Primeval New World: Clean Up On Aisle Three; Big Clean Up Featuring Big VFX by Mark Savela and Big Direction by Amanda Tapping!

Welcome back to our dedicated review and analysis site for Primeval New World!

MAJOR SPOILERS FOR NON CANADIANS:

Although Toby (Crystal Lowe) is not featured in the “Clean Up on Aisle Three” episode, Primeval New World fans were in for a special treat resulting from the superb direction by the awesome Amanda Tapping!

We all know and admire Ms. Tapping from her wonderful roles in Sanctuary, all three Stargate series, Taken Back: Finding Haley, and of course her new terrific new role as Naomi the angel in Supernatural!

Ms. Tapping, who always goes above and beyond in every project she is involved in, does an outstanding job bringing humor, action. and of course Dinosaurs on our doorsteps and shopping carts via the ARC!

Courtesy of the great team at Omni Film Productions, we include a cool BTS (Behind The Scenes) look at Amanda Tappings’s work as presented by series Executive Producer Martin Wood.

Enjoy!

Clean Up On Aisle Three:

Have you ever wondered what security guards get up to inside stores late at night? No? Me neither. Anyway, we find out one version. They watch music videos on laptops while their store is being invaded by several small dinosaurs. Who knew?

One of the things that drew my attention to Primeval New World in the first place, and to this particular episode is the very fine CGI work done by the Visual Effects Dept. The work of Digital Effects Supervisor, Mark Savela, is well known to everyone at WormholeRiders and millions around the world!

We have followed his career with interest since his outstanding work on Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe. We look forward to more of his special effects now on Primeval New World as you can see for yourself in the cool clip below!

Naturally, the security guard (Ian Bideshi) is the first casualty. It is a pity he was not wearing a red shirt. Security guards are always the first casualties. It is amazing that the pay is not better for these guys.

Back at Cross Photonics, Evan (Niall Matter) is having a very late lunch, brought to him by Ms. Finch (Miranda Frigon). She tells him that she is planning to leave the company. She has had a great offer from another company. Evan counters that she gets offers every week, establishing that she is very good at her job. There is something more to this.

We discover, as she confers with Evan, that he no longer seems interested in the company. Two people died, and she had to cover up their deaths. She had hoped that after discovery of the anomalies, that would be enough, but, complains Ange, it is never enough. Evan replies, “I can’t just walk away from this. If you need to, I understand”. Wrong answer, Evan.

At this point, Evan’s hand clearly displays his wedding ring. This is significant. We will find out why later. To emphasize Ange’s argument, Evan receives a phone call. Time to chase more anomalies.  Ange finishes up with, “Evan, people are dead. If you keep this up, it’s only a matter of time…” As usual, Evan is not really listening.

Evan, Mac (Danny Rahim) and Dylan (Sara Canning) arrive at the destination of the anomaly, a Canadian Tire store. We find out three important things during their conversation; Mac is their break and enter guy, Evan is still insistent that they will not use deadly force on the dinos, so no rifle for Mac, and Mac is still very angry.

Mac’s girlfriend was killed in the last episode, Undone, so Mac blames Evan because Evan was responsible for inviting her to participate in collecting and storing their recently caught creature. Evan managed to smooth things over slightly when he explained that a dinosaur killed his wife as well.

Evan shows off a new weapon they will now be using – a cross between a rifle and a taser. He demonstrates by shooting a lamp post outside the store. An electrical charge travels up the post and fries the light fixtures at the top of the post. “It will take down anything up to three tons,” he informs them. Mac responds, “works for me”.

Back at the office, Ange receives a call from Lt. Leeds (Geoff Gustafson). What a keener he is. He begins in typical geeky fashion by introducing himself, even though she can see his image on the video. He asks her to meet him at a park and to not let herself be followed, which, again, he attempts to clarify, however clumsily. I have to admit that Ken Leeds is as close to adorable as you can get on this kind of show. He tries a little too hard to be liked, but he also has a few secrets that I am certain will begin to come out.

As Evan and the team break into the store through a back door, the music from the security guards computer is still playing. Evan bee lines it to the computer where he takes out the internet, all the store cameras and any other electronic security devices and he fries their hard drives. Very cool that he can do all that remotely.

Again, everyone is using flash lights, and no one goes looking for a light switch. In this case, it makes sense. They are in a store illegally and do not need the local cops coming by to see what is up. However, they do not explain this, leaving the viewers to draw their own conclusions.

Dylan is the first to discover a blood trail leading to the anomaly and the missing guard, or what is left of him. As they come across the anomaly, they find the body of the guard half inside the portal. When they attempt to pull him back to their side, something has got him, and they only end up with the bottom half.  My first thought was, since they will have to get rid of the body anyway, why not toss it back through the anomaly. Fortunately for them, the problem solves itself later on. Dylan discovers that they are dealing with a bunch of small creatures. They conveniently leave a bunch of tracks.

 

At a random park, Ken Leeds and Ange meet up. Leeds has brought a small picnic basket with wine. Ange gently rebukes him that it is not a date. It is very obvious that Ken Leeds wishes it were a date. He really does seem to have a thing for her. As he blunders through a flattery or two, Ange encourages him to get to the point. He summarizes by stating that he is officially on the case and her dinosaur problem is now his dinosaur problem. He wants to toast to the occasion with a bottle of wine from 1954. Again, as a daughter and wife of Canadian Armed Forces military members, I know that Ken’s hair is too long. He also should not be walking around in uniform with his jacket open. He mentions in his chat with Ange that there are things that would get him brought up on charges. These two oversights, definitely would.

Back at the store, they have discovered that the dinos seem interested in shiny things, just as a crow or magpie would be, adds Dylan. As in other dinosaur films, such as Jurassic Park, the emphasis here is that dinos are the ancestors of modern birds, so, there is a great deal of comparison with birds in this episode. Anyone who has personal experiences with crows and magpies knows how smart they are. As the plot progresses, this, obviously, will be a problem. Fortunately, they are in a sporting goods store; lots of items to use to lay traps. Dylan and Evan joke about it as they search for their adversary.

Dylan also picks up on Evan’s concern for Ange. He confides that she wants to leave Cross Photonics. Dylan is very intuitive. She notices and comments to him that he is pretty freaked out about this then states, “are you worried about losing the business or her?” Evan answers, “I’ve lost businesses before”. Meanwhile, many of the shots of the two are from above. They are being watched.

Walking in the park, Ange is amazed at Ken’s abilities, “I don’t mean for this to sound insulting, but you seem so flustered a lot of the time. Then you turn around and cover up the deaths of two people…” Ken interjects, “…ten, actually”.  That statement does not help much. Ange continues her frustrated comments for a moment longer, then admits to Ken that she is not angry at him, or even Evan, but herself. Now we have to find out why.

Dylan and Evan have created quite an ingenious trap for one of the dinos. Finding that they like dog food, they have a pet crate at the end of some carefully organized packing material, so the dino has a clear path into the crate. They capture it, but, it sends out a distress call. Dylan reasons that they have the size advantage, and the other creatures will not attack until they can separate Evan and Dylan, which leaves Mac at a disadvantage. Dylan contacts Mac while Evan gets another crate to trap another dino.

Mac’s conversation with Dylan does not last long. He lets her know that one of the little nasties has stolen his aviator glasses, then disconnects so he can go after another one. He finds out, when he returns to the portal, that the dino led him away so its friends could pull the rest of the security guard through the portal. In one move by the creators/writers of the show, they get rid of the body and prove that the characters are dealing with very smart animals. Well done, whoever came up with this little plot device.

As Dylan and Evan continue organizing a second trap, then waiting for the next victim, they chat about Evan’s relationship with Ange. He keeps insisting it is just a friendship. Dylan hints that it is much more. Also, the second dino avoided the trap. Dylan comments, “They’re learning.” As they look for the second dino, they hear a noise which brings them back to the first crate. It is empty. Either it got out, or its buddy let it out.

Ange and Ken have finally opened the wine. He explains how, once everything is in place, Evan could work in an office setting and be out of the field. Ange states that Evan is not good with working for others. Ken has a great answer for her. He could foster the same illusion of independence that Ange has built up over the years. Ange seems to realize at this point, that Ken has a lot more going for him than she realized. She seems to have decided that she likes him. Soon, he may even get to call her by her first name.

At the store, Dylan and Evan realize that, as pack animals, there is an alpha dino that the others listen to. It gives the orders and the others follow them, which gives them a real competitive advantage in a world of huge armored creatures on the other side of the portal. As pack animals, Evan’s team has to send the alpha dino through first, and the others will follow. It seems very simple now, but maybe not so much.  The dinos have managed to relieve them of their radios so now they cannot communicate with Mac.

Speaking of Mac, he has one particular little adversary who is keeping him very busy. It leads him into an office. Now he thinks he has the jump on the little (choose your expletive). Mac’s quote of the night, “two go in, and only one comes out”. Let us hope it is not the little dino.

Now, both Evan and Dylan have hockey sticks to defend themselves. And, what is more Canadian than hockey sticks? Dylan suddenly notices that the dinos are being awfully quiet. As they get approached from all sides, Evan’s quote of the night is, “act casual…”

One dinosaur attacks. As it does, Evan uses the hockey stick to score a goal – dino into the container of balls on the right. Good shot. With the dinos regrouping, both Evan and Dylan make a run for it down two separate aisles. Dylan finds a garden shed. She gets inside, but cannot get the doors to close, so she tips it over. The dinos know she is inside. Since it is really pretty flimsy, it does not take the dinos long to begin opening one corner like a tin can. Evan uses his head. He scares them off with a leaf blower. “They don’t like the noise,” he comments, “that is, until they read the manual and figure out that it can’t actually hurt them”.

A great way to save on the visual effects budget is to let the audience use their imaginations. Mac is inside an office with a closed door. Through sound effects, we can hear him battling the dino he trapped inside. We, however, have no idea if he is the conqueror or the conquered.

Evan and Dylan, lacking communication with Mac, go looking for him. They reach the anomaly to discover that Mac is not there. Evan immediately jumps to conclusions and assumes that Mac is now on the other side of the portal. Thank goodness for rational female thought. Dylan tells him that they cannot assume the worst. It seems he was shooting at one of the dinos and has left a trail. Not to worry. They come across Mac. He has just finished duct tapping a crate closed with a dino inside.

Now it is time to get serious. They find the dino nest or lair and manage to knock the alpha unconscious. Once the alpha dino and the crated up dino are through the anomaly, the rest of them, four in all, head back through. Lt. Leeds is called to keep an eye on the portal until it closes. All quiet on the Canadian Tire front.

Ange, at her desk, has accepted the new job. Evan comes in with more Chinese food and tells her, “here’s the thing. I don’t want you to leave”. Ange says she needs a change. Evan replies, “I get that”. As he places the bag of food on her desk, she can see that he is not wearing his wedding ring any more.

Many thanks to Kenn for final staging of the audio video embeds and additional images in this news article, and all our thanks to you for stopping by WormholeRiders News Agency!!

We look forward to seeing more of you here at our review site dedicated to our wonderful science fiction series Primeval New World!

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Regards,

Thank you.

ArcticGoddess1 (Patricia)