Prime Target

So we have a mid 20-ish NSA agent stationed in the most expensive property in France. So we have a bob-cut mid-50-ish NSA bigwig, clueless director who nonchalantly orders multiple murders and then rescinds those directives in the next breath. We have a 40-ish NSA thug agent whose entire acting repertoire consists of "smell the broken wind" acting and a constant sneer. To top off the horrendous miscasting of this disaster, we add a pretty boy math whiz without a clue.

This was a simply dreadful program that never even minimally explains the root of the story. Too bad the budget did not include decent writers or passable actors.

Alfred Hitchcock said that Maguffin shouldn't be revealed because it shows how silly plots are. This series tipped it's hand very early and sure enough, Hitchcock was right. A driven but maverick PhD mathematics student is working on prime numbers but the security services don't want that. Cue mysterious deaths and ancient artifacts. A kind of Indiana Jones and the Lost Integral.

There's a bit of really shallow exposition about prime numbers and the preposterous idea that all the university library books have been deleted. Protagonist gets upset rather than going to Amazon next day delivery. I just kept yawning.

The basic idea is great: the notion that a gov't might kill to keep a possible math shortcut, that would instantly render useless modern cryptography, from being discovered isn't totally ridiculous.

Though I'm sufficiently interested to finish the series, what sank this for me, as already mentioned by others, are things such as the "check-list" attributes assigned to characters and thus the selected actors. Consequently, I found the casting was hit and miss. That may have also been a result of the direction. E.g. In episode 5, particularly, one veteran actor may well have been given direction to "imagine Matthew Goode in the role and act like him".

And the script wasn't great.

6/10 means interesting enough to watch it through but prioritize other, much better, viewing options.

When I watched the trailer for Prime Target, I thought to myself, "This feels a bit like The Da Vinci Code"-a mix of mystery, some ancient history, and the classic chase of bad guys after the good ones. It had all the ingredients for an engaging thriller. After watching three episodes, I have to admit the storyline is actually quite decent, with potential to be gripping. The problem, however, lies in the execution. It just feels flat. The pacing lacks intensity, the characters don't have much depth, and the suspense doesn't quite land. It's watchable, but it misses that spark to make it truly captivating.

Regarding the actors: Quintessa really struggles there. She should not have been casted as a main character. As a secondary, where she would not be as much exposed, would be fine, but the lack of sublime acting skills, does not do any good to the story.

Overall, good watch if you do not expect too much. If it was a Netflix series, yeah, but it doesn't meet the standards of Apple TV Plus.

It was definitely slow at first & if you let that take over your viewing you'll quit before becoming riveted. I know basic math so the premise of the prime number being a key to everything was perplexing at best. Luckily you don't need to be a math genius or any kind of genius for the plot to be both maddening & satisfying simultaneously. Keeping focused is very important. Not a series you can multi-task while watching. I'd disagree with the reviews critiquing the actors talent. I thought the acting was excellent. The end leaves a second season open in my opinion. Not a bad thing if you ask me. Well worth watching this unique Apple series just be patient.