Line of Duty part 2.

[UCOinanOCG]

Do we need this or is there another one already started?

I only just caught up with the second episode of the new season and had been avoiding the last thread for a bit so as not to see spoilers and it is now full!

Ignore me if there is a new thread already on the go. If not feel free to use this one mate.

I think Dryden lost his job at the end of S2 didn’t he? Can’t remember if he went to prison.

The big boss has to be someone we know and someone we are being directed away from - so either we haven’t seen them in a while (eg Osborne, Dryden) or someone whose integrity we completely trust eg Ted, although it’s definately (ha!) not Ted as its such an obvious misdirection... or a double bluff.

It makes sense that Dot went to AC-9 if they are responsible for witness protection as it means that Dot could keep a close eye on Tommy Hunter. And Hilton was the best placed at the time to make sure that happened. And we already know that Dot and Jane Akers were involved with the OCG in trying to bump off Tommy Hunter because he’d become a nuisance.

I don’t think Hilton is H either though.

I’d love it if all this pontificating and theorising made things clearer, but it so doesn’t 😂

Oh well. I love that it can keep me guessing - I watched The Victim recently which was good but you could see every “twist” and misdirection a mile away.

At that point Hilton was Chief Superintendant of Kingsgate Station though, not where AC9 or AC12 are based - so I’m not sure whether he could have got Dot into AC9? He was just suggesting he take his exam, wasn’t he?

It was Dryden to told Ted to second Dot to AC12

Sink: yes you were definitely meant to think that Hunter was talking about Dryden with that comment. So did AC-12 think that Dryden was involved in the ambush on Tommy Hunter in Season 2 and all the business with the young girl Carly but then he convinced them that he wasn’t? I can’t quite recall.

Wasn’t he the head of the station that Gates, Dot and Nige were all at?

Yes he was in charge of the station where TO-20 (Gates’ Squad) were based - in S4 he has a more senior role across the force, but I’m not sure whether he could have put Dot into AC9 back then.

Yes, they thought Dryden was involved in setting up the ambush I think. As far as I remember (I’m just rewtaching S2 now), it ends up that he’s just being blackmailed by Hunter et al because he likes teenage girls and the vice guys (Prasad and Cole) find them for him, then take photos to blackmail him with. He realises they’re photographing him so he drops her off at the station, then lies about the speeding fine to create an alibi. I can’t remember what he actually did for the OCG though, if anything.

And what happened with Prasad? He’s still alive but did he get immunity? Surely he must have vital information on the OCG.

He does get immunity - I’m not quite at that bit yet so I need to refresh my memory. Pretty sure he mentions the Caddy but doesn’t know much else.

Okay, so in Prasad’s “dying declaration” scene with Denton, he says the OCG has dirt on him and Cole (doesn’t say exactly what, but he says they work on Vice so use your imagination - nice). He also says they have dirt on Dryden (as we know) which implies he’s just a pawn too.

Denton does try and suffocate Prasad before the police arrive though - and I’m not sure why? Can’t remember. Will report back after his hospital scene 😂

Yes, keep us in the loop please, I'm relying on it!

Did Denton try to suffocate Prasad before or after getting his dying declaration? Can't remember.

Who is/ was the Chief Constable? It's not the Elizabeth Driver character is it? Another one who can't be a Mason....

Didn't Gill say something about her having been recruited because she's a woman?

Getting very confused now.

@sink I think Dryden lost his job but wasn't convicted due to lack of evidence.

...and now I'm also thinking that Hunter wasn't the one who died at all but is still alive and is H.

Hang on - just realised that Ryan's Social Worker in S1 is Jane HARGREAVES.

Concidence? Mercurio doesn't do coincidence, and Ryan has just turned up again in S5...

Also the whole point of being H would be that it is lucrative for that person.

Another reason why it can't be Ted, apart from him being congenitally noble.

It would be taking his cover story too far to have him appearing broke and reduced to living in a Travelodge with a dodgy loo for the 3 + years since his marriage broke down, I feel.

his suicide (after which everything continues fine without him), I am pretty sure Hilton is not H I think that three people (the social worker, Hilton and Maneet) died in the same waterside spot suggests that Hilton's death wasn't suicide but murder.

My top 3 H's now are:
-Mrs H (wishful thinking?!)
-Gill (Dot was blinking for G not H and the other corrupts got wind of it, so went along with "H" to fit the story)
-Mr Huntley - he had a way in via Roz, and his bezzie mate Lakely is obv super dodge...
Anyone else have a top 3?
Bring on the next ep!!

@bore that's well spotted.

I think Ryan is bound to figure - why bring him back otherwise?

I think that the letter blinked by Dot wasn't H at all but conveniently taken up to provide a smokescreen. Or made up by Kate when taking his dying declaration.

He may not be dead at all (although I hope so, because bringing him back would be silly imho).

I don't know what to think.

"H" didn't just come from Dot's declaration, did it?

Corbett has some intelligence that the high ranking bent copper was codenamed "H". Did that just come from the video of Dot being leaked.

I thought we knew about H before dot’s Confession but that could be because I watched series 4 before 1,2&3

If we already knew about H before Dot's dying declaration, when did we know?

I can only remember H figuring in S4, due, AFAIK, to the tape being leaked by Maneet?

Totally as a side point down the rabbit hole SinkGirl but what you said about accents and concealing a scouse accent reminded me how shocked I was to discover Jodie Comer of doctor foster and killing eve is a scouser. m.youtube.com/watch?v=oHgoBAPxzCc

I think Ryan possibly could be working as a police informer since we last saw him in Series One? Someone else on the thread pointed out that the nice young Asian PC (not to be confused with Prasad) took pity on him and took him out for a McDonald’s and Ryan seemed amenable so perhaps he has been working with the police all this time? A bit of a stretch like, seeing as we’ve seen him slit Maneet’s throat, but something to consider.

Okay, so the twins are down for their nap and I’m continuing with S2...

Sorry, I meant Hilton’s “suicide” (that was blatantly not a suicide). Also, why do they keep killing people in that spot? That’s just asking for trouble.

Anyway, Denton talked to Prasad (not recorded) and at the end of that discussion said “so Dryden set up the ambush”. He didn’t respond. She tried to record his dying declaration and he refused, so she crushed his legs some more and then recorded it (off camera). She then let Steve and Kate know where they were, emailed over the recording, tried to suffocate him before absconding.

When Steve went to pick her up and bring her back in, she told him that the recording confirms that Dryden set up the ambush. We then hear Hastings listen to the recording, and almost the first thing Prasad says after introducing himself is that Dryden set up the ambush. Then Kate and Dot bring in the CCTV screengrabs of Dryden, Prasad and Carly Kirk at the event.

Hastings goes to tell Dryden and Hargreaves is in the room. Hastings calls Hargreaves “sir”, so I guess he is more senior than Ted? Anyway, he says they’ve found the gun men from the ambush - Dryden and Hargreaves exchange concerned looks. Hargreaves wants to hear the recording, Ted fobs him off and then says he refuses to share any leads with Hargreaves. Dryden asks Hargreaves to leave, then Ted tells Dryden that the gun men are / were police and working for vice. Dryden agrees its a good idea to keep this info quiet, and Dryden says obviously Denton must be involved too. Hastings won’t reveal their names. Dryden then starts talking about Ted getting a promotion.