VIGIL - starts Sunday 29th Aug. BBC 1 - TV PACE. NO SPOILERS

[Blondeshavemorefun]

The six-part drama from World Productions (Line Of Duty, The Pembrokeshire Murders, Save Me, Bodyguard) stars Suranne Jones, Rose Leslie, Shaun Evans, Martin Compston and Paterson Joseph.

When a crew member is found dead on board the Trident nuclear submarine HMS Vigil, police in Scotland are called in to investigate. The catch? The UK’s nuclear deterrent must remain unbroken, so the submarine stays on patrol and Detective Chief Inspector Amy Silva (Suranne Jones) must go aboard to begin an investigation. Although the death was written off as an accidental overdose, Amy suspects foul play. But when the crew close ranks in the face of Amy’s questioning, a new threat overshadows her inquiry.

Vigil
Vigil’s stellar ensemble cast also features Anjli Mohindra, Connor Swindells, Adam James, Gary Lewis, Stephen Dillane, Lolita Chakrabarti, Daniel Portman, Lorne MacFadyen and Lauren Lyle.

The fictional six-part series is written and created by Bafta nominated writer Tom Edge, with episodes by Ed Macdonald and Chandni Lakhani. It is directed by Bafta winner James Strong, and Bafta nominee Isabelle Sieb. Vigil is produced by Angie Daniell, executive produced by Simon Heath and Jake Lushington for World Productions, Gaynor Holmes for the BBC, James Strong and Tom Edge.

Vigil
Vigil is set and was filmed in Scotland, and is supported by the National Lottery through Screen Scotland. International distribution is handled by ITV Studios.

But as someone has said upthread (can't remember who, sorry!) what was the guarantee that Doward would be the replacement? Unless someone higher up is also involved?

@Dillyjones72

I reckon she uses Amy’s morse code lesson to tap out a message and one of the bods in the headphones in the control room heard it… it’s as Plausible as any thing else in this absolutely nuts show!

Agree - they'd never have made the point of letting us know she knows morse, and them reminding us in this episode (and confirming that there's at least one other person on board who knows it well) unless she was going to use it. But does she have something a like a random ladle - that she can bash against the sides if the tube effectively?

But I think it has to be that, or the coxswain groaning something useful, that saves her.

Her being in the tube is pretty damned inexplicable, so baddie has really burned his bridges now

I’m confused as to why the Russian or Chinese people want to get vigil onto the surface. It’s so far fetched now it could be anything, I hope episode 6 explains everything. I’ll be annoyed if it leaves questions unanswered.

@DobbyTheHouseElk

I’m confused as to why the Russian or Chinese people want to get vigil onto the surface. It’s so far fetched now it could be anything, I hope episode 6 explains everything. I’ll be annoyed if it leaves questions unanswered.

Well yes there needs to be a good reason. Especially as Vigil surfaced to allow Amy on so whatever they are planning to do could have been done then? Enjoying this but don't think I'd want any further series to drag things out.

Thought whole pint is to get Vigil to surface and attack her - just enough to prove that the British deterrent doesn’t work as can be located and defeated.

*whole point is to get Vigil to surface and to then attack her

@JanglyBeads

*whole point is to get Vigil to surface and to then attack her

So why couldn't they do that when it surfaced to pick Amy and the replacement up? Replacement could have given them information about the sub's whereabouts then?

@DobbyTheHouseElk

I’m confused as to why the Russian or Chinese people want to get vigil onto the surface. It’s so far fetched now it could be anything, I hope episode 6 explains everything. I’ll be annoyed if it leaves questions unanswered.

Isn't it to demonstrate that the deterrent can be broken? If they can force a nuclear sub on patrol to surface, thus giving away their location, they can show that the UK does not in fact have an unbreakable, undetectable at-sea nuclear deterrent.

They don't even have to attack. Just breaking the deterrent would be enough I think.

How will Amy get through to the end without coxswain to look after her once she's inevitably rescued from the tube?
They really shouldn't have sent her down there in the first place, I love this show and choose to completely suspend disbelief, but deciding to send Amy down was a stretch even for my imagination

I think Amy will come out of the tube cured of her phobia. She will have several flashbacks and then as she starts to fade away, in a dramatic flourish the door will open.

There was an odd moment when they were getting ready to go in the contaminated area and Hadlow said they were getting the decontamination shower ready (ie it wasn’t yet finished) and Coxon seemed concerned asked how long it would take. Relevant or not? Didn’t seem significant by the end, but did seem at the time.

They don’t have much time - at the rate the water was entering the tube, I reckon the walk from where Hadlow and co are is too far to travel to rescue her.

I like the theory upthread that the be-suited person will claim to have been decomtaminating Amy.

I know it’s ridiculous, but I did properly jump off the sofa for the last 5mins.

Good point

When they went up to get Amy and Burke replacement why didn’t they do something then

Or as someone else said it’s proving that vigil can be powerless

Who knows?! Something about Dowden having to be on board? We need to know more about China, why the captain’s only been allowed back with the second in command, loads of unanswered questions yet!

Am tempted to try and rewatch all previous episodes this week to pick up clues etc!

When they went up to get Amy and Burke replacement why didn’t they do something then

Probably didn't have assets in position - both the saboteur in board and their vessels in the right area. First surfacing gave them general location, subsequent were meant to narrow it down (they went up to periscope depth, didn't they, by that tanker - would that have pinged as well? - and then the other Russian ships and subs were 'seen' approaching

I don't think China is involved, is it? It's simply the only consulate that would accept that bloke.

@TimeIhadaNameChange

I don't think China is involved, is it? It's simply the only consulate that would accept that bloke.

Agree - and I think it shows that he had no reason to think there was any Chinese involvement.

I have no idea if China would accept what amounts to a defector in these circumstances - aren't they usually very hands-off? I think it's just a plot device to get that character out of the way, so no more time has to be spent chasing it down

Blondes we’re going to need a new thread. 😍

@RandomDent

Blondes we’re going to need a new thread. 😍

I did think that

Was going to do one for Sunday

But equally we can move chat to vigil 2

@JanglyBeads

There was one line I missed, don’t know if it’s important, probably not - when the doc was examining coxswain after he’d showered, he said something wasn’t in good condition or something, I heard an s what was it?

I out subtitles on to find out he said “windows to the soul”

His soul.

Rewatching epi 1 - on the copter Dowden commented that Virtue, his usual ship, was “less trouble” than Vigil, then refused to say any more (perhaps unsurprisingly). There seems to be something specifically about Vigil, doesn’t there, with the Florida thing as well?

There seems to be something specifically about Vigil, doesn’t there, with the Florida thing as well?

HMS Voodoo seems more fitting?

Aargh just binge watched as i thought it had finished now have to wait to find out.

If Amy gets out of that alive it’s pure Flash Gordon. And people of a certain age will know what I mean😂