Things kicked up another level again this week, as Steve found himself suspended, under investigation, covertly watched and (briefly) forced into a partnership with Lindsay Denton. Is it just me who would watch them in a snark-filled spin-off where they stride through bleak landscapes being chippy with each other? Meanwhile, Dot drew Kate ever further into his cosy web of expert lies and poor old Hastings found himself on the wrong end of Gill’s attentions. Along the way, writer Jed Mercurio landed a few swift jabs at both Operation Yewtree (“how much money are we going to spend chasing clapped out DJs?”) and celebrity culture (“we all know showbiz people have very low morals”) and even audaciously evoked that infamous modern-day monster Jimmy Savile in a scene that was queasy but, I would argue, essential to the way this drama presents itself.
The key to Line of Duty is that it exists in a world that, while fictional, should feel exactly like ours. I’ve mentioned before that it resembles a really great crime novel – and most great crime novels draw their power from the way they reflect current society. Similarly, Line of Duty is at its best when the real world intrudes; that’s what grounds it and makes us think that this could all really happen. Thus I don’t think it was gratuitous to have that doctored picture of Savile in the mix. As anyone who has read In Plain Sight, Dan Davies’ brutal but important book on the subject, can tell you, it would be almost impossible for a historic scandal of the kind described not to have some sort of connection with the man.
The bad guys
For all its sense of verisimilitude Line of Duty is at heart still a drama and thus our main focus of villainy remains the increasingly desperate Dot. Our man of many mobile phones spent the hour continuing to manipulate all around him – I was particularly impressed with the way he dripped sweet poison into Kate’s ears – before ending up in a desperately tense showdown with Lindsay Denton. The switched number plates suggest that he’d always intended to murder her and thus place the final nail in Steve’s coffin – will he get away with it? Despite Denton’s confident statements about ground zero DNA and her sending of the email to Hastings, I can’t help thinking he just might.
The scene between the two of them was the high point of this superbly tense episode, allowing me to hope that Lindsay, that great survivor, just might manage to get out of the car alive. Alas, poor Lindsay, you and your fringe will be deeply missed (although possibly not by Steve Arnott, who you continued to runs rings around right to the end). The real question, however, remains: just who is pulling Dot’s strings? As Lindsay pointed out he’s the go-between, the bagman, the guy who makes the mess go away. Yet I don’t think the creepily avuncular Pat Fairbank is in charge either. He’s just a more senior version of Dot – a guy who can make murders become suicides and hush up unfortunate allegations. Nor is it Gill. She obviously doctored the file and is involved in the coverup but I don’t think she knows Dot is the caddy. More plausibly, someone has told her to make this go away and like a good functionary she has. So then who is it? If I have one criticism it’s that Line of Duty risks painting itself in a corner over this. Its strength lies in the idea that the corruption is both dramatic and the right side of believable. They have to make sure the ultimate reveal doesn’t edge into Ernst Stavro Blofeld territory.
The good guys
Another terrible week for our friends in AC-12, with poor Steve almost weeping with frustration as he realised the extent to which he’s being set up. Oh Steve, I feel your angst – there you are doing the solid, dogged cop work and no one will listen. I have to say I’m not desperately happy with Kate here. Yes she’s being manipulated by Dot, and full credit to Vicky McClure, who expertly sold the idea that Kate is lonely enough to contemplate a relationship with dodgy DI Cottan, but at the same time she’s been awfully quick to judge. Will she come round in time to save the day in the final episode? On any other show I’d say yes, but this is Line of Duty so I have a feeling things may be about to get a lot worse for young Steve and his increasingly forlorn-looking eyebrows. That said, Kate notoriously plays her cards close to her chest so maybe a last-minute bailout is actually on the cards.
As for the third member of the gang, this was a mixed episode for Superintendent Hastings. On one hand, he’s clearly in trouble … and Hastings in trouble is never something I like to see. On the other, he did get in some fantastic (and fantastically delivered) lines. I loved his continued refusal to answer the freemason question – “I can’t talk about that” – although we are no nearer to answering the ongoing debate about whether a Catholic (as Hastings said he was in series one) would also be a freemason. Less controversially we got some fantastically in-character Ted-rants this episode, including the description of politicians as born liars, celebrities as having low morals and his magnificent speech to Gill with its brutal conclusion: “individuals I might add Gill who appointed you.” He might not, as Gill said, be the most sophisticated of people and his views are clearly of the hellfire and brimstone persuasion, but as long as Hastings continues to focus on bringing the bad guys down I can rest almost easy.
Case notes
I finally realised who Gill reminded me of this week, with her sickly sweet smiles and her pretence at doing things for your own good: she’s Dolores Umbridge with the flirtation levels on high.
Poor Danny and his lonely funeral – I presume that took so long because they had to hold on to the body until Hari (or anyone else) confessed.
Also poor Joe – Jonas Armstrong has been very good in this role and my heart broke for him in the identification scene.
Was Kate’s request regarding spying on an AC-12 officer just to make her and Dot shadowing Steve official, or is she observing a different officer as well? And if so who – Hastings or Dot? I’m intrigued.
Weasel and quote of the week
There can only be one answer here. It’s Lindsay Denton telling Dot how it really is: “You’re just a go-between. You’re a weasel. Other people do your dirty work for you. Now you put that gun away and you take me to AC-12.”
So what did you think – will Steve go down for Denton’s death? Can Dot get away with this, or will it be Kate Fleming to the rescue at the last? As ever, all speculation and no spoilers welcome below …
