Line of Duty is a Brit cop drama that focuses on the tense interplay, between the anti corruption units, within the UK Police and the officers, they are tasked with investigating.
Refreshingly, this drama, renders real characters, on both sides of the divide. No one is perfect, including the investigated and the investigators.
The standard of casting and acting, as is typical with most UK productions of this kind, is of a high caliber. The convincing characterizations and the tension that mounts for the viewer, as the lives of often good people, who makes bad decisions, slowly unravel, is not always easy to watch.
This is an engaging series, that works well.It keeps the viewers attention with storyline(s) that are, for the most part, believable. Often focusing on personal issues, that make their way into the workplace, as is so often the case, in real life.
Where this series falls down somewhat, is some of the more implausible mistakes made by seasoned police officers. A ring from a glass left on a table, for example, taken by a compromised officer is inexplicable. As is, false claims, regarding a relationship, whilst knowing full well, that text records from mobiles, including intimate ones, are readily available. Any experienced detective would realize, in some instances, truth is less damaging than lies and may, in fact, better hide a bigger lie.
The other shortfall, is how cold and often, unlikable, a good portion of the characters are. Injecting a little human warmth, into this series, would actually increase the impact on the viewer, when things turn sour. This, I think, is what stops Line of Duty from being an exceptional series, like the much loved, classic detective series, in the same vein, Cracker. Cracker is outstanding because it takes far more emotional and personal risks, with its characterizations.
That said, for the most part, Line of Duty is a good series and still represents an intelligent, worthwhile watch. Seven out of ten from me.
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