Line of Duty season 7 has been teased for so many years now, we can't believe it's actually happening.
After rounding off six near-perfect seasons back in 2021 with a divisive finale, the rumour mill immediately set to work that the show would return and redeem itself from its less-than-perfect end.
Even when Adrian Dunbar seemed to confirm a return of the show last year, things immediately went quiet afterwards and it appeared to be yet another red herring for viewers still holding out hope.
But this time it's real, and the BBC have confirmed that the Line of Duty cast have already met for a read-through of Jed Mercurio's script, and filming is set to begin in Belfast in spring - which is any day as spring is just days away.
Not only that, but a major star has been confirmed as guest lead for the series, as Robert Carlyle (Trainspotting, The Full Monty) joins Adrian Dunbar (Ted Hastings,) Vicky McClure (Kate Fleming,) and Martin Compston (Steve Arnott) for this most exciting of TV events.
Robert takes the role of Detective Constable Shaun Massie, a Specialist Rifle Officer (SRO) and veteran marksman.
According to the BBC, when series 7 arrives, viewers will soon find out that AC-12 has been disbanded since the last time they saw it, and rebranded the Inspectorate of Police Standards.
It's been revealed that "anticorruption work has never been more difficult" as our former AC-12 favourites are assigned "their most sensitive case so far."
A new character named Detective Inspector Dominic Gough becomes a key part of the series. Described as "a charismatic officer winning plaudits for a string of takedowns of organised crime," Gough is commanding officer of the Tactical Operations Unit 7 (TO-7), which takes down Organised Crime Groups.
When Gough is accused of being a sexual predator, it could be that he's been set up to distract attention "from a bigger threat still operating in the shadows."
This is where Robert Carlyle's character steps in. He works alongside Gough in TO-7, and is usually considered a "gruff loner," keeping himself to himself.
But when DI Dominic Gough, his boss, is accused of being a sexual predator, Massie's usually detached demeanour "changes drastically." Could this situation be setting up the next H? Was the reveal of Ian Buckells (Nigel Boyle) as H a red herring, and the real H still at large? We can't wait to find out.
Fans of the show are also on the edge of their seats waiting for the new series to land. When a clip of the cast holding the new script was shared to the BBC iPlayer Instagram account, viewers couldn't wait to share their excitement.
One person wrote, "Mother of god. Can’t wait! Please tell me we will have more than series 7 too? You guys are the best!"
While many suggested they were heading straight to binge all six previous seasons in anticipation of the seventh, another person wrote, "I never thought I’d ever see this happen and I couldn’t be happier."
All six seasons of Line of Duty are currently available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
