I've discovered yet another guilty pleasure: Primeval.

I watched Series 1 back in early 2007 and wasn't very impressed. An overabundance of bad CGI monsters does not a good show make, but still, there was something, something undefinable, that ensured that I watched all six episodes instead of throwing my hands up and giving up after the pilot.

Maybe it was the central, unmistakable OTP of Nick Cutter and Stephen Hart, I don't know. Young, dynamic professor with an open mind, accompanied by his attractive lab technician/best friend/right hand man. Their easy friendship and trust drew me in, and so of course the twist at the end of the season finale, the betrayal, came as a shock. Stephen had had an affair with Cutter's wive, eight years ago, shortly before she disappeared.

Still, I only watched Series 1 once, made a superficial search for readable slash fanfic (in vain), and forgot all about it.

Until Series 2.

I'd put off watching the new episodes for several months (only too clearly recalling the overwhelming urge to roll my eyes at the CGI monsters), and only about a week ago got around to finally return to the wacky British version of Jurassic Park.

I'd pretty much forgotten about the canon het ships Claudia/Nick and Abby/Stephen and so was frankly relieved to be spared too many references to either.

What wasn't so easy to ignore, however, was the impact that the rift between Stephen and Cutter had on their friendship. Too much time spent in the NCIS fandom (and having to deal with Gibbs, canonically a bastard) made certain that my sympathies lay firmly on Stephen's side. His growing isolation from the team and Nick Cutter's decision to treat him as a stranger practically pushed him into Helen Cutter's arms. When he started listening to her conspiracy theories and allowed himself to be manipulated I consequently didn't blame him, but Cutter instead.

Then came the season finale of Series 2, and I loudly dubbed Cutter a moron. I think I laughed about the scripts, and of course the special effects, and the foreseeability of it all. So Stephen had sacrificed himself? Too bad; he'd been good eye-candy.

I might have left it at that if not for lj. A subsequent research into Primeval-centric communities led me to tons of (usually short) fanfiction that either attempted to get into Cutter and/or Stephen's heads during their spiral towards the end, or else painted painfully beautiful pictures of their past friendship.

Only then did I see the finale - and Stephen's death - as a tragedy, and with that changed viewpoint came a manic headlong dive into the internet in the hopes of finding a magical fannish fix-it.

Unsurprisingly, I was only moderately successful. A few authors had written stories bringing back Stephen, but well-written novel-length fanfic? Not a chance. I read all I could get my fingers on and saved what was readable.

Would someone mind explaining to me why the only fandom worth delving into at ff.net is Lord of the Rings? Because seriously - all other fandoms in which there's been something posted to ff.net? Are a disappointment.

I read through primeval_slash, primeval_fanfic, primeval_denial, primeval_itv, The ARC, and will have to add anomaly_news to my regular comm check. Most of all, however, I am stuck on evil_demandred's Stephen/Nick songvid "Breathe Me" and am already cursing the news regarding Series 3. I want Stephen back, damnit!

When will TPTB ever understand that their non-teenaged viewers just might watch a show because of its characters and their interaction and not because of its thrilling monster-of-the-week chases?

Stupid, stupid show. Now I'm all depressed. :::sniff:::