Instances of Chaos 

This article contains spoilers about Jurassic World: Chaos Theory and Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous

The 2015 release of the movie, Jurassic World began a new era for the Jurassic franchise. One of my favorite additions to the franchise is the Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous (2020-2022) series. It follows the story of six kids left on Isla Nublar following the events of the 2015 Jurassic World incident. Darius, Kenji, Brooklyn, Yasmina, Sammy, and Ben or The Nublar Six, as they come to be known as have thrilling adventures over the course of the five seasons and the number of Jurassic easter eggs throughout are golden. If you haven’t watched it yet, I highly recommend it. It furthers the “world” of Jurassic World in a way that movies simply don’t have the time to do. The Nublar Six’s story has since been continued in a new series called Jurassic World: Chaos Theory. The new series is set six years after the events of Camp Cretaceous and offers new adventures with the same beloved characters from the first series. So far, two seasons have been released on Netflix with new seasons hopefully coming in the near future. 

With the title of the series being, “Chaos Theory”, it naturally implies the inherent unpredictability that is present. This is a world set post the events of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom where dinosaurs have been freed to live among humans. The words that Ian Malcolm spoke at the end of the film are now the reality and the consequences of that reality are becoming clear. 

 “Humans and dinosaurs are now gonna be forced to coexist. These creatures were here before us and if we’re not careful they’re gonna be here after. We’re gonna have to adjust to new threats that we can’t imagine. We’ve entered a new era, Welcome to Jurassic World.” (Ian Malcolm, Jurassic World: Fallen kingdom)

Three Times that Jurassic World: Chaos Theory Demonstrates its Name

The show explores the far-reaching and often unexpected impacts of this new reality, from illegal dinosaur trafficking to dinosaur immersion therapy to the general dinosaur disruption of everyday life. The Nublar Six, now young adults, must navigate this unstable world while unraveling a complex mystery, embodying Malcolm’s warnings about the unpredictability of life and the impossibility of attempting to control nature. By focusing on these themes, the series not only pays homage to the franchise’s philosophical roots but also provides a fresh perspective on the consequences of human interference with prehistoric life. 

1. The Blind Baryonyx

In season 2, the Nublar Six and a young girl named Zayna find themselves at one of Soyona Santos’s (The Broker) labs where she clones dinosaurs as part of her illegal dinosaur trafficking operation. While there, we meet Dr. Sarr, a worker of Soyona who creates The Leucistic Baryonyx, a genetically modified Baryonyx that was purposely created without sight so its other senses would be heightened and conditioned to respond to a series of snapping noises.

We have seen many times throughout the Jurassic films and series this idea of having control of the dinosaurs. In newer media, there are further instances of humans imposing supposed ‘control’ on dinosaurs. For example, look at the mind control on Mantah Crop island (Camp Cretaceous), Owen Grady’s research with the velociraptors, or The Handler’s whistle command for the Atrociraptors; this has been a rising occurrence throughout the new age of the Jurassic franchise. One that we see never pans out in favor of humans.

Dr. Ellie Satter’s words in the first Jurassic film come to my mind when I think of this continued cycle: “You never had control, that’s the illusion”. Dr. Sarr weaponized the Leucistic Baryonyx using the snap conditioning he had taught it but failed to foresee the intelligence of Red, Soyona’s Atrociraptor who was easily able to replicate the sounds and turn the Baryonyx against him. Illusions of control in a truly unpredictable system led to Sarr’s demise. 

2. The Department of Prehistoric Wildlife Being Corrupt 

Matters of the DPW were heavily showcased in the first season of Chaos Theory. A very interesting and necessary addition in a world full of dinosaurs and it was no surprise to viewers that Darius worked in the DPW with his love of dinosaurs. Naturally there was more to the DPW than what met the eye. The DPW were highly involved in The Broker’s illegal trafficking trade of dinosaurs. The corruption within the DPW introduces an element of unpredictability into the already complex system of managing prehistoric wildlife. What was intended to be a controlled environment becomes increasingly unstable due to the hidden agendas and illegal activities.

The DPW’s role in the world was presented as essential to the world. In the beginning of season 1, we see dinosaurs doing simple things like blocking roads, leading to DPW agents being sent out to aid the situation. The DPW’s corruption represents a breakdown of the established order, introducing chaos into a system that was meant to maintain control over prehistoric wildlife. This mirrors a central aspect of chaos theory: that systems can transition from orderly behavior to chaotic behavior under certain conditions.

In season 2, we find out that after the Nublar Six exposes the DPW’s involvement in illegal transport and selling of dinosaurs, the department has been dissolved into other federal entities.

3. Dinosaur Immersion Therapy

This is one aspect of the Chaos Theory world that I appreciate so much because it really shows a broad societal response to a world where dinosaurs live with humans. Not only that but Yasmina’s struggle with her mental health is something that she’s been battling since Mantah Corp island in Camp Cretaceous. There is something so realistic about this program’s inclusion in the series. We’d never see world building like this in the films. Dinosaur immersion therapy represents society’s attempt to adapt to the unpredictable presence of prehistoric creatures in the modern world. By attempting to help people cope with the presence of dinosaurs through structured therapy, the program represents an effort to create order from the chaos of human-dinosaur coexistence. This reflects the chaos theory principle that seemingly random or chaotic systems can have underlying patterns or order. 

There are many instances of programs/groups/attractions that are formed due to the initial condition of dinosaurs on the mainland. Besides the therapy program, you also have groups like Dinosaur Liberation Now (DLN) in season 2, the Department of Prehistoric Wildlife (season 1),  and King Dino’s Prehistoric Playland attraction that Sammy and Ben run into during season 1. All these things came into existence in response to dinosaurs. They are unintended consequences. 

Conclusion

Jurassic World: Chaos Theory demonstrates several instances of chaos theory, showcasing how small changes can lead to significant, unpredictable consequences. As a fan of the series, I’m excited to see how the story will progress in future seasons and how chaos theory will further play a role in this pre-Dominion timeline.

Sources

Leucistic Baryonyx: Jurassic World’s Blind Dinosaur Explained

The Broker and a Global Mystery Unravelled | Jurassic World Chaos Theory Season 2

Jurassic Park: The Novel

Jurassic Park (film)

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (film)

Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous (series)

Jurassic World: Chaos Theory (series)

Jurassic World: Chaos Theory