Latest episode of Line of Duty prompting record number of internet searches

Sunday night’s episode of Line of Duty has sent fans into overdrive.
By Graeme Cousins
Published 19th Apr 2021, 14:08 BST
Updated 19th Apr 2021, 14:09 BST
Filming on the current series of Line Of Duty with Superintendent Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar) - (C) World Productions - Photographer: World ProductionsFilming on the current series of Line Of Duty with Superintendent Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar) - (C) World Productions - Photographer: World Productions
Filming on the current series of Line Of Duty with Superintendent Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar) - (C) World Productions - Photographer: World Productions

As the sixth series of the BBC crime drama continues to twist and turn towards a conclusion viewers have taken to the internet to share their theories as well as searching for pertinent information that could help them better understand the tangled web creator Jed Mercurio has woven.

A study by True Crime Mania found that Sunday’s episode is set to exceed the previously most-searched-for instalment in popularity – S5 E3 – by a massive 49%.

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The episode offered more questions than answers and finished on a trademark cliffhanger as AC-12’s Kate Fleming, played by Vicky McClure, and bent copper Ryan Pilkington, played by Gregory Piper, point guns at each other before two shots are heard.

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True Crime Mania has highlighted Google Trends data which shows that worldwide searches for the show have increased by 92% over the last year alone.

The data also reveals what fans are most intrigued by, with results showing that the most popular related searches are around people trying to decode the various acronyms that are playing a prominent role in this season such as CHIS (Covert Human Intelligence Source), OCG (Organised Crime Gang) and AFO (Authorised Firearms Officer).

Viewers are also searching for Terry Boyle, Carl Banks, and Jackie Laverty, who have all resurfaced as people of interest in this current series.

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Related topics:Jed MercurioBBC