Apple TV+’s Prime Target opens with a captivating premise: a young Cambridge Ph.D. candidate, Edward Brooks (Leo Woodall), on the brink of a revolutionary mathematical discovery that could decode the world’s digital security systems. His work, involving prime numbers and cryptography, sets the stage for a gripping, high-stakes drama. Initially, the show’s blend of intellectual intrigue and espionage thrills promises something unique, but as the series unfolds, Prime Target falters, losing momentum and failing to live up to its potential.
In its opening episodes, the show strikes a perfect balance between the cozy, intellectual charm of Cambridge and the mounting tension of Edward’s discovery. The early pacing is engaging, as Edward’s work on prime numbers catches the attention of the wrong people, and he becomes entangled in a web of intellectual espionage. Enter Taylah Sanders (Quintessa Swindell), an NSA agent tasked with protecting Edward, and the stage is set for a thrilling race to safeguard Edward’s discovery — or stop it from falling into the wrong hands.
However, as the series progresses, it becomes clear that Prime Target struggles to maintain its initial spark. The show begins to lean heavily into the sort of intellectual espionage that feels more at home in a Dan Brown novel than on a modern streaming platform. The mystery behind Edward’s formula quickly devolves into repetitive exposition dumps, where characters read old notes, point at computer screens, and recite cryptic clues that feel more like filler than narrative progression. It’s clear that the writers are trying to keep the tension high, but the slow reveals and endless back-and-forth about the importance of prime numbers make the show feel sluggish.
The global espionage elements, which should serve as the show’s backbone, come off as forced and underwhelming. As Edward and Taylah travel from the UK to France, their journey feels more like an excuse for the show to hop between locations rather than a natural progression of the plot. The couple’s constant squabbles and their lack of expertise in covert operations only dampen the excitement. Instead of feeling like a thrilling, globe-spanning adventure, Prime Target turns into a series of missteps and half-baked plans, leaving the audience frustrated rather than exhilarated.
The character development is another area where the show falls short. Edward and Taylah are intriguing characters in theory, but their arcs feel underdeveloped. Edward, played by Woodall, embodies the trope of the brilliant yet socially awkward genius, and while Woodall’s performance is solid, the character’s motivations feel inconsistent. Taylah, portrayed by Swindell, starts with potential as a strong, no-nonsense NSA agent but is ultimately bogged down by the show’s clunky writing. Their chemistry is decent, but the emotional stakes in their relationship don’t have the depth to fully engage the audience. Their personal growth feels stalled amidst the increasingly tedious plot.
As for the supporting characters, they fare even worse. Professors, government agents, and various nefarious figures are little more than plot devices to push the story forward, often reduced to delivering exposition or acting as obstacles in the race to uncover Edward’s secret. The mystery surrounding the prime numbers and their potential to “unlock” the digital world is undeniably intriguing, but the characters surrounding that central premise fail to elevate the drama. This makes it difficult to invest in the stakes when the characters driving the story are so underdeveloped.
By the time Prime Target reaches its conclusion, the series has stretched itself thin. The tension that initially made the show promising dissipates as the plot meanders, weighed down by unnecessary melodrama and a lack of compelling new developments. While there are moments of brilliance — particularly when the show dives into the intellectual and mathematical aspects of Edward’s discovery — they are fleeting and overshadowed by the show’s many missteps. The pacing drags, the twists are predictable, and the big reveals land with a lackluster thud.
Ultimately, Prime Target squanders its fascinating premise. The concept of a mathematician uncovering a formula with world-altering consequences is compelling, but the show never fully embraces the potential of that idea. Instead of feeling like a mind-bending race against time, it becomes a drawn-out exercise in exposition, with characters who are more defined by their reactions than their actions. The show’s initial promise fades as it becomes bogged down in its own ambition, leaving a series that’s ultimately forgettable despite its intriguing start. It’s a missed opportunity to merge the cerebral with the thrilling, and what should have been a groundbreaking series instead fizzles out, feeling more like an unsolved equation than a world-changing breakthrough.
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
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