Spoilers ahead, obviously
I think I speak for pretty much the entire Line of Duty fanbase when I say… meh. After six series, umpteen fan theories and more than the odd heart-stopping moment, Line of Duty ends not with a bang but with a whimper.
It was always a possibility, that creator and writer Jed Mercurio had backed himself into a corner, and all of the hype built over the series would never be satisfied no matter the ending.
We’ve seen it happen before, most notably and perhaps most painfully, in the final season of Game of Thrones. Cast your minds back to the utter disappointment when you realised that the vast majority of the plot lines set up in Westeros would amount to nothing, and the Night King would (spoiler) die after doing very little except looking super f*cking smug all the time.
Having said that, I really don’t think the Line of Duty finale was as bad as some people are making it out to be. Did we want the fourth man to be Carmichael or Osborne? Sure. Was it an underwhelming reveal to have the bumbling Buckells revealed as the Keyser Söze of the whole thing? Maybe.
But I do think that’s kind of the point. Corruption is rarely as terrifying and all-powerful as it can sometimes feel, and incompetence is often just as harmful as wilful foul play.
Regardless, fans were left feeling hurt and let down after last night’s finale, and what do people do when they feel hurt and let down? They take to Twitter.
Some of the best moments in Twitter history are moments of shared outrage and anger at something that, let’s face it, in the grand scheme of things is absolutely meaningless.
Twitter acts as a salve of comedy on an otherwise bleak night. When your show withholds that dramatic catharsis you were so desperately craving, head to Twitter. You’ll feel better for it.
Without further ado, here are the best reactions and memes after the credits rolled last night.
Honestly would have loved a Bob Mortimer cameo tbh:
https://twitter.com/sar_l0u/status/1388969037099569154
Bit harsh:
Jed Mercurio to everyone whose wasted years of their life watching that. #LineOfDuty pic.twitter.com/tXVD2ehrTv
— Andrew ⚫⚪ (@Andrew_1892_) May 2, 2021
Honestly, the only satisfying bit was that dog imo:
https://twitter.com/m2020_sharon/status/1388968693162467339
Honestly, props to Chloe, the only one doing actual police work this series:
okay everyone is disappointed but can we talk about my gal Chloe single-handedly carrying AC-12 on her back #LineOfDuty pic.twitter.com/ZUBGSeU7sZ
— Thivya (@thivyamk) May 2, 2021
It all makes sense:
https://twitter.com/UTDCJ__/status/1388968435061690369
Relatable:
The whole nation right now… #LineOfDuty pic.twitter.com/zNKzb3bszL
— Noz | spooks era (@hannahdefoes) May 2, 2021
RIP Jenny’s notebooks:
https://twitter.com/JulzCasanova/status/1388967960610476032
This isn’t a meme but this is lovely:
Just my little sister in tonight's Line of Duty! pic.twitter.com/IdPsaRGHW7
— Lee* (@rossvaldo) May 2, 2021
And on that note, I’ll leave you. Head to Twitter for more comedy gold, and let’s just hope the BBC announce Line of Duty series seven soon.
