With the sixth season of Line of Duty nearly coming to an end, speculation remains rife as to the identity of “the fourth man”.
Formerly referred to as “H”, “the fourth man” is the name given to a traitor within the upper ranks of the police force, who has been secretly pulling strings for the OCG (organised crime group) throughout Line of Duty’s run.
Viewers have identified a number of candidates who could be the traitor, including Superintendent Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar), Detective Chief Superintendent Patricia Carmichael (Anna Maxwell Martin) and even DI Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure).
One character whom some viewers harbour suspicions about is Ian Buckells (Nigel Boyle), the superintendent in charge of the Hillside Lane murder squad.
It was Buckells who was responsible for the paperwork snafu which gave the OCG an unobserved window in which to swap Terry Boyle into Carl Banks’s flat at the start of the season.
It was also revealed partway through this season that he had coaxed false testimony out of Deborah Devereux (Kerri McLean) to tie Terry Boyle into Vella’s killing. Buckells had enjoyed a romantic relationship with Devereux, having intervened when she was arrested for assault years earlier.
Devereux played a willing witness, but their ruse was torn down by AC-12’s investigation.
Buckells was then arrested by AC-12, who also found an incriminating laptop (a key piece of evidence in the Gail Vella murder investigation) stashed in his car.
However, he denied any knowledge of how this got there, and in last week’s episode, Jo Davidson (Kelly Macdonald) admitted to framing him.
Accordingly, Carmichael begins proceedings to let Buckells go free.
However, some viewers have identified a number of other clues which mean Buckells could yet be revealed as the “fourth man”.
For one thing, there was the hiring of nefarious PC Ryan Pilkington. Earlier in the season, Jo Davidson claimed that Pilkington was transferred to Hillside Lane at the express request of Buckells.
Viewers also noticed a framed picture of a person playing golf, hung on the wall in Buckells’s office. Could this be a reference to “The Caddy”, and the OCG leadership’s known fondness for the game of golf?
In episode six, Carmichael and Hastings look into why Davidson was appointed onto the Vella murder case, turning up a memo written by Buckells recommending her – though he had never worked with her.
However, Buckells then denied ever writing the memo, leaving the possibility of forgery open.
People have shared their guesses about Buckells on social media, with one punter writing: “I’ve literally never felt this sure who H is.”
“Buckells is my pick for H with a Keyser Soze style reveal at the end,” wrote someone else.
“Honestly think ‘H’ being Buckells would be such a good twist,” wrote another person. “Has everyone tricked thinking he’s absolutely useless to throw the scent off but turns out he’s an absolute mastermind.”
Click here for a rundown of some of the other possible “H” suspects.
Line of Duty concludes at 9pm on BBC One this Sunday (2 May).
