SERIES REVIEW: LINE OF DUTY
GENRE: Crime, Drama
NUMBER OF SEASONS: 5
EPISODES PER SEASON: 6
RUNNING TIME: 60 MINS
WRITER: Jed Mercurio
Line of Duty is a British Drama series that centers around the Anti-Corruption Unit of the police department and their method of catching corrupt (‘bent’ as used in the series) police officers. Every season, a unit of the anti-corruption squad, the AC-12, investigates suspicions of crime, corruption, and conspiracies within the police. Most times, these investigations often center or lead to their involvement with Organized Crime (OGC).
Superintendent Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar), Head of AC-12, Detective Sargent Steve Arnott (Martin Compston), a certified firearms officer who refused to participate in a cover-up regarding the death of an unarmed civilian (perfect for the anti-corruption unit, yeah?) and Detective Sargent Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure) are the main characters of the series. They are also officers of the AC-12 unit. The dynamic working relationship between these three officers and their resilience and will to get justice at whatever cost is something worthy of note. It’s no wonder AC-12 quickly became an enemy to the entire Police Force and they soon became targets themselves.
‘How many mistakes does it take before you’re bad? Does it start with a little lie, and slowly progress to worse? Does it matter if you do the wrong thing for the right reason?’ — Christina Lauren.
Often times than not, we are told that ‘The truth will set you free’, which on paper or in theory may seem right. But watching Line of Duty made me realize that life is so much more complicated than that. Each season shows a copper that has made an error or decision; an error with hazardous consequences. These coppers are left with no choice but to continue down the hole of corruption, for fear of what speaking the truth may lead to. All this while AC-12 is after them.
One important thing to learn from the series is, even the best of intentions can be misinterpreted as you will see while watching the series (no spoilers). Initially, the writers made us see corruption through the eyes of the investigating officers, but consequently we saw it through the eyes of those being investigated, and the popular saying, no one is a saint, began to make more sense. Everyone has their dirty laundry no matter how clean they seem. Lastly, and this one is personal, is that even the slightest reasonable doubt about a person can be all that is needed to destroy a person’s character or reputation.
What makes Line of Duty stand out among other crime series is the fact that they’re trying to catch the people that are tasked with apprehending criminals. All in all, it is a very good watch, and trust me when I tell you that it’s captivating. The suspense, drama, the acting, the storylines for each season, and the cast are all top-notch and perfect (I was on my feet for most of the last episodes of each season, lol). There are still other lessons to be learned in the series, but I believe I have summarized it to these few points. So, sit back and enjoy! Also, make sure you get back to me when you’re done.
Thanks for reading!
Rating: 8.5/10
