Chloe's Line of Duty HR Blog - S6 Ep1

A few years ago Chloe wrote a very popular blog series reviewing The Apprentice episodes - a light-hearted roundup from a HR and employment law perspective. She's back but this time with the ever popular Line Of Duty series. At best you claim watching the show and reading her series as CPD - at worst it'll be a complete spoiler if you haven't already watched the episode.

Chloe's Line of Duty HR blog – S6 E1 - Setting the Scene

If I had any reservations that Line of Duty might not offer the same insights into the world of HR and employment law that The Apprentice does, they were resolved within the first 3 minutes.

Teasing DI Fleming for being “a dirty stop out” might have been intended as banter by DCI Davidson – but is that really the sort of thing you expect your manager to tease you about? In front of all of your colleagues no less? They’ve set up the storyline early – newbie Davidson looks like a bad apple, overripe and ready to fall at the feet of AC12.

The tension built early on, with Davidson’s armed team heading out, accompanied by suspenseful music, on their way to hopefully capture a murderous suspect. But then Davidson sees something, or does she?

What followed was a sequence of events as surprising to Davidson’s colleagues as it was to us viewers. A completely different crime scene stormed, suspect shot and, as a result, it seems their prime suspect in Operation Lighthouse has eluded them for now.

Meanwhile, hirsute Steve Arnott seems bored with his lot of fraudulent expense claims and malingering employees on sick leave – of course you need to look at the detailed receipts and request a doctor’s report – HR 101.

We see Arnott in conversation about leaving AC12 (no, don’t go!) but as he’s pulled into potential scandalous wrongdoings in Operation Lighthouse is his bloodthirst for catching crooked cops back? With a dead informant added to the mix, a site visit and cctv throwing serious doubts on Davidson’s claims she saw something, and a clandestine meeting with ex-team member DI Fleming, it might just be.

By the end of the episode we were thrown another curveball, as our apparent whistleblower - Farida Jatri - appears to be a lover scorned. That doesn’t mean her concerns are unfounded, but it looks as though they’re setting her up to be a discredited complainant.

And what’s with the Fort Knox set up at Davidson’s flat? There’s definitely something not right there – but is she corrupt? Will the Super be pulled up on just not being very good at his job (messed up the paperwork? Come on, that’s basic!) Will Arnott’s painkiller habit land him in hot water? What about the Jatri/Davidson affair/potential love triangle if the lingering handholding with DI Fleming is anything to go by? It’s an HR migraine in the making.

The intrigue is undeniable – we’ll have to see whether episode 2 attracts the same record breaking viewing figures – I for one will definitely be tuning in (or watching it on catch up while I finish googling CHIS, DIR, IR, ARVs...)