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Line of Duty
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- Lemon Quarter
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Re: Line of Duty
Its the perennial problem of TV shows, there is always a commercial imperative to go on too long. If this was really the last series we could have all the lose ends tied, and the crowd-pleasing fall of Carmichael or Osborne. As it is Buckles is not much of a villain, and while the "corruption cannot be stamped out" message may be deliberate, it all left me rather flat.
I expect we'll get another series, but don't see how Steve or Kate could get promoted high enough to take on the big guns without Hastings, unless his retirement is reversed by episode 3
I expect we'll get another series, but don't see how Steve or Kate could get promoted high enough to take on the big guns without Hastings, unless his retirement is reversed by episode 3
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- Lemon Quarter
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Re: Line of Duty
Clearly the fictitious' order' to transport Jo from the prison to the Hill for further questioning could not have been generated by Buckles - he was in a prison cell.
T7
T7
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Re: Line of Duty
terminal7 wrote:Clearly the fictitious' order' to transport Jo from the prison to the Hill for further questioning could not have been generated by Buckles - he was in a prison cell.
T7
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i wondered about that ..
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- Lemon Quarter
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Re: Line of Duty
JohnB wrote:Its the perennial problem of TV shows, there is always a commercial imperative to go on too long. If this was really the last series we could have all the lose ends tied, and the crowd-pleasing fall of Carmichael or Osborne. As it is Buckles is not much of a villain, and while the "corruption cannot be stamped out" message may be deliberate, it all left me rather flat.
I expect we'll get another series, but don't see how Steve or Kate could get promoted high enough to take on the big guns without Hastings, unless his retirement is reversed by episode 3
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adrian dunbar wont be written out ....
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- Lemon Half
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Re: Line of Duty
jackdaww wrote:JohnB wrote:Its the perennial problem of TV shows, there is always a commercial imperative to go on too long. If this was really the last series we could have all the lose ends tied, and the crowd-pleasing fall of Carmichael or Osborne. As it is Buckles is not much of a villain, and while the "corruption cannot be stamped out" message may be deliberate, it all left me rather flat.
I expect we'll get another series, but don't see how Steve or Kate could get promoted high enough to take on the big guns without Hastings, unless his retirement is reversed by episode 3
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adrian dunbar wont be written out ....
definately!
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- Lemon Half
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Re: Line of Duty
I hope Chloe from the back office gets a bigger part in the next series, given she entirely solved this one.
Scott.
Scott.
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- Lemon Half
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Re: Line of Duty
swill453 wrote:I hope Chloe from the back office gets a bigger part in the next series, given she entirely solved this one.
Scott.
She was a bit of a "Chloe Ex Machina"
- with everyone else taking about what she'd dug up.... until she dug up the next bit (off screen)
I suspect if she gets a bigger role she'll send up being "bent"; I had suspicions this season that she was just too good at finding leads so they must have been bogus
-sd
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Re: Line of Duty
swill453 wrote:I hope Chloe from the back office gets a bigger part in the next series, given she entirely solved this one.
Scott.
As an actress, she is capable of much more (remember her in Our Girl?) so I hope she receives some new roles generally. As a character, she is certainly worth developing.
Arb.
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Re: Line of Duty
jackdaww wrote:terminal7 wrote:Clearly the fictitious' order' to transport Jo from the prison to the Hill for further questioning could not have been generated by Buckles - he was in a prison cell.
T7
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i wondered about that ..
But wasn't that the cell which was found to have hidden computer equipment - or did I imagine that in the helter-skelter of scenes?
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- Lemon Quarter
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Re: Line of Duty
swill453 wrote:I hope Chloe from the back office gets a bigger part in the next series, given she entirely solved this one.
Scott.
I had Chloe down as 'H'!
I came to this conclusion by applying the 'Agatha Christie' hypothesis, which is that the character who seems to be the least suspicious turns out to be the murderer in the end!
Watis
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Re: Line of Duty
Ian Buckells was no more credible as a major player than Fred Buckles. He was incompetent and incapable of the required planning and control of all the elements required. He was suitable as a weak character drawn into being "bent", but frankly not bright enough to have done all he did for so long.
This is why the final episode had a hollow feel to us viewers: to complete the story we needed a big scalp to go down. So ultimately one is left with the feeling that the "arc of the storyline" which Martin Compston told us would be coming to and end, hasn't.
Being charitable, one could say that life is like that. It's a fashion amongst writers these days to say that there never is a neat ending, so let's inject some "realismo". But this is at odds with we the audience needs: a beginning, a middle and an ending. Nothing less satisfies.
On the other hand, series like "Lost" went on endlessly and anyone who hoped for an ending deserted it after they realised they were just being "had" by the makers.
The other fascinating point about script writing is how often we are made to empathise with characters who are law breakers (one might argue this is played out in real life in politics right now, the script writers being the PR men). I have in mind both Hastings and Jo Davidson. I doubt anyone wanted either of these characters to have a sticky end, though for different reasons, but both had broken the law or far worse, in the case of Davidson. Both had good reasons for doing what they did and we accept that those reasons did not ruin them in our eyes, whereas others we are taught to condemn as more evil. I guess this is telling us how easily a story can twist our moral compass - and we should beware of that! - but it also shows us that every person is on a spiral, and few are truly evil - most just slide into a situation where getting back up the hill is too hard.
I can understand that corruption never ends, so neither can AC12, but that is different to making a series which will last as a classic. The ending here, in my view, spoilt its chances in that regard.
But will I watch another series: almost certainly.
Arb.
This is why the final episode had a hollow feel to us viewers: to complete the story we needed a big scalp to go down. So ultimately one is left with the feeling that the "arc of the storyline" which Martin Compston told us would be coming to and end, hasn't.
Being charitable, one could say that life is like that. It's a fashion amongst writers these days to say that there never is a neat ending, so let's inject some "realismo". But this is at odds with we the audience needs: a beginning, a middle and an ending. Nothing less satisfies.
On the other hand, series like "Lost" went on endlessly and anyone who hoped for an ending deserted it after they realised they were just being "had" by the makers.
The other fascinating point about script writing is how often we are made to empathise with characters who are law breakers (one might argue this is played out in real life in politics right now, the script writers being the PR men). I have in mind both Hastings and Jo Davidson. I doubt anyone wanted either of these characters to have a sticky end, though for different reasons, but both had broken the law or far worse, in the case of Davidson. Both had good reasons for doing what they did and we accept that those reasons did not ruin them in our eyes, whereas others we are taught to condemn as more evil. I guess this is telling us how easily a story can twist our moral compass - and we should beware of that! - but it also shows us that every person is on a spiral, and few are truly evil - most just slide into a situation where getting back up the hill is too hard.
I can understand that corruption never ends, so neither can AC12, but that is different to making a series which will last as a classic. The ending here, in my view, spoilt its chances in that regard.
But will I watch another series: almost certainly.
Arb.
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Re: Line of Duty
terminal7 wrote:Fred Buckles
Mother of God Arb - who is Fred Buckles?
T7
He (Fred Buckle - Ask the Midwife) used to be the clerk in John Thaw's chambers. Remember? [Kavanagh QC]
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Re: Line of Duty
Fred Buckle, viewed by surely everyone just before Line Of in Call the Midwife. He's a sort of handyman who helps the nuns at Nonnatus House.
He'd be good with the little donkey too.
Arb.
He'd be good with the little donkey too.
Arb.
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Re: Line of Duty
terminal7 wrote:Fred Buckles or Fred Buckle - not exactly AC-12 level of accuracy
T7
Punner's licence
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Re: Line of Duty
Yes, but was it fact or fiction?
Daniel Morgan report could link Rupert Murdoch empire to ‘criminality’
The Guardian
Panel has considered describing News of the World as ‘linked to’ murder suspects in its long-awaited findings
"The Morgan case has been described as the real-life version of the hit television drama Line of Duty. The programme’s policing adviser worked on the Morgan case while a Met detective in its anti-corruption command."
Daniel Morgan report could link Rupert Murdoch empire to ‘criminality’
The Guardian
Panel has considered describing News of the World as ‘linked to’ murder suspects in its long-awaited findings
"The Morgan case has been described as the real-life version of the hit television drama Line of Duty. The programme’s policing adviser worked on the Morgan case while a Met detective in its anti-corruption command."
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