Line Of Duty series 5 episode 1 spoiler theories

Warning: contains spoilers for Line Of Duty series 5 episode 1.

You’ve deciphered the acronyms. You’ve learned the new character names. You’d sussed out before Kate and Steve did who the UCO really was. Right now, you’re feeling pretty good about your grasp on Line Of Duty series five. If they gave out merit badges to Line Of Duty viewers, you’d not only have one; you’d already have sewn it onto your sash.

You mean to tell me you’re not wearing a sash? Come the hell on. What is it you want? To be seen as some kind of amateur?

Prove that you’re not by solving this mystery: in the series five premiere, when Maneet was kidnapped by the OCG and discovered to have a tracking device in the burner phone they’d given her, who put it there?

Here are some options, starting with the obvious…

Maneet did it

Hypothesis: When she was kidnapped, PC Bindra was heading to AC-12 to tell them that she’d made contact with the nominal and had a plan for uncovering the gang headquarters that involved the tracking device she’d placed in her burner phone, all as a means to making up for her betrayal. She knew the jig was up the minute Corbett asked for a screwdriver.

The case against: A previously sensible officer and mother of two wouldn’t take that kind of risk with her life.

AC-12 did it

Hypothesis: When Maneet visited cousin Vihan in prison and made contact with the OCG using his instructions, she was doing it all as part of her first undercover op for AC-12. That’s what John Corbett seemed to think was happening anyway.

The case against: If AC-12 had been tracking Maneet’s movements, they’d have noticed she’d been kidnapped and mounted a rescue mission instead of tootling off to visit DSU Powell.

John Corbett did it

Hypothesis: Corbett (who’s gone fully rogue) planted the tracker in the burner phone to frame Lisa McQueen as an informer and get her out of the gang so that she doesn’t unveil his secret identity. He knew exactly what to look for, after all.

The case against: If he really has gone fully rogue, why wouldn’t Corbett just cut Lisa’s throat rather than go around the houses and draw more attention to the OCG by killing another police officer?

Lisa McQueen did it

Hypothesis: Lisa planted the tracker on the phone before giving it to Maneet to keep tabs on her new informant. It was a rookie error, which is why she had a panic attack in the toilet immediately after the tracker was discovered.

The case against: admittedly, she’s an adult who owns a Tiny Tears doll, yet she doesn’t seem quite that dim.

The boy on the bike did it

Hypothesis: The young lad on the pushbike who chucked the Jiffy bag containing the burner mobile outside that phone box is secretly an undercover officer in his mid-thirties with a robust moisturising regime. They call him Babyface McGee, and he’s the best damn UCO on the force, godammit.

The case against: None. Seems water-tight.

Over to you.