Looking Into The Future, A Captor’s Help & An Explosive Series 4! 😁📺

Hello world! Welcome back to another blog. This is another TV Review, where the shows I’ll be talking about today include a miniseries where future events happened, a high stakes show where seeking a captor’s help is the last resort, and the fourth series of the explosive show starring a Nottingham legend! So without further ado, when is what I thought of these shows!

The Rapture:

The first show I’m going to talk about is The Rapture, starring Ruth Madeley, India Amarteifio and featuring Sam Hazledine and Ruth Jones.

As stated on IMDb, the synopsis of the show goes as follows:

"Forensic psychologist Gabrielle Fx, paralyzed from a car crash, takes a job at a juvenile facility. She meets inmate Bvthany Krall, convicted of murdering her mother, who calims to have psychic abilities."

Ruth Madeley led the show as as Dr Gabrielle “Gabs” Fox, and after talking about this being her first leading role in a show on an Act On This podcast and being part of other stages of the production (which if anyone is an Act On This member I’ll let you guess which role it was), she definitely did a good job! Gabs was a psychologist at the fictional Oxsmith hospital who suffered a car crash before the series, but didn’t let it stop her from the job but was clearly struggling with it, finally taking the courage to process her accident in episode 2. But when she met Bethany, she knew she was breaking protocol at some point, but equally she wanted to do her job properly by getting the support for her, also revealing what she looks for in episode 2, and had to cover up her unease when an article about Bethany came up. I also admire her for keeping her cool in a very tense situation, as I don’t know if that’s what psychologists like her deal with that in extreme cases, but boy was she brave to do it. At first she wasn’t sure of Bethany’s visions, but she soon had second thoughts when discovering something that made her realise Bethany was telling the truth, finally expressing how important it was to her, soon realising her true objective. But despite getting suspended for it in episode 5 she was able to work out by a company called Endroin who killed Bethany’s mother, and avoiding a deadly fate when Bethany drew another vision. What I liked most about Gabs was how open she was about the reality of being a disabled person, and her navigation in love following the loss of her husband, resorting to getting “a toy” in episode 1, but I’m glad she let her hair down in episode 3 with a new romance, and despite some false accusations from him linking to an ex, I’m also glad by the end of the series she knew what she wanted, even if it meant having to let go of her new romance. Alongside Ruth Madeley was India Amateifio (who you may recognise as the young Charlotte in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story) who played teenager Bethany Krall, initially arrested on suspicion of murdering her own mother Carys. It was a brilliant seeing a different side to her compared to what I saw in the a Bridgerton prequel, showing her versatility and telling a different story. In the show, Bethany used her spirituality into her drawings to get to the truth and prove her innocence, and also describing the Rapture, giving a clue in episode 2 to what her mum was like. But some “assistance” from the team soon wondered if she did kill her mum without thinking straight, chatting to her dad Leonard about her own sanity, slowly accepting the truth. But it wasn’t until episode 4 where she made her escape, and despite revealing in Episode 5 that she lied about what really happened before she escaped, and despite nearly getting revenge on her dad, she finally used her voice for good. 

Alongside Gabs and Bethany, there were other people who impacted their journey. One of them was Dick Carwyn, played by Iwan Rheon. He was a writer in Porth Hen who Gabs met at the meeting, and opened up on his link with the Kralls and his work with The Faith Way, using advanced technology in episode 2 to help with Bethany’s drawing in the form of Daisy Stokes, also giving her a warning. At first he was accused by Gabs the releasing an article with false information, but soon realised he was telling the truth after Gabs got a clue linking to social media, eventually supporting her into her search for the truth and get Bethany innocent. And despite getting some slack from MP Caroline Wren (who I’ll mention in a moment), he seemed to have gotten his reputation back, and if it wasn’t for his encounter with Gabs, he would still be struggling to get a job. We also saw Jack Farthing as Frasier Melville, who met Gabs at an event and got a connection going, explaining how he came from London to work on his campaign on the wind farm with Trenmoor. I also liked how much of a gentleman he was and how respectful he was being in episode 2 when it came to taking things slow, and again in episode 3 when he made it clear he wants to go deeper but for the right reasons. But they were soon on the rocks when Gabs was trying to gain some clues, and just when they were about to give things another go in episode 4, she was more heartbroken when she accused him of lying about his ex wife. But he eventually revealed the true reason in episode 5 as to why why he was interacting with his ex Nina Pearce (Catherine Steadman), and soon helped Gabs and Bethany. I could also see his disappointment when Gabs called time on their relationship, but equally he was again a gentleman and respected her wishes. But if it wasn’t for their encounter, it wouldn’t have given Gabs the strength to heal from her trauma and also be more confident in herself. There was also Leonard Krall played by Sam Hazzledine, Bethany’s dad who is an influencer of “the faith way” and gave his side of Bethany’s childhood, also giving Gabs advice in episode 2 of Bethany’s needs, where the death of Cary’s brought back memories of Alex. As the series went on, I thought his true colours were showing, as seen in episode 3 when there was a secret about his infidelity, and in episode 4 when he tried to convince Ed and co about Bethany’s interest. But he soon opened up about his true nature in episode 5 and what really happened ok the night of Carys’ death, showing that he isn’t really the bad guy at all, but someone who took orders and made the viewers think he was the bad guy. How clever. There was also Sam Duval, played by Simon Armstrong, Bethany’s lawyer from the previous shrink who gave his version of events, and Gabe tried to convince him to let her see Bethany in episode 2 but gave her a clue about The Rapture, and was also convinced Dick was making the story up about his testimonial on Cary’s murder, soon revealed a secret linking to Dick. But when a massive clue was discovered in episode 5, it looked as though Sam was able to get a clearer picture and whilst it was never confirmed, it looked as though he may suspect that Bethany was innocent all this time. At Oxsmith, we also saw the appearance of Dr Ehmet, played by Dean Rehman, a worker at Oxsmith who was not convinced by Gabs’ theory about Bethany, and Rafiq Khemiri, played by Naby Dakhli, Bethany’s main nurse who helped Gabs and also kind of believed Bethany’s powers through her drawings. He was one of my favourites for many reasons, but also how kind he was towards both Bethany, showing that he’s worked with her long enough to know what she liked and doesn’t like, and was also one of the very few people who believed Gabs when she made the drawing of someone getting killed, and an article of floods in India, using an animal analogy to explain it. His loyalty also showed in Episode 4 when he wanted to help Gabs and Bethany, despite being on a VISA, and at first I thought this whole nice guy act was a facade, but it turned out not to be the case at all, and I’m glad about that. There was also an appearance from Richard Elis who took on the role of Ed Blanchette, the boss of Oxsmith who definitely showed everyone who’s in charge, and felt the strain in episode 2 when Bethany had a violent outburst. I could also see he was doing his job well when at first he only gave Gabs a warning when the news of a death predicted by Bethany came out, but soon got her suspended following her link to helping Bethany escape, which I know was devastating for Gabs, but equally he knew he had to follow protocol. Someone else who played a big role in the show was a lady called Caroline Wren played by Lisa Palfrey. She was the MP who tried to get the town on her side, and was very defensive of her movements when it came to the Kralls, but she soon questioned in episode 5 if she was doing her campaign for the right reasons and wondering if the climate front actually got involved. This soon led to her speaking her truth on why she became MP in the first place, and someone who tried to stop her was Max Leland played by Stephen Campbell Moore, head of strategy who Gabs met in episode 3, and showed loyalty to MP Caroline in episode 4, and was quick to push Fraisers buttons. But it turned out that he may be the actual villain in it all, as he was the one who got Bethany’s dad Leonard brainwashed into the climate front being bad people. Someone else who helped Gabs and Bethany get the truth was Anika Drake, played by Siena Kelly, who was someone against the wind farm Max was planning and was on a mission to stop climate change, taking her role as leader of the climate front. Even though she appeared in snippets to begin with, we saw Gabs meeting her properly in episode 4, and explained her real mission and her plans, but was soon under pressure in episode 5 when her group were accused of killing a security guard, but she was shocked when her driver Rob (NAME) was part of something the entire time. But once that was done, she encouraged Bethany to say her piece after recalling her late mother, knowing she would be proud of her for speaking her truth. Throughout the series, someone to guide her in her quest was Mel Thomas, played by Ruth jones, Gabs’ therapist who helps guide her after the crash. Pretty much like Gabs’ line of work, Ruth definitely did her homework on this job role, she used a technique in episode 2 to help her process the accident, taking her to the next step in episode 3 when pointing out trying to distract herself from the art of romance. In episode 5 she gave a great analysis about Gabs’ accidental which gave her good for thought and helped her explain her connection with Bethany. There was also a woman called Daisy Stokes, played by Katie Clarkson-Hill, who gave her side of the story about the Kralls in episode 2, but explained why she decided to switch off properly from her screen knowing Leonard was bad for her long term, but her fate gave Gabs the shock to realise Bethany was telling the truth about her drawings. Despite only being in it for one episode, she was definitely mentioned a lot throughout the rest of the series, as Dick revealed a clue about Daisy’s real link to Leonard’s plan which eventually led to who really killed Carys. 

I also wanted to give a shoutout to the day player roles/those who were only in it for a few scenes, but added depth the Gabs’ and Bethany’s story. They included Joy Morgan, played by Judith Humpherys, who in episode 1 opened up about why she left and also revealed how Bethany knew Gabs was coming, and Siobhan, played by Lu Corfield, the new nurse to replace Rafiq in episode 4, who had abit of a dark side to her. There was also Sonic played by Robert Rhodes, another patient who has his own way to open up and is also the one to try and convince Bethany to open up about her visions and helped Gabe in episode 3 with a clue, along with Sonic giving another hint in episode 3 by Leonard’s plans within Oxmsith. And finally there was Vicar Hugh’s played by Michael Elwyn, Leonard’s old priest who offered him some words of wisdom. 

I think I only had two downsides to the show. The first one was that it did get off to a slow start for me, and it did take me a while to get my head around it, but as I watched it, I did appreciate all of the hard work the cast and crew did to bring this show based on a novel to life. The second downside was that because it was based off of one book, I have a feeling there won’t be a second series, which is a shame but equally it’s a good thing, as you hope the writer will make a similar story to this, much like Harlan Coben’s books to then be adapted into a TV series. 

Overall I would give the show a 4.50 out of 5. It does take a couple of episodes to get into (for me personally), but once you settle in, you won’t want to stop watching it. And as a disabled person, it’s great to see someone like Ruth Madeley representing that community, showing that by working hard and putting your mind to it, you can achieve anything! 

Prisoner:

The next show I’m going to talk about is Prisoner, starring Izuka Hoyle and Tahar Rahim, and featuring Catherine McCormack and Eddie Marsan.

As stated on IMDb, the synopsis for the show goes as follows:

“Follows a young prison officer transporting a high-value prisoner to testify against his crime syndicate, with their relationship evolving throughout the dangerous journey.”

Izkua Hoyle took on the role of Amber Todd, a prison transport officer and also a new mum, studying for a degree and also was in charge of transporting Tibor. Never did she imagine that her first shift from maternity leave would be a huge one. I may not be a parent, but I could tell how much the job took a toll on her, as after realising in Episode 2 how Pegasus tracked them down, she was clearly getting emotional about being away from her daughter, and got into a disagreement about how to keep safe. But soon she had to adapt for the sake of her family which didn’t always go to plan. After getting hints of her past in episode 4, episode 5 revealed her mum was in prison for armed robbery, which I think was the reason why she wanted to play by the rules, but she definitely felt the strain when Mia was caught in the crossfire, and after getting arrested in episode 5, she had to convince Josephine Campbell in episode 6 to help Tibor through the final stages of his journey to court. I guess that she was understandably furious on why that plot twist came to be, but maybe if it wasn’t for that, then Amber and her family wouldn’t be safe. Tahar Rahim took on the role of murderer Tibor Stone, who made Ambers job very intimidating for her. But he definitely had a sixth sense when it comes to reading someone’s mind, which was seen in episode 2 when he sensed Ambers delayed shock. He was also a master manipulator, as when he was opening up about his son and his dreadful fate, it soon turned out to be a lie to help gain Ambers trust in him, and also revealed his link with the syndicate. But in some ways banks last may have done the trick, one of which was seen in episode 2 where he tried to cake using a unique route and also helping Ambers husband Olly escape. Now I know it’s out of the ordinary to team up with a prisoner to get yourself out of danger, but it’s shows like this where in some ways it’s not a bad idea. And Tahar really did his homework into Tibor and how his mind worked. What I loved about the show was the chemistry both Izuka and Tahar built through these characters, and throughout the series, it was clear that they both had different ways to get to get they want. This can be seen in episode 2, when Tibor went to extreme lengths to escape, and in 3, when they convinced lorry driver Paul to help them get to London, and soon learning how to work together when Tibor mentioned the body tracker in episode 6. I could also understand each of their points when a shocking twist came in the final episode, but I think Amber understood why Tibor made the decision he made, knowing it would be safer for her family and given on how the cycle of the syndicate would work, was the safer option in the long run. 

Alongside Amber and Tibor, there were other people who had an impact on their journey. One of them was Olly, played by Finn Bennet, Ambers husband who is being the good guy he is and being wary of Ambers safety. Although when he ended up getting caught in the crossfire, he did make the situation difficult when revealing the location of the safe house in episode 4, but thankfully survived. There was also Josephine Campbell played by Catherine McCormack, leading the mission at the National Crime Unit, who was also Alex Tebbit’s boss who requested Alex to get Tibor to the court room. My oh my was she someone who had me fooled, as I thought she was initially the good person, as seen in episode 2 where she was sensing someone working for Pegasus, and her suspicions were right, but the wrong person and had to resort to drastic measures to help Amber. But Episode 5 revealed that she compromised with Pegasus, and grilled Amber in episode 6 about her mom and Tibor’s whereabouts. I think that’s what I liked most about Catherine’s performance of Campbell, as after watching A Thousand Blows where Sophie Lyon’s had a similar agenda, it definitely left me in shock, but in the best way possible. The main villain in the show was Nina Dragus played by Leonie Benesch, the leader of Pegasus who was out to get Tibor, and was temporarily caught in episode 3, revealing her background to where she came to be, and Tibor also revealed in the first two episodes that he trained Nina to kill people. I also learnt she was quite the rebel, as she then suggested to Declan a deal once Tibor was theirs, showing it in episode 6 (where they had a romantic connection), and I could tell her rage at the end of the series. Leonie though was the perfect fit for this role, as she had the look, feel and energy of a villain. Alongside Nina, there was Harrison Dempsey, played by Brian F O’Byrne, the leader of the gang Pegasus, the crime organisation Tibor needed to give evidence from, who you do not want to mess with, and he definitely put pressure on his colleagues, but also showed his pressure to keep the family name as seen in episode 6, where his son Declan (who I’ll get onto in a moment) wanted to team up with Nina but Harrison wasn’t convinced. Laurie Davidson took on the role of Declan Dempsey, the father of Harrison who vowed to help him and was wanting to do things the right way. He definitely felt the strain to carry the organisation on, as episode 2 revealed a secret as to why Tibor was let go, disappointing Harrison, but soon suggested Nina’s idea to branch out together once the deal with Tibor is over. But when it was all over, I think his dreadful fate was only the beginning for Amber and her life. There was also Mikhail, played by Peter Zekavica, a Russian criminal who had to be convinced by Declan to use the weapons in their crime, who also met his match in the final episode in of the series. There was also Amber’s colleagues who helped her to get Tibor to court. These included Kitty reed as Jade Butler, who helped Olly with Amber and her whereabouts, and also offered to help take risk in episode 3 to save her, and Marcus Turner, played by Daniel Betts, who was also prepared to go to extreme lengths to help Amber. There was also National Youth Theatre alumni Serlom Adonu (who I had the pleasure of meeting at a National Youth Theatre audition) as Jamal “Jaz” Azumah, a colleague of Ambers who liked his job, but was also having a passion in creative writing, which did do the trick in episode 4, and understandably got frustrated in episode 6 on their point of the mission, showing how much versatility he can play, which I admired. Then there was Phil Hawkins, played by Ken Nwosu, Ambers boss who set her the task of getting Tibor, and also offered Olly sanctuary following Ambers situation but got himself into a sticky situation in episode 2, but I was surprised to see him still alive in episode 3, and offered to help Tebbit being down the mole in NCU, and was willing to bend the rules in episode 5 when he and the team discover that Ambers daughter Mia was part of it, and reminded the team in episode 6 why they are doing the rescue mission. In the NCU, there was Nancy Barker played by Jessica Barker-Wren, another colleague who gave evidence of untraced drones in episode 2, and agreed to help Tebbit in episode 3 when he spotted a clue, but episode 4 revealed the real reason why he was in cahoots, and ended it having no choice but to help Amber and Tibor. She was then left conflicted in episode 6 when Phil and Jaz approached her with the evidence Tebbit found, but still showing her loyalty to Tebbit and not to Josephine. There was also Will O’Neil played by Sam Troughton, a colleague from the National Crime Unit who in episode 1 rose a suspicion on hiding Tibor to solve the case, but got caught by Josephine which then led him to taking charge of the investigation, only to find out in episode 3 that he was actually in cahoots with Pegasus, and Olly clearly fell for it in episode 4. But a heartbreaking discovery in episode 5 soon revealed why he teamed up with Declan, but soon decided to help Amber when Campbell did a compromise, even though he had a dreadful fate. Another person who impacted Amber and Tibor’s journey was Alex Tebbit, played by Eddie Marsan, the leader of the national crime unit who was convinced that Tibor was a key asset to solving the crime organisation from Pegasus, and had different views to Josephine, but was soon exposed by Josephine linking to the attack, revealing he was being framed, and his discovery that one of his own was backfired when he was caught by Declan and Nina who sadly met a deadly fate but was perceived as something else by his colleagues. There was also Joe Sutherland played by Steven Elder, a colleague of Amber’s who in episode 1 gave some advice to her about spending time with daughter Mia whilst sitting for a degree, but he sadly met a dreadful fate whilst transporting Tibor to London, and Carla, played by Marie Bunel, someone associated with Tibor, who later revealed to be his mother and gave Olly sanctuary in episode 3, also giving him a clue on what “Sebastian” is. I also thought she was abit weird when she took Mia in episode 4, and her logic on the first 6 years of a child’s life left me quite disturbed. It was a shame I didn’t get to see more of her story and creepy behaviour as she met a dreadful fate in episode 4 after Olly did what he thought was helpful, but only made the situation worse. 

I also wanted to give a shoutout to the day player roles/roles who were only in it for a few scenes, but added depth to Amber and Tibor’s emotional journey. These included a River guard worker played by Jordan Long who helped Amber and Tibor in episode 2 when Tibor needed his insulin, and Youssef Kerkour as Miles Zahidi, one of Declan’s workers who ended up being caught in Declan’s violent measures in episode 3 when making a deal, and was also the one who Will O’Neill was in cahoots with. There was also Paul Carter, played by Ian Peck, a lorry driver who got roped into helping amber and Tibor to getting back to London but soon got a better offer, and despite Amber pleading with him to reconsider, met a deadly fate by Declan and Nina. We also got to see Ambers mum Kelly Douglas, played by Michele Austin, who in prison for armed robbery and Amber’s enquiry to help get Mia back failed for the last two episodes. But she managed to gain her trust and help Amber and her family. Finally there was a woman called Tara Evans, played by Lisa Palfrey, who was seen in episode 5 when she played her part to keep Amber and her family safe, and Viraj Mundhra, played by Ace Bhatti, the Home Secretary who confronted Campbell about the case in episode 6, but was distracted by Nancys evidence. Now I thought Campbell was someone not to be messed with, but when it came to the Home Secretary, she may need to give herself a reality check. The final day olayer character I want to mention is Dr Pavel Ivanov, played by Vaslov Goom, who created the weapons carried out by Pegasus, but was revealed at the end he was forced to do by them, and sadly met a dreadful fate once again.  

I don’t think I have any downsides to the show as there was so much to like. But I guess for me one thing I didn’t quite understand was the full background on Tibor’s mum and why she was acting weird around Mia. I think the revelation about her husband (Tibor’s father) gave a glimpse into that, but not the full story. 

Overall I would give the series a 4.95. It was action packed, full of high stakes and after the finale, I just wanted more to watch (and that’s when you know it’s good). After reading that they’ll be a second series, it’ll be interesting to see Amber’s life following interacting with Tibor, how it impacts her mental health and the possible new enemies she has to face. 

Trigger Point: 

The final show I’m going to talk about is series 4 of Trigger Point, starring Nottingham legend Vicky McClure.

This fourth series sees Lana Washington and her EXPO team tackle quite possibly one of the most dangerous missions to date. 

Vicky McClure reprised her role as bombshell disposal expert Lana Washington, where she and the team of EXPO had a job in their hands, and you know it’s bad when there’s a drone involved. She also ended up having a new therapist where throughout she was still convinced herself that she was fine, which included her PTSD and medication, and eventually opened up about blaming herself in certain situations, which included an incident in episode 4. She also opened up on how she feels about the job and in episode 5 on how life in the army was simpler, which gave her a decision to make when it came to continuing the job. And it looked as though her question was answered when she had her most dangerous task yet in the final episode which nearly cost her life. But throughout all of it, she was still being supportive of her team despite her own struggles and was very brave in some situations, and even convinced one of her colleagues to go without her in the final episode when the most dangerous threat took place. I don’t know if they’ll be any more series of the show after the ending, but I would be intrigued to see either a spin off of Lana and her life following that huge plot or a prequel as to how she got into it in the first place. She also had her team by her side, and whilst they still found the time to tease each other even though some of the situations are dangerous, they knew when to take things seriously. In her team, Nabil Elouahabi reprised his role as Hassan Rahim, one of Lana’s closest friends and colleagues within the EXPO team, and had a dangerous fate in episode 4 which left me on edge, but I’ll let you all watch it to see the result of that deadly scenario. There was also Eric Shango reprising his role as Danny, who felt the impact of the set up bomb in episode 1 and a dismiss from a colleague in episode 2, along with helping a hostage which really shook him. But he was still a valued member of the team, as he figured out a clue in episode 3 as to a lead, and revealed in episode 5 about being a new dad. You can tell he’s a good colleague when he supported Lana after she revealed about possibly leaving her job to look after her mental health. I could also sense his unease when he had to leave Lana behind on her orders in the final episode, but I think he knew because of him being a parent it was the right decision for him, and I must say his baby is so cute! And there was Maisie Ayres as Wren Cheshire, who learnt a thing about Lana in episode 4 from Danny, but was equally a valued member of the team. 

Like last series there were people new and returning, who added emotional depth to Lana’s new mission There was the return of DS Helen Morgan, reprised by Natalie Simpson, who had a link to the main case which definitely had an impact. It all started when I had a dodgy feeling in episode 1, and was right when an exploded happened and it definitely caused her to spiral, and lied in her debrief in episode 2, but a clue in episode 3 of her brothers disappearance gave more of a background detail. But even though she helped Lana save everyone, that didn’t stop her from getting exposed to working with the terrorists and paying for her crimes. I was also glad to see DCI Amar Batra, reprised by Maanuv Thiara, who still made his role as boss clear when mentioning what the team are looking for in episode. But I was shocked, sad and angry when he met a dreadful fate in episode 1 when he and Helen investigating a curiur didn’t go to plan, with Helen not getting backup playing a big part in it. There was also the return of DC Neil Brenton, reprised by Tom Glenister, who took charge of some parts of the case like the interview, but I had to feel for him when he got vomited in by the driver, and took charge of the code 17 in episode 3 and also searched the Helen in episode 5 but met a deadly fate when trying to save her. Kerry Godliman returned as as Sonya Reeves, the bomb data analyst who gave out crucial evidence from the medical aspect, and giving the EXPO team a clue to the next bomb and what they were planning next. I also liked how she kept checking in on Lana like the good friend she is, and was navigating her relationship with Hassan. I could tell how she was deeply affected in episode 4 when he got himself in a dangerous life threatening situation, telling Lana to do justice for her and Hassan. There was also Phil Croxley, reprised by Christopher Hatherall, part of the Trojan team, using a device in episode 5 to check for booby traps. He was willing to put Lana’s safety first in the final episode when he and his team had to make sure everything went to plan. Of course I had to mention DC Ellie Hackett, reprised by Posy Sterling, who was in the control room and was also deeply affected by Neil Brenton’s fate in episode 5, but her professionalism to continue was both heartbreaking and brave. I can also sense the relief when the main bomb was disposed. We also saw some new people coming onto the scene. One of them was Andy Oldfield, played by Michael Balogun, a liaison officer from MI5, who was on the case but had to learn different lessons knowing it wasn’t the same, and when the Code 17 was actioned in episode 3, he definitely felt the pressure. He also felt the strain of the case in episode 4 when he revealed the extent of it. Felt the pressure of the result of the bomb whether it’s detonated or not and the extra shots that came with it, but again I can see how much relief there was when the mission was completed, showing me the reality of working in a job like this. There was also the appearance of Commander Nia Quentin, played by Julie Graham, who eventually took charge of the investigation from episode 2 onwards, and I tell you something she wasn’t a man to be messed with when it comes to getting the job done, and I think she appreciates Lana and her work she does after she and Helen get stuck in a dangerous situation. I’m just sad that she met a gory fate in episode 3 when Lana was trying to save both her and Helen, with the bombers being one step ahead of her at that point. She was then replaced by the return of Commander John Francis, reprised by Julian Ovenden, in episode 4, who had to put his differences aside with Lana for the case’s sake, and had disagreements with Daniel, but eventually gained trust. After doing some research on him to see he also has a theatre background, this shows proves how versatile he is, showing he knows the difference from screen acting to stage acting! But the main Bomber this series was a captured professor Callum Schroder and his assistant Sebastian Pinchbeck, played by Rodrick Hill and Jonas Armstrong, who revealed to be part of nuclear bombs. But Pinchbeck I think was more dangerous than him, as he was the leader of the terrorist group, giving Callum his orders (and sadly met a dreadful fate in the last episode) and getting a full background detail in episode 5, but let’s just say I think even he was scared of Lana when he eventually forced the truth of where the bomb is.

Like the last two shows, I also wanted to give a shoutout to the day player roles/roles who were only in a few scenes, but helped carry Lana’s story. One of them was her therapist Eddie played by Chris Reilly, who definitely made clear of his objective and job title, eventually getting her to accept what really scares her, and reassuring her that there will be low points in her job. He also revealed his past in episode 5 in the army to show the profound affect of Lana’s mental health, but little did he know he and his son (Taylen Patrick Brodsky) were both in danger when the discovery of where the bomb is but thankfully thanks to Lana’s work they were safe and enjoyed the game (which also showed that Lana could save everyone after he made a comment on it). We also saw a character called Robert Wells, played by Fred Pearce, a new police officer who got caught in the crossfire in episode 2, and whilst he managed to survive, and hinted a clue to the main plot, and Tony Miller played by Tommy French, the driver of the bombers in episode 1, and got interviewed on episode 2, but was clearly unwell (and was not nice to see at all). Two other people that added to Lana’s story was Annie, played by Mary Doherty, a security guard who was in danger in episode 2, and Ben from UKHSA, played by Matt Barkley, who helped Sonya with some medical analysis where the chemicals from the drivers condition was a clue to a more sinister plot. Troy in episode 4, played by Sam Baker Jones, a helicopter pilot who was not only trapped with a bomb, but the aircraft had dangerous chemicals in it. We also saw the appearance of Kai Gadley, she’s by Joshua Griffin, atomic expert hired by Daniel in episode 5 and gave his views on why the put the blame on Iran and despite his awkward personality, was able to show how big the bomb would be and also was realistic in the final episode when Lana was on a mission to save everyone, a Sniper, played by Elizabeth Appleby, who you know played her role well when she nearly had Lana in her sights, and a Young stadium officer Gaurs, played by Oscar Kennedy, who helped Lana destroy the bomb and saving everyone. 

I don’t think I have any downsides to the show, as I agree with my hairdresser on how it was the best series so far! I think I was disappointed by some of the dates of characters that Lana has worked with this series who have been with her from the beginning, and quite frankly so was I. But it was also one of those scenarios where the bombers wouldn’t be destroyed, showing the reality of working in forces like the police. I also felt that this was the end for Lana given the finale, but maybe this was the beginning of a new chapter for her. Who knows? 

Overall I would give the show a full house of 5 out of 5. It was explosive, tense, and the final episode was quite frankly the most tensed I have been in a long time. As mentioned before, it would be interesting to see life after series 4 for Lana or even a prequel to how she became an EXPO officer. 

And that is it for my latest instalment of TV Reviews. Let me know which show you watched and your thoughts on them.

See you soon for another blog. Until next time…

This is The Autistic Actress signing off :)