I came from science, facts, long organic molecules, stardust and galaxies - a lonely child full of stories and imaginations. So I suppose it is understandable that science still enthrals me in many ways. This series of eight parts on AppleTV is of science, accountability, guilt and changing angle of view, and involves a Cambridge post-graduate, some professors, some organisations and prime numbers. The math student Ed Brooks is developing a thesis on prime numbers and sequences, a kind of key that could "pick every digital lock" and thus create chaos. Interested parties appear and seem to be ready to act to stop him or get hold of his work.
Old professor Osborne suffers of Alzheimer's but still has "better days" and works with Ed as does Osborne's former student, professor Robert Mallinder, whose wife Andrea Lavin does research on ancient math among other things. So this is in Cambridge, Britain. The first part begins with an explosion in Baghdad, where a street partly crashes revealing an old building underneath. The walls are covered with texts of algebra and maths, and after seeing pictures of the space Andrea thinks it is Bayt al-Hikmah, greatest library ever created from 9th century. Having supper with professor Mallinder and Andrea Ed is presented with the pictures and story, and he sees patterns and prime numbers in the construction getting very exited of the possible connection to his work. He writes maths and conclusions on the tablecloth which the professor keeps. For some unknown reason professor wants him to stop his work. Later it is revealed that there is a camera in the room and someone is watching as well as in professor's study.
The story goes back thirty years in Cambridge to other students that have been working on the same subject, prime numbers: their work has been destroyed and some have died by doubtful suicides. Who wants to prevent study of prime numbers? NSA has been monitoring them, Taylah professor Mallinder, and on the tapes she can detect murder, no suicide. There is this "big power and small humans" side in the story...
And casting - I think it is great in many ways, especially Ed and Taylah: he is a teddybear kind of thinker, selfcontained and living in his own world. Just makes me wonder how this guy with a pen and notebook (no computer) gets flight to Baghdad… or maybe Taylah is his ”secretary”… Funny -or not so funny relicts from old world. Both are very sincerely built characters, nice clothes supporting the. Ed has tweed and Taylah large pants.
Some are a bit stereotypal, like Jane Torres, or weak for the position, like Andrew Carter, but sideroles so… Andrea Lavin, scientist and Mallinders wife, grows to be an integral figure. When you perceive the whole picture with the betrayal of the mighty, you understand Ed’s decision to destroy… maybe.
Something in this series reminds me of ”Orphan Black”, a series I liked very much some years ago - maybe just the easygoing way and science involved, both carefully made with interesting details.
Series of course gives a rather simplified picture of science, Cambridge, life and decisionmaking, but it is carefully constructed and interesting so it is worth watching.
