The ups and downs of the Prime Video series

The series The Rig on Prime Video gives the impression of a disaster film stretched into a mini-series, with excellent actors confronted with a natural phenomenon, while offering questionable script choices and special effects. Season 2 of The Rig can’t escape the idea that the story is dragging on. The concept remains the same, as does the very obvious message, although the location changes.

Viewers fond of environmental horror stories might not mind this repetition, but the real reason to follow the series remains the trio of actors at the heart of the plot. Martin Compston, known for his role in Line of DutyIain Glen, former distribution member of Titansand Emily Hampshire of Schitt’s Creek return as resilient heroes, giving their best in the face of material that never quite reaches their level. It’s easy to overlook certain imperfections in the series to better appreciate the talent of the actors. In the end, Season 2 of The Rig turns out to be just as unequal as its predecessor.

Season 2 of The Rig Continues Its Fight Against Climate Change

A Repetitive and Often Excessive Message

David Macpherson, the creator of The Righas crafted a clear warning story about the devastation wrought by humanity on the environment. The supernatural entity known as “the Ancestor,” who took control of the Kinloch Bravo oil rig in Season 1, symbolized the negative impact of big business on our planet. Macpherson’s pro-environmental message resonated throughout the first season, notably with a cliffhanger where a tsunami threatened to cause mass destruction. Although the whole thing isn’t particularly memorable, it’s no different from many disaster films where a group of people barely survive a natural disaster while contemplating their future. The Rig is clearly in this vein: nothing more than entertaining viewing, with a good cast, but without much rewatch value.

The revelation by Prime Video that this cliffhanger was not just a dramatic effect but actually announced Season 2, almost two years later, took everyone by surprise. However, this season’s six episodes don’t bring anything new to the characters, and the issues that marred the first season remain unresolved. Macpherson repeats the same messages about the need to protect the planet, while most of the characters still lack the development to prove compelling. Changing the framework from the North Sea to the Arctic Circle hardly changes the situation. Fortunately, newcomers don’t need to have seen the first season, as the opening minutes of Season 2 quickly explain what happened, thanks to genre-defining news reports.

The feeling of already seen applies just as much to the forces of The Rig than his weaknesses. Despite the script’s shortcomings and questionable special effects, fans of British television will always appreciate the talent of the actors. Martin Compston, Emily Hampshire and Iain Glen perform again, even in supernatural situations. They manage to maintain a certain level of excellence throughout the season, despite the weaknesses of the storyline.

The Cast of Season 2 of The Rig is his Best Reason to Watch

The Three Stars of the Series Receive an Icon Star Trek

Many actors are returning for Season 2 of The Rigincluding the central trio Hampshire, Glen and Compston. The show simply wouldn’t work without them, as they bring a human dimension when the storyline focuses too much on the big picture. The character of Rose, played by Hampshire, remains the heart of the series, expressing to the other characters everything that Macpherson is trying to convey to the audience. This season, she is joined by Alice Krige as Morgan Lennox, the CEO of Pictor Energy. Fans of Star Trek will remember that Krige played the original Borg Queen, although they may not immediately recognize her.

It’s great to see Krige on screen again, and his story with Rose provides an interesting dynamic. However, Morgan’s character remains classic: the CEO who has seen the light and wants to help the heroes against her ruthless counterparts, mainly played by Mark Addy as Coake. Morgan suggests that Rose publicly reveal the existence of the Ancestor so that it can be studied… when the time is right, of course. The character revelations hardly surprise those who follow the plot, but the cast has learned to master every nuance.

Iain Glen excels as the cynical leader, Magnus, determined to treat his team well no matter the obstacles. Compston, meanwhile, while not having as dramatic an arc as previously, continues to bring layers of complexity to Fulmer’s character throughout the season. He proves twice that he could take on the role of action hero, carrying himself with a confidence that the series sometimes struggles to maintain. As for Addy, he brings to Coake that “we love to hate” quality that the story needs to move forward. Other actors, such as Coake, have less material to exploit, and an early scene where he offers financial compensation to the Kinloch Bravo staff for their silence shows that The Rig makes it easier to eliminate characters that have become superfluous.

The Rig knows clearly what message to convey about the environment, corporate interests and human nature, and he does it insistently. As a didactic disaster film, its approach is obvious, but it achieves its goal. On the other hand, as a television series, its structure lacks a solid foundation to stand on. His point was already stated during the first season. The plot is stretched, and The Rig Season 2 doesn’t exploit its characters more as is generally expected of second seasons. Even the cliffhanger doesn’t generate much excitement, because viewers have now understood that Macpherson has a method: the characters will move from one place to another, a disaster will strike, and then another disaster will loom.

Season 2 ends with Rose, Fulmer, Magnus and Lennox vowing to keep fighting, but rather than a sense of hope, the series communicates a sense of futility. Their respite is meaningless, because it will never last. The series would have been more judicious to conclude with this tsunami, leaving the spectators to fill in the disturbing gaps, instead of continuing this plot for too long. Season 2 of The Rig is a relevant warning, but it lacks substance as a television drama.

The Rig Season 2 is now available to stream on Prime Video.

Good to know

• Release date: Season 2 launched on January 6, 2023.
• Distribution : Includes Martin Compston, Iain Glen, Emily Hampshire, and Alice Krige.
• Conception : The series is created by David Macpherson and is exclusively available on Prime Video.