ITV drama Trigger Point ended its nerve-shredding first episode with a game-changing twist, which sees a major character brutally killed off just an hour after their introduction.
Executive producer Jed Mercurio has pulled similar stunts before, most notably with his BBC One juggernaut Line of Duty, but nevertheless the development will come as a great shock to anyone watching at home.
Trigger Point is his latest collaboration with Vicky McClure, who takes on a brand new role as bomb disposal operative Lana Washington, while Adrian Lester (Life) co-stars as her duty partner Joel Nutkins.
They are two of the many officers on the scene when a bomb threat is called in from an apartment block in London, tasked with keeping a cool head as a suspected terrorist cell plays twisted psychological games.
If you’re yet to watch the first episode, be warned that full spoilers follow for Trigger Point episode one.
Having been pushed to their limits by a suspicious device in a dimly lit flat (which turned out to be non-lethal), followed closely by an even more desperate situation outside the building, Lana and Joel’s luck finally ran out in the final scene.
Just as the police cordon was dropped and the immediate danger seemed to have dissipated, a van parked in the vicinity of the crime scene exploded, instantly killing Joel, who had started examining the vehicle mere moments earlier.
!["Vicky]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2022/01/Trigger-Point-episode-1-a5959ff.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"Trigger")
A number of innocent bystanders were caught in the blast along with Lana herself, who gradually regained consciousness and discovered Joel’s arm among the debris (which was recognisable due to his distinctive tattoo).
At the time of writing, there’s little indication of who could be responsible or why they would do such an unspeakable thing, but Lana’s colleagues on the force earlier expressed concern that a new terror cell may be active in the area.
Trigger Point is written by newcomer Daniel Brierley, who has taken a leaf out of his mentor Mercurio’s book by hitting viewers with a major character death in the very first episode.
While the show had previously been billed as a two-hander between McClure and Lester, it now appears that the Line of Duty star will be stepping into the lead – but it remains to be seen whether Lana will find justice for her fallen partner.
Trigger Point continues on ITV at 9pm on Sunday 30th January. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.