Line of Duty: All the clues from the missing freezer to the magazine QR code

Line of Duty ’s sixth series premiere clocked up almost 10 million viewers, making it the most-watched drama in nearly three years.

Jed Mercurio’s hit BBC1 police thriller wowed fans on Sunday night with a jam-packed episode.

Supt Ted Hastings (played by Adrian Dunbar) is just about in charge at anti-corruption department AC-12.

But DI Kate Fleming ( Vicky McClure ) has moved over to the Murder Investigations Team (MIT), while a miserable DS Steve Arnott (Martin Compston) is also keen to quit AC-12.

Mysterious bent copper “H” is still at large and there’s a new suspicious-looking officer in town, MIT’s DCI Jo Davidson (played by Kelly Macdonald ).

And everyone on the show still communicates entirely through baffling acronyms.

So what’s going on?

With fans debating episode one conspiracy theories, here are 12 clues you may not have spotted…

The show continues on BBC1 on Sunday at 9pm.

The Missing Freezer

Loyal fans will have seen suspect Terry Boyle (Tommy Jessop) before. Back in series one, a crime gang took advantage of Terry, who has learning difficulties, using him and his flat to hide their crimes.

After the murder of Jackie Laverty (Gina McKee), her body parts were stored in his freezer. In series five, he was quizzed by cops. Now the freezer has been moved.

Where is it? And what’s inside?

Steve’s headlight signal

Steve arranged to meet Kate in secret, wanting to give her a heads up that AC-12 were sniffing around her team.

When he arrived, Steve flashed his headlights four times. Four flashes. Four dots. It’s morse code for H. Even Kate rolled her eyes at his reference to the bent cop they’re chasing, but does it mean something?

Buckells and the golf bag

Behind the desk of DCI Ian Buckells (Nigel Boyle), was a set of golf clubs. Is this a clue that he is connected to the “Caddy”, the nickname given to bent copper Matthew Cottan (Craig Parkinson)?

We know at least one dodgy copper is out there, and Buckells is suspiciously inept, having “messed up the paperwork” on the flat surveillance.

The fourth man… or woman

New AC-12 rookie DC Chloe Bishop (Shalom Brune-Franklin) possibly seems too good to be true, one to keep an eye on, even though Hastings and Arnott reckon she’s a good ’un.

In a trailer for the series, Chloe asks Steve: “Do you still believe there’s a fourth man out there?” But Steve asks: “Man or woman?” Does Steve know something we don’t?

The magazine QR code

Keen to keep fans on their toes, producers have released an “Easter Egg hunt”of hidden messages about the show.

In a trailer, a magazine cover featuring victim journalist Gail Vella (Andi Osho), which is found in Terry’s flat, is pictured with a QR code on it. If you scan the code, it leads to a document called Operation Easter Egg Hunt, the first clue.

This one is a letter from the Chief Constable proposing the ousting of Supt Hastings. Is this a sign of things to come?

Steve’s prescription

Hidden in the Easter Egg letter is a link to a pharmacy prescription, issued to DS Steve Arnott.

It prescribes ibuprofen and codeine, as well as Pitradine and Charzepam, made up names, but it’s suggested that one is a painkiller and one is a sedative used for sleeping issues and anxiety.

They come with a warning: Can Cause Addiction. We have seen Steve collecting drugs at multiple pharmacies. Is he addicted or is this a misdirection?

The video news report

Morse code on Steve’s prescription leads clued-in fans to a news video report, where journalist Gail Vella covers Operation Pear Tree as the police slam allegations of corruption.

Hilarious news banners across the video include “Waistcoats make shock comeback during fashion week” and “Man seen floating up river Lagan after banks burst”. Could the banks refer to the Banks family?

The Google map

Clever code-breakers can also find an image of texts being deleted, a suspect board and a video from The Gaffer. A link also takes fans to a location on Google maps: Birmingham’s Green Lane. Is it a scene of a crime?

Scrolling across the bottom of the news report is the headline “Physicists hail importance of new equation” with the algebraic code (Hx6) + ? .xyz Could it mean there are six H’s or bent coppers?

Related villains?

When police searched the flat they found it was covered in fingerprints belonging to someone called Carl Banks.

Could it be that Carl is connected to Lee Banks (Alistair Natkiel), a member of the OCG (organised crime group), who was part of John Corbett’s criminal gang in series five before he was banged up for the kidnap and killing of PC Maneet Bindra.

He was also the man Hastings visited in jail.

Touching hands

A lingering hand touch between Kate and new boss DCI Jo Davidson left Kate decidedly uncomfortable.

When Jo’s ex Sgt Farida Jatri (Anneika Rose) yelled: “You moving in with her now? The smart money’s on Kate Fleming”, Jo replied sarcastically: “Kate and I have been sh*gging for months. Even though she’s straight.”

But does she actually have feelings for her?

Too many locks

In dramatic scenes, Jo drained her glass of wine, then lobbed the empty glass at an old family photo.

She had just told Farida she doesn’t have a family. So who is in the photo? Is it her as a young child with her mother? Is her mother dead? Are they estranged?

And while we’re talking about police with troubled pasts, why on earth does she have so many locks on the door? What is she scared of?

Is Terry doomed?

Right at the end, Terry is released after DCI Davidson decides he should be put on police bail without charge as there isn’t enough evidence and it “doesn’t add up”.

Then Terry’s lawyer tells him that as his flat is a crime scene, police had arranged a stay in approved premises.

She then said: “You’ll be safe there, Terry”, which is code for you’ll be dead by episode three. Has DCI Davidson set him up?

*Line of Duty continues on Sundays at 9pm on BBC One. All previous episodes are available on catch-up on BBC iPlayer.

What did you make of the series premiere of Line of Duty series 6? Let us know in the comments below.

Originally from https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/line-duty-clues-missing-freezer-23776845