Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal Season 3 Episode 1 Review: Vengeance of Death

Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal Season 3 Episode 1, “Vengeance of Death,” brings back Spear in a twisted way.

While many adult animations fall under the comedy genre, Primal stands out as a brutal yet beautiful story of survival. Tartakovsky is best known for creating Samurai Jack, so the show’s visceral tone should come as no surprise.

Season 2 ends with Spear’s heartbreaking death at the hands of the Viking Chieftain. However, Spear is unable to rest in peace, as a shaman brings him back to life as a zombie.

One of the first things you’ll notice about the episode is its beautiful yet grotesque visuals. For example, the imagery of Mira’s village burning, the designs of the skull-headed invaders, and the leper who leads Spear to his colony all paint a picture of a changed and somehow even harsher world than we knew before. 

You can’t overlook Spear’s current state either. His death in Season 2 is heartbreaking, and thankfully, the show does a good job of cheapening that pain by simply bringing him back from the dead.

Even though he’s back, he isn’t alive.

He’s confused, disoriented, and experiencing some degree of memory loss. The only thing driving him now is flashes from his previous life that he’s struggling to interpret.

Despite the almost nonexistent dialogue, the episode masterfully conveys Spears’ emotion through its visual storytelling. We see glimpses of his old self through nothing more than facial expressions and his actions.

Tragically, his more human moments are intercut with those in which he seems almost mindless, operating on instinct alone. He has become primal in the most literal sense, acting almost like an animal at times.

Right now, Spear’s goal is to find Fang. Most of the flashes he’s had of the past have been horrific, but not the one of Fang. 

It’s telling and incredibly bittersweet that she left such a positive impact on his life that she’s among the first things he remembers. However, whether or not she’s still alive is up in the air. 

As a setup for the Season, this has a lot of potential to be something fascinating. The world of Primal is brutal and unforgiving, yet it can be beautiful in a distinctly human way.

Having Spear return in a state of undeath could challenge many of the series’ naturalistic themes. Right now, Spear seems to be progressively becoming himself again.

Whatever happens to him, it’s clear that this new world is unfamiliar to him. This isn’t the first time Spear has found himself in an unfamiliar place, but this time, he himself is also different.

The amount of questions and thoughts “Vengeance of Death” poses without saying a single word (apart from grunts and growls) is truly astounding and bodes well for the rest of the season.  

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Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal airs Sundays at 11:30 P.M. ET on Adult Swim.

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