Many Line of Duty fans were shocked when season 6 finally revealed who ‘H’ was. Mostly because Nigel Boyle’s blundering DSU Ian Buckells seemed an unlikely candidate to be the elusive villain who caused AC-12 so much trouble.
And, it turns out, they may be right. At least that’s according to Adrian Dunbar, who plays Superintendent Ted Hastings on the tense crime drama.
During a chat with Radio Times magazine, the actor was asked whether viewers who think Buckells is ‘H’ are assuming too much.
“Yes! He’s not ‘H’,” he said, before adding: “We just got the guy we could actually pin a charge on. We didn’t get ‘H’, we got Buckells, the patsy.”
He added: “There’s a scene when we look at each other and think: ‘Really? This t**t?’ He’s a distraction.”
When Chief Constable Philip Osborne (Owen Teale) was mentioned as the potential real ‘H’, Dunbar appeared to agree, saying: “That’s probably where it’s heading, unless there’s another twist and someone’s pulling his strings.”
The latter is entirely possible, considering creator Jed Mercurio’s track record. Of course, a seventh season has yet to be confirmed by the BBC, but Dunbar seems optimistic, and even said he’s “hoping something might happen next year”.
Whether it returns as a full season, a movie or a different format remains to be seen.
You can read the full interview in this week’s issue of Radio Times.
![""]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2022/08/Week35-Cover-56fc816.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C827" "\"\"")
Read more:
- Line of Duty star wants big return for Buckells in twisty season 7 idea
- Line of Duty’s Jed Mercurio on scrapped storylines, Steve and Kate’s potential romance and “H”
- Line of Duty fans name best ever moment as show marks 10th anniversary
Line of Duty is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Take a look at more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.
The latest issue of Radio Times magazine is released on Tueada – subscribe now and get the next 12 issues for only £1. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times podcast with Jane Garvey.