THE GRID involves a terrorist cell operating on a global level and a team of American and British counter-terrorists who are tasked with stopping it. It focuses on the emotional cost of war on victims, as well as the emotional cost on those fighting terrorism. The story opens with a deadly sarin attack in London. NSC counter-terrorism director Maren Jackson (Julia Margulies) enlists FBI agent Max Canary (Dylan McDermott) and CIA Middle Eastern analyst Raza Michaels (Piter Marek) to aid in the investigation. Acton Sandman (Tom Skerritt), CIA deputy director of counter-terrorism, oversees the clandestine operation on foreign soil.

Also on the task force is Emily Tuthill (Jemma Redgrave), director of operations for Britain's MI6; and Derek Jennings (Bernard Hill), MI5 senior director of counter-terrorism. Dating Jackson is Hudson "Hud" Benoit (James Remar), CEO of HBI Energy Consultants, Worldwide, while Canary is engaged to Jane McCann (Paula Devicq), who lost her husband in the attack on the World Trade Center. Jay Aldrich (Robert Forster) is a former head of the State Department and Jackson's mentor. Muhammad (Alki David) is the mastermind of a new terrorist organization; Kaz Moore (Barna Moricz) is a Chechen American Muslim extremist working with Muhammad; and Dr. Raghib Mutar (Silas Carson) is a devout Muslim doctor in Cairo who is torn between his spiritual interpretation of the Muslim faith and Muhammad's more violent secular view.