Prime Target

Just 3 episodes in the viewer senses that the number of people out to murder the protagonists is uncountable. Starting with a belief that a unique prime number generator exists the argument postulates prime numbers used in cryptography are not random. If that is true then the financial foundation of the economy would be on shaky ground. Even without a degree in math that is hard to swallow. Everyone knows there is always a bigger number than any number you can think of. Just add 1. In a nutshell the movie is about 2 very pretty people evading the hoard after them while knowing the danger will never end.

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.

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.

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.

So called smart people, one user wrote, and that's a typical defense mechanism used anytime someone encounters someone smarter than they are. It's very hard to live in a world of feeling uncomfortable which is why most of us either avoid learning more or prefer to live in ignorance. Also, never acknowledging doing either and pretending they're doing the opposite.

This is a bold series. I am impressed at what has been presented so far. Eager for more and frustrated only two episodes are available now.

I think it's hard for people to accept things they don't understand, so I hope this show keeps people like me engaged. Leo Woodall has impressed me in White Lotus and Me Before You, so I'll be here to see how it all plays out.

Thankfully, it's not a blow em up or fight em up show, as I prefer thinking type drama shows. Things that make you think. For anyone out there that thinks they already know, they don't at all.

Here's to keeping an open mind, cheers!