ALL GUNS BLAZING
Is Line Of Duty set to end in a shattering shootout?
LINE OF DUTY, the crime drama that has kept eight million viewers on the edge of their seats for five weeks, reaches a thrilling conclusion tonight. And as these pictures from the final episode of the fourth series show, the nail-biting tension will be ratcheted up until the very end.
The images suggest a tense shootout at the headquarters of anti-corruption unit AC12, as its boss, Superintendent Ted Hastings, played by Adrian Dunbar, brandishes a pistol and yells: ‘Armed police!’ The scene has echoes of the showdown at the end of the third series, which resulted in the death of the corrupt police officer known as The Caddy.
Fans are hoping tonight’s instalment will clear up other mysteries too, including what becomes of Detective Chief Inspector Roz Huntley (Thandie Newton), who will stop at nothing to cover up her own crimes. AC12 has been trying to prove Huntley’s guilt for more than a month and the unit shows no signs of letting up. Hastings warns his colleagues Steve Arnott (Martin Compston) and Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure): ‘This is the final push – we cannot fail.’
But Huntley is not going down without a fight and continues to pin the blame for her crimes on others, including her hapless lawyer husband Nick. He tells police: ‘This is all Roz. She is trying to frame me.’
Fans are desperate to discover the identity of Balaclava Man, the sexual predator who Huntley was supposed to be tracking down before she went off the rails.
And the trailer hints heavily at the discovery of another body.
The fourth series has been the most popular to date and the show has earned itself millions of new fans. The complex plot has been made even more complicated by references to a string of dead characters from past series, including The Caddy, detective Lindsay Denton and murdered property developer Jackie Laverty.
Long-standing fans of Line Of Duty, which was first screened in 2012, know that the twists and turns will continue to the last minute.
Newcomers should expect an ending which is neither straight forward nor happy.
To make sure you enjoy every minute of the action, The Mail on Sunday has produced its own guide to what you need to know and the questions which need to be answered. But don’t expect the final episode of the BBC1 series to provide a definitive ending because Line Of Duty likes to take its time.
It wasn’t until series three that the identity of The Caddy became clear. So be warned: it means fans may have to wait until series five next year to discover exactly what Huntley did – and why.