaths the raptor causes will have an impact on the timeline. Before he goes through the anomaly, Matt tells Abby that it is important she find out what Philip is up to.

Matt emerges in an old Victorian Warehouse and after finding the creature's nest locates the raptor. Unfortunately, just before he can shoot it, a dark hooded figure appears! Spooked, the raptor runs off. Matt tells the figure that they must leave. Turning around and untying the mask obscuring her face, the figure is revealed to be Emily! Emily and Matt are amazed to see each other again. Together they search the rest of the warehouse for the raptor and Emily tells Matt that the raptor's anomaly appears to have closed. Realizing that Emily's clothing matches the description for Spring-Heeled Jack, Matt pleads with Emily to stop pretending to be him or else she might be caught and hanged. He also tries to convince her that her husband, Henry, has dark plans for her and that he intends to lock her away forever in an asylum so that she can no longer tarnish his image. Despite this revelation, Emily asserts she doesn't want to know her own future. Henry suddenly appears having followed her. Upon seeing Matt he believes that he is Emily's lover. As Henry begins to drag her away Matt holds Henry at gunpoint and tells Emily that he is going to lock her away forever. Emily is surpised at this news and asks a bewildered Henry if this is true. However, one of Henry's assistants, Dr. Webster, knocks Matt to the ground and beats him with his cane. Henry and Webster then confiscate Emily's daggers and tie her up for transportation to Bedlam Asylum. Emily pleads with Henry not to do this but he refuses to listen. All hope seems lost for her.

As Abby heads up to visit Connor, she meets his lab partner, April. April gives Abby a vague warning that she better leave Connor alone or else very bad things could happen in their relationship and asks her if she enjoys her job, implying April could place Abby's career at ARC in jeopardy. While meant to keep Abby way, this only peaks her curiosity and strengthens her resolve to learn what exactly Connor is doing. She goes to Jess and asks to borrow her computers for just a few moments. The reluctant Jess finally agrees and Abby uses the security cameras to figure out how to get into the lab before turning off the camera.

In Victorian London Emily is still pleading with Henry not to do this as they ride through the streets in a carriage. Henry angrily demands again that Emily tell him where she had been for the past several years. Once again, Emily claims to have no memory of it. Henry asks if she had been with Matt too, which Emily cannot answer. Henry smirks, now thinking that Emily is both insane and an adulteress. Suddenly, the carriage comes to a half and the screams of the stagecoach driver are heard. Henry orders that Dr. Webster investigate. He leans out to see what happened and is dragged out of the carriage. Emily tells a frightened Henry to release her so she can save him and that the thing that killed Webster and the driver is a raptor, the creature responsible for all the killings. Henry refuses to let Emily go and so she is forced to knock him out and steal her daggers back. Just as she escapes the carriage the raptor is distracted by the panicking horse which has finally freed itself and run off. Emily kneels down at Dr. Webster's body as Matt arrives and hastens Emily to follow the raptor back to the warehouse. Unfortunately, a man had spotted Emily kneeling over the dead driver and Dr. Webster and in her costume and with her blades, assumes that Emily is Spring-Heeled Jack. He runs off to tell his friends and a stunned Henry watches Emily and Matt run off before he begins to limp after them.

Abby meanwhile calls Connor and asks if she can talk to him in the ARC's car park. Connor leaves and Abby sneaks into the lab. April has left to go to New Dawn to get a replacement piece of machinery for a device she and Connor are building. Abby begins to copy Connor's hard drive. Meanwhile, April arrives and suspecting that Abby could be taking advantage of no one in the lab, storms up there. Abby just finishes downloading the hard drive and hides in a closet just in time. April explains her strange behaviour to Connor as "she was just nervous- big day".

At the warehouse, Matt and Emily work together to corner the raptor and eventually bring it down when they finally find Matt's EMD. The two prove to be a great team. Unfortunately an angry mob has gathered outside the warehouse and are breaking in. Matt and Emily drag the raptor back to the anomaly where it is tossed back through to the awaiting Becker. Matt asks Emily to come with him and confesses that he made a mistake getting rid of her in the first place. Emily, however, declines the offer and tells Matt that she can travel abroad. She and Matt kiss and Matt departs through the anomaly believing that he will never see her again. Emily begins to head back when she is confronted with Henry, who is armed with a gun. He tells her that he intends to bring her to justice. Tired of his abuse and lack of love, Emily stands up for herself and refuses to follow Henry's orders. She goes through the anomaly just as Henry shoots her.

Matt and Becker are shocked when they see Emily collapse through the anomaly. Becker runs off to get a medical kit and Matt tries to pull the bullet out. Matt realizes to his great surprise that there is no blood and that Emily's unique outfit prevented the bullet from reaching her skin. Their happiness is short-lived when Henry himself emerges from the anomaly and discovers Matt leaning over a prostrate Emily. He grabs Matt and holds the gun to his head telling Emily that she is to return with him right now or he will kill "her lover". Emily tries to calm Henry down when the alarm goes off and Henry, seeing the disturbing images in the art gallery, accuses Emily of mesmerizing him. The alarms rouse the raptor, which awakens to attack again. Matt gets out of the way just in time and the raptor attacks Henry. Becker stuns the raptor with his EMD but it is too late- Henry is dead. Matt puts his hand on Emily's shoulder to comfort her but Emily doesn't appear to saddened.

Emily is brought back to the ARC where Jess is greatly happy to see her again.

As April and Connor leave, Abby sneaks out of the closet and quietly exits the lab. Seeing her at the door though, Connor asks her why she is trying to get in the lab and demands to know why Abby hates Philip that much. Abby decides to explain to Connor why she has to do this. She tells him that Danny Quinn found papers with Phillip's name on them on Helen Cutter's body; they were in league with each other somehow. Connor however already knows this as Philip made up a story that Helen simply knew who he was. Abby realizes that her and Connor's relationship is fracturing.

Later on in Connor's lab, the device that he and April finished is finally ready to go. Connor turns it on and to their great surprise it works! The device has formed a tiny anomaly! Connor calls Philip to tell him that he did it. Things are never going to be the same again...

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  • Horse (latest appearance)

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