“Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous” Season 3 Review – One Of The Best Yet!

While Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous gave us a second season that was a bit wonky, the third outing decided to do a lot to connect to the large Jurassic World and Jurassic Park lore. In my opinion, Camp Cretaceous season 3 was one of the best JP/JW installments yet!

This review of Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous season 3 contains spoilers. You have been warned.

The wonky but enjoyable second season left the kids feeling determined to get off the island on their own. They were done waiting for adults to rescue them. The premiere episode of the third season opened with the kids on a little raft they created using Brooklyn’s limited experience. And while I was glad the group finally decided to make a raft, I knew it wasn’t going to work. Throughout the JP/JW franchise, we have seen that the waters around the islands are rough. A small raft wasn’t going to cut it. And it didn’t.

Another thing I appreciated about the opening scene was the kids being shown to be mature enough to realize they couldn’t take Bumpy with them. It was sad to see her being left behind. But it was for the best.

The premiere episode quickly showcased the current dynamics between the kids and what the narrative was going to explore throughout the season. Even though Yaz, Brooklyn, and Sammy had worked together quite well during the second season, Brooklyn and Yaz hadn’t spent much time with each other alone. I liked how awkward their interactions were without Sammy around. Even though the two had a lot in common (both girls had similar childhoods due to basically growing up as highly popular figures in their respective fields), they still couldn’t find a way how to have a proper conversation with each other.

As for the rest of the characters, Sammy and Kenji hit it off immediately. While Darius tried his best to be supportive through Ben’s emotional conundrum. As far as Ben’s concerned, he didn’t want to get off the island (after their raft failed). Apparently, the jungle had made him come out of his shell. He felt free. He also decided to stay with Bumpy, especially after how much she had helped him and the other children survive.

While I understood where Ben was coming from, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes every time he talked about wanting to stay on the island. If I were Darius, I would have knocked Ben unconscious and carried him to the boat (which I’ll get to in a bit). But it turns out Darius had a better plan. He wanted Ben to realize how insane he was being on his own. I laughed when Ben, after saying goodbye to his friends at the dock, jumped into the sea and swam to the boat.

Another big narrative theme featured in Camp Cretaceous season 3 dealt with the kids feeling insecure about their friendships. Were they still going to be friends once they got off the island? I think that was a legitimate question to ask. Once back in the normal world, they would be going off to different states and their lives before being stranded on the island. The insecurity even led to Yaz being very cold to Sammy. However, their disagreement was squashed during episode 6, ‘The Long Run’, where Yaz did everything she could to retrieve an antidote after Sammy got poisoned. In my opinion, that particular episode must have made Yaz and Sammy shippers incredibly happy. 

Talking about ships, I smiled when Camp Cretaceous season 3 featured a line from Brooklyn about whether or not Sammy might have a crush on Darius, Kenji, or Yaz. I know it was a single line, but it played a big role in showing that these kids were queer-inclusive when it came to possible crushes. It felt like a green light from the show’s writers for the fandom to ship as they pleased.

While certain relationships got mended or grew stronger, surprisingly, Darius and Kenji’s relationship soured. The two had become good friends over the course of the two seasons and seeing the third season’s finale showing a rift between them made me sad. Kenji didn’t like Darius putting Brooklyn’s life in danger. As far as Kenji’s concerned, you don’t risk a friend’s life over a laptop.

Even though I have talked a lot about relationships, that’s not to say the third season of Camp Cretaceous didn’t have other stuff going on. I was expecting season three to open with the kids already on Tiff’s boat (which she left behind after being killed by a couple of Baryonyx in season two). However, it was revealed they didn’t know about the boat at all until Sammy saw it anchored near the beach when she, Kenji, Yaz, and Brooklyn visited the lookout point (after their raft got destroyed).

However, finding the boat led to a couple of issues the kids had to address. Not only did they have to find an ample amount of fuel, but they also had to figure out a way to patch a hole on the side of the boat. Trying to collect the required resources and mending the boat took up most of the season’s running time. We also got to see the kids finally visiting a penthouse belonging to Kenji’s father. Apparently, he liked mermaids as a kid.

As for the big bad threat, we finally got to see the hybrid dinosaur that escaped back in season two after the cryogenic chamber lost power in room E750. The new dinosaur, called the Scorpius rex, was more or less what the fandom had theorized it would be during hiatus. Think of it as an uglier version of the Indoraptor from Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. Even though it wasn’t as smart as the Indoraptor, the Scorpius rex could shoot poisonous quills (that hit Sammy) and had the ability to reproduce asexually. The reveal that it had created another Scorpius rex was quite surprising.

Seeing the kids deciding to kill them both made me question their decision-making skills. But their stance made sense for the kind of characters they were. With two copies of the Scorpius rex wreaking havoc across the island, it was only a matter of time before they both hunted down every single dinosaur. So, Darius and the crew had to put a stop to them. The death of the two hybrids did feel anticlimactic, though.

Another surprise threat came in the form of Dr. Wu. I was not expecting him to ever set foot on the island again, but it happened. Accompanied by a team of mercenaries, Dr. Wu wanted his laptop because it contained valuable research data. Seeing the kids trying to get to the laptop before Dr. Wu was fun. The confrontation made for some interesting moments as Darius and Kenji butted heads over what to do with the laptop because it was their only bargaining chip to get Brooklyn back from Dr. Wu and the mercenaries.

I also liked Brooklyn trying to escape on her own. Even though her plan didn’t work, she still earned major points for trying. Her interactions with Dr. Wu put forth some interesting questions about morality and how far scientists should be willing to go to explore their curiosity. I’m looking forward to seeing such themes being featured in the upcoming Jurassic World: Dominion.

Sammy’s connection to Mantah Corp also came back, with a drone seeing the Scorpius rex before getting destroyed. I have no idea if Mantah Corp or these kids are going to exist in Jurassic World: Dominion. At least it’s been confirmed that Dr. Wu will return.

The series also continued to talk about the ecosystem involving the dinosaurs. While scary and huge, these creatures were still animals. With everyone keeping to their corners on the island, the kids surviving for six months kind of made sense. The kids didn’t venture off to where the carnivorous beasts lived while certain other dinosaurs had learned to ignore the kids. Everyone had found a place in the ecosystem until the Scorpius rex arrived and began messing up everything. The imbalance even caused the kids to be attacked by the herbivores Ouranosaurus and then a pack of carnivorous Monolophosaurus (even though they were supposed to wander around solo).

I do think that one of the things that made Camp Cretaceous season three highly enjoyable was the fact the writers did an impressive job of connecting it to the overall JP/JW lore. The scene that directly led to the opening T-rex and Mosasaurs attack in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom was impressively done. We also got a lot of sequences taking place in the Visitor’s Centre from the first Jurassic Park movie (including a fun Easter Egg featuring the kitchen). Blue got to play a bigger role as she learned to trust the kids for a bit and helped them during the Scorpius rex attack. All of the connections made sense and didn’t come across as forced. The series even played the original score.

While I liked said connections, of course, diehard JP/JW fans will be going through the timeline, the types of dinos on the island, and other narrative choices with a fine-tooth comb. I just want to know how the kitchen from Jurassic Park still had gas left for Kenji to turn on the stove to distract the Scropius rex.

As for the ending, I think it can work as a series finale, too, with the kids finally driving away from the island on the boat. These kids need a lot of rest and therapy. And even if they don’t remain fast friends once back home, I think they will continue to share a unique bond like the characters from the Resident Evil series. I say this because even if the Resident Evil characters like Chris, Leon, Claire, Jill, etc. don’t meet up for weekly lunch sessions, they have all gone through experiences that will bond them for life. And besides, these kids have social media. They should be able to continue remaining in contact without trouble.

While I do want these kids to finally catch a break, the writers might have other plans. The closing shot of the finale involved sinister dinosaur noises coming from inside the boat. At this point, I don’t know if a baby Scorpius rex found its way on the vessel or if it’s some other kind of dinosaur. Certain people in the fandom think that the stowaway dino will break loose or will destroy the boat’s internal system, causing the kids to be stranded on Site B or Isla Sorna (the island from Jurassic Park II and III). Or maybe it will be some other island?

Sigh! Let these kids go home!  

Before I close this review, I have to talk about Kenji growing facial hair. That was a nice touch to show the passage of time. However, I’m still confused about why Brooklyn’s pink hair dye hadn’t faded away.

What did you think of Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous season three? Do you have any theories about what happened to the mercenary woman after the helicopter crash? 

Let us know.

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The ten-episode Camp Cretaceous season 3 was released on Netflix on May 21, 2021. Each episode is around 22 minutes long.

Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

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