Prime Video’s latest, Bait (2026), is a sharp and very funny six-episode comedy created and co-written by Riz Ahmed, who also plays the lead role. The show follows Shah Latif, a rapper-turned-actor from a lively Pakistani Muslim family in West London, who suddenly finds himself in the running to replace Daniel Craig as the next ‘James Bond’. What makes the series stand out is how it balances its playful and chaotic moments with something more personal and honest. It feels like a story that comes from real experience, as it explores what it is like to be a South Asian, British, and Muslim actor trying to find space in the industry. What also worked for me is the tone and humour of the show, which often comes through fast and clever dialogue, especially in the way characters speak and interact with each other. Sheeba Chaddha is especially strong as Shah’s mother, Tahira, who continuously brings layers of emotion to every scene she is in. The show may feel silly on the surface, but it is grounded by strong characters and relationships that keep it engaging from start to finish.
In this article, I will break down the family drama series streaming on exclusively on Prime Video. Please note there are major spoilers throughout, so it is best to watch BAIT before if you want to avoid any surprises.
BAIT (2026) Episode 1 ‘BLATANT, NOT SUBTLE’ Recap:
The first episode begins with a young British Pakistani man Shah Latif auditioning for the role of James Bond. During the audition, he keeps making the same mistake again and again at the exact same moment. The only reason he got this opportunity was because the female director wanted to give him a chance, but she eventually loses patience and drops him from the audition. Feeling upset and embarrassed, Shah starts speaking harshly about himself out loud, only to realise that the sound technician has heard everything.
As he leaves, an assistant warns him that paparazzi are waiting outside to chase the Bond rumours, and he should leave from the back. However, Shah ignores the advice and walks out the front, where he gets photographed. On his way home, a man mistakes him for Dev Patel, and Shah plays along, but then a Gujarati woman mocks him for comparing himself to the actor. His cousin Zulfi picks him up, and they argue about Shah’s struggling acting career and Zulfi’s plan to start a Muslim-owned taxi business. Zulfi takes Shah home to see his family after two months. His parents are caring but also eager for him to succeed. His younger cousin Q finds the Bond rumour online, and the whole family reacts with excitement and chaos. Overwhelmed, Shah leaves and returns to his apartment, where he worries while waiting for his agent’s call.
His agent Felicia calls with good news, saying he is trending online and may get another chance. She advises him to stay careful, but Shah goes to a club where his rapper friends are performing, where he also sees Yasmin, and there things feel awkward. When he checks social media, he is shaken by racist comments and runs off. At the same time, his father is attacked at home, and Felicia messages Shah that he has another audition.
BAIT (2026) Episode 2 ‘TO TROLL, TO PROVOKE’ Recap:
We see Shah appearing on Sir Patrick Stewart’s podcast, where Stewart questions if he fits the image of James Bond, and Shah responds by saying he is already dealing with real dangers in his life. We then see that it is the last day of Ramadan, and the Latif family is preparing to host a large Eid gathering the next day. Everyone has different ideas about security after the recent attack. Q suggests moving the event to a hotel, Zulfi hires some untrained guards, and Parvez brings in a Polish electrician. Felicia recommends Nigel Murray, who impresses Shah with his knowledge.
Their neighbour Naila comes over pretending to help but actually tries to shift the gathering to her house, which leads to arguments with Tahira. Nigel accidentally mentions serving in Afghanistan, which makes everyone uncomfortable. Shah had planned to hire Nigel for the King’s Museum Gala, which upsets Zulfi, but Shah later agrees to take Zulfi as his bodyguard, with a memory showing Zulfi once protecting him from bullies.
On the way to the Gala, Shah hears that Raj Thakker is now a strong candidate for Bond. At the event, protesters gather outside, and Shah ignores a fan named Sid to avoid trouble. Inside, he tries to get approval for his speech from Vivian Newhouse, but she refuses and says Raj will be speaking instead. Shah meets Raj, who agrees to share the stage after hearing his ideas, but later uses all of Shah’s talking points during his speech. When Shah is called up, he is told Zulfi is in trouble, but he chooses to go on stage and freezes. Meanwhile, Sid runs in, and Shah knocks him out, thinking he is a threat. Later, online reactions mock Shah, and he quietly pretends everything is fine when Q wishes him Eid Mubarak.
BAIT (2026) Episode 3 ‘HOUSE OR HOME’ Recap:
A flashback opens the episode with a young Shah getting beaten up by bullies. In the present, he is out buying sweets for Eid when Felicia calls him and tells him that he needs to fix his public image. He is facing a lot of hate online, and a journalist named Yasmin Khan, who he met at the club, has also criticised him for being performative. Shah argues that he thought Sid was about to attack him with a weapon, but Felicia does not listen and tells him to record an apology video. He quickly films one at the shop and then heads to Naila’s house for the Eid gathering with his family.
The gathering is crowded and tense, with people judging Shah for hurting Sid, while others tease Parvez. Zulfi avoids Shah, and Tahira pretends everything is fine. Felicia calls again and tells Shah that his apology is not good enough, so he records another one, but it comes out sounding passive-aggressive. Shah keeps trying to talk to Zulfi, but things get worse when Naila’s son Salim arrives and gets all the attention. Shah becomes jealous and ends up insulting both Salim and Zulfi, even bringing up Zulfi’s past, which makes things awkward.
Shah later reads Yasmin’s article, which angers him even more. He finally calls Sid and gives a sincere apology, but gets frustrated when Sid asks for a video version for social media. At the same time, Parvez faints, and Shah rushes to help but ends up arguing with Zulfi. The argument grows worse, and Shah says hurtful things about the family. Tahira slaps him, and Shah leaves feeling completely overwhelmed.
BAIT (2026) Episode 4 ‘LOYALTY, ALLEGIANCE’ Recap:
We see Yasmin spending her Eid at her usual restaurant. Shah shows up and first pretends that he just happened to be there, but Yasmin immediately understands that he followed her. He confronts her about the article she wrote, and it becomes clear that they were in a relationship before. Shah believes that the article is her way of getting back at him for ending things. Their argument becomes loud, and people around them start recording videos. Yasmin tries to leave, but paparazzi are waiting outside, so Shah follows her while she looks for another way out.
As they argue on the way out, they talk about what really happened between them. Yasmin had wanted a break, but Shah thought it meant the relationship was over. He later took his co-star to Yasmin’s documentary premiere, which hurt her and ended everything. Yasmin suddenly remembers that she left her bag inside the restaurant, and it has her passport. She has a flight to Argentina the next day because her documentary has finally received funding. Shah feels happy for her and insists on helping her find the bag. Since there are no taxis nearby, he suggests taking a brightly lit rickshaw, and she agrees.
They follow the location of her AirPods, and on the way, they talk about his family while the driver plays music that reminds them of an old inside joke. The signal takes them to a rave club. Inside, they have to wear UV paint to enter, and even though they keep arguing, their tone feels softer. While searching, Shah suddenly panics again and rushes to the washroom, where he finds her bag in the trash. When he opens it, he sees another passport and feels shocked. Yasmin takes the bag and leaves. Outside, Shah finally admits that he misses her, but she says she is moving on. They share an emotional moment before she walks away, and Shah watches her quietly.
BAIT (2026) Episode 5 ‘LURE, PART OF A TRAP’ Recap:
It is early in the morning at 5:17 am, with Shah returning to his family home, only to find it empty. Inside, he sees blood on the floor along with some scattered pills, which immediately makes him panic. On the sofa, he also sees Patrick Stewart in the form of the severed pig’s head. Feeling worried, Shah takes the pig’s head, along with the CCTV setup that Zulfi’s men had installed, and rushes to the local police station. He tells the officers that he believes racist trolls have kidnapped his family because of the James Bond rumours, but they do not take him seriously. Frustrated, Shah decides to leave and search for his family on his own.
Throughout this, Stewart keeps talking to Shah, telling him that he is not thinking clearly and reminding him about his second audition the next day. Shah ignores this and focuses on trying to hack into the CCTV footage, but when he fails, he contacts Nigel. Nigel asks him to meet at a train station. Shah carries the pig’s head with him and almost gets into trouble with police dogs, but Nigel helps him out.
Stewart feels unsure about Nigel, but Nigel encourages Shah’s fears and offers to help find his family. He even claims he has connections and suggests Shah could become a spokesperson between MI5 and the Muslim community. Shah feels overwhelmed and hides in a washroom to think. Stewart tells him this could make him a hero, but Shah refuses and runs away, escaping Nigel on a train. Later, Shah goes to a mosque to look for his family but causes panic when people see the pig’s head. He runs again and starts seeing people from his past. He imagines a version of himself as Bond chasing him. While trying to escape, Shah is hit by a car. As he lies injured, he shares a final moment with Stewart before the vision fades away.
BAIT (2026) Episode 6 ‘THE SUBTLE ONE’ Recap:
The finale episode begins with a flashback showing Q, Parvez, and Tahira returning home after the chaotic Eid gathering. Q takes out the severed pig’s head from the basement freezer to show that Shah is not doing well, but Parvez refuses to listen while Tahira keeps saying that Shah is fine. Parvez, already tired, faints again and hits his head, which causes the blood seen earlier. As Tahira and Q try to call for help, they panic and accidentally mess up the living room.
BAIT (2026) Ending Explained:
Does Shah become the next Bond?
While Shah is unconscious, he dreams about his childhood when his mother takes him to a private school and tells him he is named after a great king. When he wakes up, he is in a car with Felicia, who tells him that he has gone viral after people recorded him talking to the pig’s head. She also assures him that his family is safe and that his audition is still happening. However, when they reach home, Shah imagines Felicia tying up his family and telling him that he must kill them to succeed. In this dream, he gives in and kills them, but then wakes up and realizes it was not real.
The ending of BAIT (2026) shows that Shah is actually in a hospital after the accident, and his family is safe in the next room. They are relieved to see him, and things seem better between them. He then goes to the airport to stop Zulfi from leaving but learns that Zulfi is only going away for a few days. They talk and finally understand each other. Shah rushes to his audition despite being injured. He sees a perfect version of himself but does not let it affect him. In the end of BAIT (2026), during the audition, Shah performs well and feels confident. When asked to say the famous line, he instead says his own name, choosing to be himself.
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