‘Vigil’ is a deep dive into mystery where the truth refuses to surface

A dead crew member on a submarine sees DCI Amy Silva boarding to investigate a murder on – and under – the high seas.

Suranne Jones as DCI Amy Silva in ‘Vigil’. Source: ©BBC / World Productions

If pop culture has taught us anything, it’s that being on board a submarine is an absolute nightmare. They’re small, they’re cramped, they’re full of things that will kill everyone if anything goes wrong, they’re constantly diving below safe depth and threatening to implode, and that’s all before the whole “nuclear weapons” thing. Now Vigil adds murder to the list.

At Barra Head off the coast of Scotland, a trawler’s net gets caught on something big. The kind of big that can pull them backwards – and then down to the bottom of the sea. Underwater, the British submarine HMS Vigil continues its patrol as part of the UK nuclear deterrent. They can hear what’s going on (it’s only a mile or so away from them), but with no clear idea what’s happening, or whether another submarine is involved, Commander Neil Newsome (Paterson Joseph) makes the decision to stick to their mission.

Lieutenant Tiffany Docherty (Anjli Mohindra) and Commander Newsome (Paterson Joseph) in ‘Vigil’. Source: ©BBC / World Productions

Petty Officer Burke (Martin Compston) isn’t happy that they’re leaving sailors behind to drown. Newsome and his executive officer Prentice (Adam James) aren’t happy with him. Burke is sent to his quarters to cool off, and not long afterwards one of the main figures in the confrontation is found dead. That’s two mysteries to solve already, and Vigil is just getting started.

This six-part series is firmly in the UK tradition established by series like Bloodlands (now available at SBS On Demand), The Bodyguard and Line of Duty, featuring compelling plotting, an all-star cast and a general cynicism towards authority – while also presenting us with characters committed to doing right.

There’s a lot going on here, but creator Tom Edge has a way with juggling subplots and storylines that keeps everything clear and moving remorselessly forward. Much like HMS Vigil herself.

The HMS Vigil. Source: ©BBC / World Productions

Because the death happened within British territorial waters, it’s a criminal case. Enter DCI Amy Silva (Suranne Jones, who gives a pretty remorseless performance herself), who’s told by a surly admiral (Stephen Dillane) that the sub is not coming off duty just for one dead sailor. That means she’s going to be spending the next three days on board investigating under the sea. “Then they’ll let you off on a raft,” he says. “It’s perfectly safe, unless you get hit by a tanker”.

If you’re getting the feeling that the Navy doesn’t want her on the case – or for there to even be a case – you’re not alone. Vigil also upholds the tradition of “one good cop against the system” and as is often the case with one good cop, there’s a hint of trauma in Silva’s past. In this case, it’s made her afraid of confined spaces and being underwater. In the light of her current case, that’s somewhat less than ideal.

Coxswain Elliot Glover (Shaun Evans) on board the HMS Vigil. Source: ©BBC / World Productions

Even just getting to the crime scene is a production, complete with the body of an anti-nuclear protestor in the middle of the road, a helicopter ride that involves wearing something reassuringly named “a survival suit” and an awkward car trip with her partner on this case, DS Kirsten Longacre (Rose Leslie). They clearly have a close but somewhat complicated history; at least their shared past means they’ll be able to communicate in code when the Navy starts listening in.

DS Kirsten Longacre (Rose Leslie) investigates on dry land. Source: ©BBC / World Productions

If you’re a viewer who, like Silva, can get a bit claustrophobic, don’t worry. Longacre is staying on shore, where she’s kept busy with her own open-air investigation into links between Burke and the peace protestors. It seems his connection to the anti-nuclear activists is tighter than his crewmates know, and his girlfriend Jade (Lauren Lyle) is quick to put the official story of what happened on Vigil directly in the bin.

It’s difficult to imagine how things could be much worse for Silva than being on a submarine, but the (almost entirely male) crew are determined to find a way. They don’t want to talk to someone who’s just getting in the way of a well-oiled machine, while their leadership both on and off the sub seem much more interested in covering up any problems than getting to the truth. Which isn’t all that surprising: at every turn the mystery expands, with shady political manoeuvrings on dry land and a growing body count at sea.

DCI Silva is going to get to the bottom of this case. Source: ©BBC / World Productions

Silva can’t even call for backup because any outgoing signals would give away the sub’s position; Longacre can send her messages, but she can’t reply. And with nobody having left the sub since the murder, she’s trapped on board with a killer who knows all the places to hide a body and a crew that probably wouldn’t bother to look for her.

At least she doesn’t need to worry about HMS Vigil itself – until something goes seriously wrong with the sub’s reactor. It could be that the killer has a bigger target in their sights…

All six episodes of Vigil are now streaming at SBS On Demand. Episodes also air weekly on SBS at 9.30pm from Thursday 9 March.

 

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