Line of Duty viewers have noticed a disturbing detail about DS Joanne Davidson’s heritage.
The latest episode of the crime drama’s sixth series was broadcast on Sunday (18 April), and it revealed the identity of Davidson’s mystery relative.
However, sleuths are highlighting a background post-it note that, when zoomed in on, reveals a detail yet to be explicitly stated in the show.
*Spoilers follow – you have been warned*
After episode four’s cliffhanger revealed a familial link between Davidson (Kelly Macdonald) and a former character, the latest outing revealed this to be Tommy Hunter.
Played by Brian McCardle, Hunter was the leader of the Organised Crime Syndicate (OCG). He was a paedophile who groomed DI Matthew Cottan (Craig Parkinson) to be his man on the inside within AC-12.
In the show, DI Steve Arnott (Martin Compston) states that the DNA match "runs of homozygosity". The definition of this is: “The state of possessing two identical forms of a particular gene, one inherited from each parent.”
While the episode didn’t actually state how Joanne is related to Tommy, a post it note on the wall at AC-12 reveals that she is the result of incest.
It reads: “Jo Davidson’s DNA has been identified at Farida Jatri’s house. A match has been made to TOMMY HUNTER, stating she is both his niece and daughter.”
Making matters even more alarming is the fact that, going by Hunter’s official Line of Duty bio page, he would have been 13 at the time of Jo’s birth.
Since the beginning of series six, Davidson has denied having any family. However, a photo of her and a woman believed to be her mother seems to spark rage every time she sees it; one particular scene sees her throw a glass at the photo while screaming.
She is also being manipulated by a person who appears to have strong ties to H, the crime syndicate made up for four corrupt coppers. This unidentified person was the one who instructed Jo to lute DI Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure) to the lorry park to be killed by PC Ryan Pilkington (Gregory Piper).
With Hunter being killed off screen, could he have been alive this entire time and be the one pulling strings from beyond the grave?
If you have been affected by this story, you can seek confidential advice and support from the NSPCC on their website, or by calling 0808 800 5000.
