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World Productions |
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BBC |
Mercurio has been very clever in the way he presented Lindsay in the first two episodes as she came across as an incredibly manipulative character. From her attack on her neighbour to her background research on the AC-12 team we learnt that she was somebody not to take at face value. There was definitely a motive to some of her actions, especially her appearance at the empty garage, but gradually it appears as if she had little to do with the opening ambush. I certainly believed that when she told Steve that she didn't do it he believed her. Aside from the hugely shocking final moments of episode one, the brutal and clinical scenes in the prison were outstanding. Her attack at the hands of the prison guards provided one of the only shocks of the third instalment and was beautifully choreographed. This led to Lindsay's discovery that her mum was dying and the incredibly touching scenes between the pair at the nursing home. Throughout the episode Hawes has been fantastic and has presented Lindsay as a multi-layered character who we can never thoroughly trust. She is able to communicate Lindsay's feelings without speaking a word of dialogue and a perfect example of this is when Lindsay considered making a run for it from the nursing home. In addition Hawes seems to be having a whale of a time, whether it be having scolding water poured on hands or running for her life in the closing moments of episode four.
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BBC |
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BBC |
Although I feel as if series two of Line of Duty can be watched without any prior knowledge of series one it's great that Mercurio has included some references to the past series. This is most notable in the return of Craig Parkinson's 'Dot' Cottan, as the representative for the witness protection squad. Long time fans of the show know that Dot is corrupt and was basically involved in the villains getting away towards the end of series one. With the mentions of 'The Caddy' during an interview with the late witness, it does appear that Dot's secret may finally come out. But I do feel as if he will do something to redeem himself in terms of solving this case. I personally feel that Parkinson is great in his role as the wisecracking officer who enjoys lauding his new position over Kate and Steve, neither of whom particularly like him. Vicky McClure, Martin Compston and Adrian Dunbar all continue to provide weight to the programme and are all utterly believable in their roles. Though their characters are far from perfect, they portray them as people who ultimately want to do the right thing and who are determined to get to the truth. In fact all of the characters in Line of Duty have their weaknesses and I feel it's refreshing to watch a crime drama where the detectives feel like real people.
Overall, Line of Duty has proved itself to be the first unmissable drama of 2014. From the performances to the cinematography and especially Mercurio's script; the series has excelled in providing an hour of thrilling entertainment every week. In fact I would go as far as to describe the drama as breath-taking as I was personally gasping for air during Line of Duty's final ten minutes. It's been a long time since a drama has had that kind of effect on me and I'm just hoping that Line of Duty now has a satisfying conclusion.
Line of Duty Continues Wednesday's at 9.00pm on BBC TWO.
2 comments:
One correction, the video showing Dryden liaising with Lindsay's kidnappers wasn't from the day of the ambush (5th Sep), it was from the day of Carly Kirk's disappearance (16th Aug).
Not that that's a big deal I'm just a bit of a pedant!
Great article and I wholeheartedly agree - I am also obsessed with this show and Wednesday's won't feel the same without once it ends! :(
without it*
;-)
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