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Line of Duty: What's the significance of the 'definately' typo?

Photo credit: BBC
Photo credit: BBC

We have been watching Line of Duty for long enough now to know that there are no accidents and definitely no coincidences. Which is why fans are losing it over the repeated misspelling of the word 'definitely' during various characters correspondence with a mystery OCG member. And there's a very good reason for why it matters so much.

During episode five Joanne Davidson got out her laptop to talk to her unknown criminal handler following AC-12's raid on a gun workshop. "Unknown" isn't happy about the fact that two OCG henchmen were shot during the operation and tells Davidson that she'll have to do away with DCI Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure).

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Davidson, who's clearly not keen on this life of crime any longer, responds that she'll only do it "As long as it's my last job," to which Unknown responds "definately".

While the typo seems totally innocuous, it actually carries the weight of a thousand theories, since it's the same typo 'H' used while exchanging messages with John Corbett back in series five.

When undercover officer Corbett suggested to the OCG big boss in the previous series that the gang rob the Eastfield Depot, 'H', still writing under the name 'Unknown' said the operation was "definately high risk."

Photo credit: BBC
Photo credit: BBC

What this means is that Davidson is likely talking to the same person that Corbett was speaking to last season, and who he was told was the elusive criminal mastermind 'H'. It also probably clears Davidson of any suspicion that she might be 'H', although she's still mixed up in some very corrupt stuff, so that doesn't help her case much.

Most concerning of all, we've actually seen a named character make this spelling mistake once before: our very own Ted Hastings. Back at the end of series five, AC-12 managed to break into the mystery OCG messaging app and pretended to be 'H' in order to speak directly to Corbett.

Frustrated with the cautious pace of the team's prepared responses, Hastings took over the chat, telling Corbett, "I can definately pull the right strings." Yikes.

Photo credit: BBC
Photo credit: BBC

Of course, this sent the internet into full tailspin with fans wondering if Hastings could have been the mysterious 'H' all along. When he was eventually suspended from his post and brought in for questioning by AC-3's DCS Patricia Carmichael she even brought it up, asking him if he misspelled the word like 'H' because he was in fact 'H'.

Obviously Hastings denied the accusation and by the end of the episode the focus Gill Biggeloe was unmasked as a senior OCG member and very bent copper. Ted was reinstated and all was well again. Well, now fans 'definately' aren't so sure.

Will we ever find out?!

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