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The latest thriller from Apple TV Plus – Prime Target – hasn’t been met with the most glowing reviews.
Despite a promising trailer, the series has achieved just 33% on review website Rotten Tomatoes after the first two episodes were made available on the streamer.
Critics were not impressed with the Leo Woodall fronted series, with film reviewer Daniel Hart writing it is ‘hard to care’ about his character Edward Brooks. Jonathan Wilson also struggled with his likeability adding: ‘Ed’s more awful than he is brilliant; other characters have to keep reiterating how smart he is, but he shows how horrible he is every five minutes, so that becomes the central aspect of his personality.’
Julian Roman said although it had ‘an intriguing premise’ the episodes fail to achieve their potential. ‘The series is plagued by baffling logic gaps, unlikable leads that lack chemistry, and a molasses-drip spigot of reveals that take way too long to develop,’ they stated.
‘For as much as I wanted to totally love this show and kept willing the story to be unique and clever, this turned out to be just an OK series, creating some excitement and endearing characters while also getting the answer incorrect,’ wrote Chris Joyce.
Archi Sengupta remarked that the show ‘lets you down when the final episode ends.’
It’s Leo’s first big role after One Day (Picture: Apple TV Plus)
The plot is centred on what happens when mathematical genius Edward gets caught up in a conspiracy. The official synopsis for the eight-episode show reads: ‘A brilliant young math postgraduate, Edward Brooks, is on the verge of a major breakthrough. If he succeeds in finding a pattern in prime numbers, he will hold the key to every computer in the world.
‘Soon, he begins to realize an unseen enemy is trying to destroy his idea before it’s even born, which throws him into the orbit of Taylah Sanders, an NSA agent (Quintessa Swindell) who’s been tasked with watching and reporting on mathematicians’ behaviour.
‘Together, they start to unravel the troubling conspiracy Edward is at the heart of.’
Quintessa Swindell also stars in Prime Target (Picture: Apple TV Plus/ Nick Wall)
Cue high-stake chases, knife fights and an unlikely alliance ready to ‘burn it all to hell’ and dodging the forces that be, including Martha Plimpton as top dog Jane Torres. Think a Dan Brown thriller meets John Wick. Or perhaps Good Will Hunting meets Jason Bourne.
Ahead of its release there was plenty of excitement from fans, who were keen to see Leo, 28, in his first big project following his role as Dex on One Day (he’ll also be in Bridget Jones 4, released on February 4). Some people even suggested that the premise had an air of Good Will Hunting about it. The 1997 tear-jerking drama starred the late Robin Williams and Matt Damon as the ultimate maths whiz has a much higher 97% approval rating.
‘It’s giving Da Vince Code and National Treasure teas whilst also screaming this one’s for the mathematicians who love a good conspiracy thriller. Here for it!,’ @itsrewritten posted on X.
‘Locked innn,’ @kobbyytakyi added.
‘Looks like yet another Apple TV banger, I will be watching,’ @bensimulator_1 said.
‘So seated for every Leo Woodall project releasing this year,’ @olympuscherry shared.
‘Quintessa and Leo… they definitely got my attention,’ @a_gemini_theory posted.
‘Apple really drops some of the best shows around fr,’ @adri_roseee praised.
‘Had me at Leo Woodall,’ @regularstephanie declared.
‘Leo Woodall nation we are back,’ @gimmethablu3s echoed.
An audience score has not yet been revealed for Prime Target on Rotten Tomatoes, so it may have passionate defenders giving their take as the weeks go on.
Leo worked with a mathmatics expert (Picture: Apple TV Plus)
Leo put his all into the job, working with a mathematics expert to understand a little more about his character’s job, and even preparing to be unfriendly.
‘I’m someone who is friendly and thinks I’m decent with people, and he is not like that. He doesn’t care. He’s not doing niceties,’ he shared with Screen Rant.
‘For me, it was just mentally preparing for that, and it was hard. There were a lot of times where I wanted to just smile at people, and I wasn’t allowed.’
The action role could bode well for The White Lotus star’s chances at landing the coveted James Bond gig as well.
The screen star is in the mix of actors touted to potentially take over from Daniel Craig in the next movie of the long-running action franchise.
But there’s plenty of competition for the role with actors such as Aaron Taylor-Johnson, James Norton and Rege-Jean Page all hot on his heels when it comes to speculation.
Meanwhile, it’s proving to be a high-profile month for Apple TV Plus who are also gearing up for the imminent release of Severance season two.
The $200,000,000 sci-fi thriller has been hailed by critics as a modern-day masterpiece.
The first two episodes of Prime Target are available to watch on Apple TV, which will be followed by a new episode each Wednesday until the finale on March 5
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