After watching Bodyguard last year, I was on a lookout for British police/action TV shows. Recently, I’ve started watching Line of Duty, and after finishing Season 3, I have nothing but the highest regards for it. It turns out that it was written by the same mastermind behind Bodyguard: Jed Mercurio. The following review is without spoilers, so please feel free to dive in.
Season 1 was great all-around. I was fascinated by the moral dilemma faced by DCI Gates. The tension and the complex character of Gates was molded by the end of the first one-hour episode, and it only got better from there. An award-winning copper (what they call a police officer in England), a brilliant mind, and an inconvenient relationship — such were the ingredients that brewed the drama throughout the season, though other characters and the overarching plot was captivating as well. I disliked Steve Arnott at first, but later, I began to like his doggedness, even his naïveté. The episodes in the middle never got dull, and I followed the plot quite well to the ending.
Season 2 was ambitious, perhaps too much so. The premise was fascinating: an armed escort of a protected witness gone wrong, and the only officer, DI Denton, is under suspicion. However, the interweaving plot with a missing persons case and an affair took away from the tension. It was simply too complex for its own good, and I got distracted. Still, what came out of the season did not disappoint: the character development of DI Denton. Was she a desperate, innocent woman or a manipulative, bent (colloquial language for corrupt) copper? Both? I’ve got to give credit to both the writers/directors and Keeley Hawes, who portrayed Denton. A hint: her character is quite important in Season 3 as well.
Season 3 has got to be my favorite so far. The premise was more direct — characters that would normally linger on are killed in quick succession, much to the surprise of the audience. This brought the focus to what the show does best: unraveling a large (but singular) conspiracy against bent coppers. Both seasons have been building up an underground network of crime, and the premise of season 3 reaps the fruits of this context. The action serves a clear focus to the audience, and the tension kept me on the edge till the very end. It has the best of both seasons: the plot and character development.
I’ve learned a good bit of UK Police procedure and ranks. Detectives, which most of the season centers around, are denoted by Detective (D) in front of their title. Some common ranks are as follows, in ascending order: DC (Detective Constable), DS (Detective Sergeant), DI (Detective Inspector), DCI (Detective Chief Inspector), and Superintendent. Also, I can now watch the series without captions, and you’ll even occasionally find me reading to myself in a British accent.
Again, I recommend that you check out Line of Duty. The show can be streamed on Hulu, but apparently it has been quite popular in the UK for almost 10 years now. I cannot wait for what the rest of the seasons have in store. Stay tuned for more movie/show reviews.
Daniel's Blog 