My Critique of Trigger Point
Trigger Point establishes a disciplined focus on procedural tension, offering an unnerving, tactile counterpoint to more generic police action. Vicky McClure’s commanding lead performance anchors the series with a compelling, soldierly gravitas that elevates the drama’s emotional stakes.
Yet the plotting often leans on strained contrivance, with narrative shortcuts that undermine its otherwise gritty verisimilitude. Occupying a similar Sunday-night slot to Line of Duty, it substitutes intricate conspiracy for relentless, procedural-minded suspense.
For viewers, it matters as a muscular, ratings-dominant piece of populist British craft, though one that sacrifices granular credibility for high-impact, cliffhanger fuel.
Principal Characters & Performances
Lana Washington (Vicky McClure)
At the heart of Trigger Point is Lana Washington, an EXPO—an explosives officer with the Metropolitan Police. Vicky McClure brings a signature blend of grit, vulnerability, and intense focus to the role.
Lana is defined by her expertise and courage under the most extreme pressure, but McClure ensures she is never just a procedural archetype.
The character’s history, including service in Afghanistan, informs her resilience and the deep bonds with her team. McClure portrays the psychological toll of the job with subtlety, from the weight of command decisions to the personal losses that hit close to home.
Her performance grounds the high-stakes action in a relatable human reality.
It is this combination of technical authority and emotional depth that makes Lana a compelling anchor. McClure carries the narrative, making Lana’s determination and her moments of doubt equally convincing.
She is the steady hand and the frayed nerve, a character fans follow through every wire trace and gut-wrenching choice.
Joel “Nut” Nutkins (Adrian Lester)
Adrian Lester’s Joel Nutkins serves as Lana’s trusted partner and foil in the first series. Lester brings a calm, methodical intelligence to the role, creating a character who is the yin to Lana’s more instinctive yang.
Their professional rapport is immediate and deeply believable, built on mutual respect and shared experience.
Nut’s role is crucial in establishing the show’s world. Through his interactions with Lana, the audience learns the language and rhythm of bomb disposal.
Lester portrays him as a rock, both technically brilliant and emotionally centered. His presence provides a stable core around which the escalating chaos of the terrorism plot unfolds.
The dynamic between McClure and Lester is a key strength of the early series. It establishes the professional family at the show’s heart and sets a high bar for character chemistry.
Nut’s journey is integral to the personal stakes that drive the narrative forward, making his role memorable long after the final countdown.
Notable Support and Guest Stars
The world of Trigger Point is populated by a strong ensemble that fleshes out the police and EXPO units. Mark Stanley brings a driven, sometimes conflicted energy to Detective Inspector Thom Youngblood, bridging the gap between the bomb squad and the wider investigation.
Nabil Elouahabi and Kris Hitchen add further texture as fellow EXPOs Hassan Rahim and John Hudson, representing the broader team.
On the command side, Nadine Marshall provides steely authority as Detective Superintendent Marianne Hamilton, while Ralph Ineson’s Commander Bregman adds a layer of political and institutional pressure. Kerry Godliman appears as the pathologist Dr Sonya Reeves, offering crucial forensic insights.
Manjinder Virk’s Detective Inspector Samira Desai and Eric Shango’s EXPO Danny Markham round out the key personnel. This collective effort creates a believable ecosystem of professionals, each under strain.
The guest cast across episodes often includes individuals caught in the threats, heightening the human cost and grounding the spectacle in tangible fear and consequence.
Key Episodes & Defining Stories
Episode 1
The series premiere immediately throws viewers into the deep end. EXPOs Lana Washington and Joel Nutkins are called to a suspected bomb factory in a London tower block.
The episode masterfully establishes the show’s core mechanics: meticulous procedure, unbearable tension, and the sudden, devastating reality of failure.
Beyond the introductory roles of the main cast, the episode sets the brutal stakes. It functions as a harrowing tutorial in the show’s world, where a single mistake is catastrophic.
Fans remember it for its audacious opening, which refuses to play safe with its characters and establishes that no one is truly secure.
It matters because it defines the series’ tone from the outset. This isn’t a show where heroes effortlessly triumph.
The trauma and consequences of this first major incident ripple through Lana and the team for the entire series, making the personal and professional fallout the true ongoing story.
Episode 6 (Series 1 Finale)
The climax of the first series brings the terror campaign to a head with a complex, multi-layered threat. Lana, now operating under immense personal and professional strain, must navigate a web of deception to uncover the perpetrator.
The finale pays off the intricate plotting of the preceding episodes while delivering relentless suspense.
All the series regulars are pushed to their limits here, from the investigative work of DI Youngblood and DS Hamilton to the frontline bravery of the EXPO team. The episode is remembered for its narrative payoff and its emotional resolution, providing answers while leaving scars on the surviving characters.
It matters as a testament to the show’s serialized storytelling. The finale successfully ties together character arcs and plot threads, delivering a satisfying conclusion that also leaves the door open for Lana’s future.
It solidified the show’s hit status, proving it could sustain a mystery and end with power.
Episode 1 (Series 2)
Returning after the success of the first run, this episode had to re-establish the format while pushing Lana into a new chapter. The threat involves a sophisticated bomb on a busy London bus, demanding all of Lana’s skill and courage.
It immediately re-engages the core premise while introducing fresh dynamics and pressures.
With a now-seasoned Lana at the helm, the episode explores her changed status and the ghosts she carries. It reintroduces the high-wire act of disposal under public scrutiny and media glare.
Fans remember it for proving the concept had longevity, delivering the tense set-pieces they expected while evolving the lead character.
It matters because it demonstrated the show’s resilience as a franchise. Successfully launching a second series confirmed that the audience’s connection was with Lana’s ongoing journey and the inherent tension of the EXPO world, not just a one-off story.
It set the stage for the continued expansions of the series universe.
The World of Trigger Point
Trigger Point is grounded in the tense, technical world of the Metropolitan Police Bomb Disposal Squad. The series paints a picture of contemporary London not as a postcard, but as a vulnerable network of crowded streets, residential estates, and transport hubs.
This is the battleground.
The action unfolds in real locations, from tower blocks to underground car parks, giving the threats an unsettling familiarity. The summer setting amplifies the claustrophobia and the public exposure during evacuations.
The jargon, the heavy suits, the cautious approach to every suspect package—all sell the reality of the EXPOs’ daily grind.
This world extends beyond the bomb suit. It includes the briefing rooms where strategies are formed, the path labs where evidence is examined, and the incident command vehicles where high-stakes decisions are made.
It’s a collaborative, high-pressure ecosystem where a split-second choice by one person can save or cost hundreds of lives, a weight the series makes palpably real.
Origin Story
Trigger Point was created and written by Daniel Brierley and commissioned by ITV’s Head of Drama, Polly Hill. The series is produced by HTM Television, a company co-owned by Jed Mercurio and Hat Trick Productions.
Mercurio, alongside Jimmy Mulville, Mark Redhead, and star Vicky McClure, served as an executive producer.
Jessica Sharkey was the producer for the first series, with directors Gilles Bannier and Jennie Darnell helming the episodes. Filming took place on location in London, utilizing the city’s urban landscape to build authenticity.
Composer Chris Roe developed the tense, driving musical score that underscores the action.
Launched in January 2022, the six-part first series was conceived as a high-stakes thriller focusing on the specialized and perilous profession of bomb disposal, filling a distinct niche within the crime drama landscape.
Narrative Style & Tone
The style of Trigger Point is direct, propulsive, and steeped in procedural detail. It operates as a pure thriller, building suspense through the meticulous steps of bomb disposal—the wire tracing, the countdowns, the agonizing choices.
Handheld camerawork and rapid editing immerse you in the chaos of an active threat.
The tone is unflinchingly tense and grounded. While it features explosive action, the focus is often on the quiet, nerve-shredding moments before the blast.
Flashbacks and character scenes are woven into the operational drama to deepen motivation, but the pace rarely slackens.
It avoids glamour, instead presenting a gritty, sweat-soaked portrayal of courage under fire. The dialogue is functional and jargon-laden when it needs to be, reflecting the professional environment.
The musical score by Chris Roe is a key component, expertly ratcheting up the anxiety to almost unbearable levels during key sequences.
How is Trigger Point remembered?
Trigger Point is remembered as a ratings juggernaut that captured the Sunday night audience with its relentless tension. It quickly established itself as ITV’s best-performing new drama of 2022, with its debut episode drawing nearly 11 million viewers.
The show sparked significant social media discussion, particularly around its major plot twists and character fates.
Critics and audiences consistently highlighted Vicky McClure’s commanding lead performance as the series’ bedrock. The show is often discussed in the context of other Jed Mercurio-associated hits like Line of Duty and Bodyguard, praised for its similar commitment to high-octane, serialized storytelling.
While some debated the plausibility of certain twists, the consensus solidified around its core strength as a masterfully constructed suspense machine. Its success was measured not just in ratings but in swift recommissions, with a second series following in 2024 and third and fourth series confirmed, cementing its place as a durable franchise in British television.
In Closing
Trigger Point succeeds by combining a unique high-pressure profession with strong character work and relentless pacing. It offers a distinctive, nerve-shredding take on the crime thriller that has firmly secured its spot on the television landscape.