SciFi originals are one of my weaknesses, and although they’re a little embarrassing from time to time, they are so fun that I am not ashamed to share with you another of my newest (Netflix Instant)  obsessions: Primeval.  The show is essentially about a merry band of scientists who are investigating anomalies in the space-time continuum which have allowed dinosaurs to slip through into the modern world (along with the occasional future monster).  I know what you’re thinking – AWESOME!  Even better is the rock score that accompanies the action scenes.

Fantastic, right?  But what is it doing on a feminist review site?  SciFi’s attention to female characters is often a double edged sword: female characters are intelligent, competent, and typically hold their own with the manfolk – just in less clothing.  Primeval is no exception to this rule.  There are three primary female characters in the series: Abby, Claudia Brown/Jenny Lewis, and Helen Cutter.  Let’s break them down across the seasons:

Abby Maitland – Abby is pretty much the coolest battler of monsters since Buffy,* although she would rather care for and protect most of the animals she comes across.  She is an intelligent zoologist and lizard specialist, and has mad self-defense skills which often result in her coming to the aid of the dudes in the show, including that cutie, Conner, standing behind her (yes, Alice fans, that is Andrew-Lee Potts of Hatter swoon).  However, she spends an inexplicable amount of time in her panties and tank top in season 1 under the pretenses that she must keep her apartment uncomfortably hot in order to keep her reptiles healthy.  Okay, I can buy that much, but I don’t know any woman who answers the door or entertains coworkers in such a getup.  Actress Hannah Spearitt apparently didn’t either, and although Abby still spends much of her time in form fitting gear, there is much less flesh in the following two seasons.

*Incidentally, Conner, Abby’s are-they/aren’t-they sometimes infatuation confesses early in season 1 that he understands that people can have feelings for people they hardly know, citing his love for Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Claudia Brown/Jenny Lewis – Claudia Brown is a government official working with the team.  She’s essentially doing damage control and trying to keep the dinosaur appearances out of the public eye (which seems impossible, but this is fiction after all).  She becomes the love interest of the team leader, Nick Cutter, just in time to be eliminated from history due to a change that occurs on the other side of an anomaly.  However, she is serendipitously reincarnated as PR manager Jenny Lewis in season 2.  Jenny takes longer to adjust to the Land of the Lost than Claudia did, refusing to believe what is going on and running about in short skirts, high heels, and all around unlikely dino-chasing attire.  However, as the team begins losing members and facing pressure from the government, Jenny shows her true colors stepping into leadership in the team and supporting the cause, even at the risk of her own career.

Helen Cutter – Helen is the primary antagonist of the series (badder if not bigger than the t-rex itself).  She was team leader Nick Cutter’s long lost wife at the beginning of the series, until it was revealed that Helen wasn’t dead – she had spent the last seven years traveling through anomalies conducting her own research.  She wants to control time and keep her findings to herself, even cutting out her own husband.  When she propositions him to come with her, he refuses, furious that she had abandoned him for so long.  She then reveals that she had been having an affair with her student and Nick’s right hand man Steven prior to her disappearance, and asks him to join her since Nick won’t.  Steven chooses his friend and his team over Helen, and from here on out her wrath knows no bounds.  She determines that humans are responsible for the destruction on the world and sets out on a mission to not only change the future, but eliminate the human race altogether by exterminating all pre-human primates.  Helen is happy to use her sex appeal to manipulate the men in her life (particularly Steven) and often wears Tomb Raider-esque gear that just doesn’t seem functional for a woman spending most of her time with dinosaurs.

Although each of these characters have their fair share of strengths and weaknesses, we are still seeing thin, attractive, white characters (male and female) throughout.  Not a lot of diversity when it comes to ability, sexual orientation, body shape, or ethnicity (unless the jump from British to Scottish counts).  They throw us a bone on this one in season 3 with Sarah Page, although that’s not to say she isn’t problematic, or that it’s a fully satisfying bone.

Sarah Page – Sarah joins the team at the beginning of season 3 as the team’s mythology specialist.  This is actually a cool and sensible addition to the team – many of the monsters in folklore and mythology seem to have a lot in common with dinosaurs and other creatures from earlier eras, in which case anomalies would provide a good explanation for cases like the Loch Ness Monster.  Sarah is recruited when an ancient Egyptian artifact opens an anomaly, releasing a wild crocodile that can walk on two legs.  Sarah is intelligent and helpful, but it seems like too great a coincidence that our exotic and mysterious new creature leads us to our exotic new teammate.  Although it is certainly not inconceivable that Sarah would specialize in mythology, it seems a little like “look, our diversity specialist brings diversity to the team!  Now we have diversity!”  But, it’s still probably better than nothing, and with lives on the line regularly due to the beasts and creatures involved, I’m sure there will be more opportunities to diversify the cast/team.

Despite it’s flaws, Primeval depicts women as equally intelligent, capable, adventuresome, and complex as their counterparts.  Not to mention that it’s just plain fun.  Also good news – it was recently renewed for two more seasons.  Season 4 begins shooting in March 2010.