Vigil is a six-part submarine thriller, leaving from the fictional town of Dunloch in Scotland and heading off out into the North Sea. On board are the crème de la crème of the British acting fraternity, including Suranne Jones, Rose Leslie, Martin Compston and Paterson Joseph, and of course, this is on BBC1 in the Sunday night thriller slot. Because of Bank Holiday Monday we’re two episodes deep already, so both are reviewed below, and it’s spoilerific. You have been warned.
We begin with 007 credits referencing the Cold War, Scotland versus Trident, which I expect the writers to make more of, and the risky collection of nuclear warheads that rove around the world’s oceans as submarine (or boat but never ship apparently) HMS Vigil looks to get dangerously entangled with a trawler of WAF (that’s wet ass fishermen) who come off much, much, worse in that spectacularly unfair fight. Martin Compston is Petty Officer Craig Burke who gets a proper bollocking for daring to suggest the trawler men need help, and is dismissed from his post on deck after arguing with his superiors who are prioritising stealth over civilian lives, leaving those poor men to drown. He’s told to go back to his cabin where he suddenly dies. All this happens in the first 10 minutes of the first episode. It’s the old Line of Duty formula and yet we’re still shocked. I don’t know how writer Tom Edge managed to get away with it, but he absolutely did. And all credit to the cast and crew for keeping that detail a secret. Despite being burned before, we the viewers are just too trusting, and that’s kind of adorable.
Continue reading “Vigil: Episodes 1 & 2 – BBC1”