The newly released TV series Prime Target offers a unique blend of mathematics and espionage, showing how knowledge can be as dangerous as a weapon. At the center of the series is Edward Brooks (played by Leo Woodall), a postgraduate math student who's now under protection due to his latest discovery.
So, what did Edward exactly find? The young man stumbled upon a groundbreaking way to analyze prime numbers, and this isn't just a theoretical breakthrough. Edward's discovery has real-world consequences that can help him unlock any digital key worldwide.
Sounds interesting, right? The TV series hit Apple TV+ in January 2025, and the first three episodes are available to watch. Prime Target also dives into flashback scenes to explain one of the intriguing characters, Safiya Zamil's, past.
As seen in the latest Episode 3, the flashback from 1994 shows Safiya obsessively working on her prime pattern thesis. Since her research is crucial, Safiya becomes increasingly paranoid, fearing that someone is targeting her.
While in the present, Edward is trying to figure out if Safiya deliberately made mistakes in her thesis. He then crosses paths with Tayla and the two team up to uncover more about what happened between Safiya and Professor Robert Mallinder.
Continue reading to explore a full recap!
Prime Target Episode 3 reveals what happened to Safiya

Just like Edward, Safiya Zamil was also working on her research on prime numbers. As seen in the flashback, she devoted most of her time to the research, which could have yielded a huge discovery. However, as she delved deep into the research, Safiya feared that her discovery would result in death.
Not only this, but Prime Target Episode 3 "The Sequence" also revealed Safiya had a personal and professional relationship with Professor Robert Mallinder, who got killed in the previous episode. The professor kept advising Ed to stop his research on prime numbers, and the same was advice to Safiya.
She revealed that Mallinder abandoned her and suggested that pursuing prime number research could be life-threatening. Later, Safiya was found dead in her bathtub and her death was ruled as a suicide.
However, it doesn't seem like she committed suicide and might have been murdered for the same reason Mallinder was.
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Taylah joins Edward in Prime Target to find out more about past events

In the present, Edward continues his work on prime numbers and gets closer to understanding the dangerous implications of his discovery. He then meets Taylah, and they begin to find out more about Safiya's life and research and her relationship with Mallinder.
The two later find a hidden note from Safiya inside a book; she talks about proof and what's happening with her, but before Taylah and Ed can finish the reading, they are attacked by mysterious figures.
Luckily, Ed manages to escape with Taylah, and then she tells him about her previous job of keeping tabs on Mallinder. Taylah tells him that his research on prime numbers can be extremely dangerous, as this could help break into secure information worldwide.
Another subplot in Prime Target Episode 3 revolves around Charan in Baghdad, as he starts noticing strange things happening. Additionally, the episode also suggested the Kaplar Institute has crucial information about Safiya and Mallinder and seems interested in Ed's research.
Prime Target Episode 3 ends with Ed further looking into Safiya's notes and finding the summary of her thesis. Not only this, Ed also discovered a half-torn paper with the Kaplar Institute's logo.
Can the institution be the key to finding out the truth? Don't miss out on watching the next episode arriving on February 5, 2025.
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