Line of Duty (BBC One)
TV’s greatest crime drams (in our opinion) Line of Duty is back. We reviewed the finale of the last series here 2 years ago and we are big fans. However, there are some glaring problems with it that really need addressing.
AC-12, the anti-corruption unit in the police, are all about sniffing out bent coppers and bringing them to justice, but there always seems to be a mole that is one step ahead of them. Now I’m no policeman but there are a few things they could do to tighten up security, starting with not conducting interviews in glass walled rooms. Anyone who has ever tried to sign a leaving card will know the lengths you go to hide it from the site of the leaver by slipping it in an internal mail envelope or in a pile of papers. Not at AC-12. They interview all their suspects in clear view of the office for all to see. They are also always accompanied by a non-speaking solicitor. There were three solicitors in interviews in last night’s episode and not one spoke a word in their clients defence. I thought one was going to, but he didn’t, he just stood there silently looking v awkward. I bet AC-12 probably just leave in leaving cards pinned to a noticeboard for everyone to sign. This brings me to my next security lapse.
Stop sticking pictures of suspects on white boards! Even the cleaners know who they are looking for. What’s wrong with a password protected word document or if they seriously need to print it out, lock it away in a filing cabinet. At least move the white board away from the window!
Last night’s episode was also quite abbreviation heavy. In the first few minutes they kept referring to an OCG which I just assumed was an Origami Creation Group, but apparently it is an Organised Criminal Gang. There was also a UCO which isn’t a Unicorn Care Operative, but an undercover officer. I really do not belong in this world.
The thing that connected this origami club, sorry, criminal gang with another crime was their use of “dark balaclavas”. As I have already stated, I am not part of this world, but I always assumed most criminal gangs favoured dark balaclavas. I didn’t realise that there was a choice. Presumably when crims go down to “Balaclava’s R Us” they can chose from a range. Perhaps there are hi -vis balaclavas in case you want to rob a building site but not break any health and safety rules. (The HSE do have very far reaching powers to prosecute). Or perhaps a white balaclava for criminal activity in the snow or a nice cream one for the beach.
Other revelations are that Ted is staying in a Premier Inn. (They can stick a different sign outside of the hotel but you can never make a Premier Inn room look like anything other than a Premier Inn room). The unicorn handler may have gone rogue and people are getting bumped off left fight and centre. We can’t wait for next Sundays episode, but please, at least get some blinds for your office Ted.
Line of Duty is on BBC 1 on Sunday nights and can also be found on iPlayer
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