With a cast including several stars from Line of Duty and helmed by one of the minds behind Bodyguard, viewers of The Rig might have anticipated a gritty, grounded drama. Instead, the Amazon series took an unexpected turn into the realm of supernatural mystery and suspense.
Situated on a remote oil rig off the Scottish coast, the six-episode series began with what seemed to be an unusually fierce storm trapping the crew. However, it quickly became apparent that a far more ominous force was at play.
A strange fog carried spores that infected the crew, leading to diverse effects ranging from deadly consequences to mysterious healing properties. In a particularly chilling moment reminiscent of Alien, Rose deduced that the spores bonded with human hosts, resulting in gruesome deaths for some and enhanced abilities for others, depending on their health.
As the tsunami approaches, sacrifices are made in a desperate bid for survival (Photo: The Rig/FirstStage )As the fog’s effects intensified, Baz and Fulmer succumbed to its influence, while Leck met a grisly end when the spores overtook him. Clues provided through visions from the affected crew revealed the existence of The Ancestor, an ancient life force residing on the ocean floor, seemingly orchestrating the chaos.
The oil company Pictor had prior knowledge of this entity and had been actively attempting to destroy it, which explained why the creature retaliated against the rig workers. To make matters worse, the phenomenon wasn’t confined to the rig.
A brief moment of communication allowed Cat to discover that the coastline was also under threat. Concluding that destroying The Ancestor was futile, Rose, Magnus, and Fulmer shifted their focus to finding a way to communicate with it. Their efforts were hindered by an impending tsunami triggered by the rig’s drilling operations.
Amid the chaos, Coake, a Pictor executive, sought to escape via helicopter. With time running out, Rose, Magnus, and Fulmer abandoned their attempts to reach The Ancestor and joined Coake in evacuating the rig.
They narrowly escaped as the massive wave engulfed the structure. Meanwhile, Baz, who felt deeply connected to the ancient entity, chose to remain behind, sacrificing himself as the tsunami struck.
Beyond its thrilling plot, The Rig carries a strong thematic focus on environmental issues. Screenwriter David Macpherson revealed that he aimed to address climate change from a more personal perspective, exploring its impact on individuals working in high-risk industries.
Emily Hampshire, who played geologist Rose, spoke about her role in conveying the science behind the story. Reading about mass extinctions helped her embody the urgency of the narrative, particularly in lines like, “If you keep punching the Earth, it’s going to punch back.”
Co-star Iain Glen added that the story reflects humanity’s destructive tendencies toward nature, suggesting the show serves as a warning about the consequences of such actions. In his words, “It’s only after horrible disasters that humanity tends to think, ‘Maybe we shouldn’t have been doing that.’”
As the season concluded, viewers were left with lingering questions about the future of the surviving characters. The tsunami appeared to head toward mainland Scotland, and an ominous shadow loomed near Cat’s wife.
Meanwhile, the helicopter carrying the survivors disappeared into an uncertain future, leaving the fate of the world profoundly altered. Whether The Rig returns for a second season remains unknown, but the story has undoubtedly set the stage for more dramatic revelations.
