Line of Duty’s twists and turns kept top secret as it nears finale

The countdown is on to the penultimate episode of series six of Line of Duty and all efforts are being made to keep upcoming plot-lines and twists and turns shrouded in secrecy.

Each week, press preview episodes –  released a few days before Sunday night’s transmission - are accompanied by a list of spoilers and journalists are advised as to what subjects can be touched upon and what must be avoided at all costs.

But the entire content of this Sunday’s episode is embargoed until after the programme has aired as anticipation builds towards the season finale on Sunday, May 2.

What I can tell you is this: “As AC-12 struggle to deal with the repercussions of tragic events, Superintendent Ted Hastings makes one final bid to uncover institutionalised corruption before his time runs out.”

That’s the official synopsis.

First look images of this weekend’s instalment show AC-12’s Hastings (Adrian Dunbar), DI Steve Arnott (Martin Compston), DC Chloe Bishop (Shalom Brune-Franklin) and a stern-faced DCS Patricia Carmichael, head to the scene of last Sunday night’s nail-biting cliff-hanger.

The fifth instalment ended with an armed face-off between bent copper Ryan Pilkington and DI Kate Fleming, in an abandoned car park, after Fleming was lured there by her MIT boss, DS Jo Davidson.

As the pair screamed at each other to put their guns down, two shots rang out and the screen went blank.

Almost 10 million viewers watched episode five and were left wondering and worrying if fan favourite Fleming was dead. However a now-deleted series six trailer seems to hint at Fleming’s fate.

Viewers will find out on Sunday night whether she survived or if murderous OCG member Pilkington got to her first.

On Thursday night, Compston, who plays DI Arnott, posted the official BBC photo of AC-12 at the shoot-out scene on Twitter. He wrote: “Uh oh,

the gloves are going on.”

What – or who - do they find in the car park?

So to recap, Carmichael (Anna Maxwell Martin) popped up again in last week’s episode because Hastings has been told to step down and she is being lined up to take over. Concerned about the budget, she suspends all surveillance on Davidson, Pilkington and Terry Boyle.

A few super sleuth fans are convinced Carmichael is the fourth and final ‘H’, thanks to some clever armchair detective skills.

Before bent lawyer Jimmy Lakewell was bumped off in prison by OCG member Lee Banks, he told Arnott ‘Look beyond the race claim to find ‘H’. If you remove the letters that make up ‘race claim’ from ‘Carmichael’, the missing letter is ‘H’.

Last week, Jimmy Nesbitt also made a surprise appearance as retired police officer Marcus Thurwell, now living in Spain. Thurwell was the senior investigating officer in command of the Oliver Stephens-Lloyd case; the social worker who tried to blow the whistle on the child sex trafficking scandal at Sands View Boys’ Home.

He was also involved in the cover up of Lawrence Christopher’s death. Murdered journalist Gail Vella was investigating the case.

Fans have theorised that Thurwell could play a significant role over the last two episodes.

Maybe he does, maybe not. My lips are firmly sealed.