List of Primeval characters

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of characters in the ITV science fiction cult television series Primeval, including supporting characters.

Contents: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

[edit] B

[edit] Captain Becker

Main article: Captain Becker

Captain Becker (first name unknown) is a new military agent and replacement for Tom Ryan.

[edit] C

[edit] "The Cleaner"

The "Mysterious Man"

"The Cleaner" is a character who is introduced in Episode 7, under-cover as a cleaner, who was sliced in the neck and killed by a baby Deinonychus. His body later mysteriously disapears. Later in the following episode, Connor sees him as a soldier at the ARC, the scars from the raptor attack still visible. The mysterious cleaner is seen again by Cutter in Episode 10. Suspicious, he chases him, but is punched in the face by him, knocking him out. Later it is revealed that the man is working for Oliver Leek, who wants the team spied on - and Leek is working in cahoots with Helen Cutter. It is also revealed that the Cleaner's real name (or at least his surname) is Sciswell. In the eleventh episode, he goes into an anomaly with two soldiers. When one of them protests about leaving a girl behind, the man responds, "I'm not a bloody social worker!". This line was previously used by Captain Tom Ryan in Episode 6 before his death, possibly linking the two characters together. He travels through an anomaly into the Silurian where his team is attacked and killed by giant scorpions. Only he survives, injured, and left only with a gun. He finds Cutter, demanding him to hand over his water supplies, but is then attacked by another scorpion, being dragged off, yelling "I'm a professional. I don't talk. Ever" when he was asked who he worked for. He is then pulled under and is at first presumed killed.

However, at the end of Episode 13 many different clone forms of him appear with Helen at Stephen Hart's grave, presumably working for her. Immediately before this reveal, Helen is talking about the possibility of bringing Stephen back from the dead, thereby suggesting that she may already have resurrected him twice since he first appeared, as well as making an army of his clones.

[edit] Helen Cutter

Main article: Helen Cutter

Helen Cutter is the series's main antagonist and Nick Cutter's wife. She left her normal life for travels through the anomalies eight years before the events of the series, presumed murdered. For most of the first series Nick was determined to find and get back with Helen, while in the next episodes Nick no longer cares for her.

[edit] Nick Cutter

Main article: Nick Cutter

Cutter is the series' main protagonist.

[edit] D

[edit] Duncan

Duncan is a friend of Connor Temple and Tom and a fellow geek. He also seems to enjoy conspiracy theories. Despite this he does not believe Connor when he tries to tell him and Tom what he has been involved in without breaking the Official Secrets Act,[1] and he and Duncan devise their own conspiracy theories around the Dodo (which he names Dodie) that they capture.[2] Duncan seems to be the more mellow of Connor's friends and is quite willing to follow the more proactive Tom. What happened to him after Tom's death is unknown, although it is likely he was either forced to sign the Official Secrets Act or imprisoned for treason (stealing the Dodo).

[edit] H

[edit] Lucien Hope

Lucien Hope is a schoolboy who was playing basketball when he lost the ball and went out to find it (followed by hurtful comments from his friends) and is then dragged down a pipe by a Mer. He is taken hostage, while Abby is also taken. Abby convinces him he is not going to die, and Cutter helps him out, just as Abby is dragged under. Cutter is then attacked by a Mer, which Lucien throws a rock, at, killing it, commenting on his basketball skills. Lucien is then taken to hospital for medical attention.

[edit] I

[edit] Valerie Irwin

Valerie is a park ranger at Blue Sky Park, who discovered a Smilodon cub at least a year before the events of the episode. She raised the cat over the years, watching it mature, and gradually the food she could provide for it became insufficient, leading the cat to start eating park visitors. This provokes the team to investigate. She manages to distract Stephen from finding the creature, without giving herself away. Eventually Cutter discovers her deception and goes to her lodge at the park, where Valerie threatens him, believing he will take it into labs and experiment on her "pet". She then commands it to attack Cutter, who manages to escape it and fight it off with numerous household items in Valerie's house. When Cutter arms himself with a pitchfork outside, Valerie tried to prevent them from fighting so as not to hurt her cat. It kills her in frustration.

[edit] L

[edit] Oliver Leek

Main article: Oliver Leek

Oliver Leek is James Lester's new assistant, replacing Claudia Brown's position due to the timeline change at the first season finale. Leek was later revealed to be in league with Helen Cutter, but decided to have his own way and head the operation. Leek was killed by his own future predators when their mind control shorted out and they realised who had put them under it.

[edit] Dr. Lewis


Dr. Lewis is the head doctor at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. When the pest controller was brought to her, she did her best to save him but his injuries were too severe and none of the doctors had the skill to save him. When she reported this and sent out a call for help the government intervened. Dr. Lewis was suspicious of their motives but unable to discover what had really happened.[1]

Later, Stephen Hart was brought to her after being attacked by the Arthropleura although the cause of his injuries is unknown to her. She was also irritated by the fact that Abby was withholding information, which may have made the job easier. Eventually she realised that an anti-venom was his only chance. When Nick returned with the venom she managed to create an antivenom and save him.

Along with Duncan and Tom, she is the only character to suspect that there's something happening which is being hidden from the public, although unlike them, she's wise enough to keep it to herself.[1]

[edit] M

[edit] Abby Maitland

Main article: Abby Maitland

Abby Maitland is a zookeeper and member of the team. She uses her experience with modern animals to help with dealing with their prehistoric counterparts.


[edit] P

[edit] Tim Parker

The manager at Wellington Zoo, always buried under more paper work than he can manage, he's still passionate about wildlife conservation, especially the protection of large mammal species like elephants. Tim is untidy, forgetful and slightly bumbling. He is Abby's boss, and appears to be fond of her, regretting the fact she may have to be fired due to dropping funds. Although they don't appear to be blood relatives he clearly dotes on her like a slightly eccentric uncle.[3]

He first appeared in Episode 1, where he explains to Abby that he's been forced to downsize the zoo's reptile house, and Abby is now out of a job. Despite this he desperately tries to get Abby another job, eventually giving her the task of picking up a strange reptile from a farm house. In that instant he effectively sealed Abby's destiny and tied her to the other members of the Primeval team.

He later appeared in Episode 6. A future predator is on the loose in the woods surrounding the zoo and has killed one of the lions. He is eventually hunted down and killed by the creature.[4]

It's his death that brings a grief stricken Abby back to the zoo for the first time in the series and heralds her own confrontation with the future predator.[4]

[edit] S

[edit] Caroline Steel

Main article: Caroline Steel

Caroline Steel is Connor Temple's girlfriend, who was revealed to be working for Oliver Leek. She did not know what Leek intended to do, and upon discovering his plans, became disgusted and quit, only to be imprisoned. Steel left at the end of Series 2.

[edit] T

[edit] Connor Temple

Main article: Connor Temple

Connor Temple is a dinosaur geek and loyal member of the team. For most of the first series Connor was the consultant for creature information, whilst in the second he switched to being able to use guns better, and no longer seems to be as nerdy as he previously was, possibly due to the timeline change.

[edit] Ben Trent

Ben appears only in "Episode 1" but is a major character in this episode. He is the young boy who initially finds and names "Rex" the Coelurosauravus. He finds Rex when his family is picnicking in the Forest of Dean and contacts the nearby fictional Wellington Zoo to have the creature identified.[3]

He at first thinks Rex is a specimen of the modern flying lizard Draco volans but Abby Maitland, zoo employee, soon discredits this theory. The two go into the forest together to see if they can find anything more out about Rex, during which time they both find a dead cow lodged up a tree, and are chased by a Gorgonopsid.

Ben looks through a time anomaly and sees into the Permian era, the first person since Helen Cutter to find one, only to be chased home by the Gorgonopsid, which then rears up to peer into his bedroom, where the creature tears it apart and Ben fights it off with a radio and electric orb. Barely surviving the attack, he is distraught when his mother considers him mad and Abby cannot reveal the truth of the anomaly. Using the clues revealed by Ben, the team begin to investigate the anomalies. Later, while sitting in a detention at his school, he and his teacher are attacked when the Gorgonopsid tracks him down again, but the two of them escape from it with the help of Stephen, who is almost killed in the attempt.[3]

In the following episode, Claudia and Lester are discussing how they've dealt with the eyewitnesses, and Claudia states "The boy won't be a problem".

[edit] Mary Trent

Mrs Trent is the mother of Ben.[3] She was the one who called Abby Maitland originally and was impressed by the fact she came personally to collect the lizard. This good opinion was not to last, however, as she blamed her for filling her sons head with crazy ideas.

When her son’s room was destroyed by a Gorgonopsid, she remained incredulous and refused to believe Ben despite the evidence to the contrary, such as the amount of damage caused and the patent lies by Abby.

Mrs Trent is the best example of the Sunnydale Syndrome which permeates the series. Despite the evidence if her own eyes, she remains convinced that nothing sinister is going on and is convinced that everything can be explained rationally.[3]

[edit] Tom

Tom should not be confused with Tom Ryan, a SAS soldier. He is a friend of Connor and Duncan and a fellow geek. He appears to be the bossier 'leader' of Connor's friends and is the one that seems to come up with the 'plans' whereas Duncan is quite happy to follow, he also seems to be slightly more aggressive than Duncan, both with and without the parasite infecting him.

He also seems to enjoy conspiracy theories. Despite this he does not believe Connor when he tries to tell he and Duncan what he has been involved in without breaking the Official Secrets Act,[1] and he and Duncan devise their own conspiracy theories around the dodo that they capture (none of which are particularly rational).[2]

He is infected by a prehistoric parasite which makes him more aggressive, photophobic, and he attempts to pass on the parasite. Apart from a doctor who examines him, he manages to avoid biting anyone. The team did not find him in time to save him. He died, his last words being "I'm a hero."[2]

[edit] R

[edit] Tom Ryan

Main article: Tom Ryan (Primeval)

Tom Ryan was a special forces agent who was killed off at the end of the first season.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d "Episode Two". Primeval. ITV. ITV1. 2007-02-17. No. 2, season 1.
  2. ^ a b c "Episode Four". Primeval. ITV. ITV1. 2007-03-03. No. 4, season 1.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Episode One". Primeval. ITV. ITV1. 2007-02-17. No. 1, season 1.
  4. ^ a b "Episode Six". Primeval. ITV. ITV1. 2007-02-17. No. 6, season 1.