‘Line of Duty’ Season 6 Episode 6 Recap: Who Is Giving the Orders?

Spoilers Below

In Line of Duty Season, Six Episode Six, directed by Jennie Darnell, both Kate and Jo are caught up in the tangled web of organized crime and police corruption after AC-12 finds Ryan dead.

Episode Six begins with Patricia, Ted, Steve, and Chloe finding Ryan lying dead with two gunshots to his chest in the desolate parking lot. Kate and Jo are gone. However, some uniformed police officers find Kate’s car abandoned nearby. Patricia orders the immediate arrest of both Kate and Jo. Meanwhile, Kate brings Jo to the parking structure in Steve’s block of flats. Kate doesn’t trust Jo after she lured her out to be killed. Now Kate will be arrested for Ryan’s murder. Jo proves how much she cares about Kate by holding the gun used to murder the corrupt constable. Kate won’t tell Jo if she has genuine romantic feelings for her. The two women drive off in Steve’s civilian car.

Kate drives the car. She asks if Jo was lying to her about wanting an ex-AC-12 officer around. Jo cries out that Organized Crime controlled her because of all they have over her but hoped Kate’s presence would help her resist their orders. Which sadly did not work. Frustrated by Jo’s refusal to talk about her involvement in police corruption, Kate asks her to speak about her family. Jo admits that her mother is Tommy’s sister. Kate tells Jo that the only way she will get out of this is to prove she is not bent.

Jo tells Kate to pull up right in front of Kingsgate Printing Services, a known former Organized Crime stronghold. Importantly, Terry Boyle’s flat is right across the street. Before Jo can prove her innocence, police patrol vehicles chase them away. Eventually, Kate and Jo are surrounded by police patrol cars and helicopters.

Police order Kate and Jo to leave their car with their hands up. Kate doesn’t understand how the police intercepted them. They have no choice but to leave their vehicle. Jo puts her hands up, but Kate keeps her arms to her side as they walk in front of Steve’s car. All guns are pointed at Kate and Jo even after they tell them their police officers. Patricia grabs a megaphone. She orders Kate and Jo to surrender. Jo slowly puts her gun onto the ground. Kate places her hand on her firearm. Jo, worried about Kate’s safety, yells out that they surrender. Steve walks over to the two women without any weapons.

Steve asks Kate to give up her gun. Kate shouts at Steve about how he gave her up. Steve promises he didn’t tell Patricia anything. He swears he has no idea what is going on but assures him he will protect them. Kate finally slowly places her gun on the ground. Steve safely walks both women out by keeping them behind him. Uniformed constables handcuff Kate and Jo.

Back at the station, Patricia walks in on Steve and Ted talking about Kate. She instantly questions Steve about why Kate had his car and home keys. Steve explains they have each other’s keys in case of extreme circumstances. Patricia states that Ted is being forced into early retirement. Steve is now under her command. Patricia tracks all AC-12 vehicles, which is how they found the two women so quickly.

The following day Patricia with assistance from Ted and Steve, interview Jo. Patricia tells Jo that D.N.A. results prove that Tommy is both her uncle and father. Jo is visibly upset by the news but won’t talk. She eventually starts talking after Ted points out that they have a mountain of evidence against her. Her mother committed suicide because Tommy wanted to force sixteen-year-old Jo to join the police force as an Organized Crime source. She couldn’t live knowing Tommy now also controlled Jo’s life. Jo admits that corrupt cops were involved in Tommy’s death but won’t tell Ted the identity of “the fourth man.”

Operation Lighthouse never arrested Terry because Jo couldn’t go along with sending an innocent man to jail. Jo admits to Ted that she planted the burner phones in Farida’s flat. She takes responsibility for all the leaks and most of the planted evidence but won’t admit to falsifying Deborah’s identification of Terry.

Steve lets Jo know that they found Gail’s stolen electronic devices in the printshop. Jo tells them that she led Kate to the shop to prove her innocence but won’t answer any of Steve’s questions about how the criminals got Gail’s passwords. Patricia asks if Kate shot Ryan. Jo says she did. Jo states that she had every right to kill Ryan as a lawful police officer to protect Kate. She tells them that Ryan was part of Operation Lighthouse to intimidate her into arresting Terry and keeping the investigation away from Organized Crime’s doorstop. Jo was never collaborating with Ryan. Patricia fires and charges Jo.

Ted blunders out of the office after Patricia refuses to let him dig deep into widespread police corruption by pushing Jo further during the interview. Later, Patricia tells Kate that the courts will only be charging Jo with Ryan’s murder. Patricia doesn’t buy Jo as the shooter but is pragmatic enough to go along with the lie. Kate takes command of Gail’s murder case. She and Steve head back to the homemade gun workshop. Chris tells them that the team found construction equipment in the gangsters’ van. Kate orders Chris to dig up the floors of the workshop.

Chloe calls Steve and Kate back to AC-12 because Spanish police found Marcus’ home. A Spanish S.W.A.T. search the house. Sadly, all they see is Marcus and his wife dead. Ted freaks out. His last chance to catch the fourth man is gone.

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