Line of Duty – Series 5

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I eagerly awaited season 5, but must say I was somewhat disappointed. It was not as good as the previous four seasons. The actor who played Corbett, an undercover officer they were investigating was hard to understand because of his accent and he seemed to mumble at times. The last episode went on too long with the questioning of Hastings and the ending was strange. Several of these people were guilty but get new identities and are free because they helped with the investigation, what investigation, it ended. Sorry I purchased it, maybe should of waited until the local library had it to borrow.

-avid mystery reader

I started to write a headline with ‘top notch writing, acting, pacing’ and then realized I should check the reviews to not be redundant…uh. The reviews for this are all rather brief, because you’re just so awed at how well done this is that it’s best left for a viewer to just take the hint and watch for themselves. There’s no weakness to pick apart, to write something like ‘the acting was great but there were flaws in…’ Nothing but overall excellence.

My only complaint is that the episodes are so gripping that it’s really hard not to binge and then you’re left knowing you’ll have to wait another year for the next season, alwasys with the risk it won’t be continued. (By ‘pacing’ I meant a tension that rarely relaxes, but isn’t overwhelming, just intriguing, exactly the right pitch.)

At this point, rather than waste time reading my gushing, and unskilled effort to express appreciation, just start watching this and see if you don’t appreciate the encouragement by the entire group of reviewers.

Other reviewers have commented about each season carrying the story line forward. Although they totally stand on their own, they are the richer for what occurred previously… and vice versa, so it is advisable to start with Season One.
And, as other reviewers noted, the writing is astonishing. The writer and creator, Joe Mercurio, is incredibly talented: the plots are so intelligent and well-crafted as to leave a prospective writer utterly daunted, while the characters and relationships as nuanced as any fine drama might required. Appropriate to the genre, the pacing and action is so taut that your attention is caught and never drifts. (Some of my favorites have been Prime Suspect, George Gently, Luther–loved Luther, Vera, Shetland, the current Unforgotten, River–awesome writing by Abi Morgan and acting from Stellan Skarsgard and Nicola Walker, the Morse/Lewis/Endeavor productions, Wire in the Blood–and this could go on to encompass all, if not most of the 4-5-star Brit mystery/police procedurals.)

What I found especially compelling in Line of Duty–besides the characters–was the intricacy and intelligence of the plots–and the pacing. How Mercurio was able to weave this all together leaves you with a new respect for human creativity…in a genre separate from that of a certain fantasy series that puts this respect over the top.)

Re the acting: The acting talent includes the creme de la creme, some better known to Brit audiences, but Martin Compston (compare with his performance in In Plain Sight), Vicki MCClure and Adrian Dunbar are the consistent excellent leads, while I’ve learned to appreciate why Keely Hawes is so well-respected as an actress in the UK in a role unlike any other, the same with Stephen Graham, Thandie Newton, Lennie James, Jessica Raine, Anna Maxwell Martin, Mark Bonnar, Polly Walker and a host of actors throughout the five seasons that US audiences are starting to recognize and respect from Brit offerings, offerings which are forcing US productions to up their game. (This was my first exposure to Craig Parkinson in leading role, and his performance was so strong that it will be interesting to re-watch some of the episodes of others he’s acted in, like ‘Endeavor’, to compare.)

This series has offered strong actors roles which allow them to show their chops, and, personally, I use the quality of the actors as a yardstick to determine whether I’ll likely find the rest of the production worth my time, given the current wealth of offerings, and especially if I’m not familiar with the writers. I don’t mean to slight other performers, Maya Sondhi as Maneet did a superb job in a supporting role and Lee Inglebey and Neil Morrisey gave their usual sound performances in roles not as demanding as the ones I mentioned initially, but the entire cast did a great job, I’ve just selected those who might be better known to PP audiences or had larger roles.

(I didn’t properly set off titles as I’m having trouble typing, apologies.)

-Anonymous

This is the fifth season of Line Of Duty, a BBC production. Each season can be stand alone, but it is more rewarding and enriching to see each season. The show follows D.S. Steve Arnott played by Martin Compston, transferred to Anti-Corruption Unit 12 (AC-12) after refusing to cover-up an unlawful shooting. Arnott is partnered with D.C. Kate Fleming, played by Vicky McClure, an undercover officer who is a superb investigator. They work under the supervision of Superintendent Ted Hastings, played by Adrian Dunbar, who is one of several Senior Investigating Officers responsible for uncovering corruption within the police force. AC-12 investigates cases involving corrupt police officers. This is a well fashioned group of officers who work well together, and they have the ability to pull small clues to break cases.

In this Season five, three police Officers have been killed while transferring drugs from one place to another. This hijacking seems to be an inside job, someone in the police world is leaking information to a mob organization. AC-12 needs to find the corrupt officer(s), and on the way to the investigation, someone has identified a top ranking officer as part of the crime group. All is not what it seems, of course. In the interim, we get to know the officers, their families, their secrets, and hopes and dreams.

This is a well acted, directed and written series. Every little detail is well placed, surprises around each corner. There are six episodes, ranging from one hour to an hour and a half for the 6th episode. The series is engrossing, and I became involved in the series. I had characters I liked, and then was disappointed in their actions, like reality, I suppose. This series is a hit in England, and has the same amount of followers in the US. I watch the series via AcornTV.

Recommended. prisrob 05-14-19

– prisrob

DVD Wholesale Main Features :   

Language: English
Subtitles: English
Region: Region 1
Aspect Ratio: Unknown
Number of discs: 2
Studio: Acorn Media
DVD Release Date: May 6, 2019
Run Time: 360 minutes