The Rig

Not sure why the negative reviews. This series reminds me of Vigil but I am enjoying it far more. There are some stellar and well known faces in this series, especially Owen Teale in a different role for him. Also it seems to me that anything with Martin Compston or Mark Bonnar in it is sure to be a good watch and they have not disappointed. It's not particularly original, there are subtle shades of Alien, The Thing and various other horror movies that I can't remember the titles of, but definitely not as frightening. This is a good solid thriller and mystery to enjoy after the excitement of Christmas and the current wet weather here in Oz.

I've been looking forward to The Rig and really liked the premise of the show: An oil rig in the middle of nowhere gets enveloped by a mysterious fog that cuts off all communication while something huge begins to stir at the ocean floor. While this might sound exciting the creators completly squandered the potential of a great idea. The result is a poorly crafted by-the-numbers show that feels like it is based on a fifty year old script. Everything you'll see here has been done before and much better.

To be fair, there are a few good individual performances but that isnt enough to save the show. Especially since some other performances are so bad that the respective characters ruin every scene they are in.

The special effects and visuals are also pretty disappointing. The interior of the oil rig is pretty cool but everything on the outside looks so fake that its immersion breaking. The backgrounds look fake, the lighting is off and there is nothing like rain or wind that would convince the viewer that the show is taking place in the middle of the ocean. All things combined it often felt like watching an old sketch comedy show.

The worst part for me was that I've been waiting for some cool twist or a redeeming idea until the very end but that never came. No big revelation, no cosmic horror and no tough decisions or moral dilemmas. Almost everything is completly by the numbers and the cookie-cutter characters behave exactly like you would expect them to. In addition there are huge plot holes and nothing to ground the show in reality.

All things considered the show was a huge disappointment and doesn't even work as enjoyable schlock. Best save your time and watch something else.

The problem with the series is symptomatic of most of the big streaming giants. Good idea, great cast, adequate budget - then no idea of how a script develops. Six episodes for this was far too much, leaving the plotline long and dawn out. The character development is minimal and rudimentary and ends up with generalised cliche and arguments that they need to sustain conflict.

Owen Teale, Iain Glenn, Mark Addy and the effortlessly brilliant Mark Bonar are great. It's just the whole thing is drawn out, under developed and with four episodes the whole thing would have been tighter and the cgi budget more targeted. Not great.

Sure the plot has holes, the characters lack character but all in all the effort was there to deliver a reasonable series with some plot to look for. Maybe an 8/10

But then Rose comes along ... why but why does it have to become a child's play with absolutely ridiculous amount of head movements, amazing amounts of deep breathing and attempts to move facial parts that, let's be honest, can no-longer move. Sorry the deep "sexy" voice did not save it either. Simpler natural "human" discussions would have gone a long way to save the show.

Visual effects btw did a good job (nothing is perfect) and the soundtrack could be less repetitive...

PS: congrats to the chef, doctor, shooter and welder role in one character (wonder if it was a budget issue) ... rofl

PS2: when you literally click the cancel button on a search window you are cancelling the search... duh .. no point showing "no search results". A simple clip of the scene and the "click"... hahah.

I found this to be very easy watching,but there are several things that stopped it from being really good.

Won't mention any names,but some of the acting, including from fairly major characters, was truly lamentable and stopped this from being believable! Seemed to me that they were more schooled in stage acting than film/TV productions, with wildly over the top facial expressions at times!

Also, at times it didn't feel like it was filmed on an oil rig at all,I don't know if it was or it wasn't,but at times it had a stagey/set feel about it which took away from the feeling of isolation,that to me, it should have had.

Having said all this,it was an easy watch,just switch your brain off before you start viewing, and don't question it too much. I'm sure some of the bigger names in this might leave it off their CV though!