The contemplation of quit-quitting that nine-to-five job takes on a whole new meaning in Amazon Prime’s latest dark comedy, ‘The Consultant’.
This mystery-ridden seven-episode series is created by show runner and EP, Tony Basgallop, with the pilot directed by EP Matt Shakman, and executive produced by Christoph Waltz, who also stars in the series lead role as Mr. Regus Patoff.
Stemming from Bentley Little’s 2015 book by the same name as the series, fans can look forward to much of the puzzle box-like mystique as each episode flows into the next, sure to keep viewers glued to the edge of their couch cushions.
The story begins with Mr. Patoff being designated as the eerie, and slightly sinister consultant of LA-based mobile game developer, CompWare. As most consultants are hired to do, Mr. Patoff sets out to assist with driving up CompWare’s sales, and leading the team to success – in his own unique way.
As seen in the trailer, Mr. Patoff gets to know the office staff, which consists of an apprehensive bunch including Brittany O’Grady (Elaine) and Nat Wolff (Craig); Regus makes this very personal matter by quite literally sniffing out the team.
You know, just an average way for your new boss to get to know you.
In many other instances, Mr. Patoff can be seen delivering sinisterly charismatic speeches from the top of a glass stairwell, standing next to a nude archaic stone statue, ensuring his new team that “some excel under stress.”
Amongst the hesitant few, Craig urgently warns Elaine that they’re “working for a sociopath” before she offers that maybe Mr. Patoff “is just really good at his job.” The two, alongside Craig’s fiance, Patti (played by Aimee Carrero) work to uncover the mystery behind this new consultant, all while trying to maintain their sanity.
Throughout the series, one does begin to toy with the idea that Mr. Patoff may be a very likable yet somewhat unhinged character; a sentiment shared with Tony Basgallop himself.
“Developing it I had a lot of fun with [Mr. Patoff], I know he comes across like a monster but I really like him,” says Tony. “I think that’s largely down to the way Christoph played the part and the way Matt shot it and everything, but the longer the show went on the more I was warming towards him.”
As for Christoph himself, he leaves the interpretation of Mr. Patoff completely up to the viewer. However, the actor behind numerous accolades including but not limited to two Academy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards did speak on his experience as Mr. Patoff.
“Having to spend a long time with the same people… you’d better make sure in the beginning that you want to spend that time,” Christoph says with his notorious smirk. “You will always experience unforeseen situations, yet in our case, every unforeseen situation was a step in the intended direction and got us closer together, and the understanding that we were dealing with the subject deeper.”
Co-stars, Brittany, Nat, and Aimee also echoed experiencing a “meaningful” time while working together on set.
While reading over the pilot in his apartment, Nat even recalls “screaming out” in excitement as he got to the series ending.
“Just reading the pilot you got this feeling of this eerie tone and atmosphere and then you started to see the themes and then that twist at the end of the pilot I screamed out in my apartment,” Nat says with a chuckle before adding this was the moment he said to himself, “I gotta be apart of this project.”
For Brittany, the air of enigma that the story held caught her attention. “A lot of it was a mystery,” Brittany says when speaking about her initial thoughts on the script. “It was fun, and it was a challenge,” Brittany says.
Recalling a conversation with Tony, Aimee recounts him stating that ‘‘if Patoff is the devil on Craig’s shoulder then Patti is the angel on his [other] shoulder.”
“I remember asking in the meeting, ‘so then that means at one point the devil and angel get to do scenes together’ because I’m gonna need to work with Christoph Waltz,” Amiee says with a smile before adding; “the main selling point was this amazing cast!”
You too can get familiar with this stellar cast on Thursday, February 24th on Prime Video, and uncover the mystery behind ‘The Consultant’.
