It has been two years since series five of Line of Duty had us on the edge of our seats.
There were so many twists and turns, leaving viewers not knowing who on earth they could trust, even making us question Superintendent Ted Hastings.
Among those watching was Craig Parkinson, who played bent copper Detective Inspector Matthew Dot Cottan in series one to three.
He was codenamed The Caddy because he used to carry golf bags for a gangster when he was a kid.
The Blackpool actor is now doing a podcast, Obsessed with…Line of Duty, which will air every week after the episode has gone out on BBC One.
Craig will unpack each episode after it airs on the new podcast (Image: Getty)
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He says: Theres so much to unpick certainly in that intense finale, I would advise everybody go back and have a quick refresher before we dive in on Sunday. Its really exciting to go back and watch it as a fan.
Here, one of the shows biggest baddies reminds us where we left off in series five…
What happened?
AC-12 took down a vicious Organised Crime Group and continued the hunt for H.
Three police officers were shot dead during the hijack of a seized-drugs transport and AC-12 moved in to investigate possible police collusion.
AC-12 took down a vicious gang (Image: BBC)
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A central character was John Corbett, played by Stephen Graham, a fearsome gang leader who later emerged as an undercover detective sergeant leading Operation Peartree.
The operations goal was to infiltrate the Organised Crime Syndicate and uncover links between them and corrupt police officers.
One of the biggest shockers is Ted Hastings, played by Adrian Dunbar, was arrested for corruption.
Biggest revelation
The amount of times I used to get asked, Do you know who H is? But what even is H? How many caddies – corrupt cops – are there?
At the end of series five we learn H is not one person after all, but four corrupt officers within the force.
DI Kate Fleming, played by Vicky McClure, and DS Steve Arnott, played by Martin Compston, re-watched the footage of Dots dying declaration.
Dot Cottan’s death came as a shock to viewers (Image: BBC)
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The penny finally dropped when Steve said: The letter H in Morse code is four dots. H is not an initial, its a clue. Four dots. Four caddies. Four police staff in league with organised crime.
Superintendent Ted Hastings
To say it was a rough series for Ted is an understatement.
He was living in what looked like a Travelodge hotel room after separating from his wife Roisin, who later tried to get him to sign divorce papers.
Superintendent Ted Hastings had a rough series five (Image: BBC)
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From the beginning of the series there were suggestions he could be H, which I know for a fact was heartbreaking for all the audience from the reaction on social media alone.
Ted found himself in hot water after going on an unauthorised undercover operation, where Kate had no choice but to report him.
He was investigated by DCS Patricia Carmichael, played by Anna Maxwell Martin, arrested and charged with corruption.
But Kate and Steve got Ted off the hook when they discovered the evidence against the gaffer was actually fabricated by defence lawyer Gill Biggleloe, who turns out to be the one involved with the Organised Crime Syndicate.
Ted was arrested during the series (Image: BBC)
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It wouldve broken everyone to have the revelation that Ted was corrupt, because he is the one person we can look up to and trust.
How many times have you heard him say bent coppers? He doesnt like them.
But there are still questions hanging over him – why did he destroy his laptop and why did he turn off his phones during the Eastfield raid?
Fans will want Ted restored to former glory in series six, whether theyre going to get that or whether theyre going to get a rude awakening is something I can neither confirm nor deny…
DI Kate Fleming and DS Steve Arnott
Aside from the drama with Ted, we looked through the window of Kate and Steves personal lives a little bit and they were both in tatters.
Both the characters had a rough time in season five (Image: BBC)
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Kates hubby was getting fed up with her long hours and started leaving her passive aggressive notes around the house.
Steve was still suffering from the aftermath of his accident in series four and being in that wheelchair.
But it was also affecting his libido. Steve was dating DS Sam Railston, played by Aiysha Hart, but after their awkward sexual encounter it looked like things were over.
Steve’s romance with DI Railston didn’t end well (Image: BBC)
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And as we all know, Steve Arnott is an incredible shagger! Where would be without Steve and his flirting?
The fact he still wears those horrendous waistcoats and still gets the ladies is a mystery to me.
John Corbett
You couldnt have put that character in better hands than Stevie. I didnt trust him for one second.
John was recruited by Gill Biggleloe to be the undercover officer in Operation Peartree and she previously told him Hastings was H.
In yet another twist, Corbett became convinced Hastings had something to do with his mothers murder 30 years ago in Northern Ireland.
John’s become a fan favourite (Image: BBC)
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But when baddie Lisa McQueen suspected him of being a rat, she set up his execution and his throat was slit by Ryan Pilkington – a police officer in training who is actually working for the Organised Crime Syndicate.
I was absolutely heartbroken when Stevie got offed.
Theres one scene between him and Martin in a car park and I remember the reaction of these two absolute power houses facing off.
Martin and Stevie are really good mates in real life and have worked together on numerous occasions but I completely didnt see two friends on screen.
Ryan Pilkington
One of the biggest bombshells is at the end of series five and we saw that flash of young Ryan graduating as a police cadet.
We got a flashback to Ryan’s graduation (Image: BBC)
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Is he going to be on the inside infiltrating? If so, it would leave a myriad of possibilities of where the story can go in the future.
My old character has a deep connection with that, Ryans got to be the new Dot.
If you go back to series one, its the same actor playing this young kid delivering messages to certain cars, antagonising the police.
Hes been groomed just like Dots character was from an early age but instead of being a golf caddy, he was being a runner and an annoyer of the police force.
Crafty characters
I was always suspicious about Gill Biggleloe before I even realised what she was about.
Viewers didn’t trust crafty Gill (Image: BBC)
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Now shes in witness protection, have we seen the last of her? Theres so many unanswered questions.
John Corbetts second in command, Lisa McQueen, is as crafty as they come. At the end of series five we see her preaching to young girls about avoiding a life of crime.
The question has to be asked, is she just a criminal with a heart? I dont think so.
Fans have been speculating about Lisa’s role in the new series (Image: BBC)
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I think we saw someone who was particularly evil and I dont think we have seen the last of Lisa.
Podcast
It took me a long time to be able to watch Line of Duty as a fan.
When I officially left, having to watch my colleagues and some of my best friends go back to work to film series four, I was bereft.
Now Im as excited and ready for it as the rest of the UK and it seems the perfect time to host the podcast.
Former star Craig will now be running the show’s podcast (Image: BBC)
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Im going to connect with fans on social media and well have guests who have been involved with the show and celebrity fans.
The episodes are 35 minutes long and after an episode has aired, were going to dissect it.
As Ive been a part of the show from its birth, there will be certain things I will see that maybe an audience wont see.
*Obsessed With Line of Duty will be released every Sunday on BBC Sounds from March 21
