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.[1] Meyer left the series due to creative differences as the first and second episodes were being filmed.[2] It premiered on June 30, 2019, in the United States on Starz[3] and on July 1, 2019, in the United Kingdom on the Virgin TV Ultra HD channel.[4] On March 4, 2020, Starz confirmed that they had decided not to continue it beyond the original eight episode miniseries.[5]
| The Rook | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Drama |
| Based on | The Rook by Daniel O'Malley |
| Written by |
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| Directed by | Kari Skogland |
| Starring | |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 8 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producers |
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| Production location | London |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | Starz |
| Release | June 30 – August 18, 2019 |
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
- Aidan O'Callaghan as Apex Analyst
- Tamsin Topolski as Bronwyn, Myfanwy's sister
- 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
| No. | Title | Directed by [6] | Written by [6] | Original air date [7] | U.S. viewers (millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Chapter 1" | Kari Skogland | Al Blyth & Sam Holcroft | June 30, 2019 | 0.307[8] | |
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. | ||||||
| 2 | "Chapter 2" | Kari Skogland | Al Blyth & Sam Holcroft | July 7, 2019 | 0.288[9] | |
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. | ||||||
| 3 | "Chapter 3" | China Moo-Young | Francesca Gardiner | July 14, 2019 | 0.228[10] | |
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. | ||||||
| 4 | "Chapter 4" | Sunu Gonera | Al Blyth & Sam Holcroft | July 21, 2019 | 0.220[11] | |
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. | ||||||
| 5 | "Chapter 5" | China Moo-Young | Al Blyth & Sam Holcroft | July 28, 2019 | 0.216[12] | |
Myfanwy and Monica work to extricate a young EVA, while Gestalt's suspicions of Myfanwy lead to a confrontation. | ||||||
| 6 | "Chapter 6" | Sunu Gonera | Francesca Gardiner | August 4, 2019 | 0.157[13] | |
Myfanwy returns to her childhood home. Farrier faces consequences at the Checquy. Monica copes with the discovery that she was betrayed by Marcus. | ||||||
| 7 | "Prologue" | Rebecca Johnson | Al Blyth & Sam Holcroft | August 11, 2019 | 0.190[14] | |
After a terrifying prophency, Myfanwy's desperation leads her to place her trust in a powerful enemy. | ||||||
| 8 | "Chapter 8" | China Moo-Young | Karyn Usher & Lisa Zwerling | August 18, 2019 | 0.192[15] | |
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. | ||||||
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."[16] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the series a score of 62 out of 100 based on 6 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[17]
Production
Somerset House features as "Apex House", the Checquy headquarters overlooking the River Thames.[18] The Port of Dover was used in the series when production filmed inside Cruise Terminal Two, outside quayside and along Cruise Terminal.[19]
