The world is going to hell in a handbasket – or is it too late, and it’s already there?

Well, if that really is the final episode of the UK incarnation of Primeval, it’s gone out with a bang, tying up a large number of loose ends (and of course creating a few more – there’s got to be something for the fans to worry about in the potentially long hiatus), and giving resolution to various character arcs.

As with last week’s episode, there’s pretty much something for everyone to do, and it was great to see the Future Predators back in action – I suspect they’re probably pretty pricey to achieve as effects, hence their diminished appearance during the fourth and fifth seasons when money has been tighter. Travelling to Matt’s world allowed Ciaran McMenamin to display more controlled anger than in all the other episodes put together.

Alexander Siddig manages to avoid too many clichés in his performance as Philip Burton realises just how much of a puppet (or should that be muppet!) that he’s been. The various acts of self-sacrifice as the episode reached its climax were hardly surprising – nor was the sight of a figure reappearing through the dust of the explosion… 

Verdict: It’s been a hell of a ride over the past five seasons, but series five has proved, if proof were necessary, that Primeval is far more than just a Creature of the Week show.  Fingers crossed for a new set of episodes in 2013…  8/10

Paul Simpson

Read our reviews of the rest of this series here:

Episodes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

and check out the Primeval ARChive!