Why is a glossy new drama about pension funds, trading floors and hidden identities suddenly drawing so much attention? Australians scrolling through streaming guides are asking what Steal is actually about — and whether its story is as straightforward as it first appears.
The six-part series opens like a familiar workplace drama, then quickly turns into something far more unsettling, forcing viewers to question who is in control, who is complicit, and who is really being robbed.
What Happens When an Ordinary Workday Turns Into a Siege?
The series begins on the trades processing floor of a pension management company, where Zara Dunne is tasked with showing a new junior colleague, Myrtle, around the office. Zara’s advice is practical and quietly bleak: don’t dwell on wasted days, and know where the good biscuits are kept.
It is advice that feels pointed for anyone starting out in a corporate environment, particularly Myrtle, whose unusual name already marks her out as vulnerable. The tone shifts abruptly when a group of armed criminals storm the floor.
Rather than masks, the attackers wear advanced prosthetics designed to defeat facial recognition systems. Employees are forced into a conference room, while senior executives are isolated elsewhere. Violence follows quickly, ensuring no one doubts the seriousness of the threat.
How Do the Criminals Pull Off a £4 Billion Heist?
Zara, played by Sophie Turner, and her colleague Luke, played by Archie Madekwe, are singled out. Under extreme pressure, they are forced to execute a series of trades worth £4 billion, while the company’s management committee is coerced into approving them.
The criminals’ plan relies on insider access, precision timing and psychological intimidation. Luke falters under the strain, and Zara steps in to ensure the trades go through.
When the gang leaves, having completed their operation, Zara is publicly positioned as a hero. The company survives, the money is gone, and the immediate threat appears over.
Is Zara Really the Victim She Appears to Be?
The closing moments of the opening episode deliver the first major twist. Viewers learn that Zara may not be as innocent as she seems. The revelation reframes everything that has come before, while stopping short of offering easy answers.
The uncertainty deepens as the series moves forward. Zara’s apparent involvement raises questions about motivation, coercion and long-term planning. The show deliberately withholds clarity, encouraging viewers to reassess earlier scenes.
What Role Does the Police Investigation Play?
As the aftermath unfolds, the focus shifts to the police response. The investigation is led by DCI Rhys Kovac, played by Jacob Fortune-Lloyd. He is presented as perceptive and methodical, but not without complications of his own.
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Kovac’s inquiry exposes conflicting accounts, hidden relationships and competing agendas. Each episode adds new layers of deception, sending the narrative in unexpected directions without abandoning its central mystery.
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The story expands beyond the initial heist, becoming a tightly constructed puzzle that tests alliances and loyalties at every turn.
Why Does the Series Keep Shifting Expectations?
Steal is the debut television screenplay from Sotiris Nikias, who previously wrote crime novels under the name Ray Celestin. That background is evident in the structure, which favours reversals and moral ambiguity over simple revelations.
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The antagonists are portrayed as intelligent, adaptable and quietly ruthless. Violence is present but controlled, used sparingly to maintain tension rather than shock.
Financial complexity is woven into the plot without overwhelming it, allowing the suspense to remain front and centre.
How Is Zara’s Past Central to Her Survival?
While Luke is visibly broken by what he experiences, Zara proves more resilient. Her instincts are shaped by a difficult upbringing under her alcoholic and volatile mother, Haley, played by Anastasia Hille.
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Flashbacks reveal emotionally brutal interactions that explain Zara’s ability to endure pressure and adapt quickly. These scenes ground the character, preventing her from slipping into caricature.
Turner’s performance keeps Zara believable, portraying her as determined and resourceful rather than invincible. She reacts like someone cornered, not empowered.
What Is Steal Really Saying About Money and Power?
Beyond its surface thrills, the series quietly interrogates the financial systems at its core. It depicts an industry that operates on risk-taking using other people’s money, with rewards flowing disproportionately upward.
The management committee earns £1 million a year, with guaranteed bonuses. Workers like Zara and Luke earn a fraction of that, despite bearing much of the pressure and responsibility.
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The show suggests that resentment is not an anomaly but an inevitability in such structures. When wealth generated by many is concentrated among a few, consequences follow.
Why Does This Story Feel So Relevant Right Now?
Steal arrives at a time when public trust in financial institutions remains fragile. Its focus on pension funds, internal hierarchies and opaque decision-making reflects anxieties that extend beyond fiction.
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The series does not offer solutions or overt commentary. Instead, it presents a system under strain and asks viewers to consider who benefits, who absorbs the risk, and who pays the price when things go wrong.
What Are Viewers Left With at the End?
The final episodes deliver resolution without false comfort. The story concludes decisively, while leaving broader questions intact.
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Zara’s fate is addressed, but the world she inhabits remains recognisable and unresolved. The series closes not with reassurance, but with a clear-eyed acknowledgment of the forces it portrays.
In doing so, Steal positions itself as more than a standard heist thriller. It becomes a timely examination of power, survival and the quiet tensions embedded in modern finance.