The Rig: Season 1 – Review [Prime Video]

THE RIG on Prime Video is a new thriller mystery series with six episodes. It also has supernatural elements and a great cast. You’ll recognize many of the actors, while the story is both eerily familiar and very much its own. Read our The Rig series review here!

THE RIG is a new Prime Video series with six episodes and the storyline explodes from the very first episode. We’re talking thriller, mystery, and supernatural elements. It’s a story where the planet seems to be fighting back against all the abuse humans have inflicted.

The cast is full of familiar faces, so whether you come for any specific actor or the story, you’ll be well entertained. Our review is based on the three first episodes that we received as screeners. Personally, I am looking forward to watching the final half of the six episodes of the series.

Continue reading our spoiler-free The Rig series review below. The series premieres on Prime Video on January 6, 2023.

A classic survival story with a twist

It’s not like a survival story is anything new on its own. Season 1 of The Terror also includes people battling for survival against the elements. Still, in The Rig on Prime Video, we’re going a bit deeper. It’s not just humans fighting the elements, but the planet fighting back somehow.

The entire series plays out on the Kinloch Bravo oil rig in the North Sea. When a mysterious fog sets in and communication fails with “the beach” (the shore of Scotland), it gets really scary and weird. And fast!

The OIM (Offshore Installation Manager) and rig boss, Magnus (Iain Glen), does what he can to keep the crew working together, but it’s no easy task. At the same time, we have Rose (Emily Hampshire) who is all business and optimization to “reach quotas” as the Pictor Energy Company Rep.

This is just setting the stage for what can create conflict. However, it very quickly becomes apparent that the real threat is completely out of their hands. The fog is carrying something that affects (or rather, infects) people subjected to it for too long. And then the weather gets even crazier!

Not the best time to be trapped on an oil rig with no communication with anyone, anywhere!

The cast of The Rig

Iain Glen, who many will recognize from Game of Thrones, is the oil rig crew boss, Magnus. In his usual cool and calm style, Iain Glen is believable as someone who can lead a crew of very diverse people. He tries to stay calm and be out in front of all the challenges quickly, but it’s an uphill battle.

Equally believable is Emily Hampshire as Rose, the ambitious oil company rep, who is a scientist. At first, she comes across as cold and calculated, but fortunately, there’s much more to her character. She’s fighting to help Big Oil see the financial point of moving towards more sustainable energy sources.

As the story evolves in The Rig, it appears Rose might be a tad too late for this.

Many may recognize Emily Hampshire from Schitt’s Creek (I certainly did), but she’s done a lot of genre productions. These include the 12 Monkeys series, Sam Raimi’s 50 States of Fright, and the 2021 horror-mystery series Chapelwaite.

Other actors in the cast include Rochenda Sandall (Criminal: United Kingdom) as the resident medic, Owen Teale (Game of Thrones) as a constant troublemaker, and Calvin Demba (Kingsman: The Golden Circle) as the young employee who is the first to be deeply affected by whatever is happening.

Watch The Rig series on Prime Video!

The Rig was created by David Macpherson and – according to IMDb – this is his one and only credit. Basically, this means he is debuting with an Amazon production released globally on Prime Video. Not a bad way to begin your career.

The head director of The Rig is John Strickland. He also directed The Flight Attendant series and many other series over the years. Often genre productions that are fairly dark, which is certainly a good match for the plot and style of this new Amazon production on Prime Video.

Also, David Macpherson already has more to come and it would appear the team behind The Rig is already working on series 2. At least according to David Macpherson’s page on The Agency, which is where he is a client. Whether this means we’ll be getting The Rig season 2 or some sort of anthology season 2 remains to be seen.

All six episodes of The Rig arrive on Prime Video on January 6, 2023.

Details

Creator: David Macpherson
Directors: John Strickland, Alex Holmes
Stars: Iain Glen, Emily Hampshire, Martin Compston, Calvin Demba, Owen Teale, Richard Pepple, Mark Bonnar, Rochenda Sandall, Emun Elliott, Stuart McQuarrie, Abraham Popoola, Molly Vevers, Mark Addy, Nikhil Parmar, Cameron Fulton