Wow. ‘Line of Duty’ has reached this series’ halfway-point and already left its viewers in a bedraggled state, that I’m not sure three more episodes is going to have the time to repair.
SPOILERS BELOW! DO NOT READ ON BEFORE WATCHING EP 3!
It was looking more and more as though Roz Huntley was one step ahead of AC-12 at every turn, even cheekily inviting undercover Kate Fleming to join her team in this week’s episode, but that wasn’t the biggest upset. Because, after last night’s big twist, we must nervously ask...
1. Is this the end of Steve Arnott? He went to question Roz Huntley’s husband Nick, and through a disastrous chain of phone-tag, didn’t get the messages from his AC-12 colleagues that he was dealing with potentially a very dangerous person. Next thing we knew, Steve was being bashed to the ground by a balaclava-ed, baseball-batted assailant and left for dead on the stairs. If that really is the end of Steve Arnott, well, that’s a game-changer for the series...
2. Would a policeman really have given away as much evidence on the phone as Steve did to Nick Huntley on his way there? It gave the man on the other end all sorts of chances to prepare his story, run away, or worse, as we saw.
3. One final question, though - was it really Nick Huntley who attacked him? We know Steve was heading to the 5th floor, but it was on the 3rd floor that the doors opened and he was attacked. An extra twist here?
4. Until then, the biggest shock of the night was seeing Huntley systematically put Hana Resnikova in the frame for Tim Ifield’s murder - will she succeed? Even the ice-cool Chief Inspector seemed temporarily shocked by how easily she did it.
5. We know that Roz Huntley tampered with the evidence on Leoni Collisdale’s body, ie framing Tim Ifield, but why would she want to do that? And did she have anything to do with those body parts being found the day after Tim’s murder? We know she had the tools…
6. Prior to the disastrous final scene, we saw Kate becoming more and more irritated by Steve Arnott over-riding her decisions. Which way will she go now - seek vengeance for her friend’s attack, or seize the moment to get ahead professionally?
7. We saw Buckells watching Kate curry favour with Roz Huntley by slamming Steve Arnott. What was the significance of that significant look? Was he the person who left that note for Huntley ’Someone is watching you’? If so, why would he grass up AC-12?
8. Nick Huntley’s two calls to ‘Jimmy Lakewell’… who he?
9. ACC Hilton’s big speeches are sounding more laboured with every scene. Please can he have something to do with the whole thing, and end up having an interview scene of his own? I’d love to see Hastings bring him down.
10. Ron Huntley’s sidekick Jody has become increasingly tireless in attempts to impress her boss, including spying on undercover Kate and reporting back. To what lengths will she go before the series is out?
11. Her other henchman Neil made the mistake of pointing out Michael Farmer couldn’t have killed Tim Ifield. Has that marked his card?
‘Line of Duty’ continues on Sundays. Catch up on BBCiPlayer.