Crime
Prime Target
This math-centric thriller comes with an interesting premise. But Prime Target comes with some primary problems, too.
In Regency England, each summer marks the beginning of the “social season”—a time when every young marriage-minded person attends balls and parties, hoping to make an advantageous match.
For the ladies of the court, this means squeezing into corsets the size of “an orange and a half.” For the gentlemen, it means competing against dozens of other suitors for the affections of a desired maiden.
But for everyone, finding the right spouse means securing a financial future, raising your family’s social standing (because if you marry above your station, your parents and siblings will, naturally, be exposed to people of higher ranks as well), or, if you marry poorly, drowning your family in scandal or financial ruin for generations to come.
“Consider the household of the Baron Featherington,” we’re told. (Or rather, the late Baron Featherington.) His three young daughters all “came out” together two seasons ago (though his youngest, Penelope, would have been perfectly happy to sit out the season and immerse herself in books).
Hopes of marriage were nearly dashed for the sisters when it came out that their cousin, Marina Thompson, was pregnant out of wedlock. Then their father died suddenly, revealing that he had squandered the family funds and left his girls without dowries. And finally, after a disastrous run-in with the new Lord Featherington—the girls’ distant relative, Jack—the girls’ dowager mother took matters into her own hands. She secretly bumped off their relative, stole his fortune and married off her two eldest daughters, who are now both under pressure to produce an heir in order to keep the family title and estate.
Unfortunately, in her eagerness to save the family name, Lady Featherington neglected poor Penelope’s needs. Since she forced the girl to come out early with her sisters, Penelope is now in her third societal season and in great danger of becoming a spinster.
But Penelope isn’t the only young maiden desperate to find a husband. Cressida Cowper, a gossipmonger known for her biting remarks, is also in her third season. And while she’s never held Penelope in high regard (despite her attempts to marry the aforementioned Jack before he disappeared), she finds herself in competition with the younger woman for the affection of the season’s suitors.
Then there’s the household Bridgerton, “noted for its bounty of perfectly handsome sons and perfectly beautiful daughters,” we’re told. Eldest daughter, Daphne, managed to secure the much-sought-after Lord Hastings two seasons ago after Queen Charlotte herself declared the young woman “flawless.” The following season, eldest son Anthony pursued the Queen’s new “incomparable” debutante, Edwina, before unexpectedly falling in love with her older sister, Kate.
Now it’s time for sixth child Francesca to enter the fray. Unlike her siblings, she’s not so concerned with finding love, per se, as she is with finding someone who will allow her to pursue her passions—namely music. But that’s worrisome to her mother, who fears that Francesca will say “yes” to the first halfway decent man who proposes. And it’s even more troubling since, as the Queen’s newly minted “diamond,” she doesn’t have to settle for someone who’s just “good enough.”
But she’s not the only one the dowager Lady Bridgerton is concerned about. Fifth child Eloise, like her childhood friend Penelope, used to prefer books to balls. But after rumors nearly ruined her reputation last season, she’s taken on a new tack: If you can’t beat them, join them. She’s ditched Penelope (who was responsible for the rumors) in favor of Cressida, much to her mother’s chagrin. And now, she just wants to stop Penelope from “setting her cap” at Colin, another of Eloise’s brothers.
With so many moving pieces, one can hardly be expected to keep up with who is engaged to whom and whose prospects have sunk while others’ have risen. Luckily for the residents of Grosvenor Square, they’re all being reported by the Lady Whistledown in a widely distributed society paper.
Nobody knows for certain who Lady Whistledown is (except for viewers, though her identity plays a key role this season), but they are certain her information is correct. Which prompts nearly every family to keep their private scandals (such as an unmarried woman’s pregnancy and subsequent attempt at abortion, a baron’s secret mistress, gambling debts and more) private.
Alas, the same cannot be said of the show.
Bridgerton paints a portrait of how society’s obsession with marriage leads to quite a bit of pain. Instead of forging friendships, young women are pitted against each other for the affections of men. They’re encouraged to spread rumors and gossip because it may increase their chances if another young woman is ruined. And when they are kind to one another, it’s usually just superficial, something done to save face.
It’s a sad state of affairs for London’s ton, since they all claim to be Christians—or at least, they all want to be married in the church—because instead of joining together in brotherly love, they all scheme and plot to boost their own standing.
If you took Gossip Girl, combined it with Fifty Shades of Grey, and set it in 1813 England, you’d get Bridgerton. The time period, costumes and emphasis on marriage might be reminiscent of a Jane Austen novel, but the foul language and gratuitous sex scenes (not to mention the scandals taking place) would likely cause even Mr. Darcy’s jaw to drop.
(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.)
Francesca Bridgerton and other debutantes begin the social season with disappointment after the Queen declines to name any of them a “diamond.”
A married couple kisses and has sex. (We see them getting intimate in another scene as well.) Sheets and undergarments cover critical bits, but the woman’s nightgown is transparent. Women’s gowns show cleavage. We see a man’s bare chest as he changes shirts in a carriage.
Several young women swoon over a “dashing” young man. (One woman removes her glove and purposely drops it just to have him pick it up and kiss her hand as he returns it.) Later, the man flirts shamelessly with many women, telling them the stories of his travels are “not suitable” for their tender ears. Two married couples are pressured to produce heirs.
Several women gloat over the “good fortune” of having a rich, elder relative pass away, leaving them her money. (And we’re told this is a lie since the money actually came from a younger relative whose murder was covered up.)
Rude remarks and insults are exchanged. Cressida purposely steps on Penelope’s new dress, causing it to tear. People obsess over gossip, especially that conveyed in Lady Whistledown’s papers. People lie and eavesdrop. We see the fallout of a friendship ruined by lies and rumors. The Queen is rude to debutantes, yawning, rolling her eyes and otherwise displaying signs of boredom as they try to impress her.
Francesca, while not opposed to marriage, is very shy and anxious about entering society since it means she’ll be put on display. She plays Mozart’s “Funeral March” just before she’s presented to the Queen, worrying her mother. Two women lament how society pits them against one another for husbands instead of forging friendships.
Folks drink alcohol. We hear a single misuse of God’s name and one use of “d–n.”
As the social season comes to a close, the Sharmas worry whether Kate will recover from her riding accident, the Bridgertons recover from several scandals, the Featheringtons face financial ruin once again and Eloise finally discovers the identity of Lady Whistledown.
A woman nearly dies after being thrown from her horse. (She hits her head on a rock, requiring stitches and several days of bed rest.)
A couple makes out several times and has sex. (We see everything but their genitals.) A woman poses naked, her privates covered by a blanket, for an artist. We see several other nude paintings in the artist’s studio. We hear that a man was alone in a closet with a young woman and later see the woman adjusting her bosom. Another man proposes to a woman he had sex with in a previous episode. A man kisses the mother of his betrothed in an attempt to seduce her into betraying her daughters to poverty. Many gowns reveal cleavage.
People drink alcohol. A woman snorts an unknown substance occasionally.
God’s name is misused a few times. Characters lie and scheme (sometimes in misguided attempts to help others but more often for their own devious ends). They exchange cruel insults, gossip, spread rumors and act rudely towards anyone thought to be involved in a scandal. Only one woman has the courage to address the gossiping that occurs when families are in distress. A young woman is hurt when she overhears her friend (and crush) speaking ill of her to other young men.
Family members reconcile differences, apologizing for the pressures they’ve placed on each other over the years and promising to do better in the future.
Another social season begins, this time with Anthony and Eloise Bridgerton searching for suitable spouses.
A naked man (we see his backside) collects his clothes. He pays several prostitutes (with their bodies hidden by blankets). We see a statue of a naked man. Men make crude comments about women’s bodies and attractiveness. Several men consider it acceptable to cheat on their wives (though one is criticized for “flaunting” his mistresses). We hear a man had a child out of wedlock. A woman hides letters in her bodice. We see another woman in her undergarments, which highlight her cleavage.
A woman manipulates the recent death of her husband to make people feel sorry for her. There is a casual, almost crass way of talking about people who have recently died. People generally treat women as objects. Characters lie. Many thinly veiled insults are exchanged. Many marital matches are made because of money rather than love.
People drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes and pipes. We hear the term “a–e” as well as the rude names “rake” and “chit.” Someone is called a “devil-doll.”
The Featherington and Bridgerton families begin the social season hoping to find good marriages for their children.
An unwed couple has sex a few times and we see partial nudity (though nothing critical). We see several young women getting laced into corsets and cleavage is on display. An unmarried woman realizes she is pregnant. We hear about a failing marriage.
A man grabs a woman with the intent of raping her, but she punches him and knocks him out. One woman slaps another across the face.
A woman is pressured to tighten her corset and later faints because she can’t breathe. (We also see that one woman’s corset cut into her back.) Another woman is criticized for her weight and blemishes on her skin. People drink, smoke and gamble. One girl purposely spills her drink on another to embarrass her. People gossip about the virtue of some women. We hear the f-word, “b–ch” and “d–n.”
Emily studied film and writing when she was in college. And when she isn’t being way too competitive while playing board games, she enjoys food, sleep, and geeking out with her husband indulging in their “nerdoms,” which is the collective fan cultures of everything they love, such as Star Wars, Star Trek, Stargate and Lord of the Rings.
This math-centric thriller comes with an interesting premise. But Prime Target comes with some primary problems, too.
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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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