Payback full season guide: plot, cast and more

Line of Duty fans won't want to miss Payback, the "compelling character-led series" which is available to watch now on ITVX in the UK and BritBox in the US.

Payback recaps

Payback episode 1 recap Payback episode 2 recap Payback episode 3 recap Payback episode 4 recap Payback episode 5 recap Payback ending explained

Starring Morven Christie and Peter Mullan, the six-part crime thriller tells the story of a woman who becomes entangled in a police investigation into a dangerous crime lord.

Setting up the story, Morven, who plays the lead character Lexie, says: "When the story begins she is a stay-at-home mum of two. She's been at home since she had her daughter, who's now six, and she's also got a son, who's two. She is about to go back to work at the accountancy firm that she shares with her husband Jared. Right at the beginning, her husband is killed in a seemingly random street attack and her whole world implodes."

Created by Debbie O'Malley, whose writing credits include Call the Midwife, Humans and Harlots, the drama has been produced by Jed Mercurio's HTM Television, with the Line of Duty showrunner also acting as an executive producer. Filming on Payback took place in Glasgow, Edinburgh and the surrounding areas.

Jed Mercurio says it is very different from many of the thrillers we see on our screens.

"One of the things that I think makes it really distinctive is that there's a storyline about financial crime, which is quite unusual in TV thrillers. But what Debbie has done brilliantly is to make it very understandable.

"We hit on the idea of developing something that was about an every-person character within a thriller — a very ordinary person who doesn't normally get embroiled in the subject matter of this type of series, which is organised crime and police procedural."

He adds: "Lexie is caught between a very dangerous organised crime gang and a police organisation that are desperate to bring down his empire. She's caught in the crossfire between two potential adversaries. It's not only organised crime that is a challenge to her, some of the police characters really don't care about the danger that she's in by trying to help them."

Here's all about the series...

Payback release date: where to stream now

Payback started on ITV1 on Wednesday, October 4, 2023 at 9 pm. The final episode aired on Wednesday 8 November on ITV1 at 9 pm, 2023. The six-part series is available now on ITVX as a box set and on BritBox in the US.

Payback plot — what happens?

The six-part crime thriller follows Lexie Noble, who gets mixed up in a perilous police operation to bring down a notorious crime lord, Cal Morris.

An ITV synopsis reads as follows... "With an idyllic family lifestyle in the suburbs of Edinburgh, Lexie is unaware her husband, Jared, has been laundering Cal Morris’ illegal earnings on a vast scale. Jared’s every move is being monitored by financial investigators DC Jibran Khan and DCI Adam Guthrie, who are determined to use the Noble family to bring Cal Morris to justice."

"A partner in Jared’s business, Lexie is forced into working for Cal, at the same time as the police net inexorably tightens. Soon Lexie finds herself walking a treacherous tightrope between Cal and the police in which her safety, and even her life, are in grave danger."

Payback cast— who's in starring in the drama?

Morven Christie, who's starred in The Bay, The A Word and the new Netflix supernatural drama Lockwood & Co, leads the cast as Lexie Noble.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and Ozark star Peter Mullan plays Cal Morris, while Prasanna Puwanarajah (The Crown, Doctor Foster) plays DC Jibran Khan.

Meanwhile, Derek Riddell (Happy Valley, Gentleman Jack) plays DCI Adam Guthrie.

Is there a Payback trailer?

Yes ITV has released a Payback trailer. And it's intense!

Morven Christie on starring Payback

Morven Christie was delighted to take on the role of Lexie and very pleased to be filming in her home country of Scotland.

“I fell in love with Lexie from the first page," she said. "I’m absolutely delighted to be working with Peter and this wonderful team in my hometown.”

Meanwhile ITV's Head of Drama, Polly Hill added...

"Payback is a brilliant thriller that questions how well you know your partner and as the secrets come out, asks who you can trust.  Debbie has written compelling scripts that will keep the audience hooked and surprised. I’m delighted to be working with Morven Christie again, and of course Jed Mercurio and Madonna Baptiste at HTM Television.”