Adult Swim
The fantasy horror adventure series “Genndy Tartokovsky’s Primal” is back for its sophomore season after nearly a three-year hiatus when it returns on Thursday, July 21 at midnight ET/PT on Adult Swim.
If you don’t have cable, here are some ways you can watch “Primal” Season 2 episodes streaming online:
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DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream has four different channel packages: “Entertainment,” “Choice,” “Ultimate” and “Premier.” Cartoon Network and Adult Swim are included in every one, and you can pick any package and any add-on you want with your free five-day trial:
Once signed up for DirecTV Stream, you can watch “Primal” live on the DirecTV Stream app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Samsung TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the DirecTV Stream website.
If you can’t watch live, DirecTV Stream also comes with 20 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to unlimited hours).
Sling TV
You can watch a live stream of Cartoon Network, Adult Swim and 40-plus other TV channels via Sling TV’s “Sling Blue” or “Sling Orange” bundle. This option doesn’t come with a free trial, but it’s the cheapest long-term streaming service with Cartoon Network/Adult Swim, and you can get your first month for half off:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch “Primal” live on the Sling TV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), airTV Mini, Oculus, Portal, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Sling TV website.
If you can’t watch live, Sling TV comes included with 50 hours of cloud DVR.
Hulu With Live TV
You can watch a live stream of Cartoon Network, Adult Swim and 65+ other TV channels via Hulu With Live TV, which now also includes access to both ESPN+ and Hulu at no added cost:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch “Primal” live on the Hulu app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, PlayStation 4 or 5, Nintendo Switch, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Hulu website.
If you can’t watch live, Hulu with Live TV comes with both its extensive on-demand library (which includes most shows after they air) and 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of DVR space and the ability to fast forward through commercials).
‘Primal’ Season 2 Preview
When “Genndy Tartokovsky’s Primal” premiered in the fall of 2019, critics were raving about the dialogue-free animated horror series.
“Tartakovsky has long been a distinctive force in TV animation and this is another winner, a spare storytelling experiment that plays like nothing else in the current landscape,” wrote Dan Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter.
“A piece of elemental storytelling that finds some real emotional depth without either of its protagonists uttering a single word of dialogue,” said IndieWire’s Steve Greene.
The show took home five Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Animated Program, and now it is finally back for its second season.
When we last saw Spear (Aaron LaPlante) and his dino friend Fang, they had just met Mira (Laetitia Eido), a mysterious woman who was on the run from something dangerous and evil. Now in season two, creator Tartakovsky tells “Entertainment Weekly” that Mira’s introduction will lead into showing Spear how there is more to his world than he ever thought.
“The introduction of Mira gives light that there is more civilization out there that’s more advanced. Once you get to ancient civilizations, you go instantly to, like, Pharaohs, ‘Stargate,’ ‘10,0000 BC,’ all those movies,” said Tartakovsky. “I realized everything we were talking about felt too cliché, too done. So we broke everything down and restarted, and came up with a direction that is more unique. It’s gonna keep you on your toes, and basically from [episode] 11 to 20, it’s one story. That’s the big difference from the first season.
He also said that the action is “on a scale beyond” anything the show has done before.
“[Season two is] even more emotionally complex. The action is on a scale beyond what we’ve done, and it keeps getting amped up as we go deeper and deeper into the season,” said Tartakovsky. “There’s shock in it. There’s a big surprise that’s either going to get people to hate me or enjoy it, but as a storyteller this is me having fun. It’s super ‘Heavy Metal’–ish. It’s still pulpy, but at its core the character story between Fang and Spear — it goes bonkers. That was the best surprise of the first season. It wasn’t the violence — it was their relationship that people picked up on. As a filmmaker and storyteller, that’s what you’re most excited about.”
The premiere episode is titled “Sea of Despair” and its description reads, “Spear and Fang venture into the unknown to rescue Mira from her captors.”
Immediately following the premiere is episode two, titled “Shadow of Fate” and its description reads, “Spear and Fang get separated in a strange new land.”
Then on July 29 comes episode three, “Dawn of Man.” Its description reads, “The quest to find Mira leads Spear and Fang to the village of fearsome warriors.”
“Primal” airs Thursdays at midnight Eastern and Pacific times on Adult Swim.