Primeval: New World opened last week with a simultaneously promising and uninspiring pilot, and if it’s hardly turned into a classic, Episode 2 does show improvement.

Opening with a creature attack on two scientific surveyors out on boats – a sequence which could have been tense and exciting were it not for the insistence on superfluous fast-forwards and time-lapse shots – this week’s ep is far more focussed than the pilot, and probably more closely resembles the show we’ll be getting going forward.

With the team pretty much established, there’s room for some guest stars to fill the hour with. And so, as a giant, prehistoric sea-snake comes through an underwater anomaly, young Native American Leo John believes it to be a mythical creature from his people’s ancient legends. Leo’s Uncle Ray, meanwhile, is protesting an oil refinery nearby that he believes is polluting the bay.

While it’s nice to see Primeval: New World making room for some guests – something the British version never really took to – the characterisation of Uncle Ray feels lazy and, frankly, his presence is unnecessary. Leo, at least, is involved with the hunt for the Titanoboa, and the idea that his people’s myths and legends were based on creatures from anomalies in the past is a nice one.

The sea-serpent itself is another triumph of CGI, and a very menacing threat. The mechanics of how it hears and hunts are sadly confused and muddled (it sees by sound, but apparently only hears what the script wants it to hear), but that doesn’t take away from the fantastic visuals.

Much more coherent than the pilot, there are still sloppy moments in the plot and script that detract from what could be an effective creature feature.

Why, for example, does lead Evan Cross follow the gigantic snake into a sewer tunnel, alone and completely unarmed? What is he hoping to achieve? Having the character acknowledge that “I’m probably going to regret this” doesn’t get the script off the hook for manoeuvring him into danger just because the show needs a set-piece. It doesn’t feel organic, and the writers need to tighten things like that up if the show is to really thrive.

Still, on the whole this is a fun, exciting and even scary yarn. There’s a nice discussion between female lead Dylan and her cop friend, as he urges her to omit the bits about dinosaurs in her reports, lest she end up losing her job or wind up in a mental institution. Their scenes almost have an X-Files, Mulder/Scully feel to them, with Dylan the believer and Det. Harlow the sceptic.

Speaking of which, there’s more than a little Mulder to Geoff Gustafson’s oddball Ken Leeds, too, and Ange’s attempts to deal with him continue to be fun. Danny Rahim’s Mac is thus far the weak link; his stilted performance distinctly more forced than any of his co-stars, who are all settling in nicely, even if none of their characters are particularly deep thus far.

It’s still not perfect, but the dialogue is becoming less clunky on the whole; the exposition less obvious. A little more thought into the plots and scripts wouldn’t go amiss, but if the creature-feature aspects are always done this well, then Primeval: New World is just about worth sticking with for now.

Aired at 9pm on Tuesday 15 January 2013 on Watch.

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