Line of Duty (BBC) **Spoilers**

seligehgit

tobefrank321 wrote: »

Wasn't there some link between Ted and Corbetts mother, who was from NI.

It was building up to a complicated ending where maybe Teds back story would play a role but in the end it was Buckells with a paper thin back story.

He couldn't spell definitely, was useless and yet was able to hide his role as a big mover in the ocg for years.

I thought it was hinted at previously there may have been a romantic link?

Could be entirely wrong.

So is Lomax a bent copper and how was him signing off on Jo Davidson's post charge interview in Hillside Lane PS swept under the carpet?Did he forge Kate's signature?

He was present when Darren Hunter was brought in for the Christopher Lawrence case.

dublin49

Maybe its been mentioned but cant believe James Nesbitts only involvement will be his pic being used which suggests to me there will be another series where he will be revealed as the true 4th Man?

Loafing Oaf

dublin49 wrote: »

Maybe its been mentioned but cant believe James Nesbitts only involvement will be his pic being used which suggests to me there will be another series where he will be revealed as the true 4th Man?

Wasn't the upshot of the Buckells interrogation that there were several fourth men but they were all dead?

den87

I know feck all about Line of Duty except for my buddy watching it and the Twitter reaction but is it possible that everyone’s buddy Jed made two versions of episodes 6&7??
One version in case he was asked/forced by the BBC to make a series 7 and another version if this was meant to be the end. Seems as if the ending ye got points to the former?
Genuine question btw, no trolling.

chooseusername

Lots of people disappointed with the ending.
Expecting a big Hollywood blockbuster ending;
Police cars, fire engines , sirens ,flashing lights, hostage situation.
Our 4 A.C. 12 heroes walking off into the sunset, having rooted out
all corruption from all police forces .
Instead we get a more realistic one,
A.C 12 expose a few bent coppers in their force linked to organised crime in their area,
a few slapped wrists and the status quo is maintained.

Will I Am Not

Think it would have been easier to swallow if Fairbank’s dementia was all an act and he was masterminding everything behind that veil. It still would have been a disappointment but anything is better than that sh*te that was served up last night.

tobefrank321

dublin49 wrote: »

Maybe its been mentioned but cant believe James Nesbitts only involvement will be his pic being used which suggests to me there will be another series where he will be revealed as the true 4th Man?

Verified dead by Spanish police. So unless there's bent coppers there too, looks like he's dead. It will take a twist to bring him back to life, maybe a mix up with dna or dental records. Would be an interesting twist. If he can corrupt UK officers, no reason why he can't spanish ones.

The fact he like Ted is from NI is interesting. Maybe he's pulling the strings if alive to get Ted shafted. Seems like Ted might have had a connection with him. Ted throws knowing or suspicious glances from time to time.

SimonTemplar

chooseusername wrote: »

Lots of people disappointed with the ending.
Expecting a big Hollywood blockbuster ending;
Police cars, fire engines , sirens ,flashing lights, hostage situation.
Our 4 A.C. 12 heroes walking off into the sunset, having rooted out
all corruption from all police forces .
Instead we get a more realistic one,
A.C 12 expose a few bent coppers in their force linked to organised crime in their area,
a few slapped wrists and the status quo is maintained.

Some of the best scenes in the whole series were just four people sitting across a desk.

I didn't want an action packed finale, just one that was satisfying.

ziedth

SimonTemplar wrote: »

Some of the best scenes in the whole series were just four people sitting across a desk.

I didn't want an action packed finale, just one that was satisfying.

I fully agree, a similar show that had a flat ending was Bodybuard who went a ridiculous Hollywood route where it would have been better to keep it more understated.

I don't think anyone expected a dual wielding John Woo shootout between Buckles and Ted but something that at least stands up to a second viewing of the show (I bet it wont)

SimonTemplar

If they didn't want the obvious Osbourne to be the fourth man, I think Nigel Morton would have been a much better twist than Buckles. He may be outside the force now but he could have had corrupt officers of different ranks feeding him information and carrying out his instructions. If Buckles had been one of those officers, it would have been a good way of having him involved in the OCG without actually being the forth man.

Morton could have been blackmailing senior officers to ensure Buckles rose through the ranks.

We've seen before that Morton is clearly motivated by self-interest.

FunLover18

chooseusername wrote: »

Lots of people disappointed with the ending.
Expecting a big Hollywood blockbuster ending;
Police cars, fire engines , sirens ,flashing lights, hostage situation.
Our 4 A.C. 12 heroes walking off into the sunset, having rooted out
all corruption from all police forces .
Instead we get a more realistic one,
A.C 12 expose a few bent coppers in their force linked to organised crime in their area,
a few slapped wrists and the status quo is maintained.

Fair points but you're ignoring the fact that the show itself has been building the audience up for a big reveal, even in the finale how long did they take cutting from Hastings to Carmichael to Steve to Hastings to Kate to Carmichael before revealing the identify if the prisoner. We have gotten police cars and chases and even the odd hostage situation in the past, this show hasn't shied away from that or tried to be low key in the past. I'm not saying I wanted a Hollywood ending but let's not pretend it wouldn't have been in keeping with the show as opposed to this (I agree) more realistic ending that wasn't seeded in any way.

Kassandra Easy Preschool

Kassandra Easy Preschool wrote: »

So did lakewell say anything to Steve in the van?

Having slept on it i have lots of questions

It’s like they skipped an episode and they are too embarrassed to say they forgot to press play on the right episode

I actually tweeted last night during the episode "does anyone else feel like they missed an episode?"

chooseusername

chooseusername wrote: »

Lots of people disappointed with the ending.
Expecting a big Hollywood blockbuster ending;
Police cars, fire engines , sirens ,flashing lights, hostage situation.
Our 4 A.C. 12 heroes walking off into the sunset, having rooted out
all corruption from all police forces .
Instead we get a more realistic one,
A.C 12 expose a few bent coppers in their force linked to organised crime in their area,
a few slapped wrists and the status quo is maintained.

That would, honestly, have been fine except for making an actual idiot able to evade detection for years.

Nonsense character can't be BOTH incompetent and competent

appledrop

SimonTemplar wrote: »

If they didn't want the obvious Osbourne to be the fourth man, I think Nigel Morton would have been a much better twist than Buckles. He may be outside the force now but he could have had corrupt officers of different ranks feeding him information and carrying out his instructions. If Buckles had been one of those officers, it would have been a good way of having him involved in the OCG without actually being the forth man.

Morton could have been blackmailing senior officers to ensure Buckles rose through the ranks.

We've seen before that Morton is clearly motivated by self-interest.

This would have been a believable and brilliant twist. He was very clever and in there with all the big guys. Still remember the fear on Dots face when he did a runner with his car. Dot thought the game was up. Also loved the scene of him mowing his lawn with his walking stick up on the wall!

SimonTemplar

Deleted User wrote: »

That would, honestly, have been fine except for making an actual idiot able to evade detection for years.

Nonsense character can't be BOTH incompetent and competent

Yeah, the reason The Caddy story worked so well was because Dot was actually a fairly clever and competent guy. No way Buckles is at his level.

Hollyworth

People saying that we never found out what Lakewell said to Steve in the van... We did. He told Steve to look into the Lawrence Christopher case. Steve said it in the next episode after Lakewell was murdered.

alchemist33

tobefrank321 wrote: »

Verified dead by Spanish police. So unless there's bent coppers there too, looks like he's dead. It will take a twist to bring him back to life, maybe a mix up with dna or dental records. Would be an interesting twist. If he can corrupt UK officers, no reason why he can't spanish ones.

The fact he like Ted is from NI is interesting. Maybe he's pulling the strings if alive to get Ted shafted. Seems like Ted might have had a connection with him. Ted throws knowing or suspicious glances from time to time.

There's nothing to indicate he's from NI, though. That would just be an assumption based on Nesbitt, and since he never spoke...

DrumSteve

Come to think of it, what info did Jo give to them to get away with not doing time? I think I'm more angry about this whole thing today than I was yesterday.

The only decent thing about the last two episodes was the dog.

SimonTemplar

Taken straight from Reddit because I think it nicely sums up my feelings about it:

I don't hate the idea of an ending where there isn't one big top dog, police corruption is institutional and will continue indefinitely - but you can't suddenly pivot to that at the last minute when the whole point of your show for the last 3 series has been 'we need to find out who this one specific person is!'

Wanderer2010

Another massive plot hole this season was the OCGs failure to kill Steve or Kate when they were meddling too close to their affairs regarding the warehouse and the guy they were bringing in when they were ambushed.


I mean, the viewers are expected to believe that a gang sophisticated and organised enough to intercept and immobilise several police convoys over 6 seasons using tyre bursters and spraying bullets ruthlessly into anyone who got in their way couldnt simply wait one morning/evening outside Steve or Kates flat when they were either going to or returning from work, put a bullet in their head and dump them on the pier?? Simple, job done. They could easily find out where they lived, and if it was too risky to do it themselves, they could pay someone just like they did the cops, prison officers and landfill staff..

gmisk

Not a great finale....

Jesus Joe landed on her feet! An amazing house, a hot partner and an adorable dog

So let me get this right

buckles was the 4th man/H...ok...but who was directing him he was still just a middle man?!?

Tbh I am happy for it to end now, this has been weakest series for me, I doubt it will given the amazing ratings.

gmisk

gmisk wrote: »

Not a great finale....

Jesus Joe landed on her feet! An amazing house, a hot partner and an adorable dog

So let me get this right

buckles was the 4th man/H...ok...but who was directing him he was still just a middle man?!?

Tbh I am happy for it to end now, this has been weakest series for me, I doubt it will given the amazing ratings.

If I'm honest, I think that season 4 was probably the last high quality season. It's just been over promising and under delivering since.

tobefrank321

alchemist33 wrote: »

There's nothing to indicate he's from NI, though. That would just be an assumption based on Nesbitt, and since he never spoke...

I can't see him turning up with anything other than an NI accent if he turns up, although we may never know. Anything I've seen him in its the NI accent. Would be great to see a link to Ted, whose history was never fully fleshed out. He was in the RUC during the troubles from memory of earlier series. Had some dealings with Corbetts mother which didnt end well.
Speaking of accents, Martin Compston did a great job and "Steph" did a decent scouse accent.

SimonTemplar

Wanderer2010 wrote: »

Another massive plot hole this season was the OCGs failure to kill Steve or Kate when they were meddling too close to their affairs regarding the warehouse and the guy they were bringing in when they were ambushed.


I mean, the viewers are expected to believe that a gang sophisticated and organised enough to intercept and immobilise several police convoys over 6 seasons using tyre bursters and spraying bullets ruthlessly into anyone who got in their way couldnt simply wait one morning/evening outside Steve or Kates flat when they were either going to or returning from work, put a bullet in their head and dump them on the pier?? Simple, job done. They could easily find out where they lived, and if it was too risky to do it themselves, they could pay someone just like they did the cops, prison officers and landfill staff..

That's actually how I expected Steve to die this episode. Not at the end of the big action scene, just sudden and unexpected. Like he hears his doorbell ring, opens the door and bang.

Hollyworth

Steve giving up his firearm had no consequences. I thought it would lead to his undoing. But... Nothing

appledrop

SimonTemplar wrote: »

That's actually how I expected Steve to die this episode. Not at the end of the big action scene, just sudden and unexpected. Like he hears his doorbell ring, opens the door and bang.

Those scenes this series when he was alone in his car down under the motorway bridges always had me in bits.

I was convinced he was a goner a number of times.

appledrop

Hollyworth wrote: »

Steve giving up his firearm had no consequences. I thought it would lead to his undoing. But... Nothing

Ah come on now we got to see him stand down a whole load of armed criminals with his tazer gun.

So believable.

Hollyworth

Hollyworth wrote: »

Steve giving up his firearm had no consequences. I thought it would lead to his undoing. But... Nothing

He should probably question why he was tasked to sit in the front of the van that was about to be attacked, given he wasn't allowed to be armed...

DrumSteve

Also that tag line... Lies cost lives.

No one died!

WTF

I don't even pay the BBC licence fee but I want my money back.

SimonTemplar

DrumSteve wrote: »

Also that tag line... Lies cost lives.

No one died!

WTF

I don't even pay the BBC licence fee but I want my money back.

And Jo's lies provided her with an idyllic country home, a cute dog and a beautiful girlfriend. I half expected to see them playing with a basket of kittens or horse riding along a beach.