Rage of the Ape-Men
| "Rage of the Ape-Men" | |
|---|---|
| Primal episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 5 |
| Directed by | Bryan Andrews & Genndy Tartakovsky |
| Written by | Bryan Andrews, Darrick Bachman & Genndy Tartakovsky[1] |
| Original air date | October 2, 2019[2] |
| Running time | 22 minutes |
"Rage of the Ape-Men" is the fifth episode of the American adult animated action-drama Primal, which aired on Adult Swim on October 12, 2019 as the mid-season finale of the series' first season. Directed by Bryan Andrews and Genndy Tartakovsky and co-written by the two with Darrick Bachman, the episode follows Spear (Aaron LaPlante) and Fang (Joel Valentine) as they are captured by a vicious tribe of ape-men who hold a brutal tournament to the death, which they are made to partake in.
The first episode of the series to feature supernatural elements, it received critical acclaim, and was followed by "Scent of Prey",[a] releasing to home media on June 1, 2021.[3]
Plot
[edit]Spear and Fang reach a seemingly peaceful oasis and relax before they are captured by a vicious tribe of ape-men that hold a brutal tournament to the death, with one of them eventually winning. After the gorilla-like gladiator Krog drinks an enhancement serum from the chimpanzee-like shaman, which mutates and enrages him, Fang is lowered into the arena for him to fight. Helplessly watching as Fang is beaten to near death, Spear breaks free from his bindings and drinks the rest of the serum, causing him to transform into a raging monster. After killing Krog, Spear proceeds to massacre the other ape-men overnight. When Spear eventually returns to normal, he runs to Fang's side as she lies motionless.
Reception
[edit]"Rage of the Ape-Men" received a universally positive critical reception.[4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]
Notes
[edit]- ^ While chronologically followed by "Scent of Prey", the later-season episode "Plague of Madness" would be released first after "Rage of the Ape-Men" for April Fool's Day 2020 before reairing within sequence later in the year.
References
[edit]- ^ Pitman, Robert (October 18, 2024). "Samurai Jack & Primal Creator Genndy Tartakovsky On The State Of The Animation Industry [SCAD]". Screen Rant. Retrieved October 18, 2024.
Genndy Tartakovsky: [Take] "Rage of the Ape-Men." I think I had a title, and I was like, "Oh my God, that's going to be such a great episode." Not even knowing what it's going to be, but he's just going to be fighting some big ape men. There's things like that where the excitement of the inception is great. That drives it. Usually if I come up with an idea, and it doesn't go anywhere, I'm like, "Oh, well, this needs longer thinking." It's not bad. So I tend to think of character first, then situations, then story, and then I circle back to what's at the heart of it, what's beneath the surface of it.
- ^ Rejent, Joseph (October 14, 2019). "Friday cable ratings: Nationals vs. Cardinals soars, 'Gold Rush' returns low". Archived from the original on October 14, 2019.
- ^ Milligan, Mercedes (March 30, 2021). "'Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal' Brings Prehistoric Action Home in June". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on March 31, 2021. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
- ^ Kurland, Daniel (October 12, 2019). "Review: Primal – "Rage of the Ape-Men" – Bubbleblabber". Bubbleblabber. Retrieved October 12, 2019.
- ^ Allison, Austin (July 20, 2022). "'Primal' Shows How Genndy Tartakovsky Masterfully Builds Tension". Collider. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
- ^ Dings, Dhinoj (October 18, 2020). "'Primal' S1E5 review: Gore Abounds in the Cave of the Ape-Men". Medium. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
- ^ Mad Monster Staff (April 24, 2020). "Why Primal understands The Hulk better than Marvel". Mad Monster. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
- ^ Opie, David (January 17, 2020). "Primal is the complete opposite of Rick and Morty – in the best way possible". Digital Spy. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
- ^ MacMaster, Joseph (October 11, 2020). "Watercooler Reviews | Primal S1 Part 2". Chicago Film Scene. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
- ^ Fedewa, Peter (August 24, 2021). "After an Aimless Road Primal Finds Something Unexpected". Medium. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
- ^ Igor T.G. (October 13, 2019). "Primal Review: A New Approach To Animation". FictionTalk. Retrieved October 13, 2019.