Primetime Ending, Explained
Primetime is an intriguing character study on one of entertainment’s most divisive figures: Chris Hansen.
The charismatic TV star made a name for himself as the host of the Dateline NBC segment, To Catch A Predator, which involved trapping sexual predators by having someone pretending to be a teen communicating with them online. The purpose? To lure these men into what was essentially a ‘sting’ house, where cameras and police lay in wait for a mixture of both real and vigilante consequences.
Primetime brings us into this murky world when To Catch A Predator is at the peak of its popularity, and is even moved to a primetime slot. In order to justify this slot, Chris and his team are under immense pressure to bring increasingly outrageous predators to viewers, which kicks off a disturbing chain of events that defines the movie’s grim final act.
While this movie is based on a real story, there are spoilers ahead, so be warned.
Chris Hansen Targets The 'Whale'
The film leads us down a path where Chris and Perverted Justice — the vigilante group who help set up the stings — head to Texas for their most ambitious project yet. The stressed TV presenter seems to think that catching this ‘whale’ will solve all his problems.
Xavier from Perverted Justice has been speaking to district attorney Bill Conradt, who believes that Xavier is a young teenage boy. Unlike most of the predators seen thus far, Conradt seems a lot more careful and non-committal — but he still decides to meet the ‘teen’ after speaking to him on the phone. Dan, a struggling actor who is the in-person ‘decoy’ of these operations, is the one who directly speaks to Conradt. However, he seems to be becoming increasingly disillusioned, too.
When Conradt starts erasing incriminating information, the team, who are accompanied by Texas policemen, decide to confront the ‘whale’ at his own house.
Producer Andie had been considering jumping ship to ABC, but when Patty Patterson calls her offering the job she declines, seemingly also blinded by the glory catching this ‘whale’ will bring.
Primetime Ending, Explained
As the production crew and police surround Conradt's house, Chris encourages Dan, who is sitting in the car, to call Conradt and lure him out. Dan expresses anxiety about being a bad person, but Chris says they have very different definitions of this.
As he speaks to Dan over the phone, Conradt starts to cry. Dan, who truthfully says his favourite musical is Rent, sings a song from the show to him to try and keep him on the line. Then, the police break into Conradt’s home. Chris can see him from the window, and they are so close to getting that final interview he has been craving. But then, Conradt shoots himself in the head, with blood splattering on the glass.
Following this, Andie is determined to still make this segment “work,” saying she can interview police officers. Dan leaves the car and walks away. Chris appears stunned with a tear-stained face. A question Chris often poses to predators is, “What would’ve happened if I wasn’t here?” But this question, in light of the suicide, now has an entirely different meaning. He also catches a glimpse of the masked 'monster' that appeared to him multiple times in the film: a monster which, to him, represents the embodiment of all the 'predators' he is trying so hard to catch.
There is then a time jump to Dan one year in the future, who appears to have left acting behind and lives a much more secluded life. His neighbour comes to the door with mail for him, and it turns out to be his SAG-AFTRA membership card. So, his time on To Catch A Predator has finally given him what he wants. But was it truly worth it?
