Six-part supernatural thriller. Following the devastating tsunami that destroyed the Kinloch Bravo, season two sees the surviving crew airlifted to a new secret offshore facility called the Stac, nestled deep in the extraordinary and deadly landscapes of the Arctic Circle.
At the Stac, the trapped crew deal with the emotional and physical fallout of the tsunami and contend with swirling conspiracies, corporate conflicts, and new threats from the dark depths of the world’s oceans.
This series continues to explore global themes, takes audiences to spectacular new environments and delves into the frontiers of cutting-edge ocean technology, including the controversial world of deep-sea mining.
READY STEADY CUT ***1/2 RADIO TIMES *** THE UPCOMING *** CBR 5/10
The Rig season 2 is still well worth the watch. It continues to be visually glorious – perhaps even more so than season 1 – as we’re exposed to the harsh landscapes of the Arctic, the claustrophobic yet sprawling Stac, and the UK dealing with the aftermath of the tsunami.
Louise Griffin, Radio Times ***
It’s also impossible not to be reminded of the importance of the show in terms of its depiction of the climate crisis. Season 2 is perhaps even more relentless in getting this message across – but also not sacrificing entertainment to do so.
It never feels preachy but also doesn’t pull its punches when showing the damage that humanity has done to the planet. However, it also features those much-needed moments of optimism, making it clear that it is still possible to learn more and to do better.
Louise Griffin, Radio Times ***
The show remains visually alluring thanks to the clever use of lighting making even the action away from the seabed feel oppressive with the gravity of the situation.
Janet A Leigh, Digital Spy
The effects felt so real to watch and the relationships between characters built up such spine-tingling tension, it made it a great ride and a brilliant start to the new season.
Skye Donald, Edinburgh Live
Many of the actors are back for The Rig Season 2, including the core trio of Hampshire, Glen and Compston. The show simply wouldn’t work without the three of them, because they provide the humanity when the writing gets too focused on the big picture.
Brittany Frederick, CBR 5/10
Glen is in fine form as cynical leader Magnus, still determined to do right by his crew no matter what.
Brittany Frederick, CBR 5/10
I was impressed by how capably The Rig Season 2 transplants the first season’s ample atmosphere onto a much bigger canvas.
Jonathon Wilson, Ready Steady Cut ***1/2
Those hard-to-define nebulous qualities that made the first season so engaging and persist here; the chilly atmosphere, the clanking set and audio design, that general sense of unease that is fostered by the lingering fear of an encroaching, unstoppable unknown. The scale is much wider now, but that essential feeling of paranoid isolation – whether it comes from literal sources, like being crushed in a tiny vehicle by the enormous pressure of an indifferent ocean, or figurative ones, like being constantly lied to and manipulated by people who pretend to have your interests in mind – remains.
And it looks good – sometimes even remarkable in wide landscape shots that take in the harsh, stark Arctic or the glow of sentience in the gloomy depths.
Jonathon Wilson, Ready Steady Cut ***1/2
Ultimately the story is also in service of a larger point about the havoc we continue to wreak on the environment and the natural order, which is important and well-made though not, crucially, coming at the expense of actual entertainment.
Kim Engelbrecht and Iain Glen reprise their roles, with the action taking place against the backdrop of the Durban Harbour, the largest port in Africa.
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