Line of Duty Season 6 Episode 5 Recap: Ryan’s Burner

In Line of Duty Season Six Episode Five, directed by Jennie Darnell, Jo fails to protect Kate from Ryan.

At the crime scene of Jimmy’s “suicide,” Steve mentions to Chloe that Jimmy told him that Gail’s podcast was about the death of Lawrence Christopher in Central Police Custody back in 2003.

Chloe debriefs Ted on AC-12’s surveillance of Jo. Kate can now carry a firearm for protection. Chloe updates the team about how they can’t monitor Jo inside her flat. Jo remains under surveillance because DNA reveals that Tommy Hunter is her father. Deceased Tommy was a former leader of an organized crime syndicate and a pedophile. The following morning, Ted rushes off to see Rohan because Chief Constable Philip Osbourne announced he is getting rid of civilian oversight of the police. Philip forced Rohan to resign because he had been trying to stop the chief from axing AC-12.

Later, Kate dashes into Jo’s office. She shuts the door. Kate tells Jo that they may have located the gun workshop at an industrial site used by organized crime. Kate briefs the whole team right away about how she thinks she possibly found the gun workshop linked to Gail’s murder at Lockside Yard to counteract any leaks. She orders the group to relinquish their phones and not leave the room. Ryan looks visibly distressed. Kate and Jo secretly speak in her office.

Ryan never leaves Kate’s side on the way to Lockside Yard. Team Lighthouse can’t find the gun workshop at the industrial site. Ryan sneaks out to make a call on his burner phone. Chloe takes photographs of Ryan speaking on the burner from a surveillance van. Kate reveals she only told Jo about two other possible workshop sites for security reasons. Kate and Jo will separately search Nights Courtyard and White Rock Park.

Steve waits with a surveillance team at White Rock Park; he spots two criminals walking into a building. AC-12 officers shoot the two suspects. Steve walks around the workshop seeing all this equipment used to create unlicensed guns. Jo is outraged when she spots Steve at White Rock Park. Jo doesn’t believe Steve’s excuse about following the suspects there. She orders Steve out of her crime scene.

Steve lets Ted know that AC-12 traced Lewis Polkard and the other suspect to organized crime. Steve links Ryan to Lewis since the probationary constable called somebody on the burner phone, and at the same time, the criminal’s cell logged a call. Meanwhile, Jo orders the team to have forensics look over White Rock Park with a fine-tooth comb since it’s linked to organized crime. Chloe briefs Ted and Steve about the “accidental death” of Lawrence in police custody. Back in 2003, a group of racist youths beats up young Black British architect Lawrence. But the police threw Lawrence into a cell without proper medical care. The police joked around as he lay dying. The authorities tried to blame “gang activity” on Lawrence’s death. When the police finally investigated Lawrence’s murder, they dropped all charges against these White youths.

Steve finds connections with the child sexual abuse case at Sands View Boys Home and Lawrence’s death. Retired DCI Marcus Thurwell, the Senior Investigating Officer who waited to arrest the racist youths, also was involved in covering up the boy’s home case. Marcus was also working under pedophile CSU Patrick Fairbanks. Chloe hypothesizes that perhaps Gail was aware that Marcus investigated both the sexual abuse case and Lawrence’s murder.

After Kate reveals that she told AC-12 about the three sites, Jo requests she transfer. Kate refuses. Gail asked to interview Patrick at Queen’s Chase Prison but was killed the night before they met. Steve orders Chloe to set up a meeting. Sadly, Steve and Chloe can’t get anything out of Patrick because of his dementia. Back home, the “Unknown User” messages Jo ordering her to kill Kate. She can’t push the boss of this idea but feels some peace when the messenger promises Jo that it will be her last job.

Late at night, Chloe lets Steve know that Gail requested face-to-face interviews with several prisoners at Blackthorn. Unfortunately, Lee Banks Carl’s brother is the only one Gail could interview two weeks before her murder. Steve theorizes that Lee telling his boss about Gail led to her death. However, when Steve visits Blackthorn, Lee doesn’t give him any information. Meanwhile, Jo asks Kate if she is willing to speak to her outside of work about personal issues. She agrees. Afterward, Jo cries in the bathroom.

Tommy’s son Darren Hunter is one of the young men responsible for Lawrence’s death. Ted hypothesizes that Tommy ordered Marcus to sabotage the case against Darren, which explains the motive for Gail’s murder. Steve believes that Carl killed Gail to protect an alive high-ranking police officer still involved in organized crime. Chloe finds out that Philip, the highest-ranking police officer, was engaged in Lawrence’s Murder Inquiry. Thus, Philip benefits from Gail’s death.

Right at that moment, DCS Patricia Carmichael burst into AC-12’s offices. She will take over several AC offices once Ted retires. Patricia has frozen all investigations by AC-12 to stop the budget from being spent before she comes in next month.

Meanwhile, Jo directs Kate to meet with her in a desolate car park instead of the pre-determined public pub. Ryan hides in the back of Jo’s car.

Kate calls Steve to forward him the address of the new meeting place. Steve begs Kate to leave the parking lot. Patricia interrupts the call, but Kate hangs up on her. Jo arrives. AC-12 rushes off to save Kate.

Ryan gets out of the car with his gun out while the two women speak. Kat and Ryan point their weapons at each other. Shots ring out.

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