Yahoo News Line of Duty: 10 huge questions after episode 1
Line of Duty reached new ludicrously entertaining heights with the opening episode of its fourth series, leaving us gasping for next week's instalment.
Roz Huntley (Thandie Newton) is AC-12's new quarry – but is she really the one they should be keeping a watchful eye on? Let's open that (Operation) Trapdoor and pick apart Chapter One.
1. Is Michael Farmer guilty?
We seriously doubt it. Here's a handy recap of all the forensic evidence that Tim Ifield (Jason Watkins) collated, casting doubt on Michael's alleged wrongdoing:
• No fibres from Michael's clothing were found on his apparent victim, Hana (Gaite Jansen).
• No fibres from a black jacket – which Hana's abductor was wearing – were found on Michael (Scott Reid) and no fibres from a balaclava were found in his hair.
• No carpet-fibre deposits were found on the "trophies" (earrings, a hair-grip and a necklace) that Michael had allegedly taken from his victims - implying they weren't at the scene of the crime for long, and may have been planted.
• Michael's DNA was nowhere to be found on any of the trinkets either.
• There was a size-10 boot print in the house where Hana was kept that can't be identified. By analysing footage captured of "Balaclava Man", Tim was able to estimate that her abductor also worn a size-10 shoe. Unlike Michael, who wears a size 8.
Then there's the question of Michael's previous conviction for sexual assault.
2. Is Jade Hopkirk telling the truth?
Michael initially denied attacking Jade (Harriet Cains) when he was 16 and she was 15, though he later confessed to the crime. But we've seen how easily he can be manipulated, and her recounting of the event for DS Steve Arnott (Martin Compston) is less than convincing.
3. Is Roz Huntley corrupt?
Not actually the same question as 'Is Michael Farmer guilty?'.
Even if Michael is Balaclava Man, there's the possibility that Roz ignored evidence which she knew would make her job harder. After taking time off the job to be a full-time mum, Huntley's certainly keen to prove that she hasn't lost her old edge – could this, plus pressure piled on by ACC Hilton (Paul Higgins), have pushed her to fudge the facts?
Roz insists on accompanying DS Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure) to interview Michael Farmer – what is she so worried that Kate will find? Roz is also very quick to remind Michael that he can stop the interview at any time, and that revoking his confession could damage him.
She also does her best to have "Kate Flynn" thrown off the case, and if Roz was going to pin the crime on someone, Michael – a convicted sex offender with learning difficulties – would be the perfect patsy.
So it doesn't look good. That said, once AC-12 start sniffing around, she orders that the forensic evidence on Michael's case be reprocessed. So while she's guilty of ignoring Tim's concerns, she might not have had any involvement in planting evidence – if indeed any was planted.
(Of course, if she's unable to fight off terrifying Tim and his electric saw, this'll all be a moot point.)
4. Is Tim the Balaclava Man?
Tim just happens to have a balaclava to hand, which he dons when he leaves his flat after that fateful encounter with Roz. Which looks pretty darn suspicious.
Then again, if Tim is the one who's been abducting and murdering women, why wouldn't he let Farmer just take the blame? Why would he bring evidence to AC-12 that calls Farmer's guilt into question? Some sort of twisted need to be recognised for his crimes?
5. Is there more to Nick Huntley than meets the eye?
Lee Ingleby's too good an actor to play just the Supportive Husband role. Plus, did you notice that lingering shot of his car boot, much like the one where Balaclava Man locked Hana?
6. Will AC-12 tear themselves apart?
Kate's promotion to Detective Sergeant is causing tension between her and Steve Arnott – this, possibly coupled with Dot Cottan's portrayal, seems to have left AC-12 a less confident outfit than they once were.
Could their failure to work together as a team be a bigger theme this series? Will AC-12 end up divided? Are office tensions going to derail their investigation into Roz and Operation Trapdoor?
7. Are Steve Arnott's days numbered?
Just a thought... but writer Jed Mercurio almost killed Steve off once before, at the close of the previous series, and now Arnott's unhappy with his lot at AC-12 and chasing a promotion. We've got a bad feeling about this.
8. How dodgy is ACC Hilton?
"How do you know when an executive officer's telling lies?" "His lips move."
Is Hilton wilfully ignorant or just plain dumb when it comes to his easy acceptance of Michael Farmer's guilt?
9. Why was Tim so convinced that Roz was dead?
Forensic expert. Can't take a pulse. Go figure.
10. What's Neil's deal?
Roz's detective sergeant (played by Mark Stobbart) seems like an honest, amiable, inoffensive cop just doing his job.
But this is Line of Duty, so he's probably the criminal mastermind behind everything.
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