Top 10 Line of Duty Moments

Each series of “Line of Duty” usually focuses on a single crooked copper, while also progressing the on-going storyline. Series 4’s focus is DCI Roz Huntley, who commits several miscarriages of justice, as well as manslaughter against a colleague, which she covers up by framing her husband. As great as seeing her taken down in the final interview is, what’s even more satisfying is that, after her crimes are laid bare, Huntley arrests her own lawyer, who is connected to the organized crime group AC-12 has been investigating; getting one last chance to be a police officer.

While we’re on the subject of Roz Huntley, her aforementioned manslaughter leaves her with a wound on her wrist that gradually becomes infected over the course of the series. Eventually, her wound begins to smell and her husband takes notice. This culminates when DCI Huntley faints and she is rushed to the hospital. Forced to make a decision for her while she’s unconscious, her husband opts for them to amputate her hand to save her life; leaving Roz understandably shocked when she awakens to find her hand missing. Quite the cost for her misdeeds!

While pursuing suspect, Ronan Murphy, Sergeant Danny Waldron shoots the man in cold blood after he surrenders; eventually bullying the rest of his response team into helping him cover it up. He then proves unflappable in AC-12’s interview room, and follows it up with another murder. The stage is set for Sergeant Waldron to be the focus of series 3 – and he is, just not in the way the audience expects. While on another call, Waldron’s team calls him upstairs and gunshots fire; leaving Waldron dead and surrounded by his teammates, with one or more of them having apparently killed him after the pressure he put them under. “Line of Duty” always keeps the audience on its toes, and this completely subverted our expectations!

Series 5 focuses on John Corbett, an undercover police officer AC-12 suspects of going rogue. However, Corbett maintains that he’s working to discover the identities of police officers with ties to organized crime from the inside. While transporting women as part of their human trafficking ring, Corbett snaps when he hears the women apparently being assaulted; holding the criminals at gunpoint and attempting to rescue the women. However, it’s revealed to have been playacting to goad Corbett into revealing himself and his throat is cut. The fact that Corbett bleeding to death is shown along with his wife reading to their children helps make this an especially tragic death.

While trying to establish Roz Huntley’s whereabouts at the time of her colleague’s suspicious death, Steve Arnott begins looking at her husband, Nick. When Nick’s own story proves to have holes, Steve goes to Nick’s office to confront him; prompting Nick to call his and Roz’s aforementioned lawyer. As Steve goes into the building, AC-12 tries to warn Steve off, as Nick’s car the night of the death now makes him a potential suspect. When Steve gets out of the elevator, he is confronted by a man in a balaclava, just like that of the suspect in a string of recent killings. After a struggle, Steve is thrown down the stairs; which left us all gasping at the prospect that he might be dead.

In the premiere of series 4, Roz Huntley’s colleague Timothy Ifield raises concerns with AC-12 that Huntley is ignoring evidence that would exonerate an innocent man. When Huntley confronts Ifield at his house, an argument ensues and a shove from Roz leads Tim to hurt his hand, prompting him to retaliate. When she threatens to bring him up on charges for assaulting a police officer, he tries to get her to stay, and causes her to hit her head; apparently killing her. After buying supplies to clean up her body and just as he’s prepared to start dismembering her body, her eyes open. Plenty of “Line of Duty”’s most shocking moments have to do with surprise deaths, but this resurrection floored us!

Disgraced former DI Lindsay Denton may have taken a bribe and been an accessory to murder, but she still wants to catch the people who caused her fall from grace. To that end, she manages to find a list left behind by Danny Waldron of people linked to child sex abuse. Unfortunately, immediately afterwards, she is picked up in a car by DI Matthew “Dot” Cottan, who is, unbeknownst to her, the AC-12 mole known as “the Caddy.” During the course of their drive, Denton realizes who Dot is when he offers her another bribe. As Dot threatens to kill her, she sends off the list to AC-12; prompting Dot to murder her and making this complex character’s final act a heroic one.

After a conflict of interest forces Kate Fleming to recuse herself from the investigation into Denton, Georgia Trotman is brought on as Steve’s new partner. The two of them hit it off and their relationship turns physical after a night of drinking; making for a nice contrast with the friendship dynamic between Kate and Steve. When Georgia and Steve are called to a hospital to protect a witness, the two of them are confronted. Steve is knocked out and Georgia is overpowered and thrown from the window; bringing a shocking and abrupt end to a promising new character.

DCI Tony Gates is the subject of series one’s investigation. Not only is the decorated officer padding his arrest numbers, but his mistress Jackie Laverty has managed to involve him in covering up a murder. Although initially angry with her, Laverty manages to convince Gates that it’s in his best interest not to arrest her, as he’s already being investigated and she can play the victim. While enjoying some wine back at her place, a knock on the door reveals several masked men, who rough up Gates and then slit Laverty’s throat in front of him; planting his fingerprints on the murder weapon. In only its second episode, “Line of Duty” manages to deliver one of its most jaw-dropping and effective cliffhangers.

Killing Lindsay Denton is not without its consequences, as Dot soon finds out. As satisfying as the interrogation that lays bare all his lies is, this moment is even more memorable. Under the pretext of checking his calendar, Dot sends the text “Urgent exit required” to an armed policeman standing guard outside the room, who guns down his fellow guard and shoots the glass; giving Dot a quick way out. The ensuing chase is harrowing as well and the fact that it sees an end to the treacherous Caddy helps make it the best “Line of Duty” moment so far.