Birds of Prey is available now on DVD and digital. The series can be streaming on DC Universe in North America.
Synopsis
At Reese’s request, Helena goes undercover to help thwart a gang of thieves terrorising New Gotham and quickly discovers that the group is part of a larger criminal infrastructure.
Review
“Primal Scream” is another of Birds of Prey’s 2000’s nostalgic highlights. The premise alone, elena (Ashley Scott) joining a biker gang ripping up New Gotham and getting swept up the agenda, is as 00’s as it sounds.
But as I keep saying in my reviews of this series, there’s far more going on than meets the eye. Bubbling under the surface of Birds of Prey’s deliciously nostalgic visuals are a number of diverse and complex characters.
Helena is by far the most compelling of the leads. Whilst comic book fans likely gravitate towards Oracle (Dina Meyer) and the younger audience may feel more connected to Dinah (Rachel Skarsten), it’s Helena who is undergoing the most development as the season rolls on.
This episode see’s Helena being tempted towards the darker side of her feelings. The lure of the animal gang is undeniable for her and it plays out well on screen. The episode highlights her growing bond with Reese (Shemar Moore) by having him play her anchor to real life as opposed to Oracle.
Humanising the heroes plays an incredibly important part in making a series like Birds of Prey successful and as people reflect and look back on the series it’s characters like Helena which will be fondly remembered.
The villains play second fiddle, particularly given that so many of the comic book greats were off limits. That’s most evident in an episode like “Primal Scream” which invents its own gang instead of trying to connect to the source material.
But I would argue it’s when the show creates original characters that it really pushes towards fulfilling its potential. There’s more creative flair with original villains than when the show looks a knock-off’s like Darkstrike.
Once again the show crafts a self-contained arc for Huntress which provides Scott with great material to perform and is satisfying for the audience to watch.
Verdict
“Primal Scream” is a slice of pure 00’s nostalgia with some great action but even better characters.
7/10
Birds of Prey stars Ashley Scott as Helena Kyle/Huntress, Dina Meyer are Barbara Gordon/Oracle, Rachel Skarsten as Dinah Redmond, Shemar Moore as Detective Jessie Reese, Mia Sara as Dr Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn and Ian Abercombie as Alfred Pennyworth.
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