Trigger Point series 1 recap: Everything you need to know
The original series first aired in 2022
It was months in the making, but ITV/STV and Jed Mercurio's gripping drama Trigger Point, starring Line of Duty actress Vicky McClure, kicked off in January 2022, with six episodes airing until Sunday 27th February. Following the show's success, series two landed at the end of January 2024, and as fans await the hugely-antipcated third series, the show has been commissioned for FOURTH instalment.
As Vicky is set to reprise her role once again as bomb disposal operative Lana Washington, here's a full recap of the first series, and everything you need to know about the popular show.
What is Trigger Point?
Trigger Point is a crime drama which airs on ITV/STV, starring Line of Duty actress Vicky McClure and Life star Adrian Lester.
Initially announced in 2021, Vicky plays the role of Lana Washington, an experienced bomb disposal operative, alongside a stellar cast including Mark Stanley, Warren Brown and Kerry Godliman.
Trigger Point turned the spotlight on counter terrorism policing, focusing on the extraordinary work conducted by the Metropolitan Police Bomb Disposal Squad.
Is there a trailer?
Yes, you can watch the trailer for Trigger Point series one below.
🚨WARNING: The below article contains major spoilers about Trigger Point 🚨
What happened in Trigger Point series 1?
The high-octane drama certainly isn't for the weak, kicking off with a shocking death in the first episode. The series begins with bomb disposal experts Lana Washington and Joel Nutkins being called to a housing estate after the report of a potential bomb threat. Whilst the team find and defuse a device within a flat, an unknown second device later explodes, killing Lana's close friend and colleague Joel.
As the attack appears to be co-ordinated, the team suspect a domestic terror group targeting London, and despite the trauma of losing Joel, Lana chooses to return to work quickly. Following the discovery of a van filled with explosives near a mosque, the police attempt to track the group, with Lana beginning to think the attacks are targeting her team, leading her to wonder if they have an inside man.
In episode three, far-right group English Flag are potential suspects, but the police are quick to change their theory when another, more complex device is found at a public demonstration. The series then continues with another bombing at a train station, which leads Lana to believe the group behind the attacks have military or police training.
Although the police arrest a suspect for the attacks, Lana is convinced they've arrested the wrong person, and goes on to uncover evidence which suggests there's a mole within the team. Unfortunately for Lana, internal politics and secrecy get in the way of the investigation, all whilst a major attack on the city is imminent.
In the series finale, the bomber is identified as Lana's friend and former colleague in Afghanistan, Karl Maguire. Leaving viewers on the edge of their seats, episode six sees Karl holding Campbell-Khan and the rest of the occupants of the Deptford Assembly Halls hostage, as he holds a dead man's switch which is hooked up to a bomb. In the emotional and tense scene, Karl reveals all to Lana, admitting he was one of the soldiers who was involved in Operation Dynamo, which resulted in him being threatened with arrest and life imprisonment under the Official Secrets Act if he ever revealed the truth of what happened to anybody.
An agitated Karl then tells Lana he has nothing left, and just as he is about to release his finger off the switch, he's shot in the head by CTSFO PC Costa, with EXPO officer Hassan Rahim able to disarm the device.
Watch a full recap of series one below:
When did it come out?
Series one of Trigger Point hit our screens on Sunday 23rd January 2022, lasting for six weeks.
What time was it on?
The first series aired at 9pm with hour-long episodes.
How I can I watch Trigger Point?
You can now watch all episodes of Trigger Point series one and two on ITVX and STV Player.
Will there be more series?
Series two landed in 2024, read the full recap right here.
Fans will be pleased to know there will also be a third and fourth series of Trigger Point!
It was announced on Friday 11th October 2024 that Trigger Point has been commissioned for a third series by bosses at ITV/STV.
Speaking about the news, creator Jed Mercurio commented at the time: “Thank you to all the Trigger Point viewers who have made the series such a success. Thanks to our fantastic crew and brilliant cast led by the amazing Vicky McClure. We’re thrilled ITV, together with All3Media International, have commissioned a third season of twists, turns, bangs and blasts.”
Vicky McClure added: “Trigger Point is back! We're all so excited to get going. Having had such a positive response to the previous two series, we want to make the next series even more exciting, keep everyone on the edge of their seats whilst getting to know even more about the brilliant characters in the show. Lana is such a complex character to play, it’s a joy for an actor to play a role with as many layers as Lana.”
Before series three even started, ITV/STV bosses then announced on Monday 9th June 2025 that the show has been commissioned for a fourth series.
ITV’s Director of Drama, Polly Hill commented: “Trigger Point is one of ITV’s most-watched dramas of last year after Mr Bates vs The Post Office so I’m delighted that this thrilling series is returning for a fourth series. I know audiences will be once again on the edge of their seat as Lana and the team take us on another thrilling ride to keep the capital safe.”
Leading actress Vicky McClure, who plays Expo Lana Washington, will film series four across the summer months. She said: “We’re all buzzing ITV have such faith in this series to commission a fourth before the third has even aired. I love working with the team, we have a great time making the show and I cannot wait to continue Lana’s journey on Trigger Point.”
Who wrote Trigger Point?
Trigger Point, is written by Daniel Brierley and produced by Jed Mercurio’s HTM Television.
After being reunited with her good friend Jed, Vicky said of the show: "So grateful to be working with Jed again. I’m really looking forward to creating a strong, bright and troubled character in Lana Washington. Daniel Brierley has produced a brilliant and nail-biting script. I can’t wait to get started later this year.”
Writer Daniel Brierley added: “I'm thrilled to be working with Jed, HTM and ITV to bring Trigger Point to the screen. I couldn't ask for a better Lana than Vicky and it's an honour to be given the chance to tell the exciting and unknown story of the brave EXPO officers who risk their lives every day to keep us safe.”
For series three, Chris Brandon will take over as lead writer, with Jamie Donoghue acting as director, and Kristian Dench as producer.
Executive producers are Jed Mercurio, Daniel Walker, Jessica Sharkey, Chris Brandon and Vicky McClure.
Check out which other TV shows Jed Mercurio is behind:
Cardiac Arrest (1994-1996)
Written under the pseudonym John MacUre, Cardiac Arrest was Jed's first television drama, released in 1994 whilst he was still a doctor. The show, which followed the lives of junior doctors working in a hospital, had three series between 1994-1996, with Jed taking inspiration from his own time working within a hospital.
Bodies (2004-2006)
Jed's next big high-profile series arrived in the form of another medical drama in 2004, titled Bodies. The series was based on Jed's 2002 novel of the same name. The show, which first aired on BBC Three, follows a registrar called Rob Lake (Max Beesley), as he starts in a new post in the Obstetrics and Gynaecology department, under the guidance of consultant Roger Hurley (Patrick Baladi).
The show ran for three series between 2004-2006, starring the likes of Neve McIntosh, Keith Allen, Susan Lynch, Tamzin Malleson and Preeya Kalidas.
Line of Duty (2012-2021)
Perhaps Jed's biggest and most-loved show to date! Line of Duty is a thrilling crime drama which stars the likes of Vicky McClure, Adrian Dunbar and Martin Compston working in the Anti-Corruption (AC-12) unit of the police. First landing in 2012, the series was so popular it went on to land five further series, with 36 episodes in total, starring some huge names such as Stephen Graham, Neil Morrissey, Keeley Hawes, Daniel Mays, Will Mellor and Thandie Newton.
Despite Jed saying series six would be the last in 2021, rumours have been rife in recent years that the show will return for a seventh series. You can read about all of those rumours right here. At this moment in time, series seven hasn't been confirmed.
CR:IT:IC:AL (2015)
CR:IT:IC:AL, or Critical as it's also known, was another medical drama written by Jed. Airing on Sky One in 2015, the drama was set in a fictional major trauma centre, following a team of doctors and nurses as they are forced to make life-changing decisions in order to save their patients. Starring Lennie James and Catherine Walker, the drama was axed after just one series.
Bodyguard (2018)
One of the biggest dramas to grace our screens in 2018 was Jed's six-part series Bodyguard! Featuring Richard Madden as PS David Budd and Keeley Hawes as Home Secretary Julia Montague, the high-octane drama had viewers on the edge of their seats as PS Budd attempted to protect the Home Secretary, whilst getting set up for a bomb attack on the Capital.
Despite the series finale of Bodyguard gaining a whopping 17 million viewers, BBC bosses and Jed are yet to renew the show for a second series, leaving fans gutted. Speaking in 2023, main actor Richard Madden said: "I don't know if there's a space for it, but we've always left the door open... I'm not really sure where I take that character, but as the years go by, I think that's what might make it interesting... to pick up with David Budd, you know maybe 6-7 years later and see what's happened in his life since."
Bloodlands (2021)
Jed acted as a producer on BBC One drama Bloodlands in 2021. The series, which was filmed and set in Northern Ireland followed police officer DCI Tom Brannick (James Nesbitt) investigate crimes while trying to hide a dark secret from his past. The show was quickly renewed for a second series, which aired in 2022, but its since been axed.
Trigger Point (2022-Present)
Another popular show that is produced by Jed's company HTM Television is Trigger Point. Starring Vicky McClure has EXPO officer Lana Washington, the first series hit our screens in 2022 and was met with immediate praise from fans and critics. The series was quickly renewed for a second series, which aired in early 2024, and now we know a third AND fourth series is coming! Filming for series three took place earlier in 2025, with series four production now in full swing.
DI Ray (2022-2024)
Jed worked on police drama series DI Ray as an Executive Producer as part of his HTM Productions company. Parminder Nagra stars as main character Detective Inspector Rachita Ray and has so far enjoyed two successful series. Series one aired in 2022, with the second instalment arriving in 2024. There's so far been no official announcement about a third series.
Payback (2023)
Jed worked as the Executive Producer on 2023 ITV drama Payback, starring Morven Christie and Peter Mullan. Beginning in 2023, the six-part series follows a character called Lexie Noble, played by Morven Christie, as she becomes entangled in a perilous police operation to topple a notorious crime lord, Cal Morris, played by Peter Mullan.
The show was met with positive reviews, gaining a score of 80% on Rotten Tomatoes, with viewers also choosing to binge all six episodes in one sitting. Despite this, there's been no word on a second series.
Speaking about his input into the scrips, Jed said: "Well, I'm an executive producer on the project so I give feedback and guidance as part of the usual editorial process but all the physical writing was Debbie's - in the way that if I write a show like Line of Duty people are giving me feedback and I then make changes to the script. So that's how it worked; Debbie was doing all the writing, we had a brilliant editorial team and I was one part of that."
Breathtaking (2024)
Jed worked alongside real-life NHS doctor Rachel Clarke in order to create hard-hitting drama Breathtaking in 2024. The three-part series, which was adapted for television by Jed and Rachel, shows the challenges NHS staff had during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, and features Joanne Froggart as the main character.
Jed Mercurio commented during filming: "Everyone at HTM Television has felt privileged to dramatise Rachel Clarke's hauntingly illuminating memoir of health workers struggling to cope with the extraordinary challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic. I'm honoured to have collaborated with Rachel and Prasanna on this important drama, and thrilled to be working with a cast led by Joanne Froggatt and crew led by director Craig Viveiros."
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