I had intended for this blog to be solely about Doctor Who and my writing initially, but hey, it's my blog so I can write about whatever I like! And today I want to write about Line of Duty. If you haven't seen it or somehow haven't heard of it, firstly, where have you been since 2012?! The basic premise of the show is a special branch of the police, known as AC-12, investigate corrupt police officers. It's now in its sixth season and the stakes are higher than ever, given the huge cliffhanger ending of episode 5. At this point, stop reading if you don't want to spoil anything. Seriously, stop now!
So, I have indeed amassed a theory or two over the course of this series and having recently rewatched the first 5 seasons, I've been thinking of little else. I have read a few theories online, but whilst I may mention them on occasion throughout this post, the predictions I outline are my own. Without further ado, let's start my 6 theories ahead of Season 6 Episode 6 with a big one...
1) DI Kate Fleming is going to die this season.
Okay, so I had to address *that* cliffhanger didn't I? But no, I don't believe Kate received fatal gunshot wounds in that tense final moment with Ryan. I think it could be the end of Ryan, but I certainly expect to see more from Kate Fleming in the next 2 episodes if the season 6 trailer is anything to go by. However, knowing how Jed Mercurio likes to pull the rug out from under us, I would not be at all surprised if he saves Kate from Ryan only for her to meet her end later on within the season's last episodes. As to why she might get bumped off, I'll come back to that in a moment...
2) There's more to DC Chloe Bishop than meets the eye.
As a caveat, I just want to make it clear that I do really like Chloe. I think she's great, but there's something about her that I can't quite work out. During episode 3, she first raised my suspicion when she seemed to be watching Steve and Kate over their shoulder when they realised Ryan was a bent copper working for the OCG. This could be perfectly innocent so I didn't think too much of it until the next episode made Chloe seem very shifty. In the shootout following Jimmy Lakewell's prison break in episode 4, my suspicions of Chloe grew hugely. I don't know if it's just me but it seemed as though she was waiting to see that SUV pull out as if she knew in advance that it would be there, much like bent copper Jo Davidson in the season opener. Then there's the fact that she was an obvious and easy target in her red jacket and without a helmet, whilst all the AFOs were fully kitted up. Anyone could've taken her out in an instant and there's even a shot through the scope of the sniper's gun where the sniper hovers over her before suddenly moving away. Why not just take her out and have another officer down? Perhaps she was aiming to be visible so the gunmen knew to avoid her. It seems odd too that she couldn't reach when she climbed onto the van to rescue Steve when she's the same height as Jonesy, the AFO who got shot by the sniper as she opened the van. Then she also volunteers the suggestion that the leak could've come from inside AC-12 and asks to stay on the case...
However, episode 5 has me working on a second theory surrounding Chloe. Perhaps she really is a good cop. She's good at her job and she's good at following orders. Seeming almost too obedient, it reminds me of when Kate would go undercover in the earlier series and would play along with the orders of the officer under investigation so as not to arouse suspicion and stick her neck out. Perhaps Chloe is a plant within AC-12 acting on behalf of another anti-corruption unit? This seems possible, perhaps her suggestions about a leak within AC-12 and her request to stay on the case is so she can continue to investigate from the inside. Also, there's her reaction to the outcome of the Lawrence Christopher case - naturally, a racially motivated crime would resonate with her, but Chloe kind of shows a bit more emotion than usual in her final line with Steve in this scene. Usually, she just accepts the orders without a word and does her job yet the fact that she actually stops for a moment and voices her frustration to Steve shows that she truly cares about justice. I'm not sure whether that really fits the image of her as a bent copper. One way or another, I think there's more to Chloe than meets the eye.
3) AC-12 will be saved...
I think the introduction of James Nesbitt's character is a red herring. He's a big name in British TV but I don't think he's going to be that significant of a character in Line of Duty considering he's just had the leading role in Jed Mercurio's other show 'Bloodlands', where he also played a bent copper. I do think we should pay attention to the Lawrence Christopher case though. This could be Chloe's big win in the next 2 episodes. Remember that the serving officers all got away with it, and now Osborne is the new DCC who intends to shut down AC-12. If the team can manage to uncover the truth about the case and get Osborne out of office, it might not be too late to save AC-12...
4) ...but the dream team is done for.
Whether or not this is the last series of Line of Duty, I don't think we'll see this trio back in action again. If Hastings retires, then we're looking at a new gaffer for the next series - maybe Carmichael's sticking around after all? Steve's still avoiding Occupational Health (why they haven't just come to get him yet I don't know) but there's only so much longer he can keep running. I've got a sinking feeling that his back is gonna go again at the worst possible moment in the next episode and then who knows whether he'll be able to return to active duty. I've already stated my belief that Kate's for the chop, and I will come onto that shortly, but in that case, it would seem that perhaps Chloe could stick around after all. It would make sense if she is a good guy because all the other new additions to the cast this season have been baddies. If Line of Duty is to continue without the full team we'd need someone at least to stick around and ease the transition into a new era.
5) The 'H' arc will be wrapped up.
At the very least, I reckon we'll finally find out who H is by the end of this series. They could probably string it out for one more series if they still need to gather the evidence to convict the culprit, but I think this season is building to a big finale with this extra episode, meaning we'll finally get closure on this arc, allowing a new storyline to start fresh if another series is commissioned. But who is H?
6) DI Kate Fleming is 'H'.
This is the big one. I may be going out on a limb here but I feel like Jed Mercurio must have known from the start who he intended to be the big bad guy behind it all. For it to be someone introduced a few seasons in would seem somewhat odd to me. Maybe that's just me, but I think if there are 2 episodes left and we're finally going to find out H's identity there could be no greater plot twist than it being one of the core 3 characters all along. And by that logic, it has to be Kate in my opinion.
Mercurio has spent a great deal of time setting up Hastings in the past few series to the point where it would seem too obvious to be him now. Moreover, Adrian Dunbar has stated in an interview that he's not H, if my memory serves me right. It could be a lie but I still don't think it's him. There is 'definately' a matter to address in this recurring spelling error that H makes. We've observed Hastings make this error in Series 5, but that doesn't necessarily mean he is H. Surely if Kate has worked with Hastings in all this time, she must have picked up on the fact that he spells it like this. In all this time working together, Kate would've been able to build an understanding of the way Hastings thinks and writes. She's intelligent and with her UCO training, who would be better suited to monitor the situation than someone on the team investigating the OCG itself? There's also something to be said for the way that Kate has always been closest to the bent coppers as she worked with them all as a UCO. Furthermore, throughout the series, she has risen through the ranks, achieving commendations for her work, much like DCI Tony Gates in Series 1 and more recently PC Ryan Pilkington in this series after Buckells put a word in after that incident in the river. Obviously, when Kate took Dot's dying declaration in Series 3, we were given the initial H. This doesn't fit the theory of Kate being behind it all at this point, but then again, if the idea was to set Hastings up for the fall then perhaps it makes perfect sense after all.
However, at this point, I must admit there's no direct evidence that Kate is H as far as I can see. As AC-12 would say, it's all circumstantial evidence - but there certainly is enough of that to build a credible theory. Only time will tell at this point, but if Kate does turn out to be H, I won't be mad. I'd say good for her, and hopefully she and Jo can go off into the sunset and live happily ever after by the end of it. Yet as Line of Duty is known for its explosive finales, I could see Kate dying in a blaze of glory as H's identity is revealed.
One final add-on - this series 6 trailer mentions H at the end and then the only shot we get afterwards is of Kate... Has the truth been staring us in the face all along?
So there it is! That's all I've got in the way of Line of Duty theories but how many will I get right? Keep your Sunday nights free for the next 2 weeks because either way, you won't want to miss this...
Line of Duty airs on Sundays at 9pm on BBC One. Series 1-6 are available on BBC iPlayer, with new episodes added following their broadcast. Catch the 'Obsessed with... Line of Duty' podcast on BBC Sounds.