Line of Duty finale: Six theories on the final episode and who bent copper ‘H’ is

THE nation is holding its breath ahead of tomorrow night’s series finale of gripping cop drama Line Of Duty.

But fans of the thriller are still no closer to answering the big questions that have kept eight million viewers glued to BBC1 every Sunday night – including who is the corrupt police mastermind known as “H”.

Devotees have shared a series of conspiracy theories.

The Beeb’s release of a trailer for the 85-minute finale has also sent them into a frenzy of speculation by dropping clues about how series five could come to a head.

We ponder some of the possibilities and unsolved mysteries . . .

1. Ted Hastings is innocent

IN the penultimate episode we saw anti-corruption unit AC-12’s boss, Supt. Ted Hastings, held on suspicion of being involved in organised crime – as he frantically insisted he had been framed by a mystery villain.

In the trailer for the series finale, we see an unshaven, unkempt Ted in prison clothing as he is grilled by his nemesis, DCS Patricia Carmichael, played by Anna Maxwell Martin. Later, he looks like he is being escorted by armed policemen – but the more eagle-eyed have noticed he is not handcuffed and is less unkempt.

It has sparked speculation Ted, played by Adrian Dunbar, has proved he is not H and could be getting protected as a key witness. But after crossing the line on several occasions, it seems unlikely he will escape with his name unblemished.

Also, it does not solve the mystery over the identity of “H”.

Line Of Duty is on BBC1 tomorrow at 9pm.

2. ‘H’ is not a person

WE have all assumed that “H” – the high-level police insider working in league with the crime gang – is someone whose name begins with the letter.
But it could be a description of a person, such as “her”, or it may not refer to a person at all.

It’s had Line Of Duty devotees scouring the footage of Matthew “Dot” Cottan’s dying moments in Series 3 – suggesting the name of the most senior corrupt officer begins with H – for more clues.

Some believe “H” might relate to an organisation, a location or even a building. The latest theory is that the letter relates to the shape of the brothel rooftop viewers saw in an earlier episode. Another theory is there is a Northern Ireland connection. During the Troubles after the 1970s, paramilitary prisoner were housed in “H-blocks”.

The fact that writer Jed Mercurio has littered his cast with people whose names begin with H might be a genuine clue – or it could just be one of his famous “Jed Herrings”.

3. Ryan is the new Caddy

HE’S the mob’s former delivery boy, from series one, who has become a fully fledged gang member in the current series.

Now it looks like Ryan Pilkington, played by Gregory Piper, is about to move up another league by joining the police as a mole. That’s the theory of viewers who saw a glimpse of a cops’ passing-out parade in the finale’s trailer.

It follows gang member Lisa McQueen asking Ryan how he was getting on with his exams. He replies by saying he’s “got an interview” – but doesn’t say what job it is for. Conspiracy theorists now suspect she meant he was taking tests to join the force, without revealing his identity as a gangster.

Planting a mole is the same shrewd move made by the man who first set up the gang, Tommy Hunter. He installed dodgy DI Dot Cottan in Central Police after enlisting him as a youth when he was working at his golf club, hence his nickname The Caddy.

4. Lisa is a vengeful lovechild

SHE has baffled fans since appearing in the first episode of this series. Is Lisa McQueen simply a regular gang member or could she be an undercover cop?

One theory is that she is neither.

Instead, there is speculation she could be a lone wolf getting revenge for one of her parents.

The theory goes that she is the lovechild of DCI Tony Gates, played by Lennie James, who was corrupted by the criminals and ended up seemingly killing himself. It’s also been suggested she may be the daughter of rogue DCI Roz Huntley, played by Thandie Newton, who was jailed after getting involved with the gang in the last series.

So Lisa may not be who she seems, and on a revenge mission.

5. Moffatt will lead AC-12 to ‘H’

WHEN property investment boss and former detective Mark Moffatt gave Ted £50,000 in cash, it was clearly an attempt to make Hastings seem suspicious, with police later finding the package during a raid on the AC-12 boss’s hotel room.

But Line Of Duty conspiracy theorists have wondered how Moffatt managed to find out where Ted was staying?

The only person who knew was Gill Biggeloe. The police lawyer, played by Polly Walker, has sparked great suspicion since she suddenly re-emerged in the current series.

Some have even suggested that when dying DI Dot Cottan seemed to blink on hearing the letter H, to indicate the bent copper’s name, he may in fact have blinked on the letter G.

Another theory is that this is all the work of disgraced DCI Roz Huntley, from her prison cell.

After all, Moffatt was the Police Federation representative by her side.

Either way, many fans are convinced he holds the key to the ultimate Line Of Duty mystery.

6. Mrs Hastings is missing link

ALL the evidence seems to suggest that Northern Ireland is a strong link between murdered undercover cop John Corbett and Ted Hastings.

DS Corbett, played by Stephen Graham, seemed hell-bent on showing that the AC-12 chief is “H” – but was he driven by evidence or a desire to get revenge on him for his involvement in a dark chapter of his birth family’s history in Northern Ireland?

Some Line Of Duty fans think this is too obvious, and that the link is actually between Corbett and Ted’s wife, Roisin Hastings.

That would certainly explain why Corbett decided to target her in a vicious attack. Maybe putting her husband in jail was just pouring salt in the wound – or a means to get him out of the way.

Estranged Roisin, who is also from Northern Ireland, has a new man in her life and may have been working with Corbett, which is how he discovered her home address.

This mystery figure is likely to be key to explaining the Northern Ireland link.