Line Of Duty’s explosive series six finale is set to kick off on Sunday night, with avid fans (and AC-12 themselves) desperate to discover the identity of ‘H’.
But in a teaser snap from the final episode, DS Steve Arnott (Martin Compston) and DI Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure) could potentially have nailed the elusive fourth man as they point their guns at a target in a very tense looking scene.
Could the hunt for the devious criminal finally be over?
Busted? In a teaser snap from the Line Of Duty finale, DS Steve Arnott (Martin Compston) and DI Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure) could potentially have nailed the elusive fourth man as they point their guns at a target in a very tense looking scene
It’s expected that 15 million viewers will tune in for the final episode, with the much of the plot centring around discovering the identity of ‘H’, with anti-corruption unit AC-12 having a big job on their hands in trying to catch the OCG villain.
And by the look of determination on their faces, Kate and Steve look set to finally put an end to the mystery that has eluded them for months – but viewers will have to wait and see whether they do indeed have ‘H’ in their sights.
DSI Marcus Thurwell (James Nesbitt) is reportedly Ladbrokes favourite to be unveiled as the antagonist with odds of just 7/4, with viewers convinced that the bent copper is still alive despite being declared ‘dead’ by Spanish officers in the last episode.
Meanwhile, DCI Patricia Carmichael (Anna Maxwell Martin) has odds of being the villain of 2/1 according to Betfred.
Caught at last? By the look of determination on their faces, Kate and Steve look set to finally put an end to the mystery that has eluded them for months – but viewers will have to wait and see whether they do have ‘H’ in their sights
While a You Gov poll saw 22% of fans opt for chief constable Phillip Osbourne as their man, according to The Sun.
One thing’s for sure, the identity of H will be revealed on Sunday as Alison Hammond announced H will be appearing on This Morning next week, while Phillip Schofield had earlier teased a ‘very exciting guest’.
The presenter, 54, signed off from Friday’s episode of the ITV show teasing viewers that H will be ‘on the sofa’ on Monday, joking that she doesn’t mean H from Steps.
After running through Monday’s line-up, Alison told viewers: ‘After Line Of Duty’s Sunday night show we’re going to have H on the sofa – and it’s not H from Steps.’
Her co-host Dermot O’Leary, 47, could not contain his excitement as he leant back and squealed at the exciting news.
On the case: It’s expected that 15 million viewers will tune in for the final episode, with the much of the plot centre around discovering the identity of ‘H’, with anti-corruption unit AC-12 having a big job on their hands in trying to catch the OCG villain.
Meanwhile, the publication reports that the preview episode of the finale has been shrouded in secrecy by the BBC, with TV insiders and journalists given a plethora of passwords to access the show.
A source said: ‘Staff were under strict instructions to keep character and plot revelations under strict lock and key.
‘Friends and families of the key actors also kept schtum on letting slip on any show details.’
Hush hush: Meanwhile, the publication reports that the preview episode of the finale has been shrouded in secrecy by the BBC, with TV insiders and journalists given a plethora of passwords to access the show
The final of Line Of Duty looks to be an action-packed finale episode complete with a police standoff, the return of balaclava men and the discovery of a written note with THAT ‘definately’ misspelling.
A new trailer sees Superintendent Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar), who is facing imminent retirement, state: ‘All of these suspicious deaths were orchestrated by one officer in particular, H. The fourth man.’
Hastings’ powerful words went alongside flashbacks of the deaths of solicitor Jimmy Lakewell, police officer Lisa Patel, journalist Gail Vella and former Detective Inspector Marcus Thurwell- whom fans believe is still alive.
Trailer: In a teaser released on Monday, viewers can be certain of an action-packed finale episode with a police standoff, the return of balaclava men and that ‘definately’ misspelling
AC-12: The trailer starts off with Superintendent Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar), state: ‘All of these suspicious deaths were orchestrated by one officer in particular, H. The fourth man’
The trailer then shows acting Superintendent Jo Davidson (Kelly MacDonald) leaving the high-security prison in handcuffs, only to end up alone in a van with a corrupt prison officer who previously injured Lindsay Denton in series three.
A handwritten note is also teased in the trailer, with the word definite misspelt to mirror what viewers have seen previously.
A huge clue of the identity of H began to emerge in series five, when the OCG communicated with ‘H’ through a computer.
Fall from grace: The trailer then shows acting Superintendent Jo Davidson (Kelly MacDonald) leaving the high-security prison in handcuffs
Clue: A handwritten note is also teased in the trailer, with the word definite misspelt to mirror what viewers have seen previously- will this be the clue AC-12 needs?
Eagle-eyed fans were quick to notice H spelling definitely as ‘definately’, and this misspelling has been repeated in subsequent episodes.
Will this handwritten report be the breakthrough AC-12 need to close in on ‘the fourth man’?
It certainly seems Hastings and his team are on to something as police cars sped down the road, with armed officers closing in on a residential area during the trailer.
However, despite the huge success of the BBC show, Martin Compston revealed the BBC drama could be coming to an end sooner than everyone thinks.
Crime: The police board shows AC-12’s work so far; with DI Dot Cottan, Chief Superintendent Derek Hilton, Gill Biggeloe and OCG members including Lisa McQueen and Tommy Hunter
Martin – who previously revealed that executive decisions about the series are ‘above his pay grade’ – cast doubt on the show’s future during an appearance on The Jonathan Ross Show.
Speaking on Saturday’s show, Martin, 36, said: ‘We won’t come back just for the sake of it. That’s for sure. We’ll come back if there’s a story to tell.
‘If it ends well maybe sometimes it is best to leave it. But genuinely we don’t know.’
The admission comes after Martin teased that fans will get some ‘big answers’ during Sunday’s finale, and admitted he believes it could be the ‘perfect ending’ to the police drama.
Coming to an end? It’s the show that has gripped the nation, yet Line Of Duty star Martin revealed the drama could be coming to an end sooner than everyone thinks
Speaking on the Shrine Of Duty podcast, Martin confessed that he thinks Sunday’s episode could be the best way to wrap up the ‘story arch’ – but he refused to rule out another series.
When quizzed on whether viewers will learn who the illusive ‘H’ is, Martin said: ‘I wouldn’t quite go the Jo Davidson no comment route – but what I will tell you is I think there’s a lot of pay offs coming this Sunday.
‘There’s a lot of big answers and it’s deserved, people have stuck with us for a long time, so there comes a point where the story arch comes to an end.’
Martin also touched on whether series seven is likely, after show bosses previously claimed they believed the current season would be the last.
Teaser: Martin teased that fans will get some ‘big answers’ during the finale, as he admitted he believes it could be the ‘perfect ending’ to the police drama
He said: ‘We don’t know [if there will be another] – that’s nothing new. Jed always takes time after a series, like a couple of months.
‘There’s a lot of stuff above my pay grade like analytics and audience scores. He takes the emotion out of it and looks at all that.’
Admitting it could be the ‘perfect ending’, he said: ‘It’s different this year, because we have to look it in terms of, do people want us back? 10 years in you start to think of legacy, and if it goes down that well it might be the perfect ending.’
‘But then we might go another couple of months and… what I will say is we won’t do one just for the sake of doing it. Jed will only do it if there’s a story to be told.’
The Line Of Duty series six finale airs on BBC One on Sunday at 9pm.
Omg! Martin confessed that while he thinks Sunday’s episode could be the best way to wrap up the ‘story arch’ – he also refused to rule out another series