BBC released the latest trailer of Line of Duty season 5, and it looks like viewers have to brace themselves for some major changes. In the new season, it's not just the bad cops who will be the primary focus of the story as the teaser showed the Balaclava men would take center stage as well.
The teaser to Line of Duty season 5 opens with the crime group on the defense as they seem to have hijacked a police transport. After killing three cops, however, it's still unclear what the men have taken.
A brief shot of guest star Stephen Graham (John Corbett) is shown taking off his mask. BBC confirmed in October that the actor would play one of the members of the notorious organized crime group that has always been referenced in Line of Duty since the first season.
Curiously, the clips also revealed that the Balaclava men aren't just composed of gunmen. There's a brief shot of a Balaclava woman, Lisa McQueen (played by Rochenda Sandall), taking off her mask as well.
According to Line of Duty creator Jed Mercurio, season 5 is going to break ground because the story will finally get to know the people behind the masks. In the past seasons, the show always delved into finding out the corrupt police officer. Mercurio said, however, it was high time they told the other side of the story.
"We are looking at this organized crime group," Mercurio told Digital Spy."It's been established in the past, function to a certain extent through relationships with corrupt police officers," he added.
Meanwhile, back at the precinct, the police determined that there was an inside man to this hijack. The teaser to Line of Duty season 5 also hinted that the AC-12 would revisit a case from season 1 that triggered how they found out about the Balaclava gang. The team will also scour two sites murder sites which have been traced back to the group's crimes.
Supt. Ted Hastings will continue to be on the hot seat in Line of Duty season 5. There's still a shadow of suspicion hanging over him just because he has the same initials of one of the rumored Balaclava Men insider.
Finally, the teaser also gives a glimpse of a face-to-face encounter between Corbett and Det. Steve Arnott (played by Martin Compston). They aim a gun at each other in a tension-filled moment.
BBC has not yet revealed the premiere date for Line of Duty season 5. However, Compston said in another interview that the show would be back on television in April.
