Line Of Duty: 5 Questions We Still Need Answered In The Finale

Line of Duty’s relentless pace and heart-stopping, twisty turns have had six million of us shrieking at the TV like one giant, deranged Gogglebox family over the past five weeks.

Whether it was the moment DS Steve Arnott was left for dead and flung down the stairs (‘Noooooo!’), or the bit when forensics expert Tim Ifield lunged at DCI Roz Huntley with a chainsaw (‘Whaaaat?!’), the fourth series of the hit BBC drama has certainly not scrimped on shocks. And with the electrifying finale now fast looming, a little more collective jaw-dropping is definitely on the cards.

As it stands, Roz – played by an ice-cool Thandie Newton – looks in it up to her neck, and the penultimate episode saw her play a blinder in arresting her own husband Nick for Tim Ifield’s murder.

But those familiar with Jed Mercurio’s outrageously OTT plot-lines know that nothing is ever what it seems. And with a gazillion loose ends to tie up, these are the five biggest questions at the heart of this gripping series. Roll on Sunday…

Who the hell is Balaclava Man?
At the crux of the case, the identity of the mystery masked attacker has been a nagging doubt since episode one. Fingers first pointed at the innocent Michael Farmer, then Tim Ifield and Nick Huntley.

Since then, social media has been ablaze with theories that the culprit could in fact be Nick’s shady solicitor pal, Jimmy Lakewell – especially as we now know he has previous links to Michael Farmer. Others reckon that the man donning the sinister black hood is none other than big boss ACC Derek Hilton.

Frankly, the mind still boggles over this one.

Surely Roz won’t walk free. Will she?
One thing that’s never been in doubt is Roz Huntley’s guilt. But can anyone fathom exactly what she’s done? Nope, us neither.

Regardless, she’s so manipulative that you can easily imagine her wriggling free of the law and waltzing off into the sunset, pocketing a hefty divorce settlement in the process.

Alternatively, young underling Jodie – aka smarmy teacher’s pet – might just see the light and prove instrumental in bringing her wily boss to justice.

P.S. That hairbrush Roz was tampering with in the last episode? Watch it like a hawk.

What’s the significance of the letter ‘H’?
This is where things get really confusing. At the end of series three, corrupt DI Dot Cottan gave a dying exclamation, in which he claimed he had been protecting a senior officer with the initial ‘H’ all along.

In last week’s episode, Hilton presented Superintendent Ted Hastings with leaked footage of the declaration and accused him of being the H in question. Hastings (who surely can’t be a baddie) quickly pointed the finger straight back at Hilton, setting us up for an almighty final reveal on Sunday.

Why did Maneet do the dirty on her team?
In series three, PC Maneet Bindra was key to cracking the case and rooting out evil DI Cottan. This time around, she’s turned mole and has been leaking ultra-sensitive AC-12 material (including the dying exclamation) to Hilton. Her actions even cost young DC Jamie Desford his job.

We know she wasn’t happy about snitching on her team – hence her tears as she left the force. But the conundrum is, what hold does Hilton have over her – and why?

Is this the end for Steve?
Poor old DS Arnott. No police officer on earth has ever endured such a colossal chain of misfortune. Now in a wheelchair, thanks to Balaclava Man, we last saw him struggling to cope in his poky little flat, with DS Kate Flynn surveying his upturned furniture and filthy crockery in disbelief.

As he fought back tears, Steve gave a strong hint that he may never walk again – casting his future in the series into major doubt (DC Desford is even being tipped as his replacement).

With Jed Mercurio famed for ruthlessly dispensing with major characters, he has stressed that "no one is safe”, meaning it really could be curtains for Arnott. (Sob.)

At least there’s not too long until we find out all the answers. Brace yourselves, people…