With out-of-the-box plots and eccentric characters, Amazon Studios has been surprising viewers with the kind of content they have been generating. In a race to be the best and most streamed OTT platform, they have really upped their game in terms of the original series and movies they produce. Running alongside them in this race are Netflix and Disney+Hotstar. Nonetheless, Amazon Studios took on the mantle of original content with their latest series, “The Consultant.” Starring the extremely talented Christopher Waltz, it showcases the story of a gaming company that goes through a terrible time after its founder suddenly dies. A consultant by the name of Regus Patoff steps in to streamline and improve the company’s business. While the employees are not happy with his presence at first, we see more dark secrets and Patoff’s past coming to light as the plot unfolds.
Based on the eponymous book written by Bentley Little, the eight-episode series is streaming on Amazon Prime Video. The plot of the show hooks you from the very beginning as you sit on the edge of your seat to know what happens next. It explores facets like competitiveness in jobs, unemployment and the ruthless world of business where one needs to be the best to make it big. The eerie slow-burn scenes, coupled with spot-on music, make every shot exciting and engaging. The show is created by Tony Basgallop. The climax of the series surely leaves us wondering and scrambling for answers. So, let’s dive deeper to examine the events of the show in detail.
Spoilers Ahead
‘The Consultant’ Recap
The show begins with Compware Games’ founder, Sang Woo, being killed by a young kid. The company spirals out of control at this atrocious scene while the news headlines make their assumptions about the company’s future. Soon after, a consultant takes over control of the company on Sang Woo’s orders. Regus Patoff appears to be a meticulous man who knows his work and is skilled at what he does. His somewhat quirky and authoritative behavior gets on everyone’s nerves, as the employees are not used to his kind of management style. Their previous boss was easy-going and laid-back, while Patoff demanded to correct the books and the manner of conducting business from the get-go. Even though he does not know what Compware does as a company, he marches on to figure out his path with time. He changes everything, from the rules of the workplace to what kind of games the company will launch.
On the other hand, we witness the story from the perspectives of two other characters, Elaine Hayman and Craig Horne. The former was an assistant to Sang Woo and later became a creative liaison, whereas the latter is a game coder and developer. They seem to share a history together that has impacted their other, more serious relationships. The palpable chemistry shared by them invokes a will-they, won’t-they trope throughout the show. Elaine and Craig care for each other, but their conflicted feelings always take the lead. They are intrigued by the new boss’s arrival and decide to dig into his past to see what they can find. The duo goes through his briefcase and his stuff and comes across another similar contract signed by the founder of another company. This proves Patoff has been a consultant to other companies before. Consequently, they research the company and find a similar pattern where Patoff takes over after the founder mysteriously dies.
The show progresses with more eccentric puzzles and games played by Patoff. He befriends Craig to test his loyalty, and he uses manipulation to let Elaine tap into her ambitious and cunning side, all the while appearing non-threatening and friendly to everyone else around. His unique ideas work well as the company starts earning a profit and turns its fate around. In the end, it is very difficult to form an opinion about him that is either positive or negative.
Who Is Regus Patoff?
What hides under his charming exterior is something dark and sinister. Since the beginning of the show, Patoff might appear congenial and warm, but his eyes sparkle with chaos and trouble. From his accent to his inability to go up the stairs, his weirdness increases with every scene. To start with, he has no sense of boundaries, as he goes around sniffing people to find where a rancid smell is coming from. Patoff also calls his employees at odd hours and demands that they come to the office for some work to test their commitment to the company. Apart from that, he is punctual and a man of his word. We only see him around the office, as he does not seem to go home. He grooms at his desk and lives there too.
For Patoff, everything is a game. He plays with people’s desires and their psyches to eventually get what he wants out of them. Patoff adds trouble to every situation. He tells Patti, Craig’s fiance, about his lie. On top of that, he chooses the most impossible idea to market their new game. It could have been to stroke Elaine’s ego or to just spread trouble, but he got his way nonetheless. It seems fated that he ended up working for a gaming company. To this extent, he ended up adding a dollop of his sociopathy to the newly launched game as well. Created by Craig, the game was supposed to be a simple and fun game. However, without his consent or any testing methods, Patoff signs off on launching a game that angers people when they reach a certain level. It invokes a strong rage that leads to the players harming themselves. It’s difficult to attach reasoning to this strange decision, but then again, whatever Patoff does, it seems to only endanger people and their lives.
Surprisingly, this was not the most bizarre thing about Regus Patoff. The name itself is fake. As we see in a close-up shot of a random box, he took his name from the abbreviation for the Registered US Patent Office. Nothing comes up when you search for his name, and nobody knows where he came from. The only trail he left is that of a Moscow company where he worked before Compware. His shudder-inducing vibe, coupled with his wicked smile, sets people off easily. Moreover, his ability to stir trouble in every possible situation is admirable. He deceives people for a living and hides behind the facade of making the business better. On top of everything, Craig finds Frank Flores, the man who made bones of gold for Regus Patoff. The latter made over 200 commissions of different types of bones through various doctors. It suggests that Patoff made a golden skeleton out of the individual bones of gold that he had made. This makes Craig wonder if Patoff is actually made of gold. This also explains his inability to go up the stairs by himself. It proves true when Craig dissects his severed toe and finds a golden bone inside. This definitely left us baffled as to why a person would want to have a skeleton made of gold. It would be so heavy, to begin with. However, a peculiar person like Patoff might find it reassuring to always be the most valuable man in the room, considering his body costs millions of dollars. It connects well with the fact that he values power and strength the most.
Despite all his eccentricities, one thing is for sure: he was able to get Compware back on its feet. The numbers show the same. The new game garners over a million active users and goes on to become one of Compware’s most successful games. Patoff successfully turns the company around and succeeds in his mission. He improves the company’s turnover so that it can remain profitable and everyone can keep their jobs. His efforts to spread chaos and trouble are bizarre for sure, but he did what he promised and stood true to his words.
‘The Consultant’ Season 1: Ending Explained – What Happens To Elaine And Craig?
The climax has Elaine Hayman as the head of the company. She enters the office and sees her name on the door. Even though she earned this with underhanded ways and deceitful methods, her striving to be successful and have it all finally pays off. From the first episode itself, Elaine appears to be the kind of person who will fight tooth and nail to achieve the kind of life she dreams of. She is resourceful and prepared for anything that comes her way. From rewording her resume and title to getting an office by manipulating an innocent colleague, she navigates her way to the top of the mountain. The famous Elvis Presley song plays in the background as she makes her way to the office she so wickedly snatched. That is the moment we realize she is the true “devil in disguise.”
While her sweet and helpful demeanor is highlighted in the first part of the show, her actions quickly take a turn for the worse after she gets manipulated by Patoff, who promises her the company if she succeeds in her efforts to market the game well. She is lured by the promise of control and power, which makes her do things she never thought of. Elaine even compromises her morals to impress Patoff and get the job done. She lets an innocent elephant die because of her actions, then finds suitable reasons to justify the same. Her ambition and drive get the better of her as she leaves behind her values and beliefs to make it big in a ruthless world.
Craig Horne’s laidback and casual attitude is evident in every aspect of his life, from work to interpersonal relationships. He does not make an effort to change his ways or find a better solution to troublesome aspects. While his goofy and immature attitude seems funny at first, it soon gets irritating as he only complains and sulks rather than taking charge of the situation. The only thing he truly cares about is gaming. Since he was a child, he loved playing games and hence, made a career out of it.
In tense conditions, he proves to be weak and panic-prone. He might be impulsive, but he always ends up in the wrong situations. Even on his night out with Patoff, he panicked at the first instance of tension and couldn’t see straight. Moreover, he is very easily influenced and manipulated. A few kind words of appreciation from Patoff change his mind about the man he has been plotting against all this while. On the other hand, he tries to be overly smart and work things out on impulse. This comes to bite him back when he is attacked at Frank’s shop. He wants to take charge and be brave, but he always ends up in worse situations. In the end, his lies and secretive ways land him in trouble with his fiance. His life goes awry after Patti leaves. We believe the most crucial thing missing from his life is his faith in his abilities. Once he gets to trust himself, he can also do wonders in life and not be left all alone.
What To Expect From Season 2?
The end of “The Consultant” season 1 witnesses Regus Patoff scouring for more clients in the business. His specialty lies in turning around failing businesses and letting them get back on top. He meets with the founder of Pterodactyl, Rebecca, and soon after that, the news of her death pops up. It seems like Patoff found the next victim company to help out of a rut.
We believe season 2 of the show can dive deeper into Patoff’s history as we did not get clear answers from this season. The reasons behind his gold skeleton, his real name and where he comes from are some things we are dying to find out. Moreover, the next season can witness more means by which Patoff aspires to help out companies and the other services he offers. In season 1, he organized Sang Woo’s murder as he offers to do so and meets with the kid often. He asked for a different compensation for that service and ended up receiving oral s*x from Sang Woo. This raises the question of Patoff’s sexuality as well. We hope season 2 explores these questions and relieves us of our curiosity soon.
