10 Biggest Questions & Mysteries After Prime Target Episodes 1 & 2

Warning! This article contains spoilers for Prime Target’s episodes 1 and 2.

Prime Target’s episodes 1 and 2 pave the way for the rest of the season by leaving viewers with many gripping questions and mysteries. Starring Leo Woodall (of The White Lotus & One Day fame), Prime Target seems reminiscent of many sci-fi thrillers, like The Imitation Game and Pi, blending complex mathematical puzzles with tension and high-stakes action. However, at the same time, it also etches its own identity in the genre by featuring a unique set of character beats and story developments.

Since Prime Target is a miniseries, it is expected to resolve all its underlying mysteries without setting the stage for a follow-up. However, after its first two episodes, the 2024 Apple TV+ show intentionally intrigues viewers by presenting them with more questions than answers. Although the show still has a lot to unpack, it is hard not to be invested in how it will gradually connect all the dots and resolve all loose ends in its overarching narrative.

10

Who Killed Professor Mallinder?

It Had Something To Do With His Connection To The Prime Number Research

After realizing Edward is working on prime numbers, Professor Mallinder asks him to stop and even resorts to desperate measures. He destroys all his research work both digitally and physically, hoping to erase all his progress. A few days later, he is found dead in his car from carbon monoxide poisoning. Although his death is ruled as suicide, NSA agent, Taylah, notices that the CCTV footage of moments before his death has been externally edited. This raises many questions about what happened to him and who killed him in Prime Target‘s episode 2.

9

What Makes Edward’s Prime Number Research Dangerous?

Someone Is Taking Down All The Mathematicians Involved With The Research

Soon after Mallinder starts looking at Edward’s prime number research, an unknown person contacts him and asks why he has started working on the project again. This suggests that Mallinder had previously worked on the numbers but stopped after realizing that it put his life in danger.

The show does not delve into the details about why figuring out the pattern between prime numbers would be such a big deal. However, it hints that cracking code could help a mathematician acquire forbidden knowledge and give them access to almost every digital device on the planet.

8

Who Killed Olson & Shot At Taylah In Prime Target Episode 2’s Ending?

The NSA Could Be Responsible

Soon after Taylah tells her superior, Olson, about her suspicions surrounding Mallinder’s death, and Olson reaches out to his seniors in the NSA to talk about it, a sniper kills Olson. Taylah, too, almost dies when the sniper tries to get her out of the way. This suggests that either the NSA or some other secret organization did not like that they were digging too deep into the reason behind Mallinder’s death. To ensure that Olson and Taylah did not get too close to finding the truth about what happened to Mallinder, someone hired hitmen to kill them.

7

Who Was Safiya Zamil?

Safiya Zamil Was Also Working On The Prime Numbers

Safiya is another mysterious figure mentioned in passing in Prime Target‘s episodes 1 and 2. However, the show intentionally holds back a lot of information about her past and history with Mallinder, paving the way for a bigger reveal later in the series. Mallinder’s wife mentions that Safiya was complicated, hinting that her relationship with Mallinder was far from straightforward. Edward also learns that her line of research was also in the same field and she, too, was once growing increasingly interested in finding a pattern between prime numbers.

6

Was Safiya Killed By The Same People Who Murdered Mallinder?

Many Details Surrounding Safiya’s Fate Remain Unknown

After asking a Cambridge librarian to help him learn more about Safiya, Ed discovers that she died by suicide 30 years ago. This prompts Ed to connect the dots and suspect that Safiya and Mallinder might have been murdered. He realizes that Mallinder did not destroy his research because he was jealous.

Mallinder was seemingly afraid Ed would meet the same fate as Safiya. However, since the show has not confirmed whether Safiya is actually dead, she might have faked her death to protect herself from the authorities who wanted to get her killed for researching prime numbers.

5

How Did The Prime Numbers Equation End Up On The Wall In Baghdad?

The Baghdad Ruins Somehow Tie Into Ed’s Story

In Prime Target‘s episode 1, a blast in Baghdad causes the ground to collapse, leading to the discovery of the underground ruins of an ancient city. When Mallinder’s wife, Andrea, shows pictures of the ruins to Ed, he notices that an equation on a wall somehow aligns with his research on prime numbers. This makes it hard not to wonder how the equation ended up on the wall in Baghdad and how it connects to Edward’s story. The show will likely delve deeper into this mystery in its future episodes and reveal how ancient knowledge will intersect with Edward’s narrative.

4

Should Edward Trust Adam?

Adam May Not Be As Clueless As He Seems

Adam initially comes off as a secondary character in Prime Target when Edward dismisses him after they spend a night with one another. However, the two characters end up together again when Adam approaches Ed to comfort him after Mallinder’s death. While he could merely be Ed’s romantic interest in Prime Target, it seems strange that he keeps asking him about his research despite knowing nothing about his line of education. Since no one can be trusted in the show’s world, it is hard not to believe that Adam is either working for the NSA or another shadowy organization that is keeping an eye on Ed.

3

What Does The NSA Want?

The NSA’s True Motives Remain Unknown

Since the NSA could be responsible for calling the shots on Mallinder and Olson’s murder, it is hard not to believe the organization is resorting to extreme methods to ensure no one gets access to the potent prime numbers equation. However, it seems like there is more to the organization than the Apple TV+ show is letting on. Based on the story developments in Prime Target‘s episodes 1 and 2, the NSA will either become the main antagonist of the series or a twist will eventually reveal they are secretly looking out for mathematicians like Edward and had nothing to do with Mallinder’s demise.

2

What Is The Kaplar Institute?

It Is Another Mysterious Organization That Seems To Work Against The NSA

While the NSA is seemingly determined to stop mathematicians from learning the truth about the prime numbers, the Kaplar Institute (KI) works against them. Many subtle details in Prime Target‘s episodes 1 and 2 suggest Mallinder was involved with KI in some capacity. Ed even finds the institute’s logo on the pages of his documents. Given how the KI even approaches Ed in Prime Target episode 2’s ending, it seems likely that the institute is interested in pursuing the prime numbers research despite the dangers associated with it.

1

What Does Kaplar’s Stephen Patrick Nield Want From Ed?

He Seems To Be A Leading Figure In The Kaplar Institute

A man from the KI, Stephen Patrick Nield, arrives at Ed’s doorstep in Prime Target‘s episode 2. When Ed does not open his door and refuses to let him in, the man claims that the KI wants him to pursue his research on prime numbers. While this suggests the man and the institute have Ed’s best interests in mind, it may be too soon to trust them. As Prime Target‘s opening episodes confirm, the research could unlock powerful secrets that could destabilize global structures, which may be the only reason why the institute may be interested in having Ed on board.