The darker you delve into “The Consultant,” a dark comic thriller on Amazon Prime, the more twisted it becomes. Via a chilling opening sequence in which a little boy picks up a gun and shoots the CEO of the gaming company CompWare, the series keeps pulling the rug out from under you and concludes on something of a horror-sci-fi note. “The Consultant” isn’t just a tense thriller; it’s a series of provocative issues that the makers wanted us to think of. Who is Regus Patoff, the first query that comes to mind? Is he a sociopath, a machine, or just a demanding boss? He is someone who simultaneously evokes paranoia, revulsion, and horror. He is the one we both love to loathe and can’t help but find ourselves drawn to.
Following the mysterious murder of CEO Sang Woo by a kid, Regus Patoff entered the company and took on a sinister persona. The reason for his arrival was that he had already struck a deal with Sang before his death in order to increase his company’s profitability and leave a lasting legacy of his name, but Sang had to die in order for the deal to be honored. Upon Sang’s passing, the consultant, Mr. Patoff, effectively took over the workplace by using everyone as his puppets.
As the mysteries unraveled, his presence raised doubts. Whether he was human at all became questionable. Regus Patoff behaves more like a deranged maniac than like a normal human. Every time he appears on screen, the way he runs the office evokes a sense of fear. But his persona surprises us with the most unbelievable turn. Patoff’s robotic personality became apparent right away, as seen by his lack of plans after work and his ability to sit in CompWare without getting bored or distracted while waiting for his meet up with Sang. These qualities are not typical of humans.
At the end of the series, Craig’s unquenchable curiosity leads him to prove that Regus was actually made of gold, answering many of his doubts about Regus’ puzzling behavior. However, Regus Patoff may just be a cryptic name used by a corporation that specifically selects androids for business consulting services. There may be a lot of theories about what exactly Patoff is, but one thing is for sure: Patoff’s actions are an accurate representation of the interplay between boss and employee in the workplace. Not merely in fiction but in real life, humans conduct themselves robotically at their workplaces, obnoxiously fixated on one goal—namely, the acquisition of fame or money. Just for being persistent at work, employees are turned into the employer’s plaything. In exchange for a better future and more opportunities, the workers are forced to follow the ultimate boss, who molds them in his own image.
After Regus arrived, CompWare employees went through the same horror. Regus was leveraging the power of the employees and directing them to do whatever it took just for the benefit of their company. Regus gave off the impression of being a filthy, old, wicked man who wasn’t concerned with what his subordinates had to say. Instead, he clings to his own decisions, which forces them to do what he asked them and get the results he wanted. Regus Patoff portrayed one of the terrible aspects of a bad work environment while sexually harassing Sang on their first meeting. Regus seemed to be invulnerable the entire time and also a difficult person to deal with. He was a really effective manipulator, and he managed to almost captivate Patti into writing about the specifics of each gamer. He couldn’t care less about morality when it comes to getting the job done and is only concerned with achieving a better result.
Regus was essentially portrayed in the first half of the series as a ruthless entrepreneur who wanted to take over the company, but by the conclusion, it was clear that he was only a computer program created to help small businesses run well with less experienced managers. By the conclusion, he is shown to be the central protagonist who merely desires for Sang’s business to advance up the ladder of success. That’s why, in the end, he gave Elaine his seat since he thought she was best suited to be the CEO, and he switched his focus to another hunt.
With the undeniably strong performance by Christoph Waltz, the character of Regus Patoff may seem to be a high-intelligence android made of gold, but at the same time, he was very human, using clever and deceptive marketing tactics to establish the company. No matter how much the staff hates him, they eventually extol his accomplishments. However, does anyone genuinely desire a boss like Patoff, even just for the sake of success and lucrative profitability? It is controversial, but we may speculate that due to technological breakthroughs, it may not be long until a humanoid takes control of the economy and utilizes barbarous methods to greatly profit, which people won’t be able to ignore even if they want to.
