Crime
Prime Target
This math-centric thriller comes with an interesting premise. But Prime Target comes with some primary problems, too.
From the outside looking in, Helen and Wallace Webb are the picture of a perfect relationship. They’ve been married nearly a decade. They have two children. They host elaborate parties for smiling guests.
But on the inside, things aren’t what they seem.
The truth is, Helen’s marriage to Wallace is—at least on her end—a strategic choice. He’s the defense secretary for the United Kingdom. She’s a member of the Black Doves, a spy organization that steals information and sells it to the highest bidder. And her intimate connection to Wallace has secured the organization valuable British secrets time and time again.
But as for love, Helen’s heart was taken by Jason, her hidden affair for the last three months. Unfortunately, Jason takes a bullet from an unseen assassin. It seems that, like Helen, Jason also had secrets.
Helen is distraught. She’s also in danger, because whoever assassinated Jason is sure to want to tie up any “loose ends” connected to him. That’s why the Black Doves bosses decide to bring in top hitman Sam to covertly protect Helen and her family.
That’s all well and good to Helen. She and Sam are old friends, and she knows how effective he is with a gun. That’s also why Helen doesn’t merely want his help protecting her family.
She wants his help to track down the people who killed her lover. And when he does, she’ll put as many bullets into the perpetrators as necessary.
Netflix’s new spy thriller Black Doves stars Keira Knightley as a different sort of pirate than the ones in Pirates of the Caribbean. Rather than stealing treasures of gold, she loots treasures of information.
When Helen first joined the Black Doves organization, she was well aware of the dangers than came with the gig. So allow me to give you, the reader, the same treatment by telling you what dangers come with watching this show.
The most obvious concern is its violence. Many people, men and women alike, meet grisly ends at the receiving end of various firearms. And those pulling the triggers are often covered in the blood of their victims. Innocents get strung along for the ride, too.
Sex is a prime topic in the show. In the moments we follow Sam, it’s typically to explore his homosexuality—something we’re introduced to via a gay sex scene between him and another man (backside nudity revealed). Other gay characters star in the show, too.
The problematic content goes on, too, including drug use and heavy language.
In fact, I think all that content combined is heavy enough to prevent Black Dovesfrom taking flight altogether.
(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at [email protected], or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)
When Helen’s lover is assassinated, her spy organization fears that she faces the same threat. Helen begins her search for the killer.
Someone gets stabbed in the thigh, and a woman dies after getting shot with a shotgun, which sprays her blood across another person’s face. A woman lies dead in her own blood after someone slices her throat. Someone chokes a man to death. A third man gets shot in the chest by a sniper and bleeds out. A woman gets shot and killed offscreen. Someone appears, covered in blood.
A man flirts with Sam, and they have sex—one man’s rear is visible. Sam also visits another gay couple who ask Sam about a previous homosexual relationship. Two men use a surrogate to obtain a baby. Helen’s affair with Jason is revealed, and we see flashes of them intimately holding each other. A brief flash depicts them having sex, though nothing is shown. Helen learns that her husband likewise sends flirtatious texts to a woman at work. A man and woman kiss.
Men snort ketamine. At a Christmas party, people drink various types of alcohol. Someone smokes a cigarette. We’re told that someone died of a drug overdose. People vape.
The f-word is used more than 30 times, and the s-word is used once. A crude word for the male anatomy is heard twice. We also hear one instance of “h—,” “p-ss” and “bloody.” God’s name is used in vain three times, and Jesus’ name is likewise used in vain three times.
Kennedy Unthank studied journalism at the University of Missouri. He knew he wanted to write for a living when he won a contest for “best fantasy story” while in the 4th grade. What he didn’t know at the time, however, was that he was the only person to submit a story. Regardless, the seed was planted. Kennedy collects and plays board games in his free time, and he loves to talk about biblical apologetics. He thinks the ending of Lost “wasn’t that bad.”
This math-centric thriller comes with an interesting premise. But Prime Target comes with some primary problems, too.
In Netflix’s new anime series Babanba Banban Vampire, a 450-year-old vampire longs for the untainted blood of a 15-year-old boy.
Severance takes us on an unsettling ride—one with few thrilling loops and dips, but strange turns that may still make you a little queasy.
What’s shown here may be reminiscent of what real police officers have seen on the job. I’m not sure the show’s message is strong enough to justify depicting it.
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