.png)
When we’re introduced to Edward Brooks (Leo Woodall), “Prime Target’s” protagonist, we’re told he’s a brilliant postgraduate mathematician. So brilliant, that he makes a major breakthrough in finding a significant pattern of prime numbers within the series’ first episode, setting off a chain of events that will change his life forever. Like most people who meet him, Edward’s mentor, Robert Mallinder (David Morrissey) is fascinated and perturbed by his mentee and the work he’s conducting. There’s a clear tension between them that thinly conceals the jealousy present in Robert, who eventually steals Edward’s work and flees into the night.
But perhaps there’s something more to Robert’s apprehension towards Edward. He looks at him sometimes as if he’s seeing a younger version of himself, but also like he’s watching a monster be created. It’s clear that someone else feels similarly about the work both the mathematicians are doing, with both Robert and Edward being watched through hidden cameras and CCTV footage. Eventually, Edward is forced to go on the run as he’s hunted down by spies from varying continents, who attempt to kill him before he can truly understand the breadth of his work.
Despite this, Edward’s newfound recklessness never aids in any intrigue. As the lead in Apple TV+’s new series, he is neither written well enough nor played particularly strongly to warrant any interest beyond the central relationships he finds himself at the center of. Woodall delivers each bloated line with a woodenness fitting of his name, making “Prime Target” more grating with each episode. Never has mathematics been this boring, not even when written on a chalkboard in elementary school after you’ve come in from recess.
Instead of actually showing the audience how smart Edward is, beyond him haphazardly scribbling numbers down on pieces of paper, we’re instead forced to hear characters relay this to him. They’re drawn to him for no apparent reason, seemingly infatuated with his rudeness for reasons we’re never fully given room to understand. It’s as if the series is dedicated not to creating a good show but instead to creating a story that does not warrant any interest and a protagonist that, with each utterance, forces your eyes to glaze over.
Edward is surrounded by people far more interesting than him, and their intrigue in him never quite makes sense. There’s Taylah (Quintessa Swindell), a young spy who tries to rescue Edward from the agents who are trying to kill him, and Adam (Fra Fee), a bartender who has a one-night stand with Edward. They become increasingly more fascinated with our protagonist, often putting themselves in harm’s way because of their dedication to him. The problem is that “Prime Target” only feels salvageable when Edward shares the screen with these two. Woodall’s position as a leading man falters when he’s onscreen alone.
The series hits its peak when Edward’s wooden exterior is chipped away by the brashness of Taylah, and Adam’s soothing voice. The problem is, just when it seems like the show threatens to get good, it doubles back and becomes a muddled mix of conspiracy thriller, drama, and political thriller. While some series succeed at juggling each of these elements, this one doesn’t seem fully interested in any of these genres. Instead, it’s interested in pieces of what goes into a series of this scale. Because of this, “Prime Target” feels so fragmented that it ultimately becomes a hollow shell of a series.
This is unfortunately becoming common as the streaming era treks on; series with little to no understanding of the layers that go into making an engaging television show. For an audience to be captivated by each episode, there need to be stakes and weight present within the show’s narrative. While each chase sequence Edward and Taylah go on makes you feel like there should be some sense of tension, there is little opportunity to emotionally invest in Edward, the characters who orbit him, and the bloated mess they’ve gotten themselves into. Along with this, the show blatantly wastes a talented supporting cast featuring Martha Plimpton and Harry Lloyd, which is a sin egregious enough on its own.
Towards the end of the series, a character utters, “Nothing’s ever clean is it? There’s always a cost.” But in “Prime Target,” these costs are neither big enough nor interesting enough to be truly felt. Ultimately, this new attempt at a conspiracy thriller is myopically preoccupied with appearing smarter than it is. It unravels at a pace so rapid it appears like it’s afraid that it won’t get renewed for a second season, forcing it to bypass any significant character development or intrigue. In a market where thrillers like this are produced by the dozen, Apple TV+’s newest series fails to carve out a place for itself within the larger television canon.
All episodes were screened for review.
from Roger Ebert https://ift.tt/Ai6mqnJ
.png)
