‘Our intention is to divide viewers’ says Line of Duty creator Jed Mercurio as series four reaches its climax
Is this the end for DCI Roz Huntley? Or anti-corruption unit AC-12?
The tension has become almost unbearable for more than seven million Line Of Duty fans as they’ve been walloped by shock after shock after (septic) shock.
And as the series reaches its highly anticipated climax, it’s not about to get any easier to watch.
“AC-12 are on the rack – their reputation has been stacked on bringing Roz Huntley to justice, now she’s turned the tables on them and if they fail [to convict Roz for corruption], that’s the death knell for them,” teases Jed Mercurio, the man behind all these clever twists and turns in the series that The Sun’s Ally Ross calls ‘the best show on television’.
“Episode six is going to be uncomfortable viewing for AC-12 fans…”
“I really didn’t see me [SI Ted Hastings] being implicated in anything, so that was a bit scary,” laughs Adrian Dunbar. “And I didn’t think him being a Freemason was going to come back to bite him, but you just don’t know where Jed’s going to go…”
As is the way in Line Of Duty, there are many tantalising questions awaiting answers – top of the list being: did Roz actually kill and dismember whistle-blowing forensics king Tim Ifield?
Is her husband Nick the serial killer known as Balaclava Man, or are there multiple Balaclava Men? And is jailed Michael Farmer guilty of any crime at all?
What’s possibly delighted Jed the most is the way that fans are divided over what should happen to the seemingly indestructible Roz.
“Absolutely the intention with Roz’s character is to divide viewers,” says Jed. “For some to be rooting for her to get away with it and be proved right; and others rooting for her to be found out and get her comeuppance.
“We mostly try to operate in the grey area. It’s always a mark of the success of this series that however we end things, some people are delighted because they think it’s the right ending and other people are disappointed because they think it’s the wrong one.
"For everyone who was punching the air when ‘Dot’ Cottan was shot [at the end of series three], there were lots of people who were frustrated because they were going to miss that character. That’s the game we play.”
To fans’ joy, Dot did make a fleeting reappearance last week as we finally got to hear his dying declaration recorded by DS Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure) – which revealed there is a corrupt superior officer whose surname begins with the letter ‘H’. Not good news for Ted Hastings.
In fact, Ted could even be on the receiving end of one of the show’s legendary marathon interrogations as Roz has accused him of sexism (after he called her “darling” at a crime scene) and bias against female officers, investigating them rather than promoting them.
So is Ted just an un-PC dinosaur or has he really got it in for Roz and even Kate?
“I think it’s something that’s a phenomenon within the modern workplace,” says Jed.
“There’s overt sexism, which you will often see portrayed in period dramas, where people just say outrageously sexist things and in most modern, enlightened workplaces people know that’s not an acceptable way to behave.
If sexism does exist, it’s more subtle.
So the way in which it’s portrayed [in the show] is asking the question: ‘Is there a subtle form of sexism going on here or is it being misunderstood?’”
“ACC Hilton is going to try to turn the whole thing back on Ted because of that dying declaration,” admits Adrian.
“I’m not very pleased about that at all. The focus is on a few people, but it’s Hilton’s idea to shift that focus on to Ted. Some of the scenes have been very difficult to play. I was thinking: ‘Oh my God, Jed, thanks very much. Halfway through this it looks like I’m bang to rights myself!’”
No one can ever accuse Jed of not keeping his cards close to his chest, which is why he’s able to pull the rug out from under us so often.
But with DI Steve Arnott now in a wheelchair and Roz missing a hand, could there be long-term repercussions for these characters?
“That’s something we have to look at further ahead. At the moment, we’re just focusing on series four and bringing that to a conclusion,” says Jed.
“With the way it’s dramatised in this series, we see that the injuries the characters suffer aren’t things they can just leave behind.”
Jed admits that Steve is a hard character to say goodbye to – though he reveals that he did consider leaving him dead on that stairwell in episode three.
“I considered all kinds of versions,” he smiles.
“It certainly felt right at that point to create the ultimate jeopardy for Steve, then it was just a case of deciding where that would leave us with the rest of that series.
"I felt it was more interesting to explore the aftermath of the serious and potentially life-changing injury rather than just have a clean exit.
“Steve’s such an important character, but that’s why the twists and turns work.” Martin Compston, who plays Steve, told TV Magazine Jed particularly enjoys torturing him.
“Yeah, as ever, you’re trying to create obstacles and challenges for your characters,” Jed says.
“One of the things we all agree about Steve is that he’s tenacious and relentless. That’s what you have with both Steve and Roz.
They’re two characters who won’t give up. When they do suffer setbacks, they get up and carry on.”
Much like Keeley Hawes as Lindsay Denton in series two and three, Thandie Newton has been a revelation as Roz – Lee Ingleby (Nick) told us that his ears were ringing after she slapped him twice in that brutal scene.
“I get the impression that Thandie can punch well above her weight,” laughs Jed.
For Adrian, as the popularity of the show has grown, so has the public recognition.
“It has intensified since moving to BBC1. Before people say anything to me they’ll say: ‘Don’t tell me! Don’t say anything!’” he laughs.
“The police are fans too. They say hello and give you a wink as you go through customs: ‘We know who you are. It’s all good. Don’t worry.’
"I think people like the show because it’s pushing them to sit and concentrate on the telly. It’s not chewing gum for the eyes – it forces people to think.
"They’ll go back and look at other episodes to make sure they haven’t missed anything.”
If Line Of Duty has taught us one thing, it’s to expect the unexpected.
“You do open your scripts every time and think: ‘Are we going to get the axe?’” says Adrian.
“I’d never been in a series before, so I’ve never had that fear of being killed off – the writer suddenly deciding: ‘I’m fed up of going for a beer with Adrian. I should get rid of him…’”
As Sunday night approaches, you couldn’t rule that out… could you?
LAST IN SERIES! Line Of Duty, Sunday, 9pm, BBC One
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