Trigger Point (TV series)

Trigger Point
Genre
Created byDaniel Brierley
Written byDaniel Brierley
Directed by
  • Gilles Bannier
  • Jennie Darnell
StarringVicky McClure
ComposerChris Roe
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes6
Production
Executive producers
ProducerJessica Sharkey
Running time60 minutes
Production companyHTM Television
Original release
Network
Release23 January 2022 (2022-01-23)[1] –
present

Trigger Point is a 2022 British crime thriller television series starring Vicky McClure as a police bomb disposal expert in London.[2] It is created and written by Daniel Brierley. It was first broadcast on 23 January 2022 on ITV. On 27 February 2022, it was announced that a second series was commissioned.[3]

Plot

Lana Washington is an ex-military bomb disposal operative (known as an 'Expo') and Afghan War veteran who heads a Metropolitan Police bomb squad, using her skills to counter the terrorist threat.

Cast

Production

Mercurio mentored Brierly, who was new to television, and developed the series during a television bursary scheme. The series was filmed in London.[4]

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateUK viewers
(millions) [5]
1"Episode 1"Gilles BannierDaniel Brierley23 January 2022 (2022-01-23)8.85
In the middle of a summer heatwave, Explosives Officers ("EXPO") Lana Washington and Joel Nutkins are called out to a Metropolitan Police counterterrorism operation at a London housing estate to investigate a potential bomb factory. There is no sign of the bomb maker but with evidence of an even deadlier terrorist threat, Lana and Joel must work against the clock to save as many lives as possible. The first bomb is revealed to be simple fireworks in an apartment toilet. The second one is found on Andy Phelan in the boot of his car. Lana and Joel manage to disarm the bomb manually. Joel assists in investigating a suspicious parked van, which detonates, hiding a third bomb; killing him and several bystanders.
2"Episode 2"Gilles BannierDaniel Brierley30 January 2022 (2022-01-30)7.71
Four days after the bombing at the housing estate, Lana and Danny respond to a suspected bomb on a bus, which turns out to be a false alarm. Following Joel’s funeral, Lana and her colleagues drink away their sorrows. New reports of a bombing points the police to an abandoned factory, which they discover is used as a bomb factory. Lana suspects some wires to have been planted, while Youngblood advises her to tread carefully. Far right extremists take to the street and blame islamists for the bombing. This later proves contrary as a bomb is discovered at a mosque. The countdown is already at five minutes when Lana goes in to defuse it. She also discovers someone behind the door the bomb is attached to. With three minutes left on the timer, Youngblood rushes in orders her to leave the mosque. She faces the dilemma of saving the man behind the door or leave immediately.
3"Episode 3"Gilles BannierDaniel Brierley6 February 2022 (2022-02-06)6.95
With mere seconds left on the bomb’s timer, Lana desperately attempts to unlock the door. Danny rushes in when it hits 20 seconds and convinces her to get out before it detonates, killing the captured man. Lana shares her experience and struggles with her friend, Karl. She also has an outburst against one of her colleagues, John Hudson, blaming him for not getting backup. The police investigates a cryptic message left by a right-wing splinter group, The Crusaders, who claims responsibility for the mosque bombing. Lana and Sonya discover that the bomb material is highly classified, and the former asks Youngblood to look into it. Another bomb is discovered outside an LGBT bar, The Five Oaks. With smoke grenades as a distraction against a sniper, Lana and Danny manage to disarm the bomb. Armed police storm the apartment complex where the sniper was located, but only manage to kill the bomber, Nic Roberts. An officer is killed by a second suspect, having just discovered a police vest. Lana suspects that the second suspect is in insider, and even floats the possibility of a third suspect, a bomb maker. She breaks into Hudson’s locker, and discovers a map book marked with the locations of the bombings.
4"Episode 4"Jennie DarnellDaniel Brierley13 February 2022 (2022-02-13)7.42
The police discover the burned out remains of the Prius that the bomber stole. Lana presents the evidence from Hudson’s locker to Youngblood, who promises to look into it. Her brother Billy, misses a meeting with the police, and she starts looking for him. She and her parents discover his flat empty. Lana takes her suspicions against John to the next level when she directly accuses him at New Scotland Yard, leading to DSU Marianne Hamilton asking her to take leave. Shortly after, she is brought back in again after commander Bregman informs her that her brother has ties with The Crusaders and Nic Roberts. Billy discovers a bomb in his glovebox when Lana contacts him. She directs him away from an underground station and into Cranstead Fields in a park. Reinforcements arrive, and Lana attempts to defuse the bomb. With the timer activated, Billy starts to panic when it counts down from 30 seconds. Despite Lana’s warnings, he opens the door, leading to the bomb detonating, killing him.
5"Episode 5"Jennie DarnellDaniel Brierley20 February 2022 (2022-02-20)7.61
Lana spends time grieving Billy’s death, and tries to drink away her sorrows and eventually decides to start therapy on the advice of Hamilton. She also tackles a conflicting statement with Youngblood regarding who she was with just before being called by the police. Another bomb is discovered at the University of South London, who is hosting a debate for a by-election. Lana goes in with Hudson to disarm the bomb. In the meantime, armed police spots the bomber, Frank Welsh, with two phones to detonate the bomb. They’re authorised to shoot him. As Hudson leaves, he detonates the bomb via his phone and escapes the scene. Evidence from his residence points them to another bomb at a progressive alliance office, with a bomb located in a nearby car. Furthermore, Lana discovers gas triggers at the office, having been planted there and in the surrounding houses.
6"Episode 6"Jennie DarnellDaniel Brierley27 February 2022 (2022-02-27)8.24
The bomb is defused. Hamilton takes Lana in as an advisor for the investigation, just as Hudson makes contact via text message, sending her the numbers 661142. They discover the numbers to match the coordinates of an MOD black site that stores explosives of the same kind used in the prior attacks. The police secure the Deptford Council Hall after deducing that the attacks targeted the campaign in the by-election. Hudson’s unconscious body is discovered in the St. Jude chapel. As the by-election results are announced and Labour’s candidate declared the winner, Lana’s friend, Karl Maguire, takes the stage and reveals to have a bomb on him. He reveals his intentions as revenge for the coverup of an ambush in Afghanistan back in 2009. The Labour candidate, Aleysha Campbell-Khan, was the chair of the Defence Select Committee at the time, who he blames for the coverup. Lana manages to talk to Maguire as SO19 find positions. One of them manage to get a shot on Maguire, killing him. Hudson reawakens, his motive revealed to be to become a senior like Lana. Her team is called into preliminary hearings after the incident.

Release

The series first premiered in the UK on ITV on January 22, 2022. In June 2022, it was announced that NBC Universal's Peacock streaming platform had picked up the series for US streaming starting on July 8, 2022.

Reception

Lucy Mangan for The Guardian gave the first episode three out of five stars, remarking, 'It's great fun as long as you set your preposterousness levels to “high”. Go in thinking CSI: Peckham or Line of Bomb Duty or Bomby McBombface, rather than The Wire But With Actual Wires or Breaking Explosively Badly and you'll enjoy yourself a lot more.'[6] Ed Cumming of The Independent also gave it three out five stars, praising the tension but finding the dialogue and storytelling melodramatic.[7]

Accolades

Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
2022 National Television Awards Drama Performance Vicky McClure Lost [8]

References

  1. ^ "Hat Trick Mercurio Ltd". Htmtelevision.com. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  2. ^ "Trigger Point release date: Cast, trailer and news for Vicky McClure series". Radio Times. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  3. ^ "Trigger Point will return for series 2 in 2023, ITV confirms". Independent.co.uk. 28 February 2022.
  4. ^ "Trigger Point: ITV series cast, filming locations and episode guide". The Independent. 25 January 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  5. ^ "BARB Four Screen Dashboard". BARB. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  6. ^ "Trigger Point review – utterly preposterous … but what a blast". The Guardian. 23 January 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  7. ^ "Trigger Point is like junkfood - it's tasty but you'll feel dirty afterwards: review". The Independent. 23 January 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  8. ^ Lawes, Ruth (23 August 2022). "National Television Awards 2022 nominations revealed". Metro News. Retrieved 23 August 2022.

External links