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Image via BBC Two
Jen Vestuto is a TV Features Writer for Collider. A born and raised New Yorker, she started her career on set as a production assistant for shows like Law & Order: SVU and Person of Interest. In LA, she worked in the writers' rooms for The Vampire Diaries and Nancy Drew. Along with her writing partner, she joined the writing staff of Nancy Drew in Season 2 and stayed on the run of the show, which ended in 2022 with Season 4.
Jen grew up on Long Island in a loud Italian family. She's been writing creatively since she was in elementary school and would often make her younger sister act out scenes from her favorite movies with her. Jen is also a massive sports fan and was an athlete herself growing up.
Writing features for Collider gives her the opportunity to share her passion for great storytelling and compelling characters.
Since premiering on BBC Two in 2012, the British cop drama Line of Duty has become a global phenomenon. With razor-sharp writing from Jed Mercurio and consistently stellar performances, the series follows Anti-Corruption Unit AC-12 as they investigate and bring down corrupt officers within the police force. That structure has allowed Line of Duty to introduce an impressive roster of standout guest stars over the years, including Thandiwe Newton, Stephen Graham, and Keeley Hawes, just to name a few.
Before the highly anticipated announcement that the series would return for Season 7, the most recent chapter took a markedly different approach. Season 6 placed Kelly Macdonald at the center as DCI Joanne Davidson, delivering an incredibly layered performance that still fits the DNA of what makes Line of Duty great, while offering a very different kind of suspect than the seasons that came before. If you haven’t watched it yet, Season 6 is absolutely worth bingeing for Macdonald’s performance alone.
Kelly Macdonald's Joanne Davidson Is Under Investigation in Season 6 of 'Line of Duty'
Season 6 introduces DCI Joanne Davidson (Macdonald), a senior detective leading an investigation into the murder of a local journalist. It also opens with a major shift in the show’s usual dynamic, as Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure) has left AC-12 and is now working alongside Joanne in a more traditional policing role. That change immediately gives the season a different perspective, positioning one of the series’ most trusted mainstays close to the new central figure. Of course, it doesn’t take long for AC-12 to notice some issues with the investigation, and Superintendent Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar) and DI Steve Arnott (Martin Compston) begin quietly digging into Joanne’s conduct and her unit’s decisions.
While the setup feels familiar, there’s something unmistakably different about Joanne. Line of Duty has always excelled at weaving long-running threads through new cases, and even with criticism around how certain storylines are handled in Season 6, the show remains sharpest when it leans into its incredible cast and the slow reveal of what they're hiding. Unlike earlier seasons that sometimes telegraphed guilt through recklessness or ego, Joanne’s circumstances feel far more complicated and unique. With Kate by her side, and genuinely convinced Joanne is a good person, the investigation takes on an added layer of tension. Joanne is perhaps the most enigmatic adversary AC-12 has ever investigated. That uncertainty becomes the engine of the season, forcing viewers to sit with the discomfort of not knowing whether Joanne is corrupt, coerced, or simply trapped in something far bigger than she can control.
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Joanne Davidson Is Not a Typical Villain in 'Line of Duty' Season 6
What makes Joanne Davidson such a fascinating figure in Line of Duty Season 6 is how differently the series frames her relationship to corruption. Many of AC-12’s previous targets were pulled into wrongdoing through greed, ambition, or moral compromise that built over time. Joanne’s story feels darker and more tragic, shaped less by opportunism than by long-term manipulation and coercive control. By tying her to the OCG’s legacy and Tommy Hunter’s network, the season reframes her not as a classic “bent copper,” but as someone molded by systemic pressure and psychological entanglement.
That shift also changes the texture of the show’s signature interrogation scenes. Opposite Arnott and Hastings, Joanne isn’t written as someone sparring for power or trying to outsmart AC-12. Instead, her unraveling is deeply emotional, and Kelly Macdonald captures the heartbreak and shock as Joanne is forced to confront the truth about her past. It’s a performance that gives Season 6 a more intimate, character-driven edge than many previous chapters. The way her story ends is also unique, framing her more as a victim of circumstance rather than a criminal.
Overall, Macdonald's performance is one of the strongest elements of the season, and proof that Line of Duty could still evolve without losing what made it iconic. With Season 7 on the horizon, Season 6 is a reminder of how sharply the series can write its characters, even the ones in AC-12’s crosshairs. In the meantime, the season remains one of the most rewarding installments to revisit.
Release Date 2012 - 2026-00-00
Directors David Caffrey, Douglas Mackinnon, Daniel Nettheim, Michael Keillor, John Strickland, Jed Mercurio, Sue Tully, Gareth Bryn, Jennie Darnell
Writers Jed Mercurio
English (US) ·