Spear and Fang make the shocking discovery of the most advanced human they have ever seen, a recently escaped slave called Mira.
This episode features the following tropes:
- All There in the Manual: David Krentz identifies the pliosaur as Liopleurodon, the small pterosaurs as Tapejara, the oviraptorid as Anzu, and the ornithischians as Kulindadromeus.
- Bait-and-Switch: The end of the episode begins with Mira being kidnapped by primitive ape-men. But soon after Spear and Fang give chase, they discover the ape-men massacred and Mira taken by Iron Age humans.
- Bookends: The episode starts and ends in the same small bay, where Spear and Fang first meet Mira and then helplessly watch as she's taken away.
- Curb-Stomp Battle:
- Spear and Fang up against a troupe of Ape-men who just kidnapped their friend and, unlike the last bunch, don't have a brew your own Hulk serum, the advantage of massively superior numbers, or a terrain advantage. They get decimated in one of the shortest and most one-sided fights in the series.
- A second one occurs offscreen between the primitives and the more advanced humans who kidnap Mira, resulting in their annihilation under a swarm of arrows.
- Downer Ending: The episode, as well as the season, ends with Spear and Fang watching as Mira is taken away on a ship, with no apparent means of pursuing her and her captors yet....
- Eviler than Thou: Offscreen, the apes are killed by the more advanced humans. From what we see of the aftermath, the apes were killed by a swarm of arrows without even laying a single blow on the humans.
- Fish out of Water: Mira is not native to the Hollywood Prehistory setting of Primal, and has no idea what to expect from it, such as startling at a distant roar that neither Spear nor Fang react to. She eventually begins to hold her own, especially after crafting a bow.
- Frazetta Man: In the episode's climax, the heroes are attacked by a band of ape-like hominids, resembling a hybrid of human and basal primate. They wield primitive tools and seem to be solely concerned with kidnapping Mira. It's unclear how they are related to the ape-men from "Rage of the Ape-Men" (they look similar, but with blue glowing eyes and jagged teeth).
- Friend Versus Lover: Subverted, while at first it seems as if some sort of rivalry will develop between Fang and Mira for Spear's attention, however it’s made clear that Spear and Fang's bond remains unwavering and it is up to Mira to earn both of their trust and naturally become part of the group's dynamic.
- Goofy Feathered Dinosaur: The Anzu that Mira slays is a prey animal that makes comical honking noises and acts like a chicken. Although the "goofy" part comes from its behavior, as its plumage is portrayed very accurately.
- Horned Humanoid: It is implied that the leader of the tribe who enslaved Mira's people is one of these, judging from the stick figure drawing she produces (though the figure is too simple to decide whether they are natural horns or just horned headgear).
- Informed Species:
- The Liopleurodon (confirmed by David Krentz) that chases Mira and attacks Fang and Spear is identified in the animatics as a Tylosaurus.
- While the pterosaurs that Fang hunts are identified by episode writer David Krentz as Tapejara, they more closely resemble Tupuxuara.
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Spear uses Mira's bow to shoot his spear like an arrow and impale three primitives together on a murder kebab.
- Meaningful Echo: When Mira tells Spear and Fang her name, it's the first fully spoken dialogue in the series. At the very end of the episode, once seeing Mira taken away by a pirate ship, Spear says his first word, which is to morbidly call to Mira by name, himself.
- Moment Killer: Seconds after their first meeting, Spear chases Mira down in the jungle until she trips. He stops just short of her, and gets on his knees to show he's not a threat. Mira hesitates, still nervous... and then Fang charges out of the jungle bellowing at the top of her lungs, sending Mira sprinting back into the jungle. Spear gives Fang a Death Glare.
- Outside-Context Problem: The more advanced humans. They have ships, bows and arrows, and can work metal. There was no prior indication that humans, or any kind of civilization existed in the setting.
- Plain Palate: Mira cooks and spices her meat, but when she shares some with Spear, he immediately spits it out and goes back to eating straight off the bone. Humorously, Fang finds it more palatable.
- Scarily Competent Tracker: Whomever Mira's captors were, they were able to track her down after she fled overboard at sea, made her way to a primitive world, and successfully tracked her down after she journeyed miles from her original landing spot through a world filled with hostile wildlife. It's clear that Mira had good reason to be wary of Spear, an unknown humanoid, if they're willing to go to that length to recapture a single escaped slave.
- Sea Monster: The predator that chases Mira and attacks Fang and Spear. It appears to be the same size as Fang, with huge gaping jaws and is capable of roaring too.
- Sequel Hook: The episode ends with Mira being taken away on a pirate ship, which may lead to Spear and Fang setting off to rescue her.
- Ship Tease: Some of the interactions between Spear and Mira indicate an attraction between them, especially the goofy look Spear gives Mira while eating. That said, while they grew fond of each other, their relationship never gets physical.
- Shown Their Work:
- Spear being shorter, more heavyset, and having a more pronounced brow ridge than Mira makes sense if he's a Neanderthal and she's something akin to a Cro-Magnon. Spear is also shown more realistically than many portrayals as he's not dumber than Mira, he processes the world differently, and has experienced a completely different kind of life. He even "asks" Mira about herself by drawing her Slave Brand in the dirt and giving her a concerned expression. Mira immediately understands, and communicates her past using pictures.
- While to this day it remains something of a meme to portray pliosaurs and other Mesozoic marine reptiles as being ludicrously oversized, the Liopleurodon in the episode is far more realistically-proportioned, at a reasonable 6-7 meters in length.
- This is the first episode of the series to feature realistically-feathered non-avian dinosaurs, with both an Anzu and Kulindadromeus appearing fully decked-out in plumage.
- While they only have a very brief cameo role, the Tapejara flock hunted by Fang are encountered in a jungle environment, which aligns with most current interpretations of the genus as a toucan-like frugivore. This is in contrast to many outdated depictions that portray the pterosaur as a coastal seabird Expy similar to Pteranodon.
- Through His Stomach: Fang is standoffish towards Mira up until she gets a taste of Mira's cooking.
- Unusually Uninteresting Sight: Spear oddly displays no interest in the metal in Mira's shackles, despite this being a substance he'd never have encountered before. It's implied he doesn't understand the potential of it, and he only helps remove the restraints when it becomes clear that Mira isn't wearing them voluntarily, and they're actually quite uncomfortable for her.
- Wham Episode: The events of this episode reveal that there are Cro-Magnons in the world of Primal and that at least one true civilization exists among them, who are set to take the main antagonist role of the story.
- Wham Line: Mira is the first character in the series to have fully spoken dialogue, with saying her name being her first word to the duo, as well as speaking Arabic. This is pronounced even more at the very end of the episode, when Spear himself is Suddenly Speaking by calling Mira by name after she's taken away by what appears to be a pirate ship.
- Wham Shot: The ending of the episode has Mira being recaptured by the people who enslaved her tribe, who promptly take her back to their lands using a boat...specifically, a sailing ship. This is the first time we see evidence of a more advanced civilization than the cave people Spear has interacted with thus far.
