The main conflicts revolve around the power struggle within a Liverpool crime gang as crime boss Ronnie Phelan plans to retire. His right-hand man Michael Kavanagh and Ronnie's ambitious son Jamie Phelan compete to take control of the criminal empire. This battle for leadership is intensified by a missing cocaine shipment and differing visions for modernizing the gang, alongside Michael's personal struggle to protect the woman he loves and their child.

The central characters include Ronnie Phelan, the aging crime boss; Michael Kavanagh, his loyal right-hand man; Jamie Phelan, Ronnie's son who wants to inherit the gang; and supporting members such as Diana Williams (Michael's girlfriend), Melissa Sullivan (Jamie's fiancée), Rachel Duffy (the gang's accountant), and other senior gang members and enforcers.

Michael's love affair with Diana is a key emotional thread in the series. It prompts Michael to reconsider his life in organized crime and fuels his motivation to protect his family. Their relationship is set against the backdrop of the gang's disintegration and power struggles, adding personal stakes to the criminal conflicts.

The Amigos, a Colombian cartel, are the source from which the Liverpool gang buys cocaine. Their involvement is significant as the gang's operations depend on this supply, and disruptions such as missing shipments trigger tensions and threats to the gang's control and stability.

The series explores themes of family loyalty, ambition, power, and betrayal. It delves into how love and personal relationships are corrupted by greed and pride within the criminal underworld. The story also examines the consequences of leadership transitions and the costs of maintaining control in a violent, competitive environment.