Notice: All forms on this website are temporarily down for maintenance. You will not be able to complete a form to request information or a resource. We apologize for any inconvenience and will reactivate the forms as soon as possible.

Prime Target

Credits

Cast

Network

Reviewer

Paul Asay

Jump to:

Episode Reviews

TV Series Review

“Math nerds are probably the most dangerous people on the planet.”

So says Taylah Sanders, a young employee for the National Security Agency tasked with monitoring those math nerds. And they live some surprisingly interesting lives.

Take Edward Brooks, a brilliant mathematics graduate student at Cambridge. How do we know he’s brilliant? Someone mentions it at least every 15 minutes or so. But his brilliance has led him into some dangerous waters: the world of prime numbers.

That’s right: 1, 3, 5, 7, 11 … No, no. Best look away now. Before you, too, are chased by murder-minded terrorists.

What—You’re Still Reading? Well, Don’t Say We Didn’t Warn You

Edward does think himself rather clever. Studying at Cambridge University—yes, that Cambridge, where Sir Isaac Newton set the mathematics world in new motion—Edward believes that the study of math has some grand new discoveries lurking in the shadow of well-known numbers and trig signs. “(New) numbers are out there, just waiting to be found, like vast, hidden continents.”

He believes that people have not looked into the mysteries of prime numbers nearly enough. Even though the world is built around numbers neatly divisible, nature leans into the primes. And those prime numbers, Edward believes, may be the key to unlocking the secrets of the universe itself.

“What if God’s cipher here on earth—the DNA of existence—is actually prime numbers?” he asks his mentor, Professor Mallinder.

Mallinder knows that his brilliant (everyone says so) student is onto something. He knows because another brilliant student of his was on the same path 30 years before. Oh, and hey, she mysteriously died. Forces untold aren’t so much interested in prime numbers as “God’s cypher,” but rather a key to unlock every computer encryption known to man.

You wouldn’t want something like that falling into the wrong hands, would you?

Taylah—she of the NSA—knows someone is after Edward’s prime-number theories. Why? Because Professor Mallinder also died mysteriously just a few days ago. And when Taylah brought it up to her boss, that boss was promptly gunned down.

So now, Taylah takes it upon herself to save Edward and whatever secret knowledge he has rattling around in his head … before both he and she meet unfortunate fates of their own.

Prime-al Leer

Prime Target feels like an Apple TV+ misfire.

Certainly, we see plenty of plot holes that seem out of place in a show predicated on advanced mathematics. And both Edward and Taylah—despite being nicely telegenic and all—are rather unappealing as characters.

But Prime Target comes with other issues, as well.

Edward’s true love may be math, but he’s not above a physical tryst or two. He falls into a casual relationship with a (seemingly) clueless male bartender in the first episode—one that swiftly lands them both in bed. But he may not be that particular about who he sleeps with: When the bartender asks if Edward’s parents know he’s gay, Edward tells him “I’m not anything.” Which suggests that if the bartender had been a woman, Edward might’ve just happily bedded her, too.

The show labels itself a thriller, so we shouldn’t be surprised that bodies are beginning to pile up like snow in North Dakota. And while Prime Target seems to try to keep things to a PG-13 level, some of the deaths we see can feel R-rated bloody.

Foul language, while not ubiquitous, can still be harsh when we hear it. S-words and an occasional f-word speckle the dialogue, with some more mild profanities folded in.

Give Apple TV+ credit: It’s not every streaming service that would give its viewers a thriller predicated on “math nerds.” But Prime Target serves up some Prime problems. And, as we know, those sorts of negatives rarely add up to be positive.

(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.)

Episode Reviews

Jan. 22, 2025 – S1, E1: “A New Pattern”

Edward tells his mentor, Prof. Robert Mallinder, that he’s exploring the significance of prime numbers—suggesting that they might prove to be “God’s cypher” on Earth. Mallinder seems to scoff at Edward’s theories, telling him that they’re strictly for the “tinfoil hat mob.” But then he breaks into Edward’s room, steals his research and promptly burns it—suggesting that Mallinder’s not so much dismissive of Edward’s work as he is threatened by it.

In an opening sequence, a massive explosion rips through downtown Baghdad, blowing several people backward and leaving many seriously injured. A woman and her daughter fall through a weakening floor—their fates unknown. A man is found dead in his car, and the authorities presume it’s suicide. (We see the lifeless body.)

Edward and a male bartender flirt at a bar and, later, go to bed together. When the bartender tries to discuss Edward’s sexuality, Edward suggests he’s more interested in math than anything else. We see the bartender shirtless. There’s a hint that Mallinder may have had an affair with someone decades earlier. Characters drink wine and other alcoholic beverages.

We hear characters say the s-word about four times. The word “h—” is also used.

Jan. 22, 2025 – S1, E2: “Syracuse”

The primary storyline switches to the south of France, where Taylah and a small band of NSA agents monitors Europe’s most brilliant mathematical minds. But when Taylah sees Mallinder and his car disappear behind a metal garage door—the last time he was seen alive by anyone—the security footage around the area all cuts out at the same time. And when Taylah reports the anomaly to her supervisor, who dutifully reports it up the chain, the supervisor soon winds up dead.

That death is a bloody one: He’s standing outside when he’s shot in the head by a sniper. Taylah, who was talking with him at the time, is forced to run and dive into the water as bullets pepper the liquid.

Back in Cambridge, Edward breaks into Mallinder’s office in an effort to get his research back. When he finds that research destroyed, he starts to destroy the office—and is promptly thrown out of Cambridge for his tantrum.

A guy hits on Taylah, and Taylah surmises that the Frenchman has already slept with most of the women in town. Someone offers to get a friend drunk. Edward tries to make amends with his jilted bartender lover. We learn of two mysterious suicides connected to the research of prime numbers. Characters say the f-word once, the s-word twice and utter the word “h—.”

The Plugged In Show logo
Elevate family time with our parent-friendly entertainment reviews! The Plugged In Podcast has in-depth conversations on the latest movies, video games, social media and more.

paul-asay
Paul Asay

Paul Asay has been part of the Plugged In staff since 2007, watching and reviewing roughly 15 quintillion movies and television shows. He’s written for a number of other publications, too, including Time, The Washington Post and Christianity Today. The author of several books, Paul loves to find spirituality in unexpected places, including popular entertainment, and he loves all things superhero. His vices include James Bond films, Mountain Dew and terrible B-grade movies. He’s married, has two children and a neurotic dog, runs marathons on occasion and hopes to someday own his own tuxedo. Feel free to follow him on Twitter @AsayPaul.

Latest Reviews

Animation

Dead Sea Squirrels

Some 2,000-year-old squirrels offer some great lessons about both the Bible and life in this clever new Minno series.

goldie
Animation

Goldie

Goldie’s about a very, very big girl. The show’s heart is pretty big, too, while its problems are refreshingly tiny.

Crime

Burden of Guilt

Unlike some true crime shows, Burden of Guilt steers clear of exploiting victims of tragedy. But its disturbing subject matter might not be for everyone.

Comedy

Cobra Kai

The Gen X-targeted nostalgia bait revisits Daniel and Johnny’s rivalry from The Karate Kid … 34 years later.

Want to stay Plugged In?

Our weekly newsletter will keep you in the loop on the biggest things happening in entertainment and technology. Sign up today, and we’ll send you a chapter from the new Plugged In book, Becoming a Screen-Savvy Family, that focuses on how to implement a “screentime reset” in your family!