Up and down the country, in pubs, schools, offices and living rooms, there is one thing that is currently dominating conversation – Line Of Duty.
The fifth series of the BBC’s hit police corruption drama reaches its thrilling finale on Sunday night, with more than 10 million people expected to tune in and find out how much truth there is in their much-discussed theories.
But with a whole load of questions thrown our way – and currently not many answers – there’s an awful lot to resolve in the final episode, so it’s probably just as well the BBC has extended it to 90 minutes.
With that in mind, here are the nine loose ends AC-12 must definitely (or “definately”, if you are Ted Hastings) tie up...
H’s real identity
It’s the only question on the nation’s collective lips right now – just who is H?
Ever since we set eyes on The Caddy’s dying declaration in the last series, we’ve all been racking our brains to work out who the corrupt high-ranking officer heading up the organised crime group is.
AC-12 boss Ted Hastings has so far been the number one suspect, and with him now behind bars on suspicion of colluding in John Corbett’s murder and accepting bribes, it’s looking increasingly likely newcomer Detective Chief Superintendent Carmichael will manage to build a case that he is indeed H.
However, there are many other suspects fans believe to still be in the running – legal counsel Gill Biggeloe and DS Kate Fleming to name just two.
But as much as we’re all dying to find out, we’re at pains to consider there’s a chance we might have to wait until the next series.
Rochenda Sandall, who plays OCG member Lisa McQueen, hinted this could be the case during an interview on This Morning earlier this week.
She said of the final episode: “It will certainly have some form of conclusion, but as I’m sure you’re all aware, there’s still another series to go… and there’s lots of details.”
So while we’re still hoping and praying the final episode answers the biggest question of them all, we’re not counting our chickens just yet.
What the deal is with McQueen
There are lots of fan theories about Lisa McQueen, the most popular of which suggests she is an undercover operative who was embedded in the OCG as part of a wider investigation.
However, following the events of the last episode, which saw her arrested and questioned by AC-12, there wasn’t even a suggestion of this, meaning the possibility is looking less likely.
If it isn’t the case she’s been working undercover, we’re going to need explanations as to why she had such emotional reactions to the deaths of Maneet Bindra and John Corbett, when she’s supposed to be such a hardened criminal. Likewise, why did she spare PC Cafferty’s life during the ambush back in the first episode of the series?
We’d also like bosses to clear up why we were shown Arnott uncovering documents about her experiences with social services as a child. Does this relate to the idea that McQueen is the secret love child of series one antagonist DCI Tony Gates and his former lover Jackie Laverty?
Rochenda herself even spoke about the possibility, telling This Morning: “I have heard of that [rumour] and that’s a really prominent rumour going around and I like that rumour. It’s a great idea... but I can’t say about that really.”
Why Corbett was so rogue
During his time undercover, John Corbett didn’t just cross a line, he was having a nice little party over the other side of it.
From ordering the death of Maneet, to killing DCS Hargreaves and attacking Hastings’ wife, he hasn’t exactly been a model UCO.
But what were his motivations for these actions? Had he just been corrupted by the underground world he had been embedded in, or was there more to it than that?
There certainly seems to be something in his Belfast roots, which hint at a connection between his birth mother, Anne Marie McGillis, and Hastings, who was serving in the Royal Ulster Constabulary when Anne Marie went missing in 1989 on suspicion of being a police informant.
Could it be that Corbett saw Hastings as being responsible for his mother’s death, and used his undercover operation as a chance to fit the gaffer up as H?
The story with Moffatt and the Kettle Bell Complex
After Hastings’ arrest, AC-3 found the £50,000 Moffatt had given him for his investment into the Kettle Bell Complex in his hotel room. However, when questioned, Moffatt denied ever giving Hastings the money, with forensic evidence also backing up his claim.
This suggested Moffatt is part of a conspiracy to fit Hastings up as H, so we need to know who he is working for and what their motivations are for getting him banged up.
Gill Biggeloe and whatever it is she’s up to
A possible theory swirling online at the moment is that legal counsel Gill Biggeloe could actually be H.
However, if she is not unmasked as the organised crime boss on Sunday night, we’re still going to need an explanation for her sudden reappearance in the series, and her shifty goings on.
She’s been playing with Hastings like a puppet, and was instrumental in getting the DCC to rescind AC-12’s investigation into Operation Pear Tree. If she’s not H – or at least somehow involved in fitting Hastings up – we want to know what she’s up to.
Hastings and Banks’ discussion
We never saw the full conversation between Hastings and OCG member Lee Banks when the gaffer paid him a visit at Blackthorn prison, but it has since been claimed Hastings tipped him off about Corbett’s real identity, making Hastings complicit in his murder.
With Banks currently staying silent on the matter and no recorded evidence or witness accounts to back up Hastings’ innocence, will we ever find out what they really spoke about?
Hastings’ suspicious behaviour
As we’ve said before, Hastings’ behaviour seems awfully shifty for someone who has previously been a stickler for regulations and operating “to the letter of the law”.
If he really isn’t H – as he protests – then why has he seemingly been contacting the OCG, and why did he have his laptop destroyed when he found out Arnott had been in contact with Corbett?
There’s also “definately” more to his unlawful order for Arnott to shoot Corbett too – could it be connected to the Belfast roots he and Corbett share?
Whether Powell is corrupt
We haven’t seen Superintendent Alison Powell for a number of weeks now, but you will remember she wasn’t exactly thrilled at AC-12 poking their noses into Operation Pear Tree.
We then heard claims from Corbett how she had pushing him in the direction of low-level targets, instead of helping him to uncover the high-ranking officers complicit in the OCG’s dealings.
Was she bent? And is this relevant to the situation an incarcerated Hastings is currently in?
If Arnott and Railston will reunite
After weeks of flirting, things looked to be very much back on for former couple DS Steve Arnott and DS Sam Railston as they headed to the bedroom on Sunday night.
However, it was soon implied that Arnott was experiencing erectile dysfunction and we watched as he locked himself in the bathroom and, eventually, cried, before later telling Fleming there was now no chance of them getting back together.
With Arnott clearly still struggling with the effects of the injuries he sustained after being pushed down the stairs at the hands of the OCG in series four, we hope the finale will see him open up about his troubles to Sam.
Line Of Duty concludes on Sunday at 9pm on BBC One with an extended 90-minute episode.