Movies

Need a distraction from the real world? Try a British conspiracy thriller and a Swedish satire

BBG News

To provide a refreshing alternative to the current mix of humor and sadness that characterizes our present times, television will persist in offering diverse realms and viewpoints for exploration. This week brings forth two new shows with a somewhat optimistic political slant, debuting on Wednesday. One is a British mystery series featuring Gen Z protagonists unraveling a conspiracy, while the other is a light-hearted Swedish satire inspired by an actual Cold War incident. Neither of these series casts the United States in the role of the savior.

“Prime Target” (Apple TV+) might lead you to expect a high-octane action series with a musclebound secret agent, given its title and initial scene of an explosion in Baghdad. However, it’s actually more akin to a British adaptation – think slower-paced, grounded, and realistic – of an Indiana Jones or Dan Brown adventure. The story revolves around different factions competing for the possession of mysterious, ancient knowledge across various exotic locations.

In “Prime Target,” the pivotal element is a fresh theory about prime numbers, which gives the series its somewhat unfortunate name. Edward Brooks, a brilliant mathematician and Cambridge graduate student, is diligently working on this theory. Some parties want him to stop these calculations, while others hope he’ll see them through. In this context, Edward serves as the MacGuffin of the story.

Television

These upcoming thrillers – “Get Millie Black” on HBO, “The Madness” on Netflix, and “The Agency” on Showtime – are set to serve up excitement and tension.

It’s clear that Edward is considered a genius due to being told so, his constant jotting down equations on various surfaces, and his less-than-stellar social skills. He also happens to be attractive and athletic, traits that could prove useful. Occasionally, he can be charming in an unexpected way too.

Edward’s scribbling might raise concerns with his thesis advisor, Professor Robert Mallinder (David Morrissey), who tries to dissuade Edward from continuing, a task that seems challenging for both parties. However, as the official synopsis explains, “unraveling patterns in prime numbers” would grant him access to every computer worldwide. The importance of prime numbers in modern cryptography is something you can learn more about through YouTube videos, though it feels like an exciting revelation here.

In the meantime, Taylah Sanders (played by Quintessa Swindell with a blend of energy and sadness), part of a clandestine NSA team masquerading as students on a sabbatical in picturesque Cassis, France, share a flat near the French Mediterranean. The choice of location is understandable due to its beauty. Taylah’s role involves monitoring secret video feeds of mathematicians, capturing screenshots of their work, whether it might unintentionally pose a threat or benefit to American interests. Although I can’t confirm if the NSA has a hidden camera on every mathematician globally, it seems plausible in this narrative, as most contemporary spy stories often depict a world where technology enables such surveillance. Notably, Taylah is proficient with computers.

In the meantime, Professor Andrea Lavin (played by Sidse Babett Knudsen with an air of enthusiasm), Mallinder’s wife, is thrilled to discover that the explosion in Baghdad has potentially unveiled Bayt al-Hikmah, a legendary 9th century library often referred to as the House of Wisdom. This institution was said to be the greatest ever created, serving as a hub for medieval learning and thought, though it was believed to have been destroyed. Coincidentally, her area of expertise seems to align with this discovery, and she’s eager to personally explore it. Moreover, the math theories that originated there could hold the key components Edward needs to complete his “prime finder.

In summary, the storyline unfolds with Edward and Taylah unexpectedly teaming up due to their unique personalities – Edward being idealistic and innocent while Taylah exhibits pragmatism. They’ll engage in escapades involving stealth and chase sequences across intriguing backdrops. Unfortunately, casualties will occur. Martha Plimpton enters as Jane Torres, an NSA chief based in Paris who is also Taylah’s godmother. The narrative involves numerous secretive entities hidden within other clandestine organizations. Edward’s revered elder mentor (Joseph Mydell) has Alzheimer’s. Trust becomes a crucial yet elusive commodity, as characters question each other’s motives and loyalties. While some twists may be predictable, the ultimate team dynamics and objectives remain shrouded in mystery. The storyline is intentionally ambiguous, keeping the audience engaged by emphasizing the current events rather than focusing on implausible or unrealistic plot developments.

Television

These two shows premiering on Thursday – “Cross” on Prime Video and “The Day of the Jackal” on Peacock – involve a game of chase where roles can switch between the hunter and the hunted.

Essentially, “Prime Target” serves as a platform for portraying two vibrant youths on an escapade, filled with planned scenarios, along with debates about honesty, accountability, and whether there exists untainted science in a corrupt world. Inadvertently or deliberately, the narrative functions as a symbol for the development of the atomic bomb, and the idea, explicitly expressed, that if you can’t prevent a hazardous object from being made, it’s wiser to be the first to create it. (The “destroyer of worlds” remark is likely a nod to Robert Oppenheimer, hence the intentionality.)

In a playful twist, the series “Whiskey on the Rocks” (Hulu) subtly hints at nuclear undertones, albeit lightly, as the title “Whiskey” refers to a real-life Soviet submarine incident in October 1981 off the coast of Sweden. Unlike the vodka-induced disaster in this account, it was the Soviet submarine that ran aground. The creator, Henrik Jansson-Schweizer, has transformed this minor international event into a humorous satire, reminiscent of both “Dr. Strangelove” and “The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming,” where similar events unfold. However, apart from some witty fishermen serving as an amused commentary and the message that friendship is preferable to conflict, the likeness to those films ends there.

Amidst the increasing unease among the submarine crew and their captain’s persistent drunkenness, political affairs unfold simultaneously across three continents. In Sweden, the easy-going prime minister Thorbjörn Fälldin (portrayed by Rolf Lassgård) navigates a challenging situation involving a tipsy, delirious Leonid Brezhnev (Kestutis Stasys Jakstas) and a Ronald Reagan (not specified) who enjoys popping jelly beans and seems eager to intervene. This scenario doesn’t lead to a thrilling war — though one character appears to desire it — but the narrative unfolds in such a way that generates enough tension to keep viewers engaged. The humor lies primarily in the dynamic between Fälldin and the Soviet ambassador in Sweden, Aleksandra Kosygina (Elsa Saisio), who share common interests in sheep farming and calm demeanors; working together, they subtly work towards a peaceful resolution. In celebration of diplomacy, reason, and animal husbandry, “Whiskey” is what the world needs right now — it certainly had a calming effect on me.

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2025-01-21 23:02

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