When a police van transporting £10 million of confiscated heroin is hijacked, three coppers are murdered in cold blood by a vicious criminal gang...
The balaclava-clad gunmen are lead by John Corbett (Stephen Graham) and his second-in-command, Lisa McQueen (Rochenda Sandall).
This heart-pounding scene is the kick-off point for the eagerly awaited fifth series of Jed Mercurio’s award-winning BBC1 police drama.
As an investigation into the shooting begins, it becomes clear that a corrupt copper must have provided inside information.
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That’s the cue for Supt Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar) of anti-corruption unit AC-12 to get involved, with dogged detectives Steve Arnott (Martin Compston) and Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure) chasing down leads.
As the body count rises, AC-12 realise that this will be their toughest and hard-to-break case to date.
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‘AC-12 are going directly after proper criminals this time,’ reveals Martin. ‘Corbett and McQueen are by far our most dangerous adversaries yet.
‘I really think this could be our strongest series, because it’s such a strong storyline and the guest stars are phenomenal. It’s so exciting.’
Indeed, the always mesmerising Stephen Graham exudes unsettling menace as brooding psycopath Corbett – an altogether more violently volatile foe than previous Line Of Duty antagonists, played by the likes of Lenny James, Keeley Hawes and Thandie Newton.
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However, the deadly heist is not the only source of intrigue.
AC-12 are still on the trail of a mysterious figure known only by the codename ‘H’, an elusive puppet master who has orchestrated all kinds of collusion and chaos from within the corridors of power. But could ‘H’ possibly stand for Hastings?
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‘Hastings is certainly under suspicion,’ confirms Adrian, who plays the thus far by-the-book senior officer. ‘It would be very strange if Ted turned out to be a baddie at this point, but anyone can be vulnerable to manipulation,’ he acknowledges.
Fans should certainly heed that warning, as the first episode alone is packed with the kind of shocks and OMG! plot twists that writer Jed Mercurio is renowned for delivering.
Line of Duty, Sun, 9pm, BBC1
