Entertainment
Line of Duty series 6: What’s wrong with Steve Arnott and why is he taking painkillers?
Line Of Duty is two episodes in to series six and is of course still giving us more questions than answers.
The extra episode this series might explain why things are being drawn out teasingly, one of them being DI Steve Arnott’s (Martin Compston) sudden need for painkillers which could be turning into a full blown addiction.
In episode one we saw Steve buying some pills from a pharmacy, adding them to the considerable stockpile he already had at home.
The following week included a scene where Steve experienced a sudden and incredibly painful spasm when he went to visit Steph Corbett (Amy De Bhrún), the widow of John Corbett (Stephen Graham’s undercover officer from series five).
He asked her to fetch his painkillers from the car, and she watched on apparently concerned as he took them.
It isn’t the first time we have seen the newly-promoted detective in pain while on the job, but what’s going on with him?
What’s wrong with Steve Arnott?
Steve has been struggling with back pain since series four.
In that series he was brutally attacked by one of many ‘Balaclava men’ – members of an organised crime group (OCG) – as he was on his way to speak to Nick Huntley (Lee Ingleby) about where his wife, DCI Roz Huntley (Thandie Newton), was when forensics officer Tim Ifield (Jason Watkins) was murdered.
As Steve went to exit the lift of Nick’s office building, one of the masked men was waiting for him and whacked him with a bat before throwing him down a stairwell.
Warning: Video contains violent scenes
He was in a wheelchair for some time before appearing to make a recovery, but Steve’s back still gave him grief whenever he did anything physical such as apprehend a suspect, or attempt to get intimate with his then-girlfriend Sam Railston (Aiysha Hart).
This series things look like they have progressed to the point Steve has turned to painkillers to mask the fact there is some lasting damage from the attack.
Whether it will impact his work life remains to be seen, but we have a suspicion that it might. Is Steve going to confide in anyone?
Series six follows AC-12 as they go after DCI Jo Davidson (Kelly Macdonald) for her unusual actions during the investigation into the murder of journalist Gail Vella (Andi Osho).
Line Of Duty airs Sundays at 9pm on BBC One.
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