10 reasons why it’s a crime that TV drama Line of Duty is over

Tonight, London will find out what Denton did. Susannah Butter has 10 reasons why we were arrested by L.O.D — and seven ways to bail us out of our funk
19 March 2014

Did DI Denton do it? Tonight, after five tense weeks, BBC2 drama Line of Duty (LOD) draws to a close and it is all we can talk about. For the benefit of LOD-dites, this taut drama written by Jed Mercurio centres around an investigation into a police ambush which killed three officers, leaving the one survivor, DI Lindsay Denton (Keeley Hawes), seemingly guilty. Each compelling episode has drawn four million viewers, and the anticipation surrounding the finale is such that even TV reviewers have been denied advance screenings.

The plot has caused agony among watchers. Last Wednesday at 10.10pm I received a text from my friend saying: “Did Denton do it? I have to know. So tense, I can’t wait for it to be over so I can get on with my life. PS, I have to know.” Here are 10 reasons why we have love for LOD.

The girl-on-girl action

It’s rare to see a woman interrogating another woman, and DC Fleming (Vicky McClure) trying to get something out of Denton and struggling to suppress pity for her is as good as it gets. The situation is intensified by the parallels between their situations — both have experience as the other woman, falling for a married man.

The moral ambiguity of Denton

Denton has divided audiences. Is she a vulnerable cat lady, mourning for her mother and scapegoated by the man who she once loved, Deputy Chief Constable Mike Dryden; or a poisonous, manipulative bunny boiler who is not to be trusted? Could she be both? Her struggle with what is right is evident throughout — we see her being tempted by the chip pan boiling over that could kill her noisy neighbour and wonder how she will act, and feel her frustration as she punches a colleague in the stomach.

The moral ambiguity of everyone

It’s not just Denton who is an unknown quantity. Mercurio is the master of writing conflicted characters. Midway through the previous episode we were convinced that Dryden is a liar, paedophile and possibly a murderer, but by the end there are question marks. Our sympathies are pulled all ways. Even the writers admit they didn’t know how it was going to end.

Problems we identify with

We may not all be cracking murder cases but there is plenty that resonates here, including the moving moments between Denton and her elderly mother, the anguish caused by antisocial neighbours, and the frustrations of office bureaucracy.

Vicky McClure

She has played Fleming faultlessly. Even Kate Moss is a fan.

The ‘psychopath fringe’

We know Keeley Hawes is beautiful in real life but here she has put on weight, wears no make-up and has a home-cut wonky fringe slicked to her face. This at once endears her and suggests she is unstable. Even if you’re convinced she’s bad, you’ve got to empathise a bit — so far she’s had her hands broken so she can no longer play the piano, only for the police officers meant to be looking after her to pour scalding water on them. Then she had her head pushed into a flushing toilet.

Clever writing

The story emerges subtly, one delicate strand at a time, with plenty of astute observations. At no point are we patronised.

It’s funny

Mercurio finds dark humour in agonising moments, especially with the two prison wardens who start every question with “answering yes or no”.

It’s an ensemble piece

There’s no shortage of interesting characters — from DS Steve Arnott (Martin Compston), who despite being short appears to charm every woman he works with, to a cameo by Neil Morrissey as an old-school deep throat who has seen better days.

Hope of redemption

We see the characters wavering over whether to do the right thing, be that to protect the man they are having an affair with, as Fleming decides not to, or accept a bribe enabling them to buy their estranged wife a cruise to keep them happy — the choice that Supt Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar) faces. Let’s hope Denton and Dryden do the right thing this evening.

LINE OF BEAUTIES

There’s plenty coming up to fill the Line of Duty-shaped hole. Here’s how to fill your week

Monday

Olivia Colman, above, is back as long-suffering vicar’s wife Alex Smallbone in the third series of Rev.

24 March, BBC2

Tuesday

Orange Is The New Black returns in June, so before then, catch up with the first series on Netflix. The action revolves around Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling), sentenced to 15 months for transporting a case of drug money to her ex-girlfriend.

Wednesday

The Twenty Twelve deliverance committee turn their attention to the BBC in W1A. Jessica Hynes, below, returns as marketing guru Siobhan Sharpe. And from March 31 you can enjoy Twenty Twelve again on new TV channel London Live.

Tonight, BBC2

Thursday

In Turks and Caicos, Winona Ryder, right, plays Melanie Fall, a PR who appears to know more than she is letting on in David Hare’s follow-up to Page Eight.

20 March, BBC2

Friday

As fraud investigator Vibeke Haglund, Lena Kristin Ellingsen is a highlight of Norwegian conspiracy thriller Mammon.

21 March, More 4

Saturday

We’ve had Scandi and French drama, now its the Italians with Inspector de Luca. Set in Bologna during Mussolini’s dictatorship, he’s trying to find out why the body of a prostitute was found on a beach near Il Duce’s holiday residence.

22 March, BBC Four

Sunday

Catch up with Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) in Game of Thrones on Netflix ahead of series four on Sky Atlantic in April.

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