Line of Duty review: ‘Mother of God: a very familiar face... and another mind-blowing cliffhanger’

“One more chance, Ryan. Drop the f*****g…”

Wow. My stress levels are through the roof. I need a Valium after that. Two gun shots ring out and we’re left with yet another mind-blowing cliffhanger. Has Ryan Pilkington bumped off DI Kate Fleming or will she get to him first?

My money’s on DCI Joanne Davidson finally coming to her senses and stepping in to shoot the psychopathic young cop.

Five episodes down now and we know what I suspected from the start of series six – Davidson is related to deceased OCG boss, Tommy Hunter. And Jimmy Nesbitt gets to play a bent cop for Jed Mercurio – again. Only this time he has a sun tan.

When last we saw Nesbitt, he was portraying corrupt Northern Irish detective Tom Brannick in BBC1 drama Bloodlands, executively produced by Line of Duty’s creator. There’s no crossover between the two shows – Nesbitt pops up in Line of Duty as a face on a computer – retired DI Marcus Thurwell. No doubt we’ll see a lot more of him in the upcoming two episodes.

To recap, Thurwell was the senior investigating officer in the murder of social worker Oliver Stephens-Lloyd, who attempted to report the sexual abuse going on at Sands View Boys’ Home. The social worker’s death was written off as suicide.

Thanks to some clever police work by AC-12’s DC Chloe Bishop, Thurwell comes to the unit’s attention though his involvement in another case – the death of a young black man, Lawrence Christopher, in police custody in April 2003.

In last week’s episode bent lawyer Jimmy Lakewell revealed to DI Steve Arnott (in secrecy) that murdered journalist Gail Vella had been looking into Lawrence Christopher’s death. Lakewell was then bumped off.

Are you keeping up?

Before being taken into custody, a disorientated and unco-operative Christopher had been attacked by five white youths. Bishop tells Arnott and Superintendent Ted Hastings, that while in custody, police officers mocked and laughed at Christopher, prompting Hastings to say: “A disgrace to the uniform – every single one of them.”

Bishop also informs them that Thurwell claimed he wasn’t aware it was lawful to arrest the suspects purely on suspicion of the crime. By the time all five were brought in for an identity parade, they had shaved and cut their hair. Due to police cover-up and massive failings, all five were released without charge and granted anonymity.

In another twist, one of the youths turns out to be Tommy Hunter’s son, Darren.

The comparisons with the real-life murder of Stephen Lawrence in 1993 are clear. Mercurio often weaves social commentary into his scripts; cover-ups, corruption, budgets cuts, institutionalised racism. Lawrence was murdered in a racially motivated attack by five white men, two of whom were eventually convicted. But the Lawrence case shone a spotlight on racism and the police. Mercurio’s research and writing is meticulous.

AC-12 believe they now have a motive for Gail Vella’s murder – to protect high-ranking officers involved in Lawrence Christopher’s case. But who gave the order for her murder – Thurwell, DSI Ian Buckells or Chief Constable Philip Osborne? And is the culprit the fourth H?

Sometimes I feel like I’m in AC-12 myself.

 

Online Editors