Comedy-horror show Wreck tells the story of 20-year-old Jamie (Oscar Kennedy) as he infiltrates the crew of the cruise ship the Sacramentum, to find out what happened to his sister Pippa, who went missing on a previous voyage. Assuming the identity of crew member Cormac (Peter Claffey) Jamie strikes up a quick friendship with fellow newcomer to the ship Vivian (Thaddea Graham), who joins him in his investigation. The pair are introduced to a whole host of new people, including Danny (Jack Rowan), who they suspect of having something to do with Pippa's disappearance. Many of the show's characters appear to be set up for rather brutal deaths, as killer Quacky, the ship's duck mascot, continues to add numbers to their kill count.
The show's opening scenes reveal to the viewer what happened on the night of Pippa's disappearance, as we see her row with ex-boyfriend Danny, who later sends her a text reading “I hope it ducking hurts,” and then get chased through the ship by Quacky, or someone wearing the Quacky costume. And it's here that the show's mystery kicks off… who is Quacky? And why are they killing members of the Sacramentum's crew?
Throughout the pilot episode, writer and show creator Ryan J Brown seamlessly weaves the horror and comedy aspects of the show together, in a way that perhaps a number of other shows, and films, in this genre don't quite manage. Go too far into horror and you're a horror series with a few jokes, go too far into comedy and you're a comedy with a few scares. Brown manages to avoid this in Wreck, with there being just enough of both. There are scenes that will leave you in hysterics, but there are also ones that will leave you wanting to hide behind your sofa. And with so many horror references written in the show will make for a great choice for any fans of the genre.
The show's setting of a cruise ship is a rather unique choice, but one that certainly adds to the horror element. At sea, there's nowhere to run if a psycho killer in a duck costume starts knocking you off one-by-one. The setting also allows for a huge amount of diversity, with members of the ship's crew coming from all over the world, and from all walks of life. Both the show's leads are gay, something that isn't usually seen in shows that aren't primarily about the character's sexualities, and while, Jamie is there to find out what happened to his sister, Vivian accepted the cruise ship job to get away from her homophobic parents, something that sadly many viewers may be able to relate to.
The cast are all delightful in their roles, and as of yet there does not appear to be one weak link among them. Even those who only have small roles in the pilot episode, such as the ship's captain Karen (Harriet Webb), and Cher impersonator Rosie (Miya Ocego). The first episode establishes Karen as rather strict, and a woman leader who likes to surround herself with men (noticeably known of the ship's other high-level workers are women), and while pilot mostly plays her for laughs, Webb's portrayal makes it clear that perhaps there's something deeper to Karen. And Ocego's Rosie may only appear for a second, but as Cormac's — the man whose identity Jamie has assumed — ex-girlfriend she's liable to cause some trouble for our protagonist.
Wreck's pilot episode perfectly sets up a unique and interesting story for the rest of the season, and lays the groundwork for some wonderful character dynamics, especially between newfound friends Jamie and Vivian. The episode also ends with a rather Scream-like plot twist, that may leave you questioning any theories you've come up with so far.
Wreck will air on BBC Three and iPlayer on 9th October.
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