Another week, another corner turned in the murky rabbit hole of this series that's making Series 1 and DCI Tony Gates' shenanigans seem positively playground in comparison.
With DI Denton locked away in a hell-hole of intimidation and no musical keyboard, the attention shifted to other police officers, including the dead copper, a surprisingly well off DS Akers, as well as the members of AC-12 themselves, including a surprisingly broke Hastings. Is no one beyond the law in this series?! Or is it as police terrier Steve Arnott describes about liars and non-liars - "the rest of us choose our moments."
Not least that silver fox of a Deputy Chief Constable Dryden - well, we just knew there was a story there, didn't we? - as it turns out he could be guilty of a lot more than a bit of speeding.
It was all enough to make you start feeling sorry for Denton, who's sounding increasingly credible with her claims of a stitch-up, and that was BEFORE she had the 'accident' with the kettle. Ouch! Another virtuoso display of despairing loneliness from Keeley Hawes, and her final encounter with a freshly open-minded Arnott veritably gave me goosebumps.
All this, AND the return of DI 'Dot' Cotton, a perky Craig Ferguson - untrusted by his colleagues, but the perfect "poacher turned gamekeeper" according to the weary boss Hastings. When Brits and the Beeb do police drama this well, who needs boxsets??