Line Of Duty - The BBC's last good show-Possibly fucked the ending.

[CWCissey]

Series 6 starts tonight, anyone else watching this?

For the uninitiated, Line Of Duty is a police procedural show centred on anti-corruption unit AC-12 in an unspecified British city (likely to be Birmingham), with each series being based on the case of one officer who is under investigation while a whole show arc about systemic corruption of the service is happening in the background.

Favourite twist?

Any theories on who the fourth 'H' is?

Is the beep that starts the interview really getting longer?

 

[Bender]

I'll copy my messages over from your profile so it's all in one place:

Just finished watching it on iPlayer. Davidson, Farida and Buckells are so obviously guilty that I'm convinced all of them are actually innocent.

All the "CHIS" talk made me giggle because it sounded like "jizz" and I'm immature. "jizz handler", lol.

One of the detectives is Flip from the This Is England TV show, the "ENGINES OFF" guy.

I'm kind of suspicious about Engines Off Guy, he got a bit of focus at the start of the episode and appeared a few times throughout, like Cotton in the first series. He hasn't actually done anything, but with the amount of screentime he had (about the same as Kate, I think) he's either gonna die or be involved in some criminal stuff.

I'm wondering if Farida is just salty that Davidson told her to fuck off, though Davidson spotting the van is definitely suspect.

I actually skipped back a couple of times when Davidson said "Did you see that?" because I thought I'd missed something. I think she's gonna end up like Denton in series 2 who tried to do the right thing (trusting her instincts and stopping an armed robbery) and inadvertently screwed everything up. It is kind of weird how she saw that so briefly and was so convinced it was an armed robbery she sent the firearms officers in.

Farida seems to be quite unstable, reporting her ex to AC-12, ignoring Arnott's calls and then telling him not to contact her again, and then yelling at Davidson when she came to pick up her stuff.

I just hope that smug little shit Ryan from the first series, who became a cop at the end of the last series, gets a well-deserved revenge beating by Arnott at some point.

 

[CWCissey]

Farida seems to be quite unstable, reporting her ex to AC-12, ignoring Arnott's calls and then telling him not to contact her again, and then yelling at Davidson when she came to pick up her stuff.

Plus she wrecked Davidson's leather jacket, pure spite there.

I just hope that smug little shit Ryan from the first series, who became a cop at the end of the last series, gets a well-deserved revenge beating by Arnott at some point.

Watch it be a mirror of Series 1 when Tony Gates smashed his face in!

I think she's gonna end up like Denton in series 2 who tried to do the right thing (trusting her instincts and stopping an armed robbery) and inadvertently screwed everything up. It is kind of weird how she saw that so briefly and was so convinced it was an armed robbery she sent the firearms officers in.

I'm really not sure what Davidson's deal is. Part of me thinks she's in on it and the armed robbery was a set-up she was told to intervene in by H or the Balaclava Men.

All I can really muster is she's not on good terms with her mother and is attracted to unhinged women. Although there does seem to be something between Fleming and her, but I doubt it's serious.

 

[CWCissey]

Episode 2, Hastings is now gunning for Kate, Steve is clearly addicted to painkillers, and Ryan is starting to make his presence known.

I also wonder what the OCG has on Davidson.

 

[Bender]

Wow, I've completely lost track of time, it feels like Taskmaster only aired yesterday. I'll give my unsolicited and lengthy thoughts as I'm watching the episode.

I didn't think Ryan and Kate had met before, why was he so nervous around her at the crime scene and in the office?

Nice to see Ryan recognising Arnott and hiding in the corner the moment he walked into the room with his signature waistcoat. Ryan got really lucky there that Kate blabbed to her gaffer and got the investigation cancelled before Arnott got a chance to see his face.

Hastings: I'm interested in one thing and one thing only...
Me: BENT COPPERS!
Hastings: And that's bent coppers.
Me: Knew it.

I think there's something going on with Kate, like a next-level undercover position where she actually left AC-12 but is still feeding Hastings information. I'm getting similar vibes from the first series where Kate was undercover and Arnott didn't know.

Investigation take 2! ...And Arnott's too busy popping pills to be there to see Ryan. Davidson seemed genuinely confused and shocked when she was served the Reg 15, so I'm still thinking she's innocent, like Denton.

RIP Combo. Arnott's pain is psychosomatic, calling it now. He's not gotten past "H", no matter how much he claims he has, it was his investigation into "H" that got him thrown down a stairwell and ended up in a wheelchair in the first place.

12 second beep! Midway through the interview and I'm still pretty sure she's innocent and it was Ryan who leaked the details of the operation. Buckells is her superior officer, so he's the one who gave the wrong authorisation for the surveillance, right? I'm still not sure about her noticing the robbery taking place and diverting the task force though.

welp, looks like Davidson is involved in shady stuff after all, but that's just too obvious. I reckon they're gonna keep ping-ponging the suspicion between her and her ex during the next episode, similar to Combo and Lisa in the previous series. Kind of disappointed by the lack of Kate this episode, it felt like ENGINES OFF had more screentime than she did.

 

[CWCissey]

I didn't think Ryan and Kate had met before, why was he so nervous around her at the crime scene and in the office?

I'm thinking the OCG has an idea about who the main players of AC-12 are and Ryan knows her that way.

I think there's something going on with Kate, like a next-level undercover position where she actually left AC-12 but is still feeding Hastings information.

I'm unsure with Kate, I think she blames Anti-corruption for the breakdown of her marriage and is kind of disillusioned with the unit after last series. How close she's getting to Davidson does make me wonder though, whether it's part of an investigation, or just genuinely seeking some form of actual connection with someone.

Shame Davidson is going to set her up though like she did with Farida.

 

[CWCissey]

Sorry for double posting, but Linder pointed out something interesting today.

The woman in Davidson's picture is apparently the same woman who was kneecapped by the IRA for being a snitch while Ted was still in Norn Iron.

 

[Bender]

Sorry for double posting, but Linder pointed out something interesting today.

The woman in Davidson's picture is apparently the same woman who was kneecapped by the IRA for being a snitch while Ted was still in Norn Iron.

That would make her Corbett's sister, wouldn't it? Or at least some sort of relative.

 

[CWCissey]

That would make her Corbett's sister, wouldn't it? Or at least some sort of relative.

Yeah, unless Davidson was a foster child or something, which would explain the Scottish accent rather than an Irish one (even if Corbett having a flawless Scouse accent because he lived in Ulster for a good few years then moved to Liverpool was a little silly)

 

[Bender]

Yeah, unless Davidson was a foster child or something, which would explain the Scottish accent rather than an Irish one (even if Corbett having a flawless Scouse accent because he lived in Ulster for a good few years then moved to Liverpool was a little silly)

If she is somehow related to Corbett than she might try something against Hastings or his wife, like Corbett did. I can't remember what Hastings' involvement was (or what Corbett believed) in the torture and murder of Corbett's mum, I didn't have time to rewatch the show to refresh my memory since I didn't even know it was coming out until last Monday, lol.

 

[CWCissey]

I can't remember what Hastings' involvement was (or what Corbett believed) in the torture and murder of Corbett's mum

I think Corbett was lead to believe that Hastings was undercover in the local IRA cell and sold his mum out for his own skin.

 

[CWCissey]

BUCKELLS HAS BEEN NICKED!

It's not him though, he's a useful idiot I think. Davidson put those files in his boot.

Kate and Steve are on to Ryan now at least, so no doubt he'll be caught out, especially after Kate saw him drowning Officer Patel and Terry will likely be more co-operative after having someone make an attempt on his life. The police will be more sympathetic now they've finally realised that he's being cuckooed.

Steve is going to be kicked off the force though, there's no way he's off the meds plus he's just carried out an illegal search in the Corbett household.

 

[Bender]

"little bastard damn near cut off my fingers"

Get rekt, Ryan, you little shit, lol.

 

[CWCissey]

They finally found the fridge too! Only took them seven years or so!

And they say this show isn't realistic (!)

Jed is also getting really fucking brave, he made a Cliff Richard reference this episode!

 

[Bender]

Steve is going to be kicked off the force though, there's no way he's off the meds plus he's just carried out an illegal search in the Corbett household.

He was allowed in, so I'm not sure about the legality of the search. I think once you let a cop into your house they're allowed to snoop around a bit, kinda like a curious vampire. He's definitely going to get disciplined for the drug use, though.

They finally found the fridge too! Only took them seven years or so!

I've been waiting for that to finally show up for ages, lol.

BUCKELLS HAS BEEN NICKED!

About 20 minutes after giving Ryan a commendation, too.

Get rekt, Ryan.

 

[CWCissey]

He was allowed in, so I'm not sure about the legality of the search. I think once you let a cop into your house they're allowed to snoop around a bit, kinda like a curious vampire.

I don't think it's allowed to that extent. There's a reasonable case for curiosity (a few cupboards maybe) but full on rubber gloves and searching the loft? That's getting beyond reasonable curiosity.

 

[Bender]

I don't think it's allowed to that extent. There's a reasonable case for curiosity (a few cupboards maybe) but full on rubber gloves and searching the loft? That's getting beyond reasonable curiosity.

Did he even report it? It looked like he found it, put it back and kept quiet about it,

If Arnott didn't have grounds to perform the search then I'm expecting it to come up later as an unlawful search, especially if Arnott tries to dob her in.

 

[CWCissey]

Did he even report it? It looked like he found it, put it back and kept quiet about it,

If it was an illegal search then I'm expecting it to come up later as an unlawful search, if Arnott tries to dob her in.

Which I think he's going to as revenge for her grassing him up.

 

[CWCissey]

Episode 4 and we have our huge action scene with the prison van attack.

Ted's being forced to retire, so he's obviously scarying the shit out of H and is close.

Lakewell pussed out and didn't think it through, now he's a message to Buckells and Davidson. I'm suspicious of the little Paki dude who hangs around with the DCC after Lakewell let slip to Gail Vella about perceptions of racism unprovoked if I'm honest.

Ryan very nearly got rekt too (even if in a diplomatic way) but the little bastard managed to dirty deed his way out of it.

And we have blood relatives of Davidson being hinted at, that's got to be Corbett.

 

[Bender]

Episode 4 and we have our huge action scene with the prison van attack.

Ted's being forced to retire, so he's obviously scarying the shit out of H and is close.

Lakewell pussed out and didn't think it through, now he's a message to Buckells and Davidson. I'm suspicious of the little Paki dude who hangs around with the DCC after Lakewell let slip to Gail Vella about perceptions of racism unprovoked if I'm honest.

Ryan very nearly got rekt too (even if in a diplomatic way) but the little bastard managed to dirty deed his way out of it.

And we have blood relatives of Davidson being hinted at, that's got to be Corbett.

That was a hell of a zing from Hastings during his forced retirement.

"This is a capitulation. This is a capitulation to criminality and corruption. I mean, what has happened to us?"
"This must be a shock, Ted. I can see you're upset."
"It's not a rhetorical question, ma'am. What has happened to us? When did we stop caring about about honesty and integrity?"

And then he leaves the room with a polite "ma'am".

I am also loving ENGINES OFF's voice and performance, to be honest.