Trigger Point’s base is really stretched to breaking point – review

idea of ITV’S trigger point Very simple: a serial killer who uses bombs. It’s a clever device to maximize tension – each episode features a ticking clock – but how do you keep things going? a second seriesor third? Britain certainly doesn’t have He Many crazy terrorists to chase bomb disposal experts (EXPO)? The answer to this conundrum is as simple as the show’s premise: Don’t worry about it! And so we reach season three trigger pointWho will return this week.

A taxi has been found at a disused industrial site, raising fears it may contain explosives. But when bomb disposal expert Lana Washington (Vicki McClure) arrives at the scene, discovering that there is also a mysterious traveler there, and a note with the slogan “Confess or Die”. After discovering that the car is loaded with chemical weapons, police realize that they are – once again – on the trail of a serial attacker. But who is he and what is his complaint against the victims? Increasingly, the scars spread and historical wrongs come to the surface. “Let justice be done,” suspected culprit (played by). Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels(Jason Fleming) hisses. “Let the truth come out.”

This is also the theme of this series, which follows from the traumatic conclusion to series two (which quickly changed to series one after the traumatic conclusion). Everyone is struggling and lying about it: Lana is facing psychological reevaluation and has apparently become addicted to over-the-counter painkillers. Yet he is reluctant to walk away from his difficult, dangerous but intoxicating work. “I’m really good at my job,” she tells her coworkers. “This is the only place I can function properly.” But repeatedly staring down death – or watching coworkers explode into action – takes a psychological toll. “I think if we told the truth, none of us would work,” admits new expletive Rich (Mark Rowley, the actor, not the Met commissioner).

This is a necessary conversation for the show to have, not because PTSD from explosions is endemic in our society, but because otherwise. trigger pointThe internal logic of will dissolve. This is the third mass bombing campaign that Lana and the EXPO team have had to deal with in the last few years. In the process he has lost colleagues and relatives; The impact on mental health will be dire. But also, trigger point We have to take on its now familiar, cat-and-mouse game. So Fleming’s neck bomber is bound to booby-trapped garages and warehouses, ingenious pressure sensors, and a series of terrifying Catch-22 situations taken straight from the Saw franchise.

It’s an effective formula as always. still better, trigger pointThe third season is less engaging, delivering its charm directly instead of relying on numerous cliffhangers and twists. This third installment seems to be inspired by Nile Cross luther (A new version of myself Colombo), as it provides the viewer with a better glimpse of your hand. it holds things just about The right side of praiseworthy, even if McClure’s world-weariness is beginning to feel tired. “This is who I am,” she whispers, “that’s all I know.” And yet, the show could benefit from line of duty-Genre regeneration, where other offices – various bomb disposal experts – take center stage. For example, Nabil Elouhabi’s Haas, or Eric Shango’s Danny could be given more to do. Instead, the show relies on McClure’s charisma and identifiability, even if the character feels increasingly deadpan.

But as primetime potboilers go, trigger point Best in current batch. The premise – which was always dumb – is stretched to the breaking point, yet somehow remains intact. If there’s a kill switch for the show’s tension, it hasn’t been activated yet. There is nothing new about this third chapter, but, again, trigger point It was never about breaking ground. Rather it would be better to blow it to pieces.