Line of Duty (series 5)


The fifth series of Line of Duty, consisting of six episodes, began broadcasting on 31 March 2019 on BBC One. The series follows the actions of Superintendent Ted Hastings, D.I. Kate Fleming and D.S. Steve Arnott as they investigate an Organised Crime Group with links to missing undercover officer D.S. John Corbett. Anna Maxwell Martin stars in episodes five and six as D.C.S. Patricia Carmichael. Supporting characters include underboss Lisa McQueen and the special counsel to the police and crime commissioner Gill Biggeloe.

Cast

Main cast

Reception

Despite less positive reviews than the previous seasons, the series was still ranked highly among critics. Review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes holds an approval rating for series 5 at 88% based on 25 reviews. The website's critics consensus reads: “Line of Duty's sterling ensemble all maintain a stiff upper lip, but audiences' limbs will be quavering throughout this tense fifth season that dives deep into moral murk.” On the review aggregator website Metacritic, the season has a score of 88 out of 100 based on 5 critics.
Radio Times drama editor Eleanor Bley Griffiths wrote: "With epic interrogation scenes, surprise betrayals, grisly murders, untold secrets, massive twists... " Pat Stacey of The Herald wrote: "Episode by episode, the plot is thickening, like soup that's been left sitting on a hot stove for too long." Rachel Cooke of the New Statesman was less complimentary in her review, suggesting that Mercurio struggled to give the audience a logical resolution – leading her to call series 5 “Jed Mercurio’s ropiest bit of work ever sent our way.” Brian Donaldson of The List had solid praise for the actors, but felt the series' plot was somewhat vague; he was critical of the script, stating: “The writing leaves many of them discussing the gravest of matters as though they're reading the contents on the back of a shampoo sachet.”

Ratings

Series 5 saw a major increase in viewing ratings from previous seasons. By the May 2019 season finale, Line of Duty was the BBC’s most watched programme of year. The show was reported to have had an average peak of 12.34 to 13.67 million viewers per episode.