Line of Duty Series 2 Episode 5 Review

Line of Duty Series 2 Episode 5

*This review contains spoilers*

I swear, if Line of Duty gets any better, it'll be criminal (ahem).

This week, we see the walls come toppling down on the conspiracy in a huge way. DCC Dryden's involvement becomes plain, as he is arrested and charged with a whole host of offences, including murder and conspiracy to murder. At the moment, the order of business is looking like this:

• Dryden had sexual relations with 15 year old Carly Kirk, which was caught on camera by key witness Tommy Hunter
• When learning about Hunter wanting to bribe him, Dryden had PC Prassad and PC Cole murder her to keep her from talking, and also set up the ambush that killed Hunter

It all looks fairly clear at this point, were it not for the last minute reveal of an abortion by DI Denton earlier in year, and the hint of a smile on her face as she watched the news broadcast about Dryden's arrest. All of a sudden, it looks as though perhaps the ambush was set up by Denton after all, to incriminate Dryden as revenge for making her go through with an abortion and not leaving his wife.

Gods, I don't know who to trust any more.

The interview scene where Dryden is charged is absolutely superb. Watching Dryden go from cold, hard and in control to utterly deflated is mesmerising, as are the performances of Martin Compston as DS Arnott and Vicky McClure as DC Fleming, who go the opposite way from nervous at interviewing their commanding officer, to full-on bad cop at its termination. If anything, it tops the interview that Arnott, Fleming and Supt Hastings gave Denton in Episode 2.

Before we get to Denton's pleased expression whilst watching the television, there is one further hint that perhaps everything still doesn't quite add up. As Hastings points out, the photos incriminating Dryden were found on the car-computer of Prassad; surely that would make Prassad part of the conspiracy to blackmail Dryden, rather than suddenly turn around and help him. Just another small piece that means we're so close yet so far from the truth.

All the performances are top-notch, as ever. Performance of the week has to go to Mark Bonnar as Dryden, for that incredible switch of character in the interview room. Hastings conflict between doing the right thing and getting on with his career are brilliant as well. I don't have too much sympathy for him in one respect, because in no way should he allow his career to get in the way of justice for a murdered teenager and four police officers, but at the same time you can understand how difficult it must be to arrest someone so high up in the force. The scene between the two of them, where Hastings begins to outline that he thinks there may be more involved in the conspiracy and is clearly accusing Dryden, is brilliant, especially the way that Dryden all but confesses when he suggests Hastings might get a promotion if he wants it. If that's not a way of saying 'yeah, I did it, but if you drop it then it'll be worth it' then I don't know what is. In fact, if Dryden turns out not to have done it, I think that's one of the only ways we could call fault with the storyline; that scene would be a deliberate red herring, but an unfair one.

There are other little storylines knocking about, such as DI Cottan's slightly-corrupt cop (which ties into Series 1 and I've still not had a chance to watch), Fleming apparently being yet another officer who owes a lot of money (seriously, are the police that badly paid?) and Arnott letting himself down by not sleeping with someone for two weeks running, All in all, anticipation for the finale couldn't be higher.