Millions of fans disappointed by the finale of Line Of Duty have been thrown a lifeline that there will yet be another series.
The much-anticipated final episode of series six of the BBC show was watched by an average of 12.8 million people and a peak of 13.1m - making it the most watched episode of a drama in 20 years.
The last time a TV drama got higher overnight viewing figures was an episode of Heartbeat in February 2001, which had an audience of 13.2m.
But not everyone nervously watching along was happy and minutes after DSU Ian Buckells, played by Nigel Boyle, was unmasked as the mysterious figure H words including “Disappointing” and “underwhelmed” were trending topics on Twitter as fans expressed their anger.
The unlikely man playing ‘H’ responded to the criticism and says it would have been impossible to keep everyone happy.
Boyle who played bumbling Buckells said: “Fans have been brilliant and so many people have invest
ed so much and some of the fans’ theories have been outstanding. There is always going to be some element of disappointment. But you can’t have every series with a big shoot out and Urgent exit required, sometimes the subtler message is more important.”
Boyle found out he was H during lockdown when writer Jed Mercurio told him on a call the day scripts were due to be sent out. He added: “I’ve been sitting on it for a long time! The only person I told was my wife, nobody else, I know how much is at stake.
"Even if you tell someone you trust with your life, they might tell someone they trust with their life and then suddenly more and more people know. When friends have asked me who H is I’ve just said there isn’t an H.
“I was buzzing with excitement! I never suspected it because I know how Jed leads people down the garden path with really good red herrings, so I didn’t really pay too much attention to things like Buckells’ golf clubs etc, but clearly I should have done! I’d fully brought into the idea that Buckells was low on competence levels but looking back it all makes sense.”
Despite the mixed reaction to the final episode, the huge audience figures and number of questions still not answered mean many people would like to see the show continue, including BBC bosses, who will meet with the creator Jed Mercurio to try to persuade him to make more episodes or a spin off series.
Charlotte Moore, BBC’s chief content officer said: “Addictive event television, Line of Duty has kept the nation guessing for the last seven weeks, so it’s no surprise that last night’s jaw dropping finale set a ratings record.
“Jed Mercurio is a master of his craft, and I would like to congratulate him and the entire cast and crew for delivering such an incredible drama series. I’m looking forward to having a conversation with the team about where we go next and what the future of the series might be.”
So what are the questions we’re desperate to find out the answers to if there’s another series...?
1. What will happen to Ian Buckells now?
Like Jo Davidson, could Buckells be given witness protection and live a peaceful life in the country with a golden retriever? Probably not, but there’s still a lot of shady implications of what could happen next. Will he get bumped off in prison or will he be hailed a hero?
He may never face the music publicly for his crimes. The force has applied for public interest immunity in legal proceedings against him, meaning if successful, the evidence relating to institutionalised corruption wouldn’t even be heard in court.
2. Is Buckless actually the fall guy for someone else?
Some fans are theorising that Buckells can’t possibly be H and there’s a lot more to it than meets the eye.
Does the smirk at the end give it away and is he simply a decoy for a bigger top dog who could be revealed in the following series?
3. Could DCS Patricia Carmichael actually be H?
Many fans were gutted that irritating Carmichael wasn’t unmasked as H, so much so they are convinced she still could be.
Firstly, she keeps denying that there’s any evidence of police corruption and keeps trying to shut investigations down.
Secondly, and crucially, Ted puts her to the test when he confesses to her about revealing there was a mole in the OCG. Will she report him or will she keep quiet?
4. Why didn’t DC Chloe Bishop get invited down the pub?
Given that she did most of the heavy lifting to crack the case, you’d think the least Kate and Steve could do is buy her a pint.
Do they simply feel threatened by her brilliance or do they think she knew too much for someone on the outside? Could a promotion also be on the cards for Chloe in the future as AC-12 hangs by a thread?
5. Will Steve kick his addiction?
Steve finally went to see Occupational Health who told him his tests showed drugs-bust levels of over-the-counter painkillers in his system.
His firearms were swiftly taken off him - but he can still taser - and he confides in mate Kate he could be suspended or taken off duty because of his addiction.
Will we see the waistcoat-wearing hero restored to former glory in a new series?
6. Is Kate going to be OK?
At the end we saw Kate sat in a therapist’s chair where it’s suggested that she’s probably suffering from something like PTSD after seeing so many colleagues killed. You can’t really blame her for all she’s been through.
She also gushes about her mate Steve. “I’m lucky. I’m working with one of the best. To be honest, I don’t know what I’d do without him.”
Surely this can’t be the end of the road for the dream team...
7. Why did Hastings spell it ‘definately’?
The key to bringing down Buckells was his incorrect spelling of definitely, dating back in reports to 2003. Clever Chloe matched that up with the multiple uses of “definately” in messages from H.
But in season five, Ted Hastings spelt it wrong too when he was messaging with the OCG under the guise of H. When questioned on this, he said he’d been studying the spelling and syntax of H so he could mimic it. Do we still believe him?
8. Is Marcus Thurwell really dead?
In the raid of his Spanish property, the officer leading it looked suspiciously like Thurwell and we never actually saw the body for ourselves.
The Spanish authorities say they’ve identified the body, but who’s to say they’re not also corrupt?
aAnd, above all, James Nesbitt is surely worth more than just appearing in two photographs. So has he faked his own death and could this be setting up series 7 quite nicely?
9. What will happen to Darren Hunter?
The son of Tommy Hunter could finally be brought to justice and will hopefully face prosecution for the murder of Lawrence Christopher.
At the end the text teased: “Darren Hunter is under investigation for the murder of Lawrence Christopher. A cold-case inquiry has yet to be opened officially”.
We see this alongside a dodgy-looking Chris Lomax too, but will fans get to see Hunter go down one day, or will this case be closed?
10. Is John Corbett Ted Hastings’ son?
This is a bit of a hangover from series five but the theory still looms.
Ted grew close to John’s mum Anne Marie when she was working as an informant in Northern Ireland and there was a suggestion they had an affair.
When Ted learns that John was Anne Marie’s son after his execution in series five, he breaks down in tears, leaving fans wondering whether he could in fact be John’s father. And in series six, we learn Ted gave John’s widow Steph £50k.
It feels like there’s too much of this story left untold...
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