PRIMAL Creator Genndy Tartakovsky Explains That Shocking Season 3 Ending and Teases Its Anthology Future
Fans of Primal just got hit with another jaw-dropping finale, and now series creator Genndy Tartakovsky is finally opening up about what it all means. Between brutal twists, emotional payoffs, and one seriously unexpected return, Season 3 didn’t just push boundaries, it reshaped the entire story.
If you’re still processing what happened, you’re not alone, and as it turns out, Tartakovsky has been thinking way ahead about where the series could go next.
From the start, Primal has thrived on unpredictability. Season 2 already shocked fans by killing off Spear, a move that felt like a definitive ending. But Season 3 came in swinging by bringing him back in a haunting, zombie-like form and sending him on one more intense journey.
That finale lands in a very different place than expected and it reframes everything. The closing moments reveal that these events actually take place before the final scene of Season 2. Spear still meets his end, but thanks to the mysterious black elixir, he’s able to return long enough to witness his daughter grow up and carry on his legacy.
It’s a full-circle moment that hits harder the more you think about it. And for Tartakovsky, that sense of closure was the goal. He explained, “The way we tied it up. It was really nice. It’s a happy ending for once.”
That emotional payoff also connects back to how fans reacted to Season 2. Tartakovsky acknowledged the mixed feelings surrounding that earlier ending, saying:
“I think a lot of people, that’s what they were afraid of…not afraid of, but maybe sad wih he ending of the second season,” Tartakovsky began. “Because it’s kind of bittersweet, right? And I like bittersweet endings. I don’t like everything being so perfect. But in this case, the people, hopefully, have a pleasant surprise at the end.”
“Pleasant surprise” is one way to describe it. It’s rare for a show this brutal to land on something that feels genuinely hopeful.
But if you’re expecting more of Spear and Fang moving forward, it sounds like that chapter is officially closed.
Tartakovsky has been clear that he sees Primal evolving into something bigger than just one story. He reiterated that vision again, explaining, “At the end of Season 2, I talked about how I want to make Primal an anthology, and so I feel the same way. It is conclusive to me, in the same way that the second season was.”
That means future seasons, if they happen, could explore entirely new characters and settings while keeping the same raw, primal energy that made the show stand out.
Interestingly, one path he’s not interested in taking is continuing the story through Spear’s daughter. While that might seem like the obvious next step, Tartakovsky isn’t into it. He shared a pretty personal reason why:
“I definitely am very against making it about the daughter for some reason. I’m from a generation where we had Mad Max, then Road Warrior, and then Thunderdome, all of a sudden, there’s the Lost Kids, and it was just this bad taste of…it lost its edge.”
He added, “As a kid, I remember feeling that, so I think that’s somewhere in my head to not have that feeling.”
So instead of following a direct legacy sequel, Tartakovsky wants to keep things fresh and unpredictable. What’s exciting is that he’s not ready to walk away from the series at all. In fact, he’s thinking long-term:
“I want Primal to go forever, as long as I’m able to make stuff, I want to keep making different seasons of Primal. And…seeing if there’s an idea that can take over for Spear and Fang that’s just as good, but just slightly different.”
That opens the door to a whole new era for the series. New characters, new time periods, maybe even entirely different kinds of stories, all under the same brutal and emotional umbrella.
So while Spear and Fang’s journey may be finished, Primal itself feels far from over. If Tartakovsky finds the right idea, this show could keep reinventing itself in some really awesome ways.
Via: ComicBook