Bent coppers, beware: the sixth season of Line of Duty is very nearly upon us. Yes, AC-12 is returning to crack down on police corruption. And, with seven episodes in this season instead of the usual six, we have a feeling this might be the most explosive one yet. 

Vicky McClure, Adrian Dunbar and Martin Compston will return as DI Kate Fleming, DS Steve Arnott and Superintendent Ted Hastings respectively. Shalom Brune-Franklin also joins the cast as new addition to the AC-12 team, DC Chloe Bishop. And Kelly Macdonald makes her debut on the show as guest lead DCI Joanne Davidson.

While Line Of Duty’s creator, Jed Mecurio, has remained tight-lipped about what happens next, there have been some clues given about what to expect from season six.

Last week, the BBC released a trailer full of Easter eggs (which, arguably, has just made people even more confused). We know that DCI Joanne Davidson’s suspicious conduct attracts the attention of Anti-Corruption. And Compston has said there are some “big answers” ahead. 

With this in mind, let’s look at the biggest questions that we need answering. They might just be the ones that Compston is hinting at…

Who the hell is ‘H’?

In the final episode of series five, the AC-12 team learned that DI Matthew ‘Dot’ Cottan – who was of course ‘The Caddy’ – was using Morse code to communicate crucial information on corrupt officers in his dying declaration. He revealed that there are four people involved in the crimes.

This either suggests that there is a fourth yet-to-be named H – who worked with DI Cottan, ACC Hilton and police legal counsel Gill Biggeloe – or they were all led by an officer known as H. There’s also the possibility that The Caddy wasn’t telling the truth, which leads us to…

Was there more to Dot’s dying declaration?

Significant clearance is needed to access the tape of Cottan’s dying declaration. Senior officers including Arnott and Fleming are not able to access it easily without permission from Hastings or the Chief Commissioner of the police. But WHY?!

Will Kate Fleming be a suspect?

In season three, Steve Arnott was accused of being The Caddy. And in season five, Ted Hastings was accused of being H. Does this mean that Kate Fleming is the next AC-12 member to be suspicious of? 

If the trailer is anything to go by, this might just be her time to sit in the interrogation seat. “Do you still believe there’s a fourth man out there?” DC Chloe Bishop asks Arnott. “Man… or woman,” he replies, while the camera lingers on Fleming.

What is happening to Hastings?

Although Hastings was cleared in the last episode, we were left wondering if he was actually complicit in corruption. Even if the answer is no, the Superintendent has a lot of personal demons to battle in this season. 

“Let’s face it – time is running out a bit for Ted,” Dunbar said in a press statement. “The age he is, whether he can stay in the force, is he useful enough, is he a bit of a dinosaur? He’s up against quite a bit. His personal life is not in great shape.”

Mother of god! It’s not looking good for him.

What will Ryan Pilkington do next?

We first met Ryan in season one when he was a young but confident boy who cycled around dropping off burner phones and swearing at people. Growing up with absent parents, he was led into the world of OCG violence and even tried to chop off Arnott’s fingers. In the end, he was brought in for questioning to help with the case. When a police officer dropped him off at home, he gave Ryan his card and told him to ring him if he ever wanted to talk or needed help.

Fast forward a few years and Ryan is an OCG member again. At the end of season five, we see him signing up to become a police officer. Does this mean that he’s going to be a rat in the force, much like Cottan? Will he be the new Caddy? Or does he plan on feeding information to the police after they helped him when he was younger? And what does the police officer who gave him his card know about Ryan’s story?

Ryan is, perhaps, the key character to focus on this season. 

Is DCI Joanne Davidson a bent copper?

Since hearing the news that McDonald joined the cast as a DCI, fans have been suspicious of the guest character. We all know that roles played by previous guest stars Keeley Hawes, Thandie Newton and Stephen Graham have been integral to the twists and turns of the crossing storylines. 

“At the start of the series, she’s quite a lonely figure. She’s struggling and we don’t know why,” McDonald said in a press statement. And in the trailer, Bishop says she is not to be trusted.

Watch the trailer for Line Of Duty season 6

And what about DCI Chloe Bishop?

Although Bishop’s integrity hasn’t been questioned so far, we need to remember that this is Line Of Duty – anybody can be a suspect. Just look at PC Maneet Bindra who got caught in dodgy dealings for Hilton.

Will Jackie Laverty’s body ever be found?

Jackie Laverty’s dismembered body was hidden in poor Terry Boyle’s freezer by OCG members in season one. In season five, the OCG revisit Terry and reveal that her body is still in there. And, in the final episode, parts of her thawed body are found alongside John Corbett’s body. Surely, there’s some significance as to why she has only just been discovered?

Hopefully, we’ll find out at least some of the answers to these questions when season six starts on Sunday 21 March at 9pm on BBC One.

Images: Getty