Trigger Point seasons 1-2 recap: The (many) reasons for Lana's PTSD

Trigger Point season 3 is here, and puts explosives officer Lana Washington (Vicky McClure) through yet more horrific trials as her mental health teeters on the brink of total breakdown.

It's no surprise, really, given how brutally this series has tested her over the first two seasons, which threw her into high-stakes scenarios and put those she cares about most in the firing line.

Frankly, it's a wonder that Lana hasn't thrown in the towel after such a horrendous run in her current role, but seemingly this is the only life that the ex-soldier has ever known – and a bit of quiet desk work isn't an option she's ready to consider.

But as she starts to exhibit a worrying dependency on painkillers, Lana may soon have no choice but to accept the help and time away that she has so consistently resisted in the past.

If you're wondering what brought her to this current low point, here's your recap of the dramatic events of Trigger Point seasons 1 and 2, and how they feed into the sobering season 3 arc.

Trigger Point seasons 1-2 recap: The (many) reasons for Lana's PTSD

Trigger Point season 1 began as it intended to go on – with a major death that shakes Lana to her core.

The series marketing had prominently positioned both Vicky McClure and Adrian Lester (The Hack) in artwork and trailers, suggesting that the series would be shared by the two leads.

But in a rug-pull moment characteristic of producer Jed Mercurio (Line of Duty), Lester's character Joel Nutkins – Lana's police partner and close friend – was killed in a blast in the very first episode.

The explosive trap in a London block of flats was part of a larger conspiracy by ex-soldier turned mechanic Karl Maguire (Warren Brown), who was seeking revenge for a military cover-up that had destroyed his reputation and left many dead.

Karl also happened to be a friend and, ultimately, lover to Lana, which made his unmasking as a terrorist all the more horrifying.

During his sinister campaign, Lana had come face-to-face with several of Karl's sophisticated explosives, putting herself at grave risk in the process, but still failed to save innocent members of the public in a crushing blow to her confidence.

One of the lives lost in Karl's scheme was none other than Lana's own brother, Billy (House of the Dragon's Ewan Mitchell), who had joined a far-right extremist group called The Crusaders in the weeks leading up to his demise.

Karl recruited members of this violently discriminatory as pawns in his plan, leading to the targeting of an LGBTQ+ venue and a mosque, among other locations – although he claimed not to agree with their views personally. OK, Karl.

Things culminated at a parliamentary by-election, where Karl attempted to assassinate the candidate, but was stopped as Lana attempted to talk him down, and ultimately shot by another member of her squad.

In summary, season 1 saw Lana lose her best mate Joel, wayward brother Billy, and lover Karl in quick succession – and discovered that the last of whom was actually responsible for all of the other deaths.

If that doesn't call for a long holiday, I don't know what does.

Trigger Point season 2 recap

Well, Lana actually does get some time off work after going through the wringer in season 1, although she doesn't head to an all-inclusive to put her feet up (which would have been my course of action).

Instead, she goes to Estonia to train Ukrainian troops in defusing explosives as the war with Russia raged on.

Upon returning to the UK, Lana is thrown back into active duty earlier than intended as an anarchist group known as The Wave began to target London's infrastructure and financial centres in a bid to disrupt the status quo.

The matter got very personal very quickly in the second episode, when Lana's ex-boyfriend DCI Thom Youngblood (Mark Stanley) – whom she still had feelings for – was pushed down an elevator shaft by a member of The Wave.

The devastating loss, along with increasing pressure at work as the attacks continued, pushed Lana to the edge of a nervous breakdown, leading her to lash out at her parents in one memorably furious row.

Our expo then had to face the prospect of never seeing her parents again when their house was rigged with explosives, trapping them inside, as The Wave attempted to coerce her into assassinating the Home Secretary.

Suffice to say, it was not an average Tuesday. Actually, for Lana, it probably was – but not so much for the rest of us (thankfully).

Luckily, she was able to use her superior knowledge of explosives to trick the terrorist group, striking them with a bomb that had been intended for the Home Secretary.

In summary, season 2 saw Lana lose the man she was in love with, Thom Youngblood, and almost lose her parents in a targeted attack, which was intended to force her into committing murder.

Nevertheless, she still makes it to the wedding of colleague Danny (Eric Shango) in the finale, and seems to have a pleasant time dancing the night away. But when the party's over, her traumas remain.

This is where we find Lana at the start of Trigger Point season 3; that she's still standing at all is remarkable, but clocking into work every day after all that is downright extraordinary.

Although, as Sonya (Kerry Godliman) in the new episodes, she won't be doing anyone a favour if she attends an active scene without a proper psychological examination, as her risk of missing a crucial detail could increase exponentially.

And in Trigger Point, it's the little details that make the difference between life and death.

Trigger Point seasons 1-3 are available to stream on ITVX.

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