On November 1st, 2020, the episode “Slave of the Scorpion” aired on Adult Swim; this would be the final episode of the first season of Primal. The show had earned a ton of success and rave reviews, and fans were hungry for more. According to the Television Critic’s Association’s official Twitter, it looks like we’re finally closing in on that coveted second season!

For those that are new, Primal is an adult animated action series from Adult Swim. The show was created and directed by animation veteran Genndy Tartakovsky, who’s most well known for creating shows like Dexter’s Laboratory, Samurai Jack, and co-creating Sym-Bionic Titan. He’s also the director of the first three Hotel Transylvania films. Primal was Tartakovsky’s big return to experimenting with animation in terms of quiet moments and slow scenes, but don’t let that fool you, the show is considered an action series for a reason.

Inspired by vintage pulp novels and Conan the Barbarian, Primal follows a caveman-type hero named Spear, who vocalizes in grunts and roars. After watching a family of dinosaurs devour his family in a truly bone-chilling sequence, Spear vows to survive the harsh world. He is soon accompanied by a Tyrannosaurus mother named Fang, whose own offspring suffer a similar fate. The series follows the two as they travel across the untamed wilds of this fantasy prehistoric world, encountering cults, witches, and all sorts of gore-filled adventures. The show was praised up and down by critics and audiences alike. Everyone loved the use of dialogue-free storytelling, the pauses between the action, and the gorgeous visuals. Primal went on to earn five Emmy Awards and two Annie Awards as well as a nomination for a Saturn Award.

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A Return to the Wild

Slave of the Scorpion by Adult Swim
Adult Swim

On February 14th, the TCA’s official Twitter made the announcement that the Genndy Tartakovsky series would return this summer! While details about the next season have been well hidden, Tartakovsky has revealed a few key details on both the characters and themes of this upcoming season, per Comicbook.com. Tartakovsky reported, during a panel for the Television Critics’ Association press tour, that this upcoming season will be a part 2 to season 1’s finale. The episode he’s referring to is “Slave of the Scorpion,” in which Spear and Fang befriend a runaway woman named Mira. Mira spoke in an unintelligible dialect that was too alien for Spear to communicate with, but this didn’t stop the three from forming a tight bond. Sadly, the episode ends with Mira getting kidnapped and taken away in a ship with a mysterious scorpion symbol decorating its sails.

During the TCA panel, Tartakovsky stated that while the first season was about Spear and Fang surviving despite the grief in their lives, season 2 will apparently be about the duo on a revenge mission to rescue Mira. Tartakovsky also states that this second season will be “bigger, grander, and surprising.”

"Season 2 is more experimental and it’s going to be very memorable."

Adult Swim definitely seems to be on a roll lately with its original content. With shows like Rick and Morty still bringing in views, as well as Smiling Friends becoming an overnight success and achieving the greenlight for a second season, along with saving Tuca & Bertie from extinction, Primal both fits in and manages to stand out amongst the more comedy oriented programming. Here’s hoping the wait won’t feel like an eternity before we can see the triumphant return of Spear and Fang. Season 1 of Primal is currently available to stream on HBO Max.