Line of Duty is heading back — but Martin Compston has warned that getting through the new season was anything but easy. Speaking on The One Show, the star called filming Season 7 “pretty brutal” and revealed that the cast faced demanding 18-page interview scenes, relying on each other through some difficult days. But his biggest tease may be what’s coming for the story itself: Compston says the new episodes bring the long-running story arc to “the end,” with everything finally coming to a head in what he describes as an explosive conclusion. With familiar faces returning and new cast members joining the investigation, fans may want to know exactly what awaits AC-12.

by

Martin Compston Teases Explosive Line of Duty Return as He Calls Season 7 the “Hardest” Yet

Line of Duty star Martin Compston has opened up about the long-awaited return of the BBC crime drama, revealing that filming Season 7 was “pretty brutal” and teasing the conclusion of a story arc that has been building since the series began.

Compston appeared live on The One Show on Wednesday, September 9, alongside Dame Helen Mirren and Lara Pulver. Speaking with hosts Alex Jones and Vernon Kay, the Scottish actor discussed both his new series Living Las Vegas and the upcoming seventh season of Line of Duty.

Line Of Duty season 7: everything we know so far

Martin Compston on his bond with Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar

During the interview, Vernon asked Compston about the chemistry he shares with Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar, who play Kate Fleming and Ted Hastings alongside his character, Steve Arnott.

Compston said his connection with McClure was almost immediate. The pair come from similar backgrounds and even share the same birthday, while their characters quickly became a team.

His relationship with Dunbar developed over time as Hastings became an increasingly important part of the show.

Now, Compston says, the three actors are much more than co-stars. McClure and Dunbar have become two of his closest friends, and they stay in regular contact, speaking almost daily or at least weekly.

That friendship proved particularly valuable during production on the new season.

Line of Duty

“It was a pretty brutal shoot”

Compston described Season 7 as “the hardest one” they have had to film, with the production presenting a different kind of challenge for the returning cast.

A large number of interview scenes required the actors to tackle lengthy dialogue, something Compston described as a “mental test.” He said the cast often had to depend on one another when someone was struggling with the demands of filming.

The actors would run through scenes together and help each other prepare, creating what Compston called a strong support network.

Their close friendship, he suggested, became especially important when faced with scenes that could run as long as 18 pages.

Season 7 will bring the story arc to a head

Martin Compston

Compston also offered one of his biggest teases yet about what viewers can expect from the new episodes.

According to the actor, Season 7 will bring “the end of the story arc” that has been developing since the first series. He described the new episodes as a point where “everything’s coming to a head” and promised that the result would be “pretty explosive.”

He also praised the way creator Jed Mercurio handled the writing process this time around.

Compston explained that television productions can sometimes begin filming before the ending has been fully written, leaving actors uncertain about where the story is heading. That was not the case with the new season.

At the cast read-through, the first five episodes were already available, with only one remaining. This meant the actors knew what Mercurio was ultimately planning for the story as they began filming.

Compston said he hopes the finished season will deliver what Line of Duty fans have been waiting for.

New faces join the returning cast

Ales Jones and Vernon Kay

Season 7 will bring back several familiar faces while also introducing a number of new characters.

Robert Carlyle has joined the series as guest lead Detective Constable Shaun Massie.

He will appear alongside Tom Weston-Jones as Detective Inspector Dominic Gough, Laura Aikman as DC Paula Beckman, Levi Brown as DC Luke Tobin and Amy-Leigh Hickman as DC Nira Rashid.

With the returning trio of Compston, McClure and Dunbar at the center of the story, the new season is set to continue the investigation while pushing its long-running storyline toward a major turning point.

Line of Duty Season 7 will return to screens next year and is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.