Line of Duty series six episode two recap: The AC-12 glory days are back
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Now we’re sucking diesel, fellas. The sixth series of Line of Duty kicked off last week with an explosive opener, and, mother of God, the second episode is even better.
With more info on the motive for Gail Vella’s murder, some extremely dodgy behaviour from DCI Davidson, and all of AC-12 facing various personal setbacks of their own, the latest instalment sets us up for what is proving to be a cracking season.
Naturally, the following is full of spoilers galore, so don’t read on unless you’ve seen the episode. We’d love to hear your theories, so leave a comment below if you think you’ve cracked the case.
Cheat sheet
Well, that was a lot, wasn’t it? We haven’t received that much information all in one go since we watched the Meghan and Harry interview. After a bit of a dip last season, it feels like the show is really earning that banging end credit music, harking back to its glory days. This had all the hallmarks of a great episode: pertinent people turning up dead, a great motive for the central case, Kate and Steve meeting up in graffiti-laden subways to share intel, and, of course, an AC-12 interview special. And we’re delighted to see the show catching up with the zeitgeist of 2015 by bringing true crime podcasts in as a crucial part of the narrative.
Our AC-12 faves are all struggling in different ways. Steve’s prescription drug addiction is getting harder to hide, Hastings seems to have run into some trouble with HMRC (what a haphazard existence he leads), and Kate is getting peeved at being embroiled in AC-12 business after she’s quit. And is Davidson shaping up to be one of the show’s greatest villains? We thought no one could ever topple the crown of Lindsay Denton, but we already find ourselves stanning a woman with seven hundred locks on her door, having a hot mess break-up and probably maybe working with really bad criminals.
It does leave us slightly wary though: writer Jed Mercurio likes to keep us on his toes and is never one to show his hand too early, so who knows what he’s got up his sleeve.
Burning questions 
Why was Steve so snippy about Corbett’s widow’s Sky Sports package?
Amid everything that went on in this episode, there was also Steve’s drive-by visit to John Corbett’s widow. The scene alluded to the fact she was not looked after properly by the police after her husband died in the line of duty, so we’re not sure why Steve was being so judgy about the fact she’s got a big telly with Sky Sports channels.
What is Kate up to?
Firstly, has anyone noticed how much Kate says ‘boss’? She’s managing Davidson’s ego like it’s the boat stuck in the Suez Canal. Her behaviour in general has left us suspicious: why did she offer to hang out with her ‘boss’ at the weekend? Why did she snitch on AC-12? And was she bluffing when she asked Ryan Pilkington where she knew him from? She’s always been an expert double-agent, so we know she’ll be keeping a close eye on Davidson even if her loyalties to AC-12 are divided.
What juice did Gail Vella have on her podcast?
The million dollar question: Vella must have acquired some explosive information about police corruption if it led to someone wanting to silence her and steal her notes. Her computers have been wiped as well, so it’s proving tricky to find out what she’d uncovered, but it could be the key to unanswered questions about Operation Pear Tree, the investigation into police corruption that had a ‘nothing to see here’ verdict. Joe Rogan will be quaking in his boots.
Were the burner phones planted in Jatri’s house?
Things are clearly messy between Jatri and Davidson after their break-up, and that’s before you take into account the fact either of them might be involved in organised crime. But what criminal keeps all of their burner phones in a big bag, covered in their own DNA? Even I know you only use them wearing gloves and then throw them into the sea.
Will Steve stick with AC-12?
Hastings has just promoted Arnott, so it wasn’t great timing that immediately afterwards he got an email from his ex, saying her boss would chat to him about that transfer request he asked for. Kate quitting the team has left Hastings more wounded than Ros Huntley’s infected hand, so we don’t think he could handle his golden boy turning his back as well.
The Ted Hastings catchphrase-ometer 
My ear-splitting cry of elation was heard three streets away when Hastings uttered the words “I’m interested in one thing and one thing only… and that’s bent coppers”. In fact, it was a vintage episode for Ted-isms. “She was just a wee girl, killed in cold blood,” he said of grown woman Gail Vella. Of DCI Davidson: “She’ll be laughing on the other side of her face when I’m finished with her… serve her with a Reg-15.” It must be a sign of the nation’s recovery.
Line of Duty series six airs on Sunday nights on BBC One. Series one to five are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.