The Rook

:

Season 1
User Score
5.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 20 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 20
  3. Negative: 5 out of 20
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User Reviews

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  1. bhadfield
    Jul 2, 2019
    7
    Does a reasonably good job despite lacking the exposition provided by internal thoughts in the excellent source material. Doesn't crackle the way the book does and the feeling of anxiety the main character feels in the book is somewhat lost. We have to understand that the main character could evolve from the person they used to be because they no longer have the memories and trauma ofDoes a reasonably good job despite lacking the exposition provided by internal thoughts in the excellent source material. Doesn't crackle the way the book does and the feeling of anxiety the main character feels in the book is somewhat lost. We have to understand that the main character could evolve from the person they used to be because they no longer have the memories and trauma of growing up under bizarre pressures. Looking forward to seeing more.… Expand
  2. sand1958
    Jul 16, 2019
    0
    It took me just 13 minutes to realise how far from the book the showrunners Zweiling and Usher have gone that it's irreparable. Changing characters titles for real reason, creating a character that doesn't exist in the book and replacing a central character in the book with her is confounding! All this does is p___ off viewers like me who came to the show because they loved the book!
  3. Gnilleps
    Jul 1, 2019
    5
    As a stand alone feature this might have been really good, unfortunately there are too many liberties taken with the source material that make it so the spirit of the book doesn't seem to be there. Unfolding the mystery took a bit longer in the books and the very core of the characters seems to be kinda lost in this 'reimagining' of the book.

    I think if you've never read the book you    As a stand alone feature this might have been really good, unfortunately there are too many liberties taken with the source material that make it so the spirit of the book doesn't seem to be there. Unfolding the mystery took a bit longer in the books and the very core of the characters seems to be kinda lost in this 'reimagining' of the book.

    I think if you've never read the book you might enjoy the show more.    … Expand
  4. podaddy
    Jul 2, 2019
    8
    Have only watched the pilot and found it intriguing enough to look forward to additional episodes. Has a bit of Jason Bourne meets Jessica Jones feel to it, which is not surprising since the opening scene very Robert Ludlum-like. Like most people, I almost always prefer the book better, but since I did not read the book, I believe I am going to enjoy this one.
  5. metabad
    Jul 25, 2019
    5
    Finally, at the end of episode 4, I feel there is promise to get to know more of what's going on in a show that has given us precious little information to hold on to.

    Because it's like this: Myfanwy, the lead character, is a so called 'EVA', that is someone with 'Extreme Variant Abilities'. She regains consciousness lying on the floor in the streets with dead bodies around her and    Finally, at the end of episode 4, I feel there is promise to get to know more of what's going on in a show that has given us precious little information to hold on to.

    Because it's like this:
    Myfanwy, the lead character, is a so called 'EVA', that is someone with 'Extreme Variant Abilities'.
    She regains consciousness lying on the floor in the streets with dead bodies around her and having no recollection of who she is and what has happened.

    So, it's all about the mystery finding out her identity, what's going on and why her memories where erased, the former of which she finds out pretty quickly.
    She works for the 'Checquy', a secret government agency that employs EVAs.
    What they mostly do is chasing and apprehending 'vultures', people (EVAs or not) that abduct other EVAs to sell them in auctions to the highest bidder.

    While she tries to get her life back together, in part due to letters she wrote to herself in foresight,
    we get to meet Myfanwy's colleagues, most of them EVAs.

    There are some problems with the show, most of it due to the lack of exposition or any other means of providing context to the viewer:

    We don't know what to make of many of the characters, even though they seem important.
    That lack of knowledge makes it difficult for the viewer to assess the situations the characters get into and what's really going on.
    Characters seem to have hidden agendas or secrets we don't know about.
    Conversations among them are usually spare and full of evasion tactics to keep secrets from the others.
    In each episode the viewer expects more information to put the puzzle together but the show doesn't give us enough of that, at least in the first four episodes.
    That makes it a somewhat frustrating viewing experience.

    All in all, in spite of my critique, 'The Rook' is an interesting show that has a lot going for it. The atmosphere is well established, the acting is good.
    But the show has a at least one mystery and several secrets and it is bad at explaining enough of the things it presents.

    I'll be watching the rest of the show, but to get through it, you need patience and it's possible that the reward you get may not be high enough for the investment you made.    … Expand
  6. Muggsy361
    Aug 24, 2019
    10
    This is right in my wheel house. It has a great looking cast who play their characters perfectly!
  7. AthanasiosT
    Jul 30, 2019
    0
    Saw the first episode. Boring. Out of curiosity, I've read the book's first chapter, then the second, then the third, etc, etc, until it was finished. My questions are : "Where is the humor and the fun ? Why did you butcher a perfectly entertaining and interesting story and produced another TV drama ?". It seems that after all, the real Grafters, are the TV writers and producers,Saw the first episode. Boring. Out of curiosity, I've read the book's first chapter, then the second, then the third, etc, etc, until it was finished. My questions are : "Where is the humor and the fun ? Why did you butcher a perfectly entertaining and interesting story and produced another TV drama ?". It seems that after all, the real Grafters, are the TV writers and producers, responsible for the show.… Expand

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
62

Generally favorable reviews - based on 6 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 6
  3. Negative: 0 out of 6
  1. The Atlantic
    Reviewed by: Sophie Gilbert
    Jul 2, 2019
    60
    It’s easier to forgive plot holes and convenient narrative trickery in a series that’s aware of its own absurdities, and is willing to entertain. The Rook has plenty to recommend it, but it often gets caught in the space between a pulpy genre thriller and a stony-faced espionage serial, too dark and constantly fighting its most promising abilities.
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  2. Paste Magazine
    Reviewed by: Jacob Oller
    Jun 28, 2019
    81
    The Rook’s memory-loss thriller is ambitious, beautiful, and full of great performances, which makes its problems easy to forget.
    Read full review
  3. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Daniel Fienberg
    Jun 27, 2019
    50
    There's enough intrigue in the stripped-bare skeleton of O'Malley's book to keep The Rook casually watchable, but even those who haven't read the tome will be able to sense that in a show this gloomy and conventional, opportunities for more colorful characterization and plotting must have been neglected.
    Read full review
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