Sixth series of Line Of Duty on BBC 21st March

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

Yeah, I'm relatively new to it, I've only ever seen the first series before. I remember the (other) ranty Scottish bloke from " The Thick Of It " being in it, he was on one of the pictures they had pinned up of proven naughty policefolk, wasn't he?

It's entertaining guff, right enough.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Yeah, a photograph of Jamie from The Thick of It is up on that board of every single wrong un we've ever seen in Line of Duty. They're all involved in a massive conspiracy, you see. A conspiracy that will never be solved because these things never are.

The final episode will probably involve AC-12 failing to prevent an all-out nuclear war. Steve riding an 'H' bomb. Ted's last words: "That wee planet." Kate looks pensive.

[Phil_A]

The OCG have got her mum or something, judging by her staring at the photo in episode 1.

Reckon Kate is already undercover for Hastings.

Buckles interviewed that Ryan bloke when he was a little shit on a bike in like Series 1. Although Buckles is so incompetent he probably doesn't remember

Didn't Kate interview him as well? You'd think she'd remember the name at least (and odd he didn't he pick another one for his copper identity given there'd be a record of him being interviewed in connection to the same gang activity AC-12 have been investigating for the last decade)

[Mobius]

Oh yeah you're right, she did. She made some comment about how lads in prison will knock his teeth out so he gives better blowies.

She's looking at him on her computer in this scene, and did ask if they'd worked together before so she seems a tad suspicious.

Apparently she interviewed him 8 years ago in Line of Duty time. He was just a kid and had a social worker with him and they didn't have much on him, so maybe it's not documented.

[Magnum Valentino]

Is the dialogue deliberately stilted, btw? What's the name of the Irish feller leading good old AC 12, the feller who uses words like " banjaxed", in case you forget he's Irish? He's got a lovely old hairstyle on him. Next time I get me 'air cut, I'm asking for one of those.

This Is England Lady narkedly saying " You always pick right shit 'oles"  made me smile.

My favourite piece of graffiti ever is on the wall on that underpass, where someone has scrawled "bees?" amidst all the bright colours and violent homophobia.

[BlodwynPig]

This series must make no sense whatsoever to anyone who's never seen Line of Duty before. It's so full of callbacks to seemingly minor characters and plot points from years ago.

I quite like the fact that Jed Mercurio is making this entertainingly mad shite up as he goes along. It's amusing.

It's not that mad...drop some 4th wall breaks, a psychedelic fever dream, subliminal Pugwash images, a still of Clive Myrie beating up a weatherman on a black and white TV in an abandoned warehouse...then I'd be with you. This is just dumbing down for the care-less generation.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

You're right, that would be insane. Lol.

[BlodwynPig]

You're right, that would be insane. Lol.

Shake off your slippers, grandad.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Are you one of those vile punk rockers they have now?

[rjd2]

Actually, it's not too bad. I've enjoyed each of the series I've watched. It's not moody & gritty like The Wire, or moody & procedure-heavy like LoD and it's not "pointless vehicle for ex-ITV Soap Star" which most ITV dramas often are. It's good for spotting forgotten 1970s/1980s actors - like the appearance of Kate Williams (wife of the racist in Love Thy Neighbour) in a recent episode.

New page recently discovered 1980s corpse.

I have watched the first few seasons and yeah its not bad at all .

Season did feel like a Tom Courtenay carry job somewhat, but season 2 is as good as anything Line Of Duty has done. Mark Bonnar is genuinely really good. He was also in Line Of Duty.

Season 3 does feel like a slight step down, but maybe that is due to lacking someone of the gravitas of Courtenay or Bonnar? Its still good fun though.

Anyway talking about great British actors, Kelly Mc Donald is absolutely crap.

She along with Buscemi ruined Boardwalk Empire and is dragging down this season of LOD.

[BlodwynPig]

Anyway talking about great British actors, Kelly Mc Donald is absolutely crap.

She along with Buscemi ruined Boardwalk Empire and is dragging down this season of LOD.

Yet she is by far the best actor in the show so far. I like the male lead, but he teeters on wooden and one note, only saving grace is that it comes across as deep deep vulnerability and pain that elicits empathy

[phantom_power]

The acting is uniformly pretty stilted and crap. I think it must be down to a combination of dialogue and direction because the actors are usually good in other things. Arnott is very wooden at times and even Kate, who is excellent in most things, can be a little stiff. All the one sceners are terrible, like the jizz handler last week and the journalist this week

[jobotic]

Keeley Hawes was good, but she always is.

Spoiler - she's not in it any more.

[phantom_power]

There are some actors who seem to be able to overcome whatever it is, but it still seems at times like it has been directed by George Lucas

[Fambo Number Mive]

Chi with a C spoofs Line of Duty: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZZcg2I8ig8

(the tape noise is quite loud at 1:30)

[BlodwynPig]

Sub Zenith-era Casualty fluff, that

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

I quite liked the reference to Cliff.

[gib]

I quite liked the reference to Cliff.

Yeah, we sort of called it.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

It was inevitable really.

[gib]

I like the way that when we as viewers learn a secret it doesn't take long for the protagonists to get there. Saves me having to remember loads of stuff, you want to be pretty much on the same page as the goodies, not several chapters ahead.

[Phil_A]

Yeah I was sure the Ryan thing would drag on for a couple more episodes before they sussed him out, kind-of relieved it didn't to be honest. Although it's funny

Spoiler alert

how bad he is at being the new caddy, no way Dot would have made such a massive fuck-up of disposing of two witnesses like he did. His excuses in the interview with Kate were laughably bad as well.

[close]

Spoiler alert

Come to think of it the whole attempted drowning bit was pretty absurd, couldn't the OCG just set up an ambush like they did previously when disposing of Tommy Hunter, instead of drawing all the suspicion immediately onto Ryan? Sloppy work, lads.

[close]

I reckon Steve is fucked no matter what happens at this point, between lying about his health problems and the booze n' pills he's clearly on his way out. What are the odds that the final scene of the season will be him checking into drug rehab?

[BlodwynPig]

Why isnt the shit smug Ryan suspended from duty. Worst character ever. Dead-eyed prick. Hate him

[Phil_A]

Apparently the female prison officer that attacked Farida is the very same one that burnt Denton's hands when she was banged up in Series 2, that's a heck of a callback.

It's a shame we're unlikely to see anything as brutal as that again in the BBC1 era, parts of Series 1 & 2 were genuinely tough to watch. The series has definitely lost some of it's edge since it went mainstream.

[gib]

I'm not so sure Steve will need rehab. I expect Ted will sus what's going on and send him off for the

Spoiler alert

surgery he needs.

[close]

[BlodwynPig]

I'm not so sure Steve will need rehab. I expect Ted will sus what's going on and send him off for the

Spoiler alert

surgery he needs.

[close]

The surgeon's mask will be pulled down to reveal

Spoiler alert

Harry Houdini - H

[close]

Did they just hand wave "H" away in that episode? "We no longer call them H, from now he will be known as THE 4TH MAN"

[Talulah, really!]

Nolan's Principle states "the greater the criticism of clunky expositionary dialogue the sooner an inability to follow the story will become apparent."

[BlodwynPig]

Arnott is Neo, but he's taken the blue pill.

[mjwilson]

Did they just hand wave "H" away in that episode? "We no longer call them H, from now he will be known as THE 4TH MAN"

That's the ending of series 5, which I had misremembered a bit - the dying clue wasn't the letter h but H in Morse code, which is 4 dots, ie 4 officers connected to organised crime (obviously). 3 of them have been found so it's just the fourth man left.

[WhoMe]

What is the issue with Steve taking pain killers for his back problem? He obviously needs em, or are they so strong as to have him deemed unfit for his job?

[BlodwynPig]

What is the issue with Steve taking pain killers for his back problem? He obviously needs em, or are they so strong as to have him deemed unfit for his job?

His back issue would sink him and put him on desk duty at best.