‘The Consultant’ Recap: ‘Creator’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the series premiere of ‘The Consultant’.
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It is definitely safe to say that each and every one of us are searching for the perfect place to work. Where we are paid our worth and our co-workers are wondrous people that bring us joy every day, and where our soul is nourished as much as our pocketbook, and where are inspired daily by a boss/leader that believes in us and everyone we work with. But alas, that seems to be an impossibility. For so many workplaces in this life are as toxic as they come, and feature measly pay, rough co-workers and leaders that are clueless in every sense of the word. Which means… we continue the search, and we learn, how to cope. 
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Which sometimes involves… doing things we’ve never done before as an employee to stand up for ourselves and our rights and our mental health. Which can be both scary and wondrous. But it is necessary, especially when one comes to realize that perfect job isn’t on the horizon and the current one needs to be better, regardless of how unnerving standing tall can be. If anything, the harsh realities of what creates a toxic workplace and what goes into the difficult choice to stand up within one are top of mind today, simply because they served as some of the central themes present in the brand-new Prime Video series, The Consultant. A feat that ‘Creator’ made possible… by bringing chaos to a mostly positive workplace environment. 

Because the good folks at CompWare, while concerned about financials now and again, enjoy their jobs and enjoy making games for the technological prodigy that is Sang-woo. But one stunning day, Sang-woo dies in a horrifying manner, leaving his assistant Elaine, and one of his top employees, Craig… besides themselves. For they now face an uncertain future, one where a cushy job will either fade or degrade and it turns out… the latter appears to be the case. For a strange Consultant named Regus Patoff arrives to take charge at CompWare, and his brutal and rude behavior and strange personality and actions… prompts Craig and Elaine to learn more about why he came to work at CompWare, and what they are about to discover in their quest to make their workplace worthwhile, will rattle them to their core. 

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Which is a plot that does indeed fit those central themes nicely. Because Patoff is… for lack of a better word… an asshat. For every action that he takes against the employees is done in the name of profits and without a singular thought about how it might impact someone’s life in the slightest. It’s just about productivity and the bottom line and those elements make this, a perfect workplace satire. One where Patoff embodies every horrible boss we’ve ever worked for. Since he is clueless about his job, has zero people skills and expects admiration and respect when he hasn’t earned it. And he does indeed foster a toxic environment at work, and that does indeed rally the audience behind Craig and Elaine, because someone needs to stop this, and their struggles to stand up to their new doof of a boss, only adds to the wonder of this tale.
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However, that is where the story takes on new life. Because the discoveries they make about the final days of their boss and the rise of their new and woefully unqualified one, are indeed as shocking as implied and they… open up the possibility to so much more regarding Patoff. Because clearly, he has a power over people, and he does intimidate well and seems to know exactly where to strike someone on an emotional level that even the most incompetent of bosses cannot. Adding depth and mystery to his journey and his purpose and that… truly draws you into this story and compels you to finish it. To learn the truth about this outright madness.

But while we wait to wait to uncover those truths and react to them accordingly… we can relish in the wonder of one quality tale. One that offered quality commentary and setup, and featured some great performances, since Nat Wolff (Craig), Brittany O’Grady (Elaine), and Aimee Carrero (Patti) nail every moment and they are wonderfully counterbalanced by Christoph Waltz’s enigmatic and cold turn as Regus Patoff. And truly, it will be a delight to see what other observations about the workplace this series is going to offer and learn the truth about Regus and his purpose at CompWare as season one of this refreshing show continues along. Until next time.

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