‘Primetime’ Ending, Explained
Primetime is a movie laced with hypocrisy. Every character attempts to convince themselves that what they’re doing is morally okay, only for them to panic and lose it at the thought of not getting good ratings. It’s a wonderful film about the sensationalism that defined shows like To Catch A Predator (2004), and thanks to its production design that makes it feel like the film was shot in the mid-2000s, it is a perfect time capsule of an era of television where networks were desperate to do anything to get good ratings.
The ending of Primetime explores when that mindset is taken to its absolute limits. It’s a hollow ending, one where most of its characters walk away from everything worse for wear, but one that leaves audiences with a lot to chew on. What was the point of it all? Was it all worth it in the end? And how much of this ending actually happened in real life, given that this film was indeed based on true events?
What Happened At The End Of ‘Primetime’?
Primetime starts on a triumphant note, with Robert Pattinson’s Chris Hansen and his producer Andie, played by Merritt Wever, overjoyed at the fact that To Catch A Predator will be moved into the primetime slot to compete against Lost (2004), which was dominating ratings at the time.
However, the pressure becomes too much for both Chris and Andie, causing them to make rash decisions to strike ratings gold with a truly shocking and powerful made-for-TV moment. That moment in question was to uncover a predator, a district attorney in Texas named Bill Conradt, played by Alex Winters, by going to his house and launching a police raid. They made their decoy, Dan, played by Skyler Gisondo, tag along, as he was the primary point of contact for Bill. Once they arrive, Dan attempts to reach out to Bill to have him come out peacefully, but when the police begin their raid, Bill shoots himself and dies.
Following that, our three leads all react in different ways. Chris stands in the yard mumbling to himself about what he was going to say in his interview with Bill. Andie tries to make the best of the situation and salvage something for ratings. As for Dan, he walks away, leaving Chris behind. One year later, we catch back up with Dan, who has received a membership card from the Screen Actors Guild for his time on To Catch A Predator, which leaves him confused, torn, and unsure of how he should feel.
How Much Of The Ending Of ‘Primetime’ Is True?
To be clear, while much of Primetime’s ending definitely got the Hollywood treatment, its core is rooted in real events.
The raid on Bill Conradt’s house did happen, but instead of presenting him as a flight risk and his home as an opulent manor, it was a standard suburban house in an unsuspecting neighborhood. Chris Hansen was present during the raid, but he wasn’t left a catatonic mess by the event. As for the real-life Dan, he was never brought to the raid, instead staying at the safe house that NBC was using to shoot the show.
The film also made it appear that everything happened very quickly in a matter of hours, to the point where the local police department didn’t even secure a warrant. The truth is that the police did secure a warrant, but it was rushed and had numerous errors on it, including an incorrect address for Conradt. As for how the police were able to learn Conradt’s identity, that part the film actually got right, with the crew of To Catch A Predator getting Conradt’s number through their decoy, then verifying it through a simple search.
What’s The Meaning Of ‘Primetime’s’ Ending?
As is always the case with movies based on a true story, the truth is always somewhat exaggerated to impart the film’s themes and ideas, but what was the moral of Primetime? To answer that, you have to look at how each character reacted to Conradt’s suicide.
For Chris, as he’s trying to process how his actions led to the death of Conradt, he sees visions of a monster lurking in the woods, symbolizing that there’s always a predator out there that needs to be caught. He’s distraught, made worse by the fact that a story broke before the raid about his infidelity, but whether or not Hansen is remorseful for his actions or not is left to the viewer’s imagination.
Andie’s reaction is less ambiguous. She was always focused solely on getting good ratings and furthering the show, so seeing her walk to the front of Conradt’s house to try and figure out how to capitalize on the whole affair is very much in character for her. As long as it makes for good television, that’s all that matters to her.
And then there’s Dan, the audience POV. Throughout the film, Dan tries to convince himself that this is just another acting job, and while he’s told by Chris that what he’s doing matters, the raid of Conradt’s house makes him feel like a tool used by Chris to get results. It’s unclear if Dan quit acting, but given how he moved to Arizona, his surprise at receiving the SAG letter, and how he doesn’t respond to being asked if he’s an actor, he most likely gave up his dream, and that card is tainted in his eyes. After all, he only received it for the role that led to a person’s death and the incarceration of countless others. Dan got exactly what he wanted, but at what cost? It’s a Pyrrhic victory, one that not only perfectly encapsulates the movie’s themes of hypocrisy but also how people can be rewarded for ruining other people’s lives.
