The Consultant Season 1 Review

The Consultant (2023-)
Season 1 - 8 episodes (2023 February 24)

Rent The Consultant on Amazon Video (paid link) // Buy the book (paid link)
Created by: Tony Basgallop
Starring: Christoph Waltz, Nat Wolff, Brittany O'Grady, Aimee Carrero
Rated: TV-MA
Watch the trailer

Plot
Leadership of a mobile game company is taken over by a sinister consultant as the employees figure out how to reconcile with a tragic event.

Verdict
This show is a wild ride. It maintains momentum until the very end as we wonder, what's going on. Each episode generates more questions than answers but it's also exciting as it compels you to watch just one more. What is this consultant's goal? What mind  games is he playing? This season completes the story arc, while leaving room for future seasons if this get renewed. I do wish this had a bigger ending or tried to really go for it, but it's still a fast paced mystery that leaves you wanting more.
Watch It.

Review
This really would be a show best served weekly to generate discussion, expectation, and intrigue between episodes. That could have been the impetus for some wild fan theories. As it stands, this is a show that's made to be binge as you long for answers.

Christoph Waltz plays Regus Patoff

The pilot episode certainly grabs your attention. After a tragic accident involving the founder of CompWare, Regus Patoff (Christoph Waltz) comes in and takes over. No one is sure why or even how he can take over the company. Per his contract he plans to consult the founder on all things business despite the absence of the latter. Regus is very odd, yet interesting. He's cold, detached from everything, but almost every interaction he has with people is some kind of mind game.

I wondered if this show was going to get into violence and video games, but after the first episode it isn't a focus. There is a kid who's defense to a violent crime is "the devil made me do it" and that may be more telling reflecting on the statement at the end of the series.

Everything is a mystery. Each thing we learn about Regus leads to more questions. Everything he does seems nefarious. You never know what he's doing, and he makes some ridiculous requests. The staff comply due to opportunity and the promise of rising up the corporate ladder.

Brittany O'Grady plays Elaine

Elaine (Brittany O'Grady) and Craig (Nat Wolff) are the protagonists, two employees trying to figure out what's going on and who Regus is. That's a difficult task. I kept wondering what is this show. Regus's business almost seems to be getting detailed information on people. I don't know how he does it. Every time we think he might get caught, he reveals a plausible explanation. Despite his odd behavior, he's improved every business he's consulted. He keeps pushing people, and while it could be to get the best out of him, sometimes it seems that he likes uncomfortable situations.

I couldn't help but keep watching to figure out what's going on. Waltz does a great job. You can't trust anything his character does. Elaine and Craig haplessly try to find clues. At the same time, they can't ignore Regus. He's their boss and the source of their paychecks. His promises or insinuations of promotions are enticing. There's certainly the question of how far will you go for advancement. Do you ignore your conscience just to get ahead? Regus slowly leads you down that path before you even realize it.

Nat Wolff, Christoph Waltz play Craig, Regus Patoff

There's so many details that make this more confounding. What background we do learn about Regus is bewildering. This game that's poised to be a success generates troubling reactions in users. I began to wonder how this season would end. Could the conclusion maintain the momentum and excitement? Will we get an off-putting cliffhanger? This season needs to conclude the story by the end, and thankfully it does. It doesn't answer all the questions, but this is left open for future seasons as Regus plans to move on to the next company. As of yet Amazon has neither renewed or canceled the series, likely waiting for viewership numbers.

At the end, I still don't know what Regus gets out of this. What is his game? It seems to be causing chaos. While he makes companies better, he also brings out the worst in people. There's obviously more to him, and the series may be holding onto that for future seasons. Some of this actions and reactions from other people are out of this world. The ending isn't bad, I appreciate this doesn't end on a cliffhanger or drag out the story for multiple seasons, but it would have been nice for a bigger ending. The leaves everything up to the viewer. This throws a few different scenes at us hoping that we'll get something out of at least one of them. We don't know what Regus is doing, but there will be plenty of theories about it.