WHO could possibly be ‘H’ in BBC Two’s Line of Duty? It’s quite literally become the main question as the series nears its sixth and final episode on Sunday (5 May 2019).
It seems we are getting closer to potentially getting an answer to the question now that the big debate has been narrowed down to nine suspects. So, could we potentially be getting closer to the truth? Find out below…
It would quite honestly be too obvious for it to be Ted Hastings – and fans seem to agree.
During last night’s episode, Ted appeared to be having a rough time after being arrested on two different charges and subsequently suspended from his duties.
Ted had posed as ‘H’ in an undercover op, which he stressed had been the only way to take down the OCG and recover the stolen Eastfield Depot bounty.
As his behavior became irrational, DI Kate Fleming and Steve Arnott report their gaffer to Wise – this move would see Ted suspended and AC-12 removed from the case in its entirety.
To make matters that much worse, Hastings is then also arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder – having now also been tied to the murder of John Corbett.
Ted tries to explain that he’s being framed and that he’s not responsible for the actions held against him, and fans seem to believe him for the most part, having diverted their attention to Kate instead.
She’s ruffled some feathers with viewers for her unlikeable approach during the process of interviewing Ted Hastings regarding his charges.
But could AC-3 boss DCS Patricia Carmichael be smart enough to hatch a plan that could see Ted get locked up for a crime he didn’t commit?
Carmichael has stressed that she’ll prove Ted is guilty, which viewers feel is her way of saying she’s going to frame Hastings well enough to get him locked up.
While actress Anna Maxwell Martin, who portrays the character, only has a recurring guest spot on the show, fans are convinced she could very well return as a lead guest for season six if she was ‘H’ all along.
Hastings seemed certain that DCC Derek Hilton was ‘H’ and there were plenty of theories going around as to why this could very well make sense.
Derek’s surname (Hilton) starts with the letter ‘H’, and it doesn’t help to know that he held a superior role as Deputy Chief Constable.
Hilton was also the one who had suggested that Dot Cottan receives a promotion. Cottan had shared a personal relationship with the character since the first series.
It’s not hard to see why Les Hargreaves would fit the description of ‘H’ rather well.
Again, his surname begins with the letter H and he famously held a senior position in the police force, meaning that he held a certain amount of authority over others.
He’s never been a fan of AC-12, so it would make sense that he would frame Ted in a way that could see him locked up for good.
Certain remarks made by Lisa McQueen seemed to hint that Hargreaves was just another cop who’d been hired from the OCG but, oddly enough, he didn’t even know where the headquarters were located.
“We never told Hargreaves about the print shop, the leak came from somewhere else.”
It goes without saying that Gill’s behavior throughout the fifth series has been suspicious, to say the least.
Viewers know that Gill has feelings towards Hastings, but it seems that his loyalty to being a dedicated family man is bothersome to someone like Gill.
She asked him to retire from his job in fear of ruining his reputation, but then changes her tune and shows major support for Ted when she vouches for his talents in front of DCC Wise.
Later on, Gill, after having offered her legal services, hands Ted a Regulation 15 notice that would suspend him from his duties.
Her behavior has been all over the place, so much that it’s hard not to think she might be guilty.
Fans haven’t seen much of DCC Andrea Wise just yet, but one thing that we do know about her is that she’s feisty and she holds power as a senior police officer.
No, her surname doesn’t begin with ‘H’, but that shouldn’t rule her out from being another suspect – especially because she’s flown under the radar for so long.
Andrea removed Ted from the investigation into Operation Peartree, which may have been a tactical move on her end to avoid Hastings from getting to the truth to possibly prove his innocence?
It’s always the ones that may not have the most to say that should be kept an eye on.
Even though she’s facing ten years behind bars, there are a couple of reasons why she could potentially be ‘H’.
For one, she was a key candidate for ‘H’ since she was a senior officer who also has a surname that’s Huntley.
It also doesn’t go unnoticed that Roz is an inhabitant of Blackthorn Prison. While it may seem somewhat of a stretch to assume she could be ‘H’, nobody is being ruled out.
Not even the names who haven’t made appearances on the show in a while.
Alison Powell has done anything but show people why she’s the boss of Operation Peartree.
She failed her team beyond measures, so it almost makes it harder to believe that she could potentially have framed Ted, but she’s a suspect for several reasons.
Alison has barely cooperated with AC-12, showing reluctant signs that would easily give off the impression she has something to hide.
Powell was instructed to put undercover officer John Corbett inside an organized crime group. She refused to make this known to AC-12 and instead keep the information to herself with a MOPI notice to block the data getting back to the police database.
That’s telling.
It’s hard to believe that ‘H’ wouldn’t be one of the suspects listed above, but television shows are always full of surprises.
In this case, after almost five seasons of Line of Duty, what would the conclusion to the series be without a shocking twist that nobody expected?
Perhaps ‘H’ isn’t just one person. For all we know, it may be a group of people working together and subsequently framing Ted while causing absolute chaos in the process.
Line of Duty concludes with its sixth and final episode on Sunday (5 May 2019) at 9pm on BBC Two!
