Upamanyu Biswas
Apple TV+’s ‘Prime Target’ centers on gifted mathematics postgraduate student Edward Brooks, whose life is upended after his research into prime numbers sets a chain of complex events into motion, engulfing him in a conspiracy of massive proportions. In the first two episodes, viewers are given a glimpse into the mystery through the eyes of Ed, who struggles to make sense of the hysteria surrounding his work, particularly from his supervisor, Professor Robert Mallinder. As the narrative progresses, the growing sense of paranoia reaches a tipping point as Ed tries to figure out the details of the mystery while a shady plot to stop him unravels. The series opener raises numerous burning questions, some relating to academic secrets while others confined to the interpersonal bonds between characters. SPOILERS AHEAD.
A Secret Research Project Spirals Into a Cryptic Game of Trust Between Edward Brooks and His Supervisor
The season begins in Baghdad, Iraq, where a woman and her daughter get caught in a massive gas explosion underneath a local ice cream store. The explosion reveals a secret historical chamber lying underneath the foundations of the city. Meanwhile, in Cambridge, England, postgraduate student Edward Brooks is working on a thesis project that he has kept hidden from his supervisor for fear that it will be rejected. Ed is looking into patterns in prime numbers and how they dictate everything about reality. His mentor, Professor Raymond Osborne, suggests that Ed bring the idea to his supervisor, Professor Robert Mallinder. Osborne has Alzheimer’s disease, a condition that has left him mostly confined to his home. However, Ed is reluctant to listen to his mentor’s advice, mainly because of his fraught relationship with Mallinder.
In the meantime, Mallinder, who is married to Professor Andrea Lavin, expresses his frustration at not being able to work with Ed in a more wholesome and collaborative manner. Lavin has been given the opportunity to travel to Baghdad to investigate the historical chamber revealed by the recent gas explosion. Mallinder decides to invite Ed for dinner at his house after discussing the idea with Andrea. They welcome him but realize that his passion for mathematics goes beyond ordinary expectations. Ed talks about his ideas with Andrea and fixates on her Baghdad project. He gleans a mathematical formula from one of Andrea’s pictures of the site. She allows him to write it out on his tablecloth, much to the bemusement of her husband. However, the information is incomplete, and Ed leaves the house with the picture.
Mallinder collects the tablecloth and begins working on the formula on his own. He soon realizes that Ed is working on prime numbers. Unbeknownst to him, someone is secretly surveilling him through the CCTV cameras in his office. The following day, Mallinder questions Ed about his interests and asks him to come clean about the subject of his thesis, insisting that Ed should “trust” him. Ed subsequently reveals the truth, stating that prime numbers could be the “golden cipher of God” and have a deeper meaning embedded in reality. Instead of being impressed by the concept, Mallinder angrily tells Ed that the committee will not approve his work and that he should immediately abandon his pursuit. Later, Mallinder is contacted by a mysterious online figure who questions the professor on why he is working with prime numbers again. Clearly, someone is keeping tabs on him.
Long Shadows Are Cast Over Proceedings Following a Tragic Death and Government Involvement
Soon after showing his research to Robert Mallinder, Ed returns home to find that his place has been ransacked. His precious research diary is the only thing that has been stolen. He heads downstairs to question who the culprit might have been. The security officer tells him that Mallinder had gone into his room earlier in the day to collect something he left behind. Ed immediately heads for Mallinder’s home, seeking answers. Meanwhile, Andrea finds a fire pit outside her home, where she finds the tablecloth where Ed wrote his formula. Mallinder has burned everything down with no explanations for his actions. Later, Ed and Andrea receive a phone call from Mallinder, who states that he “wished” he could have done more for Andrea. Mallinder is found dead by authorities in his car at a remote location.
As Ed and Andrea deal with Mallinder’s death, the former begins questioning why Mallinder stole his research in the first place. Ed discovers a message left behind by Mallinder in his room, which contains the drawing of an Icosahedron diagram. He tries entering Mallinder’s office, hoping to recover his research diary. However, security intervenes. Later that night, he sneaks into the university and breaks into the office. He is devastated to learn that his diary has been burnt to a crisp in the trash bin. Unable to control his frustration, Ed destroys the office, which catches the attention of the security guards outside. He is called in for a disciplinary hearing, where the panel asks him to apologize for his gross misconduct. When Ed refuses, he is kicked out of the university and has to leave the premises immediately.
Meanwhile, in Cassis, France, a team of NSA agents are surveilling academic professors around the globe. They have been tasked to keep an eye on their research with the expectation that the next big “weapon” will be developed via such academic projects. A few days prior to Mallinder’s death, Agent Taylah Sanders is tasked with monitoring the professor’s life and work as he goes about his day-to-day existence. She becomes increasingly alarmed by his agitated presence and his odd behavior. Eventually, his death causes her to stop monitoring his presence. However, Taylah becomes obsessed with Mallinder’s erratic behavior just before he dies. She also suspects that Edward Brooks has something to do with it after realizing that Ed is the one who authored the prime number work that got Mallinder interested in the first place.
A Shady Organization Rears Their Head as Ed Finds Himself Drawn Deeper to the Conspiracy
Ed takes the icosahedron diagram to Professor Osborne, hoping that his mentor may have some answers for Mallinder leaving behind such a cryptic clue. Osborne states that the icosahedron was an important geometric figure in ancient Greece and denoted the nature of the universe for the Greeks. Ed holds the note paper against the light and discovers the initials “KI” etched into its corner. Earlier, he and Andrea had a discussion about Mallinder’s strange behavior and why he might have burned Ed’s research work. Ed believes that it may have been a warning sign from Mallinder. Andrea tells Ed that some time ago, another student of Mallinder’s named Safiya Zamil was looking into the same mathematical patterns as him. He looks into her origins to find out what came from the ordeal.
He breaks into the college library using Mallinder’s ID. Subsequently, he tries to get in touch with Safiya but discovers that she passed away three decades ago. With every lead hitting a brick wall, Ed focuses his attention on the strange KI initials on Mallinder’s secret note. Through a quick internet search, Ed discovers that a research institute known as Kaplar Institute matches the logo on his note. His search is halted when a mysterious visitor knocks on his new apartment door. When Ed refuses to open the door, the person outside introduces himself as Stephen Patrick Nield and pushes a business card through the bottom of the door. He works for Kaplar and tells Ed that the organization is interested in helping Ed develop his work further. Ed watches Nield leave the housing complex from his balcony after the latter asks him to reflect on Kaplar’s proposal.
Back in Cassis, France, Taylah probers deeper into Mallinder’s death, turning every piece of evidence inside out in an effort to get to the bottom of the shady affair. She is eventually rewarded for her persistence when she deduces that Mallinder did not die by suicide but was rather murdered. She reports this to Olson, her senior, who reluctantly reports the case’s misgivings to his higher-ups. However, nothing comes of it, and Taylah is frustrated. She and Olson argue over their next move near the beach area. However, their heated exchange is cut short when Olson is sniped down in cold blood by an attacker. A shell-shocked Taylah escapes a motorbike gunman and jumps into the bay, hiding underneath the waves while the sniper tries to find her.
With so many intriguing plot points already in motion, it will be interesting to see how the mystery of Mallinder’s death and Ed’s research progresses in the season. Additionally, Taylah has to survive a seemingly impossible situation and find the truth behind who her attackers are and why they are nonchalant about gunning down NSA agents.
Read More: Where is Apple TV+’s Prime Target Filmed?
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