The final episode of Line Of Duty is set to take place on Sunday evening and dedicated viewers are hoping to uncover the identify of ‘H’ – the fourth man.
And Martin Compston teased that fans will get some ‘big answers’ during the finale, as he admitted he believes it could be the ‘perfect ending’ to the police drama.
The actor, who plays DI Steve Arnott in the show, spoke to the Shrine Of Duty podcast ahead of the last episode this weekend.
Teaser: Martin Compston teased that fans will get some ‘big answers’ during the finale, as he admitted he believes it could be the ‘perfect ending’ to the police drama
Martin, 36, confessed that while he thinks Sunday’s episode could be the best way to wrap up the ‘story arch’ – he also refused to rule out another series.
When quizzed on whether viewers will learn who the illusive ‘H’ is, Martin said: ‘I wouldn’t quite go the Jo Davidson no comment route – but what I will tell you is I think there’s a lot of pay offs coming this Sunday.
‘There’s a lot of big answers and it’s deserved, people have stuck with us for a long time, so there comes a point where the story arch comes to an end.’
Martin also touched on whether series seven is likely, after show bosses previously claimed they believed the current season would be the last.
Inside man: The actor, who plays DI Steve Arnott in the show, spoke to the Shrine Of Duty podcast ahead of the last episode this weekend
He said: ‘We don’t know [if there will be another] – that’s nothing new. Jed always takes time after a series, like a couple of months.
‘There’s a lot of stuff above my pay grade like analytics and audience scores. He takes the emotion out of it and looks at all that.’
Admitting it could be the ‘perfect ending’, he said: ‘It’s different this year, because we have to look it in terms of, do people want us back? 10 years in you start to think of legacy, and if it goes down that well it might be the perfect ending.’
‘But then we might go another couple of months and… what I will say is we won’t do one just for the sake of doing it. Jed will only do it if there’s a story to be told.’
Omg! Martin, 36, confessed that while he thinks Sunday’s episode could be the best way to wrap up the ‘story arch’ – he also refused to rule out another series
Elsewhere, during the chat, Martin also discussed filming the 30 minute-long interrogation scene after Jo Davidson [Kelly MacDonald] was arrested last week.
Martin said that there can be high levels of tension during these types of scenes, which he admitted can often descend into fits of laughter.
He said: ‘These big interview scenes, the tension in them is unreal, not just cos of the scene, but thinking ‘can we do this?’ – it’s 30 minutes long – can we get through it?’
He added: ‘Usually day two, after lunch, your mind has gone and you’re on autopilot. The giggles are ready to go as the finish line is in sight, it just takes something to go.
‘Adrian had a bit of a brain freeze – but animal themed – and when he was on a rant at Kelly, he says a bunch of racist thugs, but it comes out as a slugs.’
‘There was a mountain of evidence, but he said there’s a mountain of elephants coming at you. And we were just like, what is going on?
‘One of them happened and everyone’s averting their eyes and pinching their own legs under the table, trying not to laugh. The slugs one, everyone just lost it.’
‘That’s the horrible thing about the giggles, once you start, there’s no way back.’
Martin’s character, who is known for his love of waistcoats, also touched on whose idea it was to dress Steve in the signature garment.
He said: ‘It was me who decided it, in the first series Jed wanted Steve wearing a lot of layers so he looked a bit different.
‘But in the second series I thought about it and Steve does see himself as Sherlock Holmes, but also – he’s the overdressed w****er at work.
‘He’s the guy in the call centre with the headset and waistcoat having all the office affairs, but nobody can understand why he’s pulling all these birds.
‘There’s that wee arrogance to him, that he thinks he’s a bit better, I love him and playing him, and he is a wee arrogant so and so, but he really cares about his job.’