Screen Queen TV Reviews: Section 31, Silent Witness, The Night Agent, and Prime Target
Prime Target Wednesday, streaming on Apple TV Plus
Maths gives me anxiety. It’s been 30 years since I’ve had to do it in school, but to this day I break out in a cold sweat thinking about equations. I have this dream, and it’s always the same: I’m taking a maths exam, I open the paper, look at the questions — and can’t decipher anything written on the page. It’s all gobbledegook and I get so panicked I wake up and sit bolt upright, the feeling of dread and anxiety lingering well into the morning.
I get the sense I may start feeling that again as I dip into this new series because it’s all about — yep, you guessed it — maths.
But it’s not about the maths problems that give me nocturnal anxiety. In fact, early indications are that it has more in common with The Day Of The Jackal or Black Doves — two excellent espionage series doing the rounds right now — than A Beautiful Mind.
And thank goodness for that.
It centres on a genius Cambridge maths postgraduate student, played by One Day and The White Lotus star Leo Woodall, who is on the cusp of a brilliant discovery.
“If he succeeds in finding a pattern in prime numbers, he will hold the key to every computer in the world,” an official description reads. And needless to say, there are shady forces at work trying to track him down and put a stop to his research before it can be finished.
Joining the dots is National Security Agency agent Taylah Sanders (played by Quintessa Swindell), and they’ll need to team up if they’re to get to the bottom of what’s afoot.
Honestly: I didn’t have “maths drama” on my bingo card of shows I’d be hanging to see released this year — but that trailer! It certainly hints this series will be far more interesting than any of those boring exam dreams I’ve been having.
Mark your diaries for this one.
The Night Agent Thursday, streaming on Netflix 
Camera IconThe Night Agent returns for a second season. Credit: Netflix/Christopher Saunders
Talk about rapid career ascension: former low-ranking FBI agent Peter Sutherland (Gabriel Basso) went from answering phones in a dingy basement to investigating a high-stakes government conspiracy — and all in record time! Now he’s back, and as Netflix is cleverly touting that “he’ll be the one making the calls” as he fully embeds into the mysterious world of the Night Action division.
Congrats on your promotion!
This show is by no means my favourite in its genre, but one thing it has in abundance is action, and lots of it. Best just zone out and enjoy the ride — goodness knows we need a distraction.
Silent Witness Friday, 8.30pm, ABC 
Camera IconJohn Hannah pops up in Silent Witness as Charles Beck. Credit: Gary Moyes
Dr Nikki Alexander (Emilia Fox) and her team are back, and you’d best believe we’ll be tuning in, especially as John Hannah is popping up. Real talk: I will watch anything this delightful silver fox is in. Twenty-seven seasons, and this show still has me in its clutches.
Abbott Elementary Wednesday, streaming on Disney Plus 
Camera IconAbbott Elementary returns to Disney Plus. Credit: Gilles Mingasson/Disney
Confession: this unassuming show totally passed me by. My new year’s resolution is to go back and watch from the beginning — four seasons on, people are still raving about it.
Star Trek: Section 31 Friday, streaming on Paramount Plus 
Camera IconMichelle Yeoh stars in Star Trek: Section 31. Credit: Supplied
Am including this for my colleague Laura, whose love for the Trek runs deep. This flick sees Michelle Yeoh reprise her role as Emperor Philippa Georgiou. She’s joining Section 31, a clandestine division of Starfleet “dedicated to protecting the United Federation of Planets”. Not sure what that means — Laura, please advise.
#Screen #Queen #Reviews #Section #Silent #Witness #Night #Agent #Prime #Target