Line of Duty thread 4 (No spoilers, please!)

[TedisnotH]

Ok, I've started a new one in anticipation of Thread 3 filling up tonight, part way through the episode!

@Heyha

Oh and a PP on one of these threads made the link between Tony Gates and Chloe...I think that's highly plausible. I couldn't work out if it was rookie nerves or existing knowledge of the carnage to come that was making her behave that way in the convoy last night. I think Lakewell might have just been being a bit disrespectful when he called her Chloe in the interview, he'd have already told Steve the key info in the van wouldn't he?

How old would Chloe be? Old enough to be married? Her surname is listed as Bishop.

@Heyha

It's also got to be from someone that they are confident HASN'T been in the house "the only way" so it has either to be someone dead or definitely locked up. Anyone alive and free would cast doubt on the statement that their DNA is linked ONLY through Jo's being there. I feel a bit sorry for Buckles. He's clearly been dragged in through visiting the OCG prostitutes, and now look where that's got him. He's far to wet and stupid to be a kingpin or he'd have shown his true colours to Lakewell when Lee Banks turned up.

I’d save your sympathy in that case. The OCG prostitutes were slaves, and from the locks on the doors pretty obviously so, which would make Buckles a rapist.

Another one for the case against Chloe being bent - she’s presented Steve the info about Jo’s DNA link to someone of interest. She could have easily concealed this (and the info about Jo’s DNA being in Farida’s house for that matter). But she didn’t- if she were bent we might have expected her to do so.

Not planting or other people being in the house as PPs have said.

What happened what the DNA was found in Farida's house and to identify it they ran it through several police databases. There were two results from this:

• an exact match to Joanne Davidson (this was expected by AC-12)
• a part-match to an "nominal".

This meant that on police records there were two people in police databases with DNA that matched the sample taken from the house, not that there were two DNA samples found in the house. (Other than Farida's obviously - that wouldn't have be run through the database.)

Teds not been sacked. He’s been told to retire or face disciplinary investigation for incompetence. That’s not,sacking someone. And it would be totally normal for him to stay in position. They don’t think he’s corrupt they jist think he’s a bit shit.

I’m confused about what steve means by “other” police databases (where the relative’s DNA is) - does it mean as opposed to the police staff one? Or another force’s database so it’s someone from another location - but surely there is a national one anyway? And although there have been lots of different forces investigated by AC12 I thought it is all under the same umbrella anyway.

Now that there’s the plot twist of Jo being a blood relative of a notable individual, a further plot twist in which Chloe was Gates’s daughter would be far too silly.

Chloe Gates is (I think) a few years too young to be Chloe Bishop. Plus it would presumably have come up in her background checks - yes, Ryan seems to have made it through the background checks, but he was only known on the system as a low-level juvenile delinquent.

How would Chloe hide the fact of being the child of a deceased, corrupt officer well-known to the AC units and whose name, connections, and bits of his mistress pop up on a weekly basis?

@BobBobBobbin

Another one for the case against Chloe being bent - she’s presented Steve the info about Jo’s DNA link to someone of interest. She could have easily concealed this (and the info about Jo’s DNA being in Farida’s house for that matter). But she didn’t- if she were bent we might have expected her to do so.

Good point. Although could be a double bluff I suppose like the fact she suggested the leak about the convoy could be from AC12?

She seems fairly young (although still not young enough to be Gates’ daughter) but TBH I am really surprised if anti corruption recruits newbie DCs, surely it’s something you need more experience for? Although arguably the longer you have in other forces the more chance you have to become corrupt

Thanks for clarifying everyone.

@MagicSummer

Steve said it was a nominal match, meaning someone who was charged or cautioned, not a police person

I may be wrong, but I don't think Jackie Laverty was ever charged or cautioned? I have just watched Series 1 again.

didn't she already have a drink driving conviction, which was why she was so panicked about possibly getting another one?

"How old would Chloe be? Old enough to be married? Her surname is listed as Bishop."

No personal information know about her. It's possible she's married, she's in her "20s" according to Fandom. Which side of her 20s isn't

Tony Gates was 37 when he died (born 1975) - his wife was called Jools Gates, so the Bishop name couldn't be from her. No age put on his daughter Chole in series 1.

Mind you officially was Gates recorded as corrupt? It would be on record that he was investigated obv but he died in the line of duty, as wrongly reported by Steve - if he’d have been officially bent would they still have paid out the money to his family? So if he wasn’t an official problem then the fact he’s related wouldn’t have been an issue when she joined.

That said I still think she’s too old to be Gates’ DD

Seems pretty obvious to me that Jimmy's solicitor has OCG links which is why he wouldn't talk in the interview, but the nod between him and Steve suggests he did tell Steve what he discussed with Gail Vella when they were in the van under attack. At that point Jimmy probably thought he wasn't going to get out alive so what did it matter?

They went round Terry's flat In season.1 too. There was a blonde officer and banergee. She faked a call and left. She failed to mention about the obvious cuckooing and as a result failed to find Jackie in.his freezer. Maybe she was part of it all too?

I don't think there's a mole in AC12 - that would just be ridiculous. All the way through LoD the information has been there, just not always presented as a big piece of crucial information, e.g. in S1 we were told Dot had been a caddy. Usually things have been shown to the audience, but not necessarily to AC12. It's really cleverly done and it's knowing what AC12 doesn't that makes it so interesting and exciting. We all know Jo is OCG because we've seen what Ted, Steve and Kate haven't.

Good point well made, @FourWordsImMuNiTy
He'll no doubt get a 'hug' from Lee Banks at some point as well...

I still think there's more to Chloe. I thought there was to Lomax as well but I've gone off that idea as he's been so low key/background.

Ryan getting through vetting must have been dodgy somewhere along the line mustn't it? I can't remember what the explanation given at the time was but surely someone in the system has bypassed that. If they can kill people in prison they can definitely fluff over someone's juvenile police record. I'm sure they were telling us that Ryan killed Vella as well by how he was with Jo on the doorstep. Carl Banks was a plausible decoy, Tony Boyle knows Ryan did it but is shit scared of him. Especially after their swimming session.

I've just remembered the other thing I was going to post. The £50k in the envelope Ted gave Steph: I'm now thinking that Ted gave that to Steph for safe-keeping rather than to help her out. We've no idea how much was still in it when Steve found it in the loft, but it wasn't as though he reached into the bottom of it to find a wad of notes. I think the money is Ted's insurance policy.

Did the surviving Gates' change identity after Tony died maybe, either formal protection or just starting a new life away from Tony's mess? I'm sure he got paid out for death in LoD as it's been mentioned in comparison with John who didn't, so I agree being related to Tony wouldn't be a flag on the system and if she's name changed nobody in the office would remember Tony had a daughter called Chloe.

@IstandwithJackieWeaver

I've just remembered the other thing I was going to post. The £50k in the envelope Ted gave Steph: I'm now thinking that Ted gave that to Steph for safe-keeping rather than to help her out. We've no idea how much was still in it when Steve found it in the loft, but it wasn't as though he reached into the bottom of it to find a wad of notes. I think the money is Ted's insurance policy.

I think she's getting money from somewhere else. £50k doesn't actually last that long, especially with no life insurance or anything else. There looked like there was a lot of money still left in that envelope and she can afford the full Sky Sports package!

@AwkwardArnottDentonFumble

Mind you officially was Gates recorded as corrupt? It would be on record that he was investigated obv but he died in the line of duty, as wrongly reported by Steve - if he’d have been officially bent would they still have paid out the money to his family? So if he wasn’t an official problem then the fact he’s related wouldn’t have been an issue when she joined.

That said I still think she’s too old to be Gates’ DD

No, he’s wasn’t ‘officially’ convicted of corruption and Kate & Steve fibbed about the manner of his death so that his wife could get his full pension, but enough people within AC12 (not least Ted and Steve) know that he had dodgy connections, and that these connections (and body parts) are still relevant now.

Plus if you go into a police department where your background checks show that you’re the daughter of a notable (for good and/or bad reasons) former DCI in that same force, someone would at some point mention it, surely? If Ted somehow missed Chloe being Tony’s daughter, then Wise was 100% right to ‘retire’ him, as he’s clearly beyond incompetent!

@AwkwardArnottDentonFumble

I’m confused about what steve means by “other” police databases (where the relative’s DNA is) - does it mean as opposed to the police staff one? Or another force’s database so it’s someone from another location - but surely there is a national one anyway? And although there have been lots of different forces investigated by AC12 I thought it is all under the same umbrella anyway.

Was there a link to Corbett and Northern Ireland or have I totally imagined that. Surely the PSNI database is linked into the rest of the UK one though? Although it would have been the RUC back then.

I’m kind of hoping the person in the other file is Gill Biggeloe now. So she can return with her new identity, Bill Gigolo.

The reason I think that is 1. Ted is bent to a degree if he takes money and spends or uses it in some way, definately (!) risky; 2. whoever knows there is £50k missing from the £100k Mark Moffatt gave Ted is bent; 3. if Ted is ever interviewed/questioned by anyone (other than Steve) about the £50k they'll incriminate themselves.

PP have noted that hairdresser businesses have a track record of being dodgy in LoD as well (Jackie used them for laundering I think?) So wouldn't be a leap to think Steph's one isn't fully legit either.

@AgentCooper

I’m kind of hoping the person in the other file is Gill Biggeloe now. So she can return with her new identity, Bill Gigolo.

That would be AWESOME!

I’m pretty sad that we’ll likely never see Gill and her bouncy blow-dry ever again