Editor’s Note: Spoilers ahead for Prime Target, Season 1Prime Targethas certainly been an interesting season of television, with highs and lows to say the least. While the premise is fascinating as it explores the consequences of discoveries and who is to blame for these, there have been issues with the writing of its lead character, the enigmatic genius Ed (Leo Woodall). Not to mention, failing to truly engage viewers with the belief of a prime finder itself, as the cryptography they were using felt like symbols too complicated for laypeople such as us to understand.
Having said that,it cannot be ignored thatPrime Targethas been watchable from start to finish, with tense action and talented actors like Woodall andDavid Morrisseyhelping to keep their underdeveloped characters as engaging as possible. In its season 1 finale, “The Key”, we see the use of the prime finder,how the seeds of its origins go back decades, and a set-up for Season 2.
Once again, while there are some rather interesting debates around how we should perceive those who invent mechanisms used for destruction, and Ed does take steps forward in his view on accountability, could it be too little too late for this mathematical thriller?
‘Prime Target’s Finale Shows Us the Power of Its Prime Finder
Following Episode 7, “Prime Finder”, where they solve the equation for finding primes, giving them the key to every digital lock on earth, Taylah (Quintessa Swindell) and Ed head back to Cambridge and declare that they want to “burn ‘em all to hell,” referring to Jane (Martha Plimpton), Axiorn, and the Kaplar Institute. Using the prime finder, as well as some Scooby-Do tactics to trick the bad guys into looking in the wrong place with Ed walking down a street in broad daylight,Taylah hacks into Axiorn and shares all the dirt with Fort Meade.
While there is the tension of the ticking clock as Jane moves in closer, the fact we have seen this scene play out multiple times this season, where someone is under pressure to hack into something quickly, means that it is almost obvious Taylah would succeed. Moreover, Axiorn’s pursuit of Ed, driving to where he had been walking and then being surprised that he was no longer in the same spot, does make the threat lessened as we see the incompetence of those chasing our heroes.
This leads to what must be acknowledged as one of the most fascinating conversations of the series between Jane and Taylah in a wheat field, whereTaylah argues that she shared the files because there needs to beaccountabilityfor all the morally wrong actionsthat people like Jane have gotten away with, which Jane argues she won’t get. After all, Axiorn won’t go away as they have too much money, with Jane exclaiming, “They are the money!” Here, we see Taylah admit why she did this. She admits that if she can’t get justice, then at least Jane going to prison will make her “feel better”, which comments on the interesting idea in this show about how selfish nature conflicts with any objective sense of justice.
‘Prime Target’ Reveals Its True Villain in the Season Finale
Following this sequence, we get the reveal of what could be seen as the true villain of the series, as he sets all of this in motion with the explosion in Baghdad in the first episode, “A New Pattern”: James (Stephen Rea), Master of College. After being notified that Ed is in Cambridge, he meets with him and reveals that he invented public key cryptography decades ago. So really, Ed’s theorem is the antithesis of this.James created the ability to hide data, and Ed has created the ability to uncover it.
‘Prime Target’s Latest Episode Could Have Disastrous Consequences
James argues they should use Ed’s prime finder to destroy all digital barriers as he feels guilt for his invention being used to hide government secrets, specifically surrounding the number of people torturedpost-9/11. However, Ed sees how this view of science being pure and a source of tools only leads to more suffering, and when James says he won’t stop until he finds the formula, Ed takes his most drastic action of the series.He shoots him in the head, finally losing his innocenceandcommitting to the idea that science should be limited and that the truth is not always worth the consequences it can bring.
How ‘Prime Target’s Season Finale Sets Up Season 2
We get a fascinating set-up for Season 2 as Taylah takes the fall for Ed. She argues that, if he is captured, then they’ll force him to recreate his formula. Additionally, it’s implied that Taylah also does this as a roundabout way of finally being punished for causing her boyfriend’s death, so an innocent person isn’t suffering unjustly anyway. Armed with the prime finder, Ed runs into the wilderness, and we see that Andrew (Harry Lloyd), whoshot Raymond (Joseph Mydell), is now in charge of the investigation into the NSA, proving a lack of real justice. The final shot shows Ed watching Andrew on TV and taking out the prime finder on his phone. He clicks “run” on the program, and we cut to black, whichcould set up a final conflict between Ed and Andrew as he seeks retribution for the death of Raymond.
It is unclear currently if we’lleversee this set-up come to fruition, as the creator of the show,Steve Thompson, recently toldDeadlinethat there are “no assurances” on getting a second season. We may be left with the idea that Ed is now a nomadic vigilante until he is caught or killed. I’m sure I’m not the only one who didn’t findPrime Targetthat engaging, but I do know there will be people who loved the show and enjoyed every episode of it. While some of the strengths of the show cannot be ignored, this finale showed itself to be a strong point of interest for viewers. The journey of Ed, while bumpy, was exciting to watch as he finally took a side and action to further that point of view, such as when he used the prime finder and killed the real villain of the show, James.
While the use of the prime finder was an impressive show of how powerless it left Axiorn, there were issues with how Ed and Taylah were able to deceive them. In the end, likemost of the show,Prime Target’s season finale had its problems, though it was also a watchable and intriguing episodeof television.
All episodes ofPrime Targetare available to watch on AppleTV+.
Prime Target
