Vigil

The mysterious disappearance of a Scottish fishing trawler and a death on-board the submarine HMS Vigil bring the police into conflict with the Navy and British security services. DCI Amy Silva and DS Kirsten Longacre lead an investigation on land and at sea into a conspiracy that goes to the very heart of Britain’s national security.

Vigil is a British television crime thriller created by Tom Edge for BBC One, now a returning series running from 2021 to the present. Detectives DCI Amy Silva (Suranne Jones) and DS Kirsten Longacre (Rose Leslie) lead an investigation that begins with the disappearance of a Scottish fishing trawler and a death aboard the submarine HMS Vigil. Their search forces them onto land and to sea, pulling them into open conflict with the Royal Navy and the British security services. Captain Sattam Abdul Kader (Oscar Salem) and Colin Robertson (Gary Lewis) sit among the figures whose loyalties grow harder to read as the case widens. The engine of the show is a steady escalation of suspicion, where every interview and classified door hints at a conspiracy reaching the top of the state. Across three seasons of six episodes each, the series keeps a tense, procedural rhythm, with flashback memories carrying the partnership between its two leads. The mood is paranoid and claustrophobic, shifting between windswept Scottish coast, cramped submarine corridors and institutional offices. Fans of Line of Duty, Bodyguard and Spooks will find resonance in its blend of police investigation and national security intrigue, with a grounded, unsentimental register that rewards close attention.

Audience reception is positive overall, with viewers appreciating the cast and the conspiracy plot while noting cliched moments and uneven later seasons.

• Line of Dutyshared tones of tense state conspiracy and institutional secrecy, serialized police investigation
• Bodyguardshared military and security service secrecy with a procedural investigation
• Spooksshared British conspiracy thriller tone and paranoid national security stakes

Created by

Tom Edge

Release Date

2021-08-29

Episode runtime

58 min

Rating

7.4 / 10 (290)

What is Vigil about?

Two British detectives probe a missing trawler and a death aboard a submarine, uncovering a conspiracy that runs into the heart of national security.

What is Vigil like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Vigil as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.

Is Vigil violent?

Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Vigil as moderate.

What did critics think of Vigil?

Audience reception is positive overall, with viewers appreciating the cast and the conspiracy plot while noting cliched moments and uneven later seasons.

Which shows are like Vigil?

Shows with a similar feel include Line of Duty, Bodyguard, and Spooks.

How long is Vigil?

Vigil: 5 seasons, 18 episodes.

Is Vigil still running?

Yes, Vigil is still running.

Where can I watch Vigil?

In United States, Vigil streams on Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus.