Abby Meta - part 13. Episode 2.7

[deinonychus_1]

Series 2, episode 7

Abby and Connor are being held in a cell in Leek’s base. Leek and a soldier bring Caroline in, and Abby catches onto the truth extremely quickly. She tells Connor, “For someone really smart, you can be amazingly thick sometimes.”

While Leek mocks Connor, Abby alternately watches Leek, and glares at Caroline. Then she cuts to the chase: “Where’s Rex?” When Caroline replies, “Who cares?” it’s more than enough to make Abby walk over and grab Caroline and deliberately pick a fight. Abby tells Caroline she’s going to enjoy this as they square off against each other. Throughout the fight they actually seem fairly evenly matched, trading punches and kicks and grapples until Connor eventually pulls them apart and holds Abby. When Caroline thanks him, he tells Caroline that he didn’t do it for her.

This fight has been coming ever since episode 2.2. When it finally happens, it isn’t about Connor, it’s about the fact that both women have hated each other for some time, and Rex provides the excuse Abby has been looking for. The outcome of the fight itself is inconclusive, but it doesn’t matter – they’ve both got it out of their systems finally.

Leek shows Abby, Connor, Caroline and Jenny the cage room. Caroline’s terrified reaction prompts Abby to ask, “You didn’t know?” and she seems to thaw a fraction towards the other woman. Then she sees Rex in one of the cages, and runs over and tries to touch him, but they are separated by some sort of electrical force field.

Back in the cell, Abby and Connor talk about Caroline, and Abby claims she knew there was ‘something fake’ about her, because she always acted so ‘lovey dovey’ but never let Connor kiss her. Connor reveals that actually they did kiss, just not when Abby was around. Abby doesn’t even try to hide her surprise, and asks, “Well, couldn’t you tell she was faking it?” Connor’s lack of response and embarrassed expression tells Abby all she needs to know, and she simply comments, “Never mind,” and drops the subject.

Abby seems both surprised at the implications for Connor’s inexperience, and at the same time completely resigned to the fact that he is a socially inept relationship disaster zone. This is also the closest Abby comes to saying ‘I told you so’ about Caroline.

Abby, Connor, Jenny and Caroline are put into a large room and the sabre-tooth cat is let in. When Caroline tries to run, Abby grabs her and pulls her back to the group, saying that it will pick off any stragglers first. Then, however, Abby breaks away from the cluster and begins to approach the cat, staring right at it. She says it has to decide whether she’s dangerous or not. Presumably the fact that she isn’t acting afraid and is staring it down might make it hesitate, at least for a while (although see darkhorse_99’s meta about Abby and the animals for an alternative view on this). Nevertheless, once it has made its mind up, Abby knows it will eat her. She backs away from the others, leading the cat away from them, and ducks at the last second when it pounces. Luckily the doors open at that moment, and they all run. Abby protests, “What about Cutter?” but Connor is pulling her away, and Jenny insists Cutter will be okay.

Out of the four people in the group, Abby knows she is the most competent fighter, and also the one most able to read animal body language, and so she takes charge of the situation. She is presumably hoping to buy some time by keeping the cat occupied and away from the others for as long as possible, although her plan doesn’t seem to go much further than that, and unless she gets extremely lucky, she appears to know that it’s ultimately a suicidal plan.

They find Rex on the way out, although he does get injured and almost left behind. Abby seems genuinely grateful to Caroline when she is the one who brings Rex out and shows concern for his welfare. It’s hardly a ‘forgive and forget’ moment, but, whatever her feelings about the woman now, Abby appreciates the gesture.

At Stephen’s funeral, Caroline approaches Abby and Connor and tries to apologise, but neither of them respond. As they walk away, Abby seems to reach for Connor’s hand, but he doesn’t notice, and Abby quickly pulls her hand away and also physically pulls away from him, creating a wider gap where before they had been walking very close beside each other. It may have been simply an attempt to offer mutual comfort given the circumstances, or it may have been something more. As we can’t see their expressions, it’s impossible to tell.


Link to part 12 - episode 2.6
Link to part 14 - episode 3.1

Comments

[kristen-mara.livejournal.com]

I'm not a fan of the Caroline/Abby catfight, but it was interesting to read your thoughts on it.

It was also interesting that we didn't get to see Abby and Connor being told of Stephen's death. There have been some very angsty fic scenes where Abby considers the last conversation she and Stephen had, and all the 'what if's and shock over the toll of Leek & Helen's scheme.

Thanks for the Abby insights

[deinonychus-1.livejournal.com]

I'm not a huge fan of the catfight either, and it largely seems to be the payoff for that scene in 2.4 when they were kickboxing and Caroline critisised Abby's technique.

[fredbassett]

I remember the little moment in the graveyard. It did seem to epitomise Abby's fear of getting close to anyone.

[deinonychus-1.livejournal.com]

I don't know what is supposed to be going in that last scene, to be honest. Whether it is supposed to show Abby might be open to the poosibility of a relationship with Connor, whether it's merely comfort, or whether Connor ignores her deliberately or is simpy oblivious.

[nietie.livejournal.com]

The "meepiest" episode of Primeval. That scene at Stephen's funeral was so heartbreaking, especially the subtle interaction between Abby and Connor. It shows they still have a long way to go before they have a true relationship.

[deinonychus-1.livejournal.com]

meepiest! Lol! But yes, I don't think either of them are in the best place to be thinking rationally about a relationship at this point, with Connor dealing with Caroline's betrayal and lies, and both of them grieving Stephen. They're certainly not going to be jumping into bed together any time soon.

[freddiejoey.livejournal.com]

Lovely meta. Thanks.

[deinonychus-1.livejournal.com]

thanks.

[natchris.livejournal.com]

Great episode review.

[deinonychus-1.livejournal.com]

thanks.

[darkhorse-99.livejournal.com]

This meta series of yours is terrific. That final scene at the funeral always grabs me when I watch it. They're both so alone and so unsure of reaching out, Connor also has to deal with Caroline's betrayal in addition to everything else.

Everyone always plays him for a patsy, Caroline took advantage of him, Burton took advantage of him. If there is a series 6 I would expect Connor to be a lot more leery of strangers being nice. Which is kind of sad.

[deinonychus-1.livejournal.com]

thanks! I do wish we had seen more emotional fallout from the stuff with Caroline, with Connor perhaps being more guarded and reluctant to trust people, but he just carried on pretty much as before.

[clea2011]

It's a sad episode, but I always find that little scene in the churchyard at the end very poignant.

[deinonychus-1.livejournal.com]

it's a bitersweet little scene, expecially when it is Abby reaching for Connor, and Connor not responding, because that is a complete about-turn on everything that has characterised their relationship until this point.

[lsellersfic.livejournal.com]

I've never really known what to make of that final scene of them after the funeral. At the time I interpreted it as implying the were moving towards a relationship - but S3 rather undermined that interpretation.

[deinonychus-1.livejournal.com]

I had also hoped it was leading somewhere relationship-wise, but as you say, it didn't. Actually, though, in the first couple of episodes of series 3 Abby does seem to be making positive moves towards Connor, but then in the aftermath of Cutter dying, and with Jack turning up, that all fell by the wayside again.

[celeste9]

That part in the graveyard always made me so sad, I just wished they could come together and comfort each other, regardless of whether it was a romantic thing or just friendship.

And I admit I agreed with what darkhorse_99 said about Abby and the cat, I'm not an expert but it just seemed to me such a threatening thing to do.

[deinonychus-1.livejournal.com]

it would have been nice to see them comforting each other after everything they have been through. I guess that's what fic is there for!

I know pretty much nothing about animal behaviour, so I had originally assumed it was a good thing to do to try to intimidate the cat. But I'll quite happily go with darkhorse_99's asssesment that it was actually an incredibly bad plan.

[knitekat.livejournal.com]

Great meta. I'm not a fan of the fight, it just seemed... I don't know, off somehow?

The bit with the cat is strange too, it just seems a very risky thing to do.

[deinonychus-1.livejournal.com]

the girlfight isn't my favourite bit at all, but it was bound to happen sooner or later. It's just a shame it came down to an *actual* fight, rather than Abby gaining a moral victory over Caroline in some way.

[knitekat.livejournal.com]

I agree that some confrontation was going to happen, but it just seemed so... staged.

[judithjohn.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much for all your hard work with this meta

[deinonychus-1.livejournal.com]

thanks. It's getting there... slowly!

[reggietate.livejournal.com]

I always wondered if they were originally intending to bring Caroline back in S3, else why that scene with her at the funeral.

Probably another thing that fell by the wayside in the wake of Dougie's departure :-(

Edited for iconfail! ;-)

[deinonychus-1.livejournal.com]

I'm not so sure about Caroline coming back, I wonder if that scene at the funeral was more about showing that she wasn't really all bad, and also showing Connor's reaction to her - that he isn't desperate or gullible enough to take her back after what has happened.

It's possible, I suppose, that she might have come back at some point, and it would be interesting to see how Connor might have reacted to her in series 3, or even series 4, when things weren't going so well with Abby.

[dreamer-98.livejournal.com]

Glad Abby finally got to whip on Caroline, although as you mentioned, they were pretty evenly matched.

I don't think anything could make Abby forgive Caroline for her actions but Caroline's concern about Rex at the end is probably the only thaw in Abby's feelings about her.

The end at the funeral with Abby and Connor walking away is interesting, as it now seems that Connor is the one rejecting Abby's advance at comfort. He might not have noticed it, or maybe he saw and avoided her deliberately. Whatever the case, it caused even more of a distance between the two characters, physically and emotionally.

[deinonychus-1.livejournal.com]

I really can't tell in that final scene whether Connor deliberately ignores Abby reaching for him, or whether he simply doesn't notice it. Unfortunately, it probably took a lot of courage for Abby to make that gesture, so she'd probably pull away and try to pretend it didn't happen to avoid being embarassed if Connor didn't actually respond.

[cordeliadelayne]

Excellent write-up!

[deinonychus-1.livejournal.com]

thanks!