If Primal has taught us anything over the years, it’s that brutality and tenderness are not opposites they’re neighbors. Season 3, Episode 4, aptly titled “Pray for the Wicked,” may be one of the clearest examples of that philosophy. This episode doesn’t just maul you with violence; it reaches in afterwards and presses on the emotional bruises it just created.
From the very first moments, the episode establishes an uneasy tension; there’s something off in the air, something predatory. But instead of immediately unleashing chaos, the story takes its time, letting emotion seep in before the blood starts flowing.
Quiet Worry Before the Storm
One of the earliest emotional beats belongs to Fang. The massive dinosaur, who has already endured unimaginable loss, shows visible concern for Spear’s absence. There’s a brief but powerful moment where Fang becomes distressed, almost panicked, as if sensing that something vital is missing. It’s raw and unfiltered, and somehow more heartbreaking because no words are spoken.
Then comes an even softer moment, one that might actually hit harder than all the carnage that follows.
Fang approaches Mira, who is carrying a secret that’s now impossible to hide. Mira is pregnant, the reveal isn’t dramatic or announced; it’s simply felt. Fang, having experienced motherhood and loss herself, seems to understand immediately. She stays close, offering comfort in the only way she knows how - presence, protection, solidarity.
In a show known for bone-crushing violence, this quiet exchange becomes one of the most powerful scenes of the episode.
A Reunion Delayed but Earned
What’s striking is how early the episode begins, hinting at something huge, yet refuses to give it to us right away. This is only Episode 4 of the season, and yet the groundwork is being laid for a moment that feels like it belongs near the finale.
The reunion between Spear and Mira does happen but only at the very end. The show teases it, withholds it, and then drops it like a hammer just as the credits roll. We barely get time to process it, which somehow makes it even more effective. After everything that happens before, the reunion feels less like a happy ending and more like the beginning of something deeply unsettling.
The Wolves Descend
Before we get there, though, Primal reminds us about the best things: relentless, nerve-shredding horror.
Mira and a group of elite warriors from her village set out together, clearly prepared for war. Even without dialogue we understand their purpose. Through body language, music, and visual cues, the episode makes it clear that they are hunting something that has attacked their people that something turns out to be a pack of wolf-like creatures, and they are absolutely vicious.
Next, it is one of the most gruesome sequences of the season so far. The violence isn’t stylised or quick; it’s prolonged and merciless. One warrior is sliced cleanly in half in a blink-and-you-miss-it moment of horror. Another, larger and seemingly stronger fighter, has his arms torn away as if he were nothing more than prey.
There’s no heroic triumph here. The warriors fall one by one, overwhelmed by creatures that fight with terrifying coordination and savagery.
Mira’s Fight for Survival
Amid this chaos stands Mira, pregnant, exhausted, and still fighting.
The episode places us directly inside the fear of that moment. Every attack feels personal. Every near-miss tightens the knot in your chest. Watching Mira struggle against these monsters while carrying new life adds an unbearable layer of tension. You’re not just worried about her—you’re worried about what her survival represents.
This is Primal at its most emotionally manipulative, and it works.
Time Finally Makes Sense
In the midst of the carnage, the episode quietly answers a question that’s been lingering since the season began; when does this story take place? The clues are all there - Mira’s pregnancy, her longer hair, the fact that Spear, who we know died, is about to reappear.
All signs point to this episode taking place at least nine months after Spear’s death, placing it sometime after his resurrection by the shaman. The timeline finally clicks into place, and suddenly the weight of everything feels heavier as time has passed and lves have moved forward without Spear.
Until now!
The Wolves Retreat and the Dead Arrive
Just when it seems like Mira’s group is finished, the wolves suddenly pull back. The reason isn’t immediately clear; maybe they’re being summoned by something larger. Maybe they sense danger. Or maybe, just maybe, they detect something far more unnatural.
Moments later, we find out that Spear emerges!
He is not whole, he is not healed; instead, he is walking decay, his body still bearing the unmistakable signs of death. His presence alone terrifies the remaining villagers. His smell is so overwhelming that some of them recoil in horror.
Two characters even attempt a small ritual, an almost comedic effort to ward off what they believe is bad energy or a cursed spirit. It’s one of the rare moments of levity in an otherwise devastating episode, and it works precisely because it contrasts so sharply with the dread surrounding them.
Recognition and Uncertainty
Mira, however, doesn’t react the same way.
Though Spear is visibly altered, there’s little doubt that she recognizes him. Even in his decaying state, he is unmistakable. The episode doesn’t give us a full emotional payoff; no embrace, no resolution. Instead, it leaves us suspended in uncertainty.
Spear has returned, but at what cost?
An Episode That Cuts Deep
“Pray for the Wicked” is a masterclass in emotional pacing. It balances grotesque violence with genuine tenderness, answering long-standing questions while opening even bigger ones. The cliffhanger ending has the viewers excited and unsettled, but perhaps the most lasting image isn’t the gor or the resurrection. It’s Fang standing beside Mira, silently offering support.
In a world this cruel, that quiet moment of understanding feels almost miraculous, and somehow, it hurts more than any broken bone ever could.
Read more: Primal Animation
