What to Watch Verdict
A slow burner for a season finale, but we loved much if it nonetheless. WARNING - HUGE SPOILERS FOR ALL EPISODES OF SEASON 6 BELOW.
Pros
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Some answers at last — and we're happy to see Jo Davidson and Terry Boyle got a happy ending.
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Steve and Kate working closely together again, they make the best team.
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Buckells getting his comeuppance - he's not getting out of jail any time soon.
Cons
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This episode was less action packed in comparison to the rest of the season.
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We might have some answers... but there are STILL questions we need answered.
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Ted still being forced into retirement, will his appeal be heard?
Well, that's it, Line of Duty is over for another season. What on earth are we going to do with our Sunday evenings, now? For the past seven weeks we have been lying awake at night pondering questions like 'Who is H?' and 'Who killed Gail Vella?' and now we have finally got the answers we were looking for.
But as always with Jed Mercurio's clever plotting, there are still questions remaining that will keep us puzzled until Line of Duty Season 7 (yet to be commissioned, but surely the BBC will bring back its most popular crime drama?!) — we just hope they don't keep us waiting too long.
Until we see Ted Hastings, Steve Arnott and Kate Fleming back on our screens, here are a few things we loved about the last episode of Season 6 of Line of Duty... although the conclusion was slightly underwhelming compared to the rest of the series. Where was the big twist?
H uncovered — or was he?
It's the question that has been keeping Line of Duty fans pondering for years... and finally we know that DCU Ian Buckells is H, or the fourth man. Or do we?
We DO know that he was the one writing the online messages to Joanne Davidson and Lisa McQueen, we know he is the one that can't spell 'definitely' for love nor money, and we also know he has been living a double life, posing as an incompetent police officer while really pulling the strings behind the scenes for the OCG. But are Buckells' claims that he is only the messenger true? Could he really be a criminal mastermind or is there more to this storyline to come? We're not convinced this is as clear cut as we'd hoped.
Terry Boyle's happy ending
Ever since Season 1 Terry Boyle has been targeted and manipulated by the OCG from hiding Jackie Laverty's body in his freezer to framing him for the murder of Gail Vella. When Ryan Pilkington was then brought onto the Investigation Lighthouse team, it seemed Terry's days could be numbered when he tried to drown him in a lake... but he made it out alive thanks to Kate Fleming. Now Terry has been given a new life away from danger and the OCG, and with Ryan no longer around, it seems that Terry really is safe at last.
There's no doubt that actor Tommy Jessop has been outstanding in his role as Terry Boyle, and he is undoubtedly going to go on to do amazing things as an actor.
Justice for Jo
While she might have been working alongside the OCG and even plotted to get our beloved Kate Fleming killed, we can't help but like Joanne Davidson. Born into a life of corruption and crime, Jo had no choice but to do as she was told by those who had power over her.
And while we think all the guest roles in Line of Duty have been brilliantly cast, Kelly Macdonald has definitely been one of the best. She had us hating Jo one minute and feeling sorry for her the next — so we were thrilled to see she got her happy ending, living in witness protection in the country with her new partner and pet dog... the life that she was meant to have had Tommy Hunter not got his claws into her.
Ted comes clean
Ted Hastings has been keeping the fact he gave Steph Corbett £50,000 of OCG money under his hat for some time, but when Steve worked out exactly where the hidden cash in Steph's attic came from, he shared the information with Kate before the pair confronted the gaffer in the season finale.
But while there is no denying Ted's involvement in John Corbett's death, it is clear this is something he deeply regrets. But why did he confess his wrongdoing to DCS Patricia Carmichael? Was it to clear his conscience? To come clean so that no one has anything to hold against him in the future? Or because keeping the information to himself doesn't look good when you're the head of an anti-corruption unit?
Ted might be on his way to an early retirement, but could his appeal be granted? With the restructuring of anti-corruption still going ahead, what does this mean for the future of any of our favourites? Will Season 7 see Ted out of a job and Kate and Steve working elsewhere in the force?
Justice for Gail Vella
Operation Lighthouse has been at the centre of Season 6 as police officers vow to find out who killed investagative journalist Gail Vella. But while Jo Davidson and Ian Buckells might have been hampering the investigation, it was finally confirmed in the last episode of the season that Carl Banks was the one who killed Gail... most likely ordered to do so by Buckells.
After DS Chris Lomax found the evidence under the OCG workshop floor that tied up all the loose ends for Gail's killing, it seems the case is closed... and finally there is justice for Gail after all this time.
The big three still standing...
There was a lot of speculation ahead of the season finale that one of the big three, Kate, Steve and Ted, wouldn't make it to the end of the episode without meeting their maker. Thankfully the three main characters have been saved from the chop by creator Jed Mercurio, which is no mean feat considering how the Line of Duty writing team love throwing a shock death into the mix every now and then. So the fan favourites are still standing, meaning we should see the brilliant Martin Compston, Adrian Dunbar and Vicky McClure all back for Season 7 soon. Hurrah!
Claire is Assistant Managing Editor at What To Watch and has been a journalist for over 15 years, writing about everything from soaps and TV to beauty, entertainment, and even the Royal Family. After starting her career at a soap magazine, she ended up staying for 13 years, and over that time she’s pulled pints in the Rovers Return, sung karaoke in the Emmerdale village hall, taken a stroll around Albert Square, and visited Summer Bay Surf Club in sunny Australia.
After learning some tricks of the trade at websites Digital Spy, Entertainment Daily, and Woman & Home, Claire landed a role at What’s On TV and whattowatch.com writing about all things TV and film, with a particular love for Aussie soaps, Strictly Come Dancing and Bake Off.
She’s interviewed everyone from June Brown — AKA Dot Cotton — to Michelle Keegan, swapped cooking tips with baking legend Mary Berry backstage at the NTAs, and danced the night away with soap stars at countless awards bashes. There’s not a lot she doesn’t know about soaps and TV and can be very handy when a soapy question comes up in a pub quiz!
As well as all things soap-related, Claire also loves running, spa breaks, days out with her kids, and getting lost in a good book.