The Rook (miniseries)
{{short description|American drama television miniseries}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2019}}
{{Infobox television
| image =
| image_upright =
| image_size =
| image_alt =
| caption =
| alt_name =
| genre = Drama
| creator =
| based_on = {{based on|The Rook|Daniel O'Malley}}
| developer =
| writer = {{Plainlist|
- Sam Holcroft
- Al Muriel
}}
| screenplay =
| story =
| director = Kari Skogland
| creative_director =
| starring = {{Plainlist|
- Emma Greenwell
- Joely Richardson
- Jon Fletcher
- Ronan Raftery
- Catherine Steadman
- Adrian Lester
- Olivia Munn
}}
| theme_music_composer =
| opentheme =
| endtheme =
| composer =
| country = United States
| language = English
| num_episodes = 8
| executive_producer = {{Plainlist|
- Kari Skogland
- Karyn Usher
- Lisa Zwerling
- Meghan Hibbett
- Stephen Garrett
- Stephenie Meyer
}}
| producer = {{Plainlist|
- Sam Holcroft
- Al Muriel
}}
| location = London
| cinematography =
| runtime =
| company = {{Plainlist|
- Lionsgate
- Liberty Global
- Character 7
- Carpool Entertainment
}}
| budget =
| network = Starz
| first_aired = {{Start date|2019|6|30}}
| last_aired = {{End date|2019|8|18}}
}}
The Rook is an American television series, loosely based on the novel of the same name by Daniel O'Malley, and originally adapted by Stephenie Meyer. It was ordered direct-to-series at Starz in July 2017.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2017/tv/global/starz-twilight-stephenie-meyer-liberty-global-the-rook-1202509572/|title=Starz Orders Drama 'The Rook' From Stephenie Meyer and Lionsgate|first=Stewart|last=Clarke|date=July 28, 2017|access-date=April 23, 2018|work=Variety}} Meyer left the series due to creative differences as the first and second episodes were being filmed.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2018/06/the-rook-lisa-zwerling-karyn-usher-showrunners-stephenie-meyer-exits-starz-spy-series-1202402100/|title='The Rook': Lisa Zwerling & Karyn Usher Join As Showrunners, EP Stephenie Meyer Exits Starz Spy Series|first=Nellie|last=Andreeva|date=June 1, 2018|access-date=May 8, 2019|work=Deadline Hollywood}} It premiered on June 30, 2019, in the United States on Starz{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2019/05/the-rook-season-1-premiere-date-starz-1202609780/ |title='The Rook' Gets Season 1 Premiere Date On Starz|work=Deadline Hollywood |first=Denise |last=Petski |date=May 8, 2019 |accessdate=May 8, 2019}} and on July 1, 2019, in the United Kingdom on the Virgin TV Ultra HD channel.{{cite web |url=https://www.virginmedia.com/virgin-tv-edit/tv/the-rook-virgin-media-original-show-first-look |title=First look at The Rook|work=Virgin TV Edit |date=May 20, 2019 |accessdate=August 18, 2019}} On March 4, 2020, Starz confirmed that they had decided not to continue it beyond the original eight episode miniseries.{{cite news |url=https://tvline.com/2020/03/04/the-rook-cancelled-no-season-2-starz/ |title=The Rook Cancelled at Starz |first=Kimberly |last=Roots |work=TVLine |date=2020-03-04 |access-date=2020-04-08}}
Premise
Myfanwy Thomas finds herself at Millennium Bridge in London surrounded by dead bodies with no memory of how she came to be there. She soon discovers that she is an agent with supernatural abilities in a British secret service called the Checquy.
Cast
=Main=
- Emma Greenwell as Myfanwy Thomas, a Rook in the inner court of the Checquy
- Joely Richardson as Linda Farrier, the King in the Checquy
- Jon Fletcher as Teddy and Alex Gestalt, two of the four bodies sharing one mind, the Rook Gestalt
- Ronan Raftery as Robert Gestalt, a third body of the Rook Gestalt
- Catherine Steadman as Eliza Gestalt, a fourth body of the Rook Gestalt
- Adrian Lester as Conrad Grantchester, the Queen in the Checquy
- Olivia Munn as Monica Reed, an agent from the American BVA, a Checquy sister agency
=Recurring=
- Ruth Madeley as Ingrid Woodhouse, a Pawn in the Checquy
- Shelley Conn as Danielle Wulff, a Chevalier in the Checquy, their PR expert
- Gina McKee as Jennifer Birch, senior UK Government Minister responsible for the Checquy
- Barry Atsma as Peter Van Syoc
- Luke Roberts as Marcus Kevler
- Michael McElhatton as Lorik, a senior representative of the Lugate
- Tamsin Topolski as Bronwyn, Myfanwy's sister
- Aidan O'Callaghan as Alan, senior apex analyst in the Checguy
- James D'Arcy as Andrew Bristol, a former therapist for the Checquy
- Michael Karim as Nazim, an EVA with the ability to erase people's memory
Episodes
{{Episode table |background=#3E9DDC |overall= |title= |director= |directorR={{cite web |title=The Rook – Crew |url=https://www.starz.com/series/therook/crew |publisher=Starz |accessdate=June 14, 2019}} |writer= |writerR= |airdate= |airdateR={{cite web |title=The Rook – Listings |url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/showatch/rook/listings/ |publisher=The Futon Critic |accessdate=June 13, 2019}} |country=U.S. |viewers= |episodes=
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 1
|Title = Chapter 1
|DirectedBy = Kari Skogland
|WrittenBy = Al Blyth & Sam Holcroft
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2019|6|30}}
|Viewers = 0.307{{cite web|url=http://www.showbuzzdaily.com/articles/showbuzzdailys-top-150-sunday-cable-originals-network-finals-6-30-2019.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190702142158/http://www.showbuzzdaily.com/articles/showbuzzdailys-top-150-sunday-cable-originals-network-finals-6-30-2019.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 2, 2019|title=Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 6.30.2019|last=Metcalf|first=Mitch|date=July 2, 2019|work=Showbuzz Daily|accessdate=July 2, 2019}}
|ShortSummary = After waking up surrounded by dead bodies and no memory, Myfanwy Thomas is thrown into the world of the Checquy, a paranormal secret service where she's a high-level operative known as a "Rook" and finds that no one can be trusted.
|LineColor = 3E9DDC
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 2
|Title = Chapter 2
|DirectedBy = Kari Skogland
|WrittenBy = Al Blyth & Sam Holcroft
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2019|7|7}}
|ShortSummary = While Myfanwy revisits the crime scene in search of her past, Monica discovers a dark truth about one of the victims. One of Myfanwy's dead attackers disappears from the morgue.
|LineColor = 3E9DDC
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 3
|Title = Chapter 3
|DirectedBy = China Moo-Young
|WrittenBy = Francesca Gardiner
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2019|7|14}}
|ShortSummary = Myfanwy discovers a disturbing clue to her past. Farrier searches for a scapegoat for the bankside murders. Monica goes undercover to attend an EVA auction.
|LineColor = 3E9DDC
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 4
|Title = Chapter 4
|DirectedBy = Sunu Gonera
|WrittenBy = Al Blyth & Sam Holcroft
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2019|7|21}}
|ShortSummary = Myfanwy uncovers a twisted relationship with her psychiatrist. Monica searches London with Gestalt for a missing EVA who escaped. Farrier makes a connection with a mysterious prisoner.
|LineColor = 3E9DDC
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 5
|Title = Chapter 5
|DirectedBy = China Moo-Young
|WrittenBy = Al Blyth & Sam Holcroft
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2019|7|28}}
|ShortSummary = Myfanwy and Monica work to extricate a young EVA, while Gestalt's suspicions of Myfanwy lead to a confrontation.
|LineColor = 3E9DDC
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 6
|Title = Chapter 6
|DirectedBy = Sunu Gonera
|WrittenBy = Francesca Gardiner
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2019|8|4}}
|ShortSummary = Myfanwy returns to her childhood home. Farrier faces consequences at the Checquy. Monica copes with the discovery that she was betrayed by Marcus.
|LineColor = 3E9DDC
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 7
|Title = Prologue
|RTitle =
|DirectedBy = Rebecca Johnson
|WrittenBy = Al Blyth & Sam Holcroft
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2019|8|11}}
|ShortSummary = After a terrifying prophency, Myfanwy's desperation leads her to place her trust in a powerful enemy.
|LineColor = 3E9DDC
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 8
|Title = Chapter 8
|DirectedBy = China Moo-Young
|WrittenBy = Karyn Usher & Lisa Zwerling
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2019|8|18}}
|ShortSummary = Myfanwy and Farrier quickly discover how dangerous life is outside of the Checquy, while Grantchester runs out of options. Myfanwy chooses between her freedom and Farrier's life.
|LineColor = 3E9DDC
}}
}}
Reception
=Critical response=
On Rotten Tomatoes, the series received an approval of 44%, and a 5.83/10 average rating from 16 reviews. The critics' consensus states, "Though it teases some appealingly pulpy puzzle pieces, The Rook's dour tone and convoluted machinations overshadow its intriguing premise."{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_rook/s01|title=The Rook: Season 1|website=Rotten Tomatoes|publisher=Fandango Media|accessdate=July 7, 2019}} Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the series a score of 62 out of 100 based on 6 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".{{cite web |title=The Rook: Season 1 |url=https://www.metacritic.com/tv/the-rook/season-1 |website=Metacritic |publisher=CBS Interactive |accessdate=July 7, 2019}}
Production
Somerset House features as "Apex House", the Checquy headquarters overlooking the River Thames.{{cite news |last1=Sarner |first1=Lauren |title='The Rook' star Emma Greenwell had amnesia just like her character |url=https://nypost.com/2019/06/27/the-rook-star-emma-greenwell-had-amnesia-just-like-her-character/ |work=New York Post |date=27 June 2019}} The Port of Dover was used in the series when production filmed inside Cruise Terminal Two, outside quayside and along Cruise Terminal.{{cite web|url=https://kentfilmoffice.co.uk/filmed-in-kent/2019/06/the-rook-series-1-2019/|title=Kent Film Office The Rook article|author=Kent Film Office|date=June 24, 2019|website=|access-date=}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website |https://www.starz.com/series/therook/}}
- {{IMDb title|7395992}}
{{Starz Shows}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rook (miniseries), The}}
Category:2019 American television series debuts
Category:2019 American television series endings
Category:American English-language television shows