God, give me strength. Not since reading the seven Harry Potter books about two decades ago has my brain worked so hard to grasp an epic story arc.
Line of Duty really has had viewers singing for their suppers, and while there are always complainers, the 15 million in ratings for the BBC1 thriller says we’re loving it.
Six series in, frantically googling past characters and plot lines, zero idea what’s going on… it doesn’t get more compelling, and creator Jed Mercurio knows it – the man is toying with us.
But the absolute thrill of hitting pause, grabbing your nine-year-old’s magnifying glass and reading a clue on a Post-it on DS Steve Arnott’s suspect board…
(FYI, the Post-it revealed that DCI Jo Davidson (Kelly Macdonald) is both crime lord Tommy Hunter’s niece AND daughter and therefore a product of incest. Yes, I KNOW! Let’s all just vomit and move on).
If you’re not craning your neck to read Steve’s texts to his mate DI Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure), Googling ‘homozygosity’ or spiralling into a minor “Caddy” meltdown when you spot someone with a golf club, are you even a fan? “Definately” not.
And it’s not just the multi-stranded, migraine-inducing storyline that’s clever.
The show is inspired by real-life criminal cases and shines a spotlight on actual corruption. Sunday’s episode linked Operation Lighthouse to the fictional murder of Lawrence Christopher – a racially-motivated killing by a gang of white youths.
This is a nod to the case of Stephen Lawrence, also a budding architect murdered by white youths, as well as the case of Christopher Alder, who died in custody as officers mocked him.
The shooting of journalist Gail Vella (Andi Osho) has similarities to the real cases of Jill Dando and Daphne Caruana Galizia, and disgraced Jimmy Savile has been mentioned, linked to the child sex abuse storyline.
Line of Duty makes us take a long hard look at shocking true crime and asks if we can do better.
“When did we stop caring about honesty and integrity?” said rent-a-quote Supt Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar), who had better not be a bent copper or we’ll all riot.
With Kate last seen in a gun duel with wrong’un Ryan Pilkington, Queen of Passive Aggression Det Chief Supt Patricia Carmichael (a marvellous Anna Maxwell Martin) taking over AC-12 and James Nesbitt about to enter the frame, I’m interested in one thing and one thing only tonight.
This is event TV at its finest and, mother of God, you’d be a damn fool to miss it.
