Parents' Guide to The Rig

The Rig TV show: poster

Common Sense Media Review

Joly Herman By Joly Herman , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 14+

Lots of salty language in weak offshore drilling thriller.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 14+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 14+

Based on 1 parent review

What's the Story?

In THE RIG, a crew on an oil rig off the Scottish coast is startled by a sudden drop in their ability to communicate with the mainland. Lights begin to blink, and alarm is sounded, and the rig shudders mysteriously, causing the operation to shut down. Some crew members are suspicious that Pictor, the company that owns the rig, is somehow behind the strange occurrences. But frightening events continue to gather force, putting the crew in danger and making them fear for their safety.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 1 ):
Kids say : Not yet rated

A deflated attempt at trying to create intrigue without a decent plot line, this show ultimately wastes opportunities. There's too much focus on mediocre special effects and gory physical trauma in The Rig and not enough emphasis on proper character development. In a claustrophobic setting like an offshore oil rig, an audience requires personality to hang onto, because the setting inherently lacks variety. Experienced and able actors like Iain Glen (Game of Thrones) and Emily Hampshire (Schitt's Creek) are forced to struggle through the soggy script; their earnestness ultimately goes nowhere.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about gore and violence in thrillers like The Rig. Does violence make a show more interesting? Or does seeing violence desensitize viewers?

  • This show features a team that doesn't get along. What makes for good teamwork?

  • How does communication break down among characters in this show? What does good communication look like?

TV Details

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The Rig TV show: poster

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