While the second episode of Trigger Point is sure to get people talking with its shock cliffhanger ending, it should also liven up speculation around the true identity of the terrorist cell targeting London.
In the series premiere, we were initially led to believe that an Islamist group could be responsible, as bomb vest hostage Andy Phelan reported a mix of English and Arabic being spoken when he was attacked.
However, this week’s chapter shifted focus, introducing far-right extremist group The English Flag and its leader Agatha Jack, with the implication that they – or at least their most die-hard followers – could be behind the bombings.
Interestingly, explosives officer Lana Washington (Vicky McClure) has noticed that the group is using military tactics and professional equipment, suggesting they could be getting support from someone within the Met itself.
Being a production from Jed Mercurio, the odds seem high that a double-cross twist could be on its way, so we’ve compiled this list of who the top Trigger Point suspects are – we’ll be updating as more information emerges, so do check back for the latest.
Trigger Point: Who is behind the bombings?
DI Thom Youngblood
!["Mark]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2022/01/TRIGGER-POINT-YOUNGBLOOD-2b13f79.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"TRIGGER-POINT-YOUNGBLOOD\"")
While Thom Youngblood seemed like a good egg upon his initial introduction, rushing to check-up on Lana after her traumatic close call at Westhaven apartment block, he began to show a different side in the second chapter.
Youngblood has been forcefully pushing back against Lana’s valid evidence-backed theory that the terrorist cell isn’t an Islamist group, which is enough to make you wonder if he’s deliberately attempting to peddle a false narrative.
As a senior ranking officer in the Metropolitan Police, he could have access to materials, equipment and intel necessary for the terror cell to remain one step ahead of the authorities.
Karl Maguire
!["Warren]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2022/01/warren_brown_actor-7a782ff.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"warren_brown_actor\"")
Karl made his Trigger Point debut in the second episode, where he was one of the guests at Joel Nutkins’ funeral, having known him from their time serving in the military.
He is hardly known to Lana, who initially gets his name wrong at the bar, but seems to get along well with him later in the evening after a few too many beers.
However, knowing so little about a character in a show like this immediately raises red flags for conspiracy theorists, as he could be hiding any number of things without us having any idea.
His experience serving in the army would give him knowledge of the sophisticated tactics that the terror cell is using, while as a mechanic he could even have a hand in engineering some of the tools and weapons being used against Lana’s expo unit.
John Hudson
!["Kris]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2022/01/trigger_point_kris_hitchen-539746c.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"trigger_point_kris_hitchen\"")
Hudson is another character that has shrugged off Lana’s alternative suggestion of who could be causing the terror attacks, with his rebuttals coming across as even more aggressive than those of Youngblood.
There would be few people better placed to advise on planting bombs than an actual explosives officer, who would be privy to the standard procedures that disposal operations typically follow.
While there’s not much separating Hudson and Youngblood currently, we’ll be keeping a close eye on both in next week’s episode as we try to root out the traitor – and of course, we can’t eliminate the possibility that they could be working together.
Trigger Point continues on Sundays at 9pm on ITV. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.