Trigger Point: ITV thriller’s shocking closing scene explained

***This article contains major spoilers for ‘Trigger Point’ episode one***

The first episode of Trigger Point, the new terrorism drama on ITV, began on Sunday night (23 January) – and it delivered a shocking twist in the final moments.

The police thriller stars Vicky McClure (Line of Duty) and Adrian Lester (Undercover) as expos – or ex-military bomb disposal operatives – Lana Washington and Joel Nutkins.

When a terrorist campaign threatens London over the summer, Lana and Joel are at the forefront of urgent efforts to find out who is behind the bombings before fatalities escalate.

***Major spoilers ahead for Trigger Point episode one***

The first episode sees Lana and Joel responding to reports of a bomb factory in an east London estate.

They manage to stop one bomb from going off inside one of the flats. It had been rigged to a light switch that Lana had begun to push down. In tense scenes, she is shown trying not to move a millimetre while Joel deactivates the bomb.

A second bomb, attached to the owner of a flat who had been locked inside the boot of his own car, is also dealt with by the expos. Two mobile phones had been attached to the suicide vest, and Lana manages to clip the wire just before the ringing phones cause the bomb to detonate.

Thinking the job is complete and people are safe, police begin to let the estate’s residents back in.

Vicky McClure in ‘Trigger Point’ (ITV)

But in the final moments, Joel decides to check on a suspicious van in the car park. Looking in the window, he notices something is wrong and starts shouting at passers-by to keep well back.

He shouts to Lana to bring him the clippers he uses to cut wires in bombs, but before she can get to him, the van explodes.

Seconds later, Lana is seen covered in dust and surrounded by bodies. She appears to be in one piece, but she finds Joel’s arm – which has become detached from his body – in the rubble nearby.

It remains to be seen whether Joel survives the attack. Viewers will have to wait a week to find out, with episode two airing on ITV on Sunday 30 January.

The show’s subject matter is likely to be upsetting to some viewers. Acknowledging how sensitive the issue of terrorism is, writer Daniel Brierley told ITV: “Of course, we knew that we were dealing with subjects that are real and raw, and it was important to make sure we gave enough balance and a fair portrayal of all sides.

“The series is set in London during a terrorist campaign and a hotly contested election, so we really had to make sure it felt real while also being sensitive. There was a duty to be honest and to show things how they really are.”

He added: “I’ve been in London for 20 years now and I remember 7/7, London Bridge and Parson’s Green, so you tap into those tensions, the memories of the first time getting back on the tube, or seeing the 38 bus in pieces. There’s so many things happening around the world all the time and for writers we have to tap into it.”

Read more here.