Line of Duty S5 ***spoilers***

[citoyen]

This thread is for a full and frank discussion of Line of Duty, no holds barred so if you haven’t seen this or any previous series, read on at your own risk...

[citoyen]

Is DS Corbett bent?

I reckon not. He’s clearly a bit of a maverick but he has righteousness on his side - he stopped Lee shooting the good cop in the gun hijack, it’s only bent cops he allows to be killed (and doesn’t actually kill them himself). Unfortunately, that includes Maneet - who was still doing the dirty on Hastings even if she belatedly tried to redeem herself.

Next question: whose photo did Cafferty pick out? Not St Ted, surely?

[bobb]

Next question: whose photo did Cafferty pick out? Not St Ted, surely?

They're doing the old trick of trying to make it look like Ted is bent again. And Steve will no doubt get in the shit again for keeping his mouth shut about his meetings with Tommy DS Corbett.

Good so far though...

[citoyen]

By the way, did you all notice that the younger of Corbett’s sidekicks was Ryan, the kid from the first series who was Tommy Hunter’s runner, and who tried to lop off Arnott’s fingers with a bolt cropper? That’s how he was able to recognise him as a straight copper.

Look at him all growed up now!

[citoyen]

They're doing the old trick of trying to make it look like Ted is bent again.

I’m sure Ted is straight but it looks like they’re trying to frame him or blackmail him - I’m worried he’s going to fall for Moffat’s promise of repaying his investment...

Yeah, right, like any property developer voluntarily gave back money owed out of a sense of altruism. Ever. His alarm bells should be clanging like mad right now.

Or maybe they’ve got some dirt on him - what was in the folder Moffat gave him?

[Ben T]

They're doing the old trick of trying to make it look like Ted is bent again.

I’m sure Ted is straight but it looks like they’re trying to frame him or blackmail him - I’m worried he’s going to fall for Moffat’s promise of repaying his investment...

They're making you think it's Ted she's picked out but it won't be. Or it could be that she has, but she's lying to protect whoever it really is....
I really don't think Ted is bent but I wouldn't be disappointed in the story if it turned out he was - I would hope they would go into a bit of retrospective about his involvement though because he's been such a major character for all this time.

[mattc]

By the way, did you all notice that the younger of Corbett’s sidekicks was Ryan, the kid from the first series who was Tommy Hunter’s runner, and who tried to lop off Arnott’s fingers with a bolt cropper? That’s how he was able to recognise him as a straight copper.

Look at him all growed up now!

I did wonder how he knew Arnott - I don't have half the memory required to remember details like that. Good spot.

I think I agree that DS Corbett is probably just a traditional TV cop "maverick" type. I reckon there is someone else pulling strings, and we'll all be kicking ourselves for not spotting the clues!
(the people above Corbett seem pretty likely candidates? And I don't trust lawyer who was in that meeting Ted went to, for no reason that I heard explained properly ... )

Can't see Saint Ted being any kind of wrong 'un 

[citoyen]

I did wonder how he knew Arnott - I don't have half the memory required to remember details like that. Good spot.

For the benefit of the DIR, I may have used outside assistance for that one.

[citoyen]

It has been announced that Anna Maxwell Martin will be guest-starring in the final two episodes of the current series. Her character is an anti-corruption officer called Detective Chief Superintendent Patricia Carmichael, which means she is "at least one rank superior" to DCI Ted Hastings...

[mattc]

Well I didn't expect that! We can probably rule out DS Corbett from our enquiries ...

(I still don't trust that lawyer.)

[citoyen]

Well I didn't expect that! We can probably rule out DS Corbett from our enquiries ...

The writing was on the wall for him as soon as he confessed to torturing Mrs Ted - there's no redemption from there. And he really should never have trusted McQueen...

Even so, it properly took me by surprise when it happened.

(I still don't trust that lawyer.)

She's always been a bit shifty.

[Ben T]

would I be right in assuming that the reason they topped Corbett was because they figured out he was a cop, and the giveaway being that he objected to the "livestock" operation?

[citoyen]

would I be right in assuming that the reason they topped Corbett was because they figured out he was a cop, and the giveaway being that he objected to the "livestock" operation?

That was pretty much my take on it.

Still not sure about McQueen's role. She didn't seem too happy about the livestock operation herself, or about killing Corbett, but she's doing a good job of playing along with it. Some internet theorists have speculated that she's a deep cover cop working for Hastings, and he's passing on coded messages to her via his spelling of "definately".

[Ben T]

I have thought she could well be an undercover cop. However, about the 'definitely/definately' thing, in the messages before Hastings took over the keyboard, that were presumably coming from the OCG boss / H, it was spelt definately. I think the fact Hastings then also spells it definately himself, is just another tempter to lure you into thinking Hastings could be H.
However, if you remember, the IT woman that set up the spoofing session said something along the lines of they've analyzed the past style of messages and set up some special software to make it look authentic as well as spoofing the IP address/sender's identity. I'll keep an eye on whether they revisit this point.

As for sending a coded message, you can only really transmit one bit of information in whether you spell it definitely or definitately. So I'm sceptical about that particular aspect to it, but it's a good observation.

[citoyen]

However, if you remember, the IT woman that set up the spoofing session said something along the lines of they've analyzed the past style of messages and set up some special software to make it look authentic as well as spoofing the IP address/sender's identity. I'll keep an eye on whether they revisit this point.

As for sending a coded message, you can only really transmit one bit of information in whether you spell it definitely or definitately. So I'm sceptical about that particular aspect to it, but it's a good observation.

I'm extremely sceptical about that whole scene - definitely a touch of Hollywood OS about it. Probably best not to scrutinise it too closely.

[andyoxon]

Older notso-mini-ao didn't appreciate the ending of the last episode...  was quite shocking though.

[Jaded]

All set up got next weekend.

Gill is definitely a wrong-un, I think. Probably the PCC too.

[citoyen]

Gill is well shifty.

Really enjoyed the interrogation scene - it was good for being such a stark contrast to Ted's usual shouty style.

Carmichael is also well shifty though - the main giveaway was at the end when she said she was determined to prove Ted is H. Just a bit too determined, I thought - regardless of whether it's true or not...

[andyoxon]

. . . .

[bobb]

One thing I don't get is.... At the end it said Gill had been given a new identity and was free to go as she helped with information etc... Surely, the main information of any use she could give would be who the fuck H is? If she hasn't said, then why the would they let her go? I assume she hasn't (or was unable) to reveal who H is, otherwise there's no story for the final series that they've said will be made....

[Ben T]

We wondered that as well..... I write it off as that there are loads of run of the mill armed robberies gone on and she's given up loads of OCG members that aren't central to the main storyline. But H isn't a person according to Steve it's a code for there being 4.

But: was Corbett Ted's son??! Otherwise why make a point of him having had an affair with his mother.

Also: crim in car with Lisa when disposing of Corbett's body = guy in interview at end = bent copper in next series (= also killed Corbett? It wasn't Minkovic like Lisa said because he was burly and bald, and they showed the killing from a different angle tonight and the killer was young ish, dark hair with beard)

[bobb]

But H isn't a person according to Steve it's a code for there being 4.

Ah, yes - in my confusion I forgot about that. But yeah I guess I meant the 4th person.

But: was Corbett Ted's son??! Otherwise why make a point of him having had an affair with his mother.

I wondered that, but wouldn't Corbett already have been born before Ted was involved with his mother?

[citoyen]

Yes, I’m the interview Ted referred to the boy being elsewhere when he visited her mother.

[citoyen]

And yes, it wasn’t Minkovic who killed Corbett, it was Ryan. The fact that Lisa didn’t dob him in shows that she’s still well dodgy.

I did wonder why Hendon recruitment hadn’t picked up on Ryan’s past, but I guess H had made it go away...

[Legs]

Blimey, I started a couple of weeks ago fro S1E1 and have just finished!  What great TV! 

One thing I picked up on which I thought would be exploited was the fact that 'H' only became known as 'H' because that's as far as Dot got when Kate was getting him to spell out the name.  He'd blinked for the 'H', but as Kate was trying to get the second letter, she'd got past 'A' when he carked it, which kind of suggests he wasn't pointing the finger at St Ted.